Week 2: Learning to stay home

So we left off in the last post with the stay-at-home order going into effect, and I would stay that this week has been about adhering to the order and figuring out along the way how to do so. As readers know, we plan meals and cook a lot anyway, so one would think we would be prepared for planning and doing consolidated shopping trips. Somehow it’s been trickier than I would have thought – factors like having more people around for all meals and scheduling meals so that certain ingredients are ripe on the right days (yes, avocados, I’m looking at you) come into play. Also, I think we are so used to going out to Municipal or Junior’s for any little things we forget – it’s hard to account for all that!

Speaking of local stores, I’ll start with our neighborhood. At our corner store, the owner Junior has again taken a real leadership position in terms of small retail! He has a sign on the door asking people to line up 6 feet apart and customers will be allowed in 3 at a time. When it’s your turn to go in, he is standing there with hand sanitizer and then also gives you a squirt on the way out. They’re also wiping down everything in the shop constantly. It’s very impressive. Other local places are closed until further notice, like this restaurant at California and Augusta.

John went to Whole Foods on a weekday afternoon last week and it was very quiet in there. They have put down a lot of tape to show where to stand in order to distance better, as well as other measures too.

Our socializing turned very online this week! We had a lovely Irish Mother’s Day skype with everyone at 2pm our time, a rare time slot when Chicago, Australia and Ireland are all awake!

My book club met virtually on zoom on Tuesday evening. I’m really glad we went ahead with it – it was still really fun to see everyone!

John also had his book club one night, and and we both had a lovely time chatting with our friend Emily on Wednesday evening.

Colette mentioned how we need to mind ergonomics in our home work spaces – I switched my computer from one end of my desk to another on Thursday and it really  improved my posture. Here’s my current office setup.

On Wednesday afternoon the weather got really nice here and a lot of people went out for a walk – specifically in those popular but really narrow places like the lakefront, the Riverwalk and the 606. Social distancing was not practiced – I heard today that a particularly gross violation was organized soccer games on the lakefront! So by Thursday morning the mayor announced that these three places were closed and that people just need to stay home. She also sent out an emergency alert on Thursday afternoon with this message, making us all jump out of our skins here as all 4 phones blared out the alarm at once!

Then rain came in and really reinforced the stay inside message! John and I did get out to the very empty Humboldt Park for a run on Friday morning and noticed that it was full of seagulls – maybe having left the lakefront too?

There are also memes of the mayor standing at Chicago locations looking stern – we kinda all feel like we got yelled at by Mom, and we know we were wrong.

In terms of Federal guidance, late in the week I had just said that we were not getting any guidelines from the top office in the land, when this mailer arrived in our mailbox. I take it back – guidelines have been issued! The first guideline is to follow directions from our state and local authorities, which has really been the go-to anyway.

Friday was Nan’s 94th birthday and Paddy and Kathleen’s 53rd wedding anniversary so we celebrated with an afternoon (for us) Skype! Anyone seen with eyes closed is just blinking, not asleep, during this quite lively birthday party.

Saturday morning yoga at Garfield Park was on… via Zoom! We were really excited to get the email announcing that they’d try a virtual yoga with Natalie this week. She was actually at the conservatory, so we got a nice view of the fountain that she teaches in front of.

We finished the conversion of Liam’s former bedroom into the home gym in time for rowing this week (rowing machine is stored in an upright position and out of the frame) and yoga. We are so lucky to have all this space right now.

Later on Saturday, we had science experiment time and art time in a group chat with Debbie, Maddie, Mary and me. Miles, John, Jeff and Herb joined in the conversation by the end too!

John and I went for a walk yesterday and saw that our closest hospital has special intake tents at the entrances.

And to end on some pretty pictures – our walk also included a ramble around the stables in Humboldt Park (now the home of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture) and spotting crocuses.

It seems like everyone we talk to has noticed some of the same things happening – despite no commute time we are surprisingly busy every day. We’re having a lot of fun with family and friends on video calls which is great to have and definitely takes the sting out of the isolation mandate. Stay safe and connected, everyone!