randomcub

It is Sunday of the last week of me having housemates and I'm a little terrified.
I haven't lived Alone for decades.

It'll be fine.
*deep breath*

So, backing up a bit. Different story.

The background: So when Covid hit, my job (going from site to site as chaplain for a couple hours per site, at 7 different sites) went away because of the risk of me being a vector.

Then my boss Nancy, VP of Spiritual Care, who had divided her time between Home Office and Nursing Home, got told she also could not go from site to site-- pick one.

So she picked Home Office, which meant that her hours at Chapel View were available. She asked if I would cover for her. I said yes.

So at chapel view I work Tuesday, Wednesday, and every other Sunday. Tuesday is half scheduled (like, my entire morning is full); Wednesday is COMPLETELY full except for an hour before I leave for the day. Sundays are pretty open, thankfully.
The other hours are covered by my colleague Kristi, who divides her 20 hours a week between Monday, Thursday, Friday, and every other Sunday. So her days are pretty short. (She's a mom, it works for her.)

Well at the beginning of December she found out both her parents tested positive for Covid. She drove her mom to the ER, and in the process of course she was exposed. So she has had to quarantine for 14 days. SO, I have been working Sunday through Friday while she's away.

What I discovered was that I actually like working at the nursing home when it's my FULL time job and when I have several unscheduled days when I can go around visiting people on the units. I really really do not like having every hour of a day taken up with groups and meetings. I'm an introvert but I would LOVE to visit folks one on one in their rooms. I just NEED that.

And I got kind of called on the carpet for not visiting enough people. This past week or so I've proven that yes I can visit people; but the challenge is that I will have much much less time to do that once Kristi is back and we go back to the usual schedule. I'm gonna miss having one, fulltime job.

So amid all that-- last wednesday at work, I got a covid test (a routine thing in our state and county for nursing-home workers). Then that afternoon I took a walk with partner Mark-- who's wanted more emotional/personal space recently but was interested in walking. So I jumped at that chance. We were careful -- when we drove in the car I had the sunroof cracked open for more ventilation -- we wore masks, we physically distanced (mostly-- I patted him on the back once).

Well, the next day, Thursday afteroon, he texted me to say that he had a fever.

SHIT.
So I informed work and they said, Well, you can't work Friday. but bring him in for a drive-up test Friday. I did that, but then the test didn't come back till afternoon Sunday -- so I missed out on Friday and Sunday as workdays. (Not TOO sad except that I MUST make this mortgage payment January 1. Must must must.) And I worried that if Mark's test came back covid-positive, I'd have to quarantine for fourteen days.

So: I'm super glad that the tests came back negative. WHEW.

Mark, who usually is pretty logical and rational, said,"Well if I'm gonna die of Covid-" and vaped a LOT of *ahem* foliage. So that was interesting.

and at the same time, this week my housemates close on their new house (Tuesday, when I'm at work) and then they move out of my house into their new place (Thursday -- I'll be home, but will try to stay out of the way). On Friday the house will be really empty.

And at the same time it's possible I'll get my first covid vaccine shot this week (who knows, but they seem to be moving quickly toward nursing homes).

And my ex Scott is making progress on fixing up his house to sell it and move to Ottawa, IL in March.

And I am hoping hoping hoping I can make the december mortgage payment.

Oh, and my colleague chaplain at the Apartments downtown feels like she's sick -- so does her husband and their daughter-- so I hope it's not covid. And the possibility exists that if it IS covid, I could be working at that site for fourteen days. So who the f knows. My life appears to be a series of surprises and transitions lately.

There has been a disappearance in our department at work. It is tragic that one so young, so tender, so sweet . . . has gone from among us.

( Read more... )

We shall have to be ever-vigilant to prevent future tragedies.

My new boots arrived!

We ate tonight while watching This Old House. Tragic what they are doing to that beautiful shingle house. I cannot believe they're removing the built-in shelves and destroying the library. argh! And I don't know what they're thinking, putting a deck on the back of a historic shingle-style house. Bah! One of the construction workers was cute, and Jim Anderson of "Jim Anderson Stained Glass" obviously has leather-pig potential, if it's not yet been realized. Check him out here:

http://www.jimandersonstainedglass.com/

A larger version of that photo:



Yum.


Speaking of Yum, I am pleasantly surprised by the pumpkin ale.

We had leftover moroccan chickpea stew for our main course, and onion rings on the side. Apple-rhubarb crisp was our dessert.


Is anybody else REALLY glad tomorrow's Friday? I cannot WAIT.

Mom and Dad have been here since Friday afternoon. Here they are from last night. Dad is watching the Cubs game and Mom is perusing our copy of Cooks Illustrated.