Of
course, given those factors I just mentioned, it’s no surprise that…not much
has changed over the past several weeks...and frankly, life isn't all that exciting right now. Therefore (partially in order to
bolster my own sanity, tbh) I’ve decided that today’s topic for reflection
shall revolve around “tiny bright spots”--things that recently have provided just a smidgen
of joy to counteract the onslaught of constant dire news and chilling
statistics which have unfortunately become such a part of our daily existence.
First of
all, some light and fluffy entertainment (because who doesn’t need a dose of THAT right now, yeah?).
Remember that book of brain teaser puzzles I bought several weeks ago? The boys happened
upon me peacefully sitting in my office one day, concentrating on filling in some of
the answers…and instantly wanted a piece of the action. (As competitive young men will do. It's a game? They're IN! Wait, is there a prize?) So, picking through to identify some of the
more...generationally relevant ones...I challenged them with quizlets
like these:
1. AHAB: initials of 2
famous people; one killed the other
2. Guess the item based
on 3 clues: In 2008 many baseball fans were disgusted when a photo surfaced
depicting Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez using one of these as a napkin. In the film
“National Treasure”, Nicolas Cage uses one of these to determine the time of
day that a shadow cast from Independence Hall would point to a secret location.
As of 1869, this is the highest-valued unit of currency in U.S. circulation.
Ah, nerd
family bonding time…can’t beat it!
And
speaking of wholesome amusement, one diversion that luckily has been available
to lift one’s spirits is the fabulous “get the heck outside” option. With the arrival of glorious Spring weather, running, walking, and biking have provided a welcome
escape—literally—from the indoor doldrums. Even better, the nearby Fleet Feet
came up with a brilliant idea for some special Runner’s Boxes, filled with
goodies centered around a theme, and offered with contactless curbside pickup. Needless to say, the java-related one practically screamed my name. And as an unexpected but thoroughly welcome surprise, when I went to the store to retrieve my treasures, I was met by none other than the woman in charge of the Wednesday night pub runs I regularly attend (pre-and-post-pandemic, naturally). So, awesome shirt/locally roasted coffee/workout fuel/mug…plus the opportunity to chat with someone I obviously hadn’t seen in a while (appropriately separated)…that’s definitely a Win/Win!
Next,
related to that whole notion of “leaving the house”, it seems like the Male Trio—who
mostly have been coping admirably well—lately might be developing a bit of
an…itch to wander, so to speak. For example, Riley earnestly approached me the
other day and announced that he would be making a trip to the grocery store,
“to give you a break, because you do it all the time”. After approximately 1.5
seconds he wryly added, “And besides, I need to get out for a bit.” Oh trust
me, I understand, child!
Then there was the every-3-weeks-or-so expedition to
Costco, a chore which routinely falls to Husband; however, this time he
invited/coerced Derek to join him for the company…and probably moral support,
as one can never really predict what that place is going to be like on a
so-called normal day, much less during an extended episode of Hoarders: the
toilet paper and hand soap edition. Upon their return they reported that all of the mandated public
safety measures were being properly implemented, and their experience was…fine. (Which in the grand scheme of things can absolutely be classified as one of
those “small victories”!)
This leads me to something completely silly that nevertheless made me happy last week. Due to a combination of factors—such as having to buy extra food with both kids here and all 4 of us at home more than usual, thereby racking up the Harris Teeter Fuel Rewards points…driving less because of so many things being closed…and almost unbelievably low gas prices…I was able to completely fill my tank...for under $20. That just pleased me waaaay more than it should have, but like I said, ya gotta focus on the positive wherever you can find it at the moment, amiright?
Aaannnd, what lockdown post would be complete without an installment of the esteemed reality show we like to call The Continuing Adventures the Goofball Brothers. While they do still have assignments to
keep on top of, they have most assuredly found themselves with an unprecedented
(GAH! Sorry!) amount of free time not typically afforded them during the
academic year. As such, they’ve been taking advantage of the bonus togetherness in a variety of ways. Such as storming into my workspace and staging
a mock argument at top volume, in order to get me to stop what I’m doing and
yell at them to knock it off. Siiighhhhh…. (I’m just kidding—they only do it
when they’re sure I’m not, you know, on a video call with colleagues or
something. So it’s kind of a hilarious break from whatever mundane task I
happen to be doing at the time…but I’m not telling them that, okay? Heaven only
knows what they’d do with actual encouragement to be all dramatic and whatnot.
Let’s just not go there…)
And
finally, when they’re not busy harassing me, they’ve re-instituted a heartwarming practice: collaborating on the PlayStation, mostly with Lego
Marvel games. Well…on second thought, that makes it sound far more...harmonious...than it often turns out to be. In practice, although they’re supposed to be cooperating as
a team to defeat whatever villain is currently menacing their characters, what
actually appears on the screen seems to involve a great deal of...running amok, chasing each
other, sabotaging one another’s efforts…and very little triumphing over evil
and whatnot. Oh, and copious amounts of trash-talking, barking advice (which is
overwhelmingly ignored), and exasperation when whatever flimsy,
incomprehensible plan they invented inevitably fails to attain their goals.
Yeah…it’s a real HOOT, y’all.Anyway, it's been very satisfying to refocus my scattered pandemic-ridden mental space and share a few smile-inducing moments that have cheered Team WestEnders of late...so thanks for tagging along. And who knows--perhaps May will bring better tidings in the planet-wide fight to crush COVID. Let's all keep our fingers crossed...and in the meantime, stay safe and well, amigos!
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