Well, here we are in the midst of Labor Day weekend,
which traditionally signals the de facto end of Summer. But…COVID 2020 shut
down the usual cookouts and pool parties and vacations and whatnot--I’m speaking
of course to those of us who followed the rules, avoided dangerous situations….and
missed out on the season o’fun….siiiiighhh.
So I guess what I’m saying is that it strikes me as kind
of…anticlimactic? Eh, at least we get a 3-day hiatus from…whatever
our work situation looks like right now, yeah? (With sincere apologies
to people whose jobs don’t recognize federal holidays, or Saturdays and Sundays.
So you know what…never mind…let’s just move on, shall we?)
Reflecting on this past week, there’s not that much actual
news to report. Derek’s still at South Carolina; although Corona
seems to be quite active there per reports, there haven’t yet been whispers of booting
the coeds out, like they did at UNC. We’re definitely waiting with bated breath
for that announcement, though, and Derek is firmly in the mindset of just trying
to enjoy the semester, for as long as he’s allowed to remain near campus.
Meanwhile Riley is navigating the very real challenges associated
with learning such scintillating topics as AP Calculus and Physics…remotely.
Let’s just say that logging into a lecture twice a week is obviously worlds
different than attending class in person with your teacher Monday through
Friday--and he’s struggling with the lack of both instructional hours and
face-to-face interaction a little bit at this point.
As for me, I was determined to do something—ANYTHING--to
break up the drudgery that hangs over the viral apocalypse. So I
started out small, by taking myself to one of my favorite quirky independent shops
on Franklin Street (Epilogue—highly recommend!) where I savored a yummy coffee
concoction (mocha! whipped cream! enough said…) and a pleasant stretch of browsing
their new and used volumes. (Seriously, nothing beats the smell of a bookstore,
amiright?) Plus, walking out with a selection of fresh TBRs was the cherry
on top of a wonderful visit.
My next outing came about because of an offhand comment Husband
made in conversation. We were talking about past adventures, and he suddenly
exclaimed, “Have you even left the state this calendar year?” I swear, a
tiny little piece of my soul curled up and died with that remark—even though we
quickly remembered that my mom friends and I managed to squeeze in our President’s
Day getaway to Savannah right before all this…nonsense…began in
earnest.
Still, it sparked a strong desire…nay, NEED…to blow this
proverbial popsicle stand for a while. I didn’t necessarily require a border
crossing, per se (which would demand more research and effort than I
currently wanted to expend, to be honest), but at minimum, a drive
somewhere to soothe the… savage travel beast…or whatever. Thus I
concocted a plan to simply take a little jaunt over to Greensboro, where
there’s a botanical garden that Team WestEnders didn’t have time to explore
when last we tootled around the city several years ago.
Adding to the allure of a day trip was the absolutely stellar
weather we woke up to on Sunday. Remember I sent a heartfelt,
semi-desperate plea out to the universe, that September would arrive bearing
the gifts of cooler temps and lower humidity? Evidently the
meteorological powers-that-be were paying attention to little old me, because
they came through--for a couple of days, anyway.
Let’s see…a gigantic iced java to set the tone…a soothing
hour behind the wheel, appreciating the music and solitude…and a scenic stroll
amongst charming flora while greeting enthusiastic dogs and children (from 6 feet
away, of course)—oh, and NOT sweating to death? That’s one in the Win
column for sure, y’all. (Or to put it another way: exactly what the doctor
ordered to restore balance to this particular human being at this moment.
Aaaaahhhh….)
And finally, speaking of delightful outdoor conditions
and basking in nature and such, a small gang of fitness buddies took full
advantage of the extra day off to meet up for a ramble on the American
Tobacco Trail in Durham. We reveled in the fact that once again it was
abundantly sunny and comfortably warm--but still without the drippiness
we’ve been suffering through. (I know, I know, it’s called “Summer”. Doesn’t
mean I have to adore it!)
In addition to which, to celebrate our successful hour-long,
8,000-ish-step hike, we rewarded ourselves with treats from the establishments
ever-so-conveniently located near the path’s entrance. (Brilliant, honestly:
they get business, we get delicious noshes…and everybody’s
happy!) Several other pals whose schedules didn’t allow them to participate in the
exercise portion of our get-together joined us for the recreational…chatting
and chewing…segment that followed.
WOW…no wonder I’m feeling so much lighter! Who knew that self-care
for early September would involve purchasing reading materials, taking a
solo mini-excursion, hanging out with lovely people who AREN’T my
precious family…and, apparently, a whole lot of caffeinated beverages?
On second thought, I could have easily guessed ALL of this—nevertheless, I’m
tremendously grateful that I had the opportunity figure it out, to thwart the
monotony of 2020 for a while, and to recalibrate the system, so to speak.
Alrighty, then…with Labor Day officially in the books, what’s
next? I mean, you know I’m usually adamant about not rushing holidays,
but “global pandemic” and all, so whattya say we move right on into Halloween,
‘kay? Bring on the spooky decorations, pumpkin spice-apalooza,
and (especially) candy bars, folks, ‘cuz this year I am Here. For. It! (Excuses self to commence stockpiling M&Ms...) Let the Fall/Winter festive season begin--whoo hoo!
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