No Decisions July?

So this is still going on.

We (collectively as a country I guess) have given up on trying to get out of the whole “active pandemic explosion” thing.

I don’t like it one bit.

I took the dog for a post shutdown spa day yesterday. She’s the only one who has had a respite from quarantine hair. Also her nails are slightly less deadly weapon like than they were.

Moments after this she removed and attempted to eat the bow 🎀

Today I went for a pedicure, which was the first time I have sat down in a place that is not a home. I am not 6 feet tall (I’m sure that’s surprising to no one) so no matter how much a stretched out I couldn’t keep my toes socially distant from my face. But the nail salon had many procedures in place – I didn’t touch anything other than the one bottle of polish and a sanitized pen. I had to sign a form saying that I was practicing social distancing, they took my temperature (forehead scan), and I had to provide my phone # in case they have to contact me later. I hope they don’t.

I am constantly in a state of trying to figure out what happens next. Without any of the information that would guide this decision nor a framework for how I would evaluate that information even if I had it.

Currently all of my considerable mental effort is spinning and spinning (and spinning some more) over the question of whether my (adult and ultimately able to make their own decisions) children should be going to school in the next month or two.

Because the world is changing on a minute by minute basis I put a freeze on all decision making and declared it to be No Decisions July (we tried for a more alliterative name but couldn’t come up with anything except for “Just July” which isn’t good at all.)

Then moments after the decision to make no decisions was made, the schools declared that decisions MUST be made within the month of July.

Damn them all.

We went to visit Boston last weekend and walked around the Northeastern campus. (Two thumbs up 👍 👍 for mask use and distancing on the semi-deserted self guided tour.)

I really want him to get this experience…I do.

We ended up not staying for the second night because a) our AirBNB upstairs neighbors were insanely loud from 11pm – 4am and we weren’t into round two and b) we didn’t really want to do anything out in the city because the world is too scary (this was a unanimous feeling about things – not just me.)

We drove around a bit – past Boston Common and the Public Garden, Fenway, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, downtown…and then we left.

My current strong leaning is that no one should go anywhere in the fall. Most of the classes are online. Public schools in Nashville are not going back live in the fall. No matter what measures they take (and they are taking all of the measures they can think of – for which I give much credit) still living in a community setting (dorm/apartment) is a fundamentally different level of exposure and risk. And if they are taking online classes ANYWAY what is the point really?

I still don’t know what will happen. I’m trying hard to separate my own brain explosion from reality (I do think they are closely related.) I don’t want to be overreacting, yet I think I’d rather overreact than under react.

I just ordered (via curbside pickup at Jo-Ann’s since I have already used up my “going out in the world” credit for the day) supplies to make this because this is my whole current vibe. Crafting therapy FTW.