GarniGal's Journal:

I looked back at my last posting day - it was June when I got laid off. Apparently since then I've been having all the fun.

I had a couple more days of work after that, but from July 1 to Sept 15 I was just Mom. The weather was beautiful all summer, so VV and I swam at least once a day, but often two or three times. We went up to see my parents and VV's cousins a couple of times, including a trip to the beach (Lake Huron near Port Elgin) on a windy day with excellent waves. All the swimming in our pool turned VV into an excellent and strong swimmer, and she loved the waves, even when the difference between the peak and the trough meant she was well over her head.

We also went up to Derek's brother's family's cottage to see that side for the first time since January. They are in Toronto, which has always been the hotspot for Covid. In addition, Herb is a doctor so he's in and out of the hospital for work. We only stayed a couple of days, but managed to cram all the cottage activities in our short visit - kayaking, tether ball, hanging out in the tree house, watching a movie, playing a game (which VV beat her much older cousins at - go girl!), and having a fire with hot dogs and marshmallows.

We've been lucky to have low cases over the summer and friends who take the same precautions we do, allowing VV to have play dates with friends either in parks or at home on the deck (and in the pool). We got together with some adult friends as well, so D and I also have adult company.

School (grade 2) finally started on Sept 15. It's been getting better. Today has been the best tech day - teacher hasn't been kicked off at all! The kids are starting to understand where everything is and what the vocabulary for the tech things (tabs, closing windows, links, mics etc). However, the rules of the classroom (raising a hand, not leaving without permission) haven't quite translated to online learning yet. Vv was excited about online, but is now wishing we'd selected in person. However, cases have been steadily increasing, so we are glad we chose the online option. Not only do we not want to get Covid ourselves, but this lets us go and see Mom on weekends. My nieces went back to in person learning (no cases in their county at this point - they are very rural), and Mom is only able to see them virtually.

As for Mom, she's getting stronger (and getting her hair back). She walks an hour every day, still with trekking poles for safety, but she's visibly getting stronger and more stamina. She started getting her immunizations last week, and has immense sympathy for babies.

I've been applying for jobs and have an interview next week. I'm curious what the package will look like - I'd need at least 85k plus 3 weeks vacation to make it worthwhile. The health benefits at UoG aren't all that (though I'd get dental at 2 years which would make a big difference), but I'd get 22 days vacation in 2021, which industry just doesn't offer. My old job is hoping to have a grant come in by end of September that will allow them to hire me back, so I may have to make some decisions.

I made a mask.

The rest of the weekend was a total write off. I don't enjoy this rollercoaster of energy/focus and lack thereof.

On Mother's Day, the aerial team of the Canadian military started their flyover in our area in honour of front line workers. It was amazing, awe-inspiring and made me all choked up when we watched from the back yard.

They continued across the country.

The following Sunday (May 17), one of planes crashed in Kamloops BC on the final leg, killing Capt. Jenn Casey. It was the 9th fatality in in the Snowbirds history.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/snowbirds-crash-jenn-casey-nova-scotia-kamloops-1.5574274

We took advantage of the nice weather to get the back yard tidied for summer. We had volunteers from behind the neighbours' sheds growing in our backyard, and we hadn't exactly kept up with the maintenance last year. So 8 yard waste bags and a lot of scratches later, the yard is mowable and it will be much easier to open the pool.

Guelph has yard waste pickup on garbage days in May, so we'll tackle the front on the 16/17 to prep for a May 18 pickup.

I'm donating blood next weekend, I'm very curious how the process has changed to accommodate physical distancing.

Yesterday was a down day. I didn't accomplish much, Derek was cranky, VV felt lonely.

It's only 11 am, but my mood is better, which means I accomplished more, VV's done an hour of school work and Derek has fixed a computer and is ready for a meeting.

Speaking of Derek, he accepted a contract with a company in the US. Not exactly what he wants to do, but it's guaranteed income, and since they decided to contract his company instead of hiring him, there are no deductions up front and he can use write offs to lower his tax payment on the back end. It's a significant chunk of change monthly, and will let us get back in the black. Apparently starting a business is a huge money pit (which we did know going in), and this contract will help us dig our way out of that pit while still moving the business forward.

We both took yesterday off to focus on Vv's birthday. We had Zoom calls, and FaceTime calls and a curbside to front porch chat with a best friend and a phone call from another friend.

It definitely wasn't what she wanted, but it was memorable.

It began with an April Fools - a doorway that was covered with crepe paper ribbon. I'd hoped for a headlong rush, but got a cautious crawl.

First thing was to open gifts from us - a dress, an egg decorating kit and Frozen II DVD. Then down to the basement for a Zoom call with the Garniss cousins. Lunch was a picnic on the floor of the music room, then watching the movie.

There was a pre-dinner zoom call with Grandma & Poppa (my parents), Aunt Mary Edith (my dad's sister), and Mah Mah (Derek's mom). Then our sushi order arrived and thank god it was bedtime, because a full day of focusing on a 7 year old is freaking exhausting.

We are still doing well; VV still won't stop talking (some days we yearn for the future and a potential taciturn teenager), we're both working from home. We haven't been great at getting outside, but hopefully nicer weather will help.

VV's teacher called on the 31st to set us up on the school board portal. Hopefully that gives us a few more tools to structure the day and provide learning opportunities. I'm grateful she's only in grade 1 - as long as she doesn't forget how to read, she's fine for grade 2. A bit younger and I don't know how I would manage her neediness, and a bit older and there would be some very real worries about her lack of educational progress.

So we are ticking along. My brother and sister-in-law are continuing life as normal; being on the farm they don't see anyone anyway. Adam says the older people are the most likely to fail at social distancing, and both he and dad have done the social distancing dance with people who don't quite get it.

Mom and Dad did have to go to the cancer clinic in London - mom's doctor was a bit worried about her tremor post-stem cell transplant. No sign of a stroke, they think it's just stress and anxiety. It also was an opportunity for them to do blood work, and mom was pleased to report no sign of myeloma cells in her system! Her bone marrow hasn't come back as quickly as hoped, so the lack of cancer cells is extra good, as it gives her a bit more time to recover before starting the maintenance chemo (2 years of pills with much fewer complications/side effects). The measures in place at the cancer clinic were interesting, apparently. It is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in the region, and was always full. Mom joked she saw someone from home every time she went down. Not any more. They removed half the chairs, patients only (no family members), and yet she still waited over 2 hours to see the doctor. Dad went for a walk, and said the streets were much quieter than in their little town. Wingham is definitely counting on the fact that no one goes there to protect them.

I was going to say from home, but this week we've been out a bit more. Groceries on Saturday as is our usual plan, though I got a bit more than usual with the intent of not going out again.

On Sunday, Derek got a bee in his bonnet about fixing VV's toilet. The bolts holding the tank on had broken, and the seal was no longer sealed. It was clean water on the floor when you flushed, but that still isn't where the water should go. At first he thought it was the hose, so he went back to the store to get a replacement, but no love.

So we all piled in the car, but only I went in the store to get the kit. Got home, did the work on Monday and was all proud - except the shut off valve had started leaking. After doing a bit of research, Derek finally decided it was worth it to call the plumber. I called at 10, he was here by 10:45, and gone by 10:55. As they say, you are paying for the years of experience. And it was worth it.

However, D has gone back out to the hardware store again twice today to get cartridges for leaky taps. So we are much less obedient to the self-isolation rules this week.