November, 2020
There is more upset in paradise. EM texted me at 12:03, three minutes past her curfew, to ask if she could spend the night at her BF’s house. Of course I was fast asleep at the time and did not respond. She did not come home that night or before I left for my daily swim at 12:15 today. Suffice to say she is back in the doghouse.
When I returned from the pool, she did not dare come out of her room to talk to me, so I went grocery shopping at the newly opened Wegman’s by myself. That turned out to be another shitshow. I thought few people would be at the store around 14:00; well far from it. The store was packed. At least everyone was wearing masks; nonetheless, it felt like a super spreader event in the making. When I got home, I put all my clothes into the laundry, washed my hands and proceeded to unpack the groceries. I stoped short of having a shower.
The teen only showed up an hour after I was done. This time around she did not get the silent treatment, which I think she fears more than anything else. I just posed the ironic question if she thought she resided in a hotel. I have been doing all the cooking, all the dishes, all the laundry, all the gardening, all the shopping and she is out and about with her friends.
Make no mistake, I so do not begrudge her having fun. And I also do not object to her spending nights with the BF. I simply want to be asked and know as to her whereabouts. Is that unreasonable?
I do object to her not pulling her weight at home. Life is not just play and school. It is also about being responsible and it seems that is a lesson I still need to teach. So, I have made it clear that as a minor she is to be home by midnight, no matter what. The BF can sleep here at any time; but unless I explicitly consent, she is to be home.
I have also made it clear that I expect her to do chores. She has been lucky to grow up with a fulltime nanny and housekeeper where nothing was required of her other than focusing on school. Well, that now has changed. We no longer have a fulltime housekeeper. I made it abundantly clear that I expect her to contribute to the household chores. Afterall, this is not a hotel.
She has been rather contrite for most of the evening. I have no inclination to cook or proceed with the cookie making tonight. She has also been told that I expect her to complete her college applications this week and get that website life. She has now retreated to her room with a cucumber and a carrot after she was told off touching any of the fruit I have bought for our Thanksgiving feast.
I have some issues with the gym also and I shall email them about it. Normally it feels very safe going to the pool. Not so today. Two lanes were taken up by instructors and their swimmers. The guardians of the offspring sat on the pool deck for the better part of an hour and there were between 1-3 swimmers in the coaches lanes all emitting their aerosols. It felt very unsafe to have ten additional people breathing in the confined space. It is fine to have classes, but at least let the rest of us know so we can come well before or after so many people contaminate the air!
There is a lot of news on the Corona front today.
Firstly, based on my count to date the third GoP senator ihas now testing positive and quarantining, may the numbers increase and may these senators all endure a prolonged illness, like maybe six months in hospital?
The spread is getting completely out of control. The USA added 3 million cases in November and is expecting to record at least 500.000 new cases as the result of Thanksgiving travel. When I keep reading advice to not meet for a joined dinner or only do so outside, I am increasingly doubtful as to the wisdom of having Thanksgiving with our pod family. We did all get tested and we all are super careful, but of course have not been isolating completely as attested by today’s grocery run.
Today the USA reports 12.62 million cases of 56 million reported worldwide, and over 260k have died. Testing is not keeping up, so it is hardly preventative. States and municipalities are looking to other ways to contain the spread. Analyzing sewage of an entire neighborhood might be a more effective way to understand where infections are on the rise allowing health officials to then enact local measures.
With all of the madness surrounding us, I am glad to see a sane administration will be taking over. Already they are planning for a COVID-19 compliant inauguration. Just praying it will happen as the RNC and the Trump campaign are doing everything they can to not have the election results certified and to manipulate electors. They have ask for the third recount in Georgia, a partial recount in Wisconsin, as well as for the annulment of the vote in Pennsylvania, a court case the Trump campaign has just lost.
There is hope as at least six vaccines being tested show efficacy.
Most of the world is betting on AstraZeneca’s vaccine as it is simpler to deploy . Maybe we can go back to normal 2021!