Week 21

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  It's super hot here right now expecting triple digits most of this week so it for sure feels like summer. Thank goodness we have the pool open and ready to go.  Stores, restaurants and small businesses are starting to reopen again too but we're going to wait and see how things pan out before really putting ourselves out there.  Maybe in a couple week's once the new hysteria wears off and the crowds die down.  

Until then here are last week's pictures:

Day 139- Monday, 5/18/20

We started the week off with rain.  It was thunderstorms so hit and miss, on and off, but still rain and chilly out as well.

Day 140- Tuesday, 5/19/20

When I went into work I had these things waiting for me from my boss.  She drops off eggs from her chickens since she gets way too many for her household and the university finally gave her my 25 year service pin plus a $250 Visa card to give me.  My anniversary was in February so I was thinking they might have forgot but I'm sure with all that has been going on it just was a bit delayed. Regardless I'll take it!

Day 141- Wednesday, 5/20/20

The sun is shinning bright today and lit up this huge heart-shaped leaf on a tree in our backyard.  It's been too cold and windy to go out much lately so the change in weather inspired me to get out there and soak up the nature around me.

Day 142- Thursday, 5/21/20

I was working from home today and on the computer most of the time so when I finally got a chance to step away and relax elsewhere Rusty found me and needed some cuddle time.  He can be a bit clingy when he feels like he's been ignored all day so we watched a couple shows together and then I had to boot him to get dinner going.  

Day 143- Friday, 5/22/20

Back in the lab I don't usually wear a mask unless I'm running to another building because I'm mostly working alone but now the university is starting to ramp up more research so there are more people around and they are requiring us to wear masks and sign in and sign out.  It's a kid of pain but necessary for for contact tracking purposes if it comes to that.  Today was a long day too so I was happy when it was done and could head home to enjoy my family and a movie.  Cheers to the start of a 3-day weekend!  In honor of Justin being back we watched a DC movie he's been wanting to see.

Day 144- Saturday, 5/23/20

Score!  I was helping Justin sort through is college stuff to reorganize for next year and found some yeast among his things.  I have looked high and low for yeast since this whole pandemic started and still to this day cannot find it anywhere so this is a happy find and we'll put it to good use soon.  We also worked hard to get the pool cleaned up and ready to open for the summer.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon especially since our weather has drastically changed for the week into hot, hot, hot.

Day 145- Sunday, 5/24/20

Today was hot enough for shorts especially when walking the dog.  We tried to wait until it cooled down a bit but it never really did so we made it a short walk seeking out shade as much as possible. After that we enjoyed a great BBQ rib dinner and made S'mores by the pool for dessert.

Wait!  One more-

May's Family Photo

Look!--we have Justin back (in true form) this month and it's looking like we will have a full house next month. Fun family times enjoying the fire pit and s'mores after dark.

Ok that's it!  See you next week as we wrap up May and start June!

Week 20

Hello and welcome back! We're in phase 2 of re-opening here in the northern part of California. The southern areas will take a bit longer since they are more densely populated and have more cases. There's still a lot of uncertainty especially regarding schools and it sounds like most colleges here will be online for at least the 1st semester next year. It's disappointing but also better to be safe than sorry so understandable and may actually help them get back to normal sooner in the long run. We'll see. At any rate Justin finished his 1st year of college and is now home with us for at least the summer and maybe longer. Either way we're happy to have him back.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 132- Monday, 5/11/20

After working in the lab this morning I was able to relax at home and had a cute furry friend join me.  The other furry friend was waiting for her afternoon run in the yard and sprung out the sliding door with full-on speed to race around.  Not bad a for a now 12 year old Lab.  It's the simple things in life that help keep us going.

Day 133- Tuesday, 5/12/20

This whole week has been on and off with storms and sunshine.  There were a lot of impressive cloud banks out today which made it dark at times but when the sun did shine the light was at least caught by my dragonfly glass art hanging in the dining window.

Day 134- Wednesday, 5/13/20

Tonight was the season finale of Survivor season 40!  We've been watching for over 20 years.  It was a good season with many new twists and all the players were past winners which was interesting to watch and see the different playing styles that have formed through the many seasons.  I was hoping Natalie would win in the end being the 1st to get voted off and then earning her spot back in that game after spending most the season at the edge of extinction.  That would have been sweet justice but alias Tony won. 

Day 135- Thursday, 5/14/20

Brandon continues distance learning high school at home and still has about 3 more weeks left before his summer break.  Most of it is done from his bed in a self-made cave and he's perfectly fine with that.  Outside I noticed that our tomato plants now have flowers which is great because just last week I was saying that they need flowers and here we are so hopefully soon the fruit will start.

Day 136- Friday, 5/15/20

I drove 6 hrs up to Humboldt State to move Justin out of his dorm after finishing finals for his first year in college.  He's happy to be done and we're happy to be bringing him home for the summer.  We stayed the night before driving back and had to find a place for dinner that did take out or delivery (hardly any fast-food options there).  I was thinking pizza delivery but he had pizza for lunch so we found a very busy 24 hr place that sold burgers and shakes for take out. Of course we forgot our masks at the hotel so had to quickly go back and get them to actually pick up our food.  

Day 137- Saturday, 5/16/20

We're back home and the cat quickly found my lap because he missed me the past couple days and is interested in seeing Justin but also cautious about his return.  Rusty needs time to warm to the idea but soon enough they'll be best buds again.  John's happy to see Justin though and we all enjoyed a fun family meal together to catch up.

Day 138- Sunday, 5/17/20

All of Justin's dorm room belongings have been dumped in the loft area until we can sort through it and organize it for next year.  I see many loads of laundry in my future.  At least it doesn't bother Brandon who is enjoying playing games during free time before school assignments start again tomorrow.  In other news John went to Costco to restock our food supplies and brought back a shiny new Roomba for us.  Our other one has been slowly dying for the past year so it was time.

That's it!  See you next week.

Week 19

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  I like the weeks where we have things to celebrate because it breaks up the monotony of being stuck in isolation and gives us something to look forward to and plan for.  Thankfully we have a lot of things coming up over the next few weeks which is exciting because it helps us forget those things we cannot plan for and are missing out on.  Friday I get to actually escape this valley and drive north to the coastal redwoods.  I'll be moving Justin home and will be happy for the change in scenery.

Here's a look at last week's pictures full of small fun events that helped mix things up and lift our spirits:

Day 125-  Monday, 5/4/20

May the fourth be with you!  I found these Star Wars ice-cream treats at Target which are perfect for today's dessert.

Day 126- Tuesday, 5/5/20

We're enjoying Cinco De Mayo and Taco Tuesday during a neighborhood social distancing party.

Day 127- Wednesday, 5/6/20

I'm ending my long day with an evening Zoom Booster meeting--last one for the school year!  I wonder what high school sports look like next year and how this will affect our club.

Day 128- Thursday, 5/7/20

It's a work from home day so I spent most the day in our home office in more Zoom meetings while Bella kept me company.  This is her favorite spot to lay while I work away. After I was done on the computer I treated her to a nice long walk on this beautiful sunny day.

Day 129- Friday, 5/8/20

TGIF! Rusty is very interested in Bella's Friday treat toy but also respects the fact that it's hers and not for him.  Later the neighbor put on a Disney themed musical light show for all to see and hear which was impressive and fun.  Most were great about social distancing and we appreciate our neighbor Juan for organizing things to help boost morale and keep us connected without totally bringing us together. Photo credit--Jon Canaan.

Day 130- Saturday, 5/9/20

Today was really hot out in the high 90's so I stayed inside most the day and waited for the sun to drop and the delta breeze to kick in before starting yard work.  That's the last of the winter and spring weeds so I just have a bit more pruning until the yard is set for summer.  Also our tomato plants have tripled in size which is great to see so hopefully we'll have flowers and then fruit soon.

Day 131- Sunday, 5/10/20

Happy Mother's Day!  It was strange with only one kid home but the others checked in to wish me a good day.  John and Brandon worked together to washed my car, give me flowers and make me a nice breakfast and dinner with yummy dessert.  It was a great day and I hope all my fellow moms out there had a great day too.

That's it!  See you next week with Justin back in the fold for the summer.

Week 18

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  We're just plugging along patiently waiting for things to get back to something close to normal although SIP orders for our county are now in effect through the end of May. This means a whole other month stuck at home which is getting old. At least I can escape the house 3 days a week to work in the lab.  It does help.  Maybe in June things will look up although I'm afraid it will be a really uneventful and boring summer. Mostly I just pray come fall schools can safely be back in session. The whole online learning is fine short term but not the most ideal way to truly learn anything especially if you go to a learn-by-doing school like Justin.  Bottom line is we have our family and we have our health and we'll do what it takes to keep it that way.

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 118- Monday, 4/27/20

Face masks have been recommended for awhile but not required in our county until today.  I've been wearing them for some time out in public but most people haven't so I'm kind of glad they're now required especially in stores and enclosed spaces.  Today when I went grocery sopping both places were screening people at the door and not letting them in without a mask--crazy sign of the times.

Day 119- Tuesday, 4/28/20

I'm doing my best to engage this kid so after finishing remote work this morning Brandon and I decided to make cowboy cookies.  Miraculously I had all the ingredients on hand without even planning which is a good thing because if I had needed anything it's unlikely the stores would have been stocked. Way more people are baking than usual and I get that because it's fun to bake together and rewarding too.

Day 120- Wednesday, 4/29/20

I worked in the lab this morning doing some QC testing on media plates to make sure certain bacteria are growing properly on them.  That triangle effect on the left is called a CAMP reaction and it helps identify that organism (Step ag) from the rest.  There are staph, strep and e. coli organisms on this plate and all (in addition to mycoplasma) are common causes of mastitis in dairy cattle which is what Vet Med media services sell the plates to test for.  I'm mostly explaining this so in years to come I can look back and remember some of the things related to my work.  Later at home I did more record keeping type work online and happy to have this cat keep me company as he napped nearby.  Just like a baby he looks so cute and sweet when he sleeps.

Day 121- Thursday, 4/30/20

Today I'm working remotely again but the internet is down and I can only take my Zoom meetings on my phone with the mobile network. It's very spotty in my house at best so I had to set up outside in my front entryway to make my meetings happen.  At least it was a beautiful day and I was able to get through it all without further incident.

Day 122- Friday, 5/1/20

It's a new month so I posed with the monthly marker by some May flowers. Earlier when I went to change my calendar I noticed how empty the entire month of April was so I flipped back to the beginning of the year to compare.  Huge difference!  January was crazy busy and super overloaded which I don't love but April was completely empty and just so sad looking.  Here's to hoping we can all get back to a happy and healthy balance soon.

Day 123- Saturday, 5/2/20

We spent most of the day in the yard soaking up the nice weather and working to get everything pruned and fixed up so we can enjoy the space for summer.  It will have to be the place we retreat to for fun and good times since we can't travel or really go out.  Of course all the hard work in the sun exhausted us so John pretty much settled down for the night to watch a movie and fell asleep before the previews were even over.  Haha--this is actually his new normal regardless of yard work or not.

Day 124- Sunday, 5/3/20

It's starting to feel like summer with warmer temps in the 90's which also means it's time to start watering the lawns again.  The sprinklers were tested this weekend but unfortunately the city that just put in a new water meter messed up our front system so we can't use them until that's fixed.  Our only option was to go old school and bust out the movable sprinkler which brings back fun memories of me as a child and my kids when they were younger running through this type of sprinkler in the hot summer sun.  Good times and i was so temped.  LOL!  Later John grilled burgers and dog for dinner which of course also fell in line with the summer vibe going on.

That's it!  I'm happy to be starting a new month and hoping it's a month where we can start to see the vision of a what the transition back to reopening this country may look like.  Take care and stay safe.