It all started in March 2020. We had heard of Covid before then, but it didn’t seem to be much of a threat. I treasure the memories of February 2020 in San Francisco for over a week. I “house sat” for my friend and took care of her two cats. She lives in the Glen Park area, a lovely old-school neighborhood of San Francisco. Though it was only February, flowers were already in bloom, and I walked or took BART (the subway) everywhere. I believe I flew down that time. Normally, I drive. I had so much fun. I went to several ukulele jams just like old times and my friends and I invaded the San Francisco Folk music jam with our ukuleles, so much fun. And of course, I visited my grandkids. It’s a good thing all that happened because everything changed in March 2020.
Fast forward to February 2023. Covid has not gone away yet. I had not succumbed to it, though all of my other family members and many of my friends had. My boyfriend would tell me when I’d drive to California — “Don’t bring back COVID!” How ironic that he would be the one to catch COVID. It was all because of that card game last Wednesday night. My boyfriend invited several of his friends over to play Poker (with change). Who knew that one of them had COVID? By Saturday, Savoy was coughing and sneezing and said he felt miserable, so I got out all the COVID test kits that had been stowed away for months. His test came up positive almost right away. You didn’t have to wait 15 minutes. First time I’d ever seen a positive result up close and personal because every time I had tested, it had come up negative.
Next thing I knew, we were isolating. Savoy in one room and me and the cat in the other. I’d wear a mask whenever I’d enter the room, he stayed in. Our place isn’t very big — it’s part of a large house that Savoy rents out to others. I was pretty much isolated to one room just as I had been in December after foot surgery when my foot was in a cast, and I wasn’t allowed to put any weight on it for six weeks. Talk about “isolation.” all I could do was look out the window at the beautiful trees and Spencer Butte Summit in the distance and wish. I love to walk on the trails in the woods and on the neighborhood trail around here. We are so fortunate to live pretty much in the woods consisting of mostly Douglas Fir trees along with many types of oak trees, linden trees, oh and a few Ewes and even some Sitka Spruces and Cedars. The trail I walked every day felt almost magical to me because it always made me happy to be surrounded by the trees. I even had a favorite tree I’d lean against and look up the hill.
I am still supposed to wear a walking boot if I walk anywhere, and I had to take over all the chores because my boyfriend became very ill with the COVID plague. He had refused the anti-COVID medication but only asked for meds to help him sleep. I felt bad because he wouldn’t let me stay in his room long for fear I’d catch the “plague.” I was still testing negative every day and had no symptoms at all. I had to take care of my boyfriend, take out the garbage, clean the kitty litter box, etc. Who else would do it?
Then on Thursday, I had cold symptoms and the COVID test came up a big, fat positive. OH NO! I remember in 2020 picturing everyone with COVID deathly ill at home or in the hospital. I have cold symptoms. Aren’t I supposed to be sicker? I decided not to take the Plaxovoid because my symptoms are light.
Instead, on day 2 of COVID, what do I do? I decide to take a short walk in the woods WITHOUT my walking boot. My physical therapist would not be happy with me, but I can’t see him right now and the weather was beautiful. I wore a mask whenever anyone walked by. I made it to my favorite tree, and slowly traversed up the hill listening to Amazon Creek below. I can hardly wait until the Trilliums arrive in late March. I felt rebellious, and I loved every minute of it.
TAKE THAT COVID and walking boot!
Then I felt as if I was coming down with