I’m not sure what to write about the 7th month of the pandemic and being home full time. I flew back to California on a relatively uneventful flight from Minnesota on September 19. The car service sent the same driver to collect me as had driven me when I left, and I have to wonder whether he was their only driver now. I can’t imagine that executive car services have much business these days as most companies continue to have employees working from home and limits on what travel is allowed. Certainly, I saw little indication that anyone traveling through the various airports I transited were business travelers; it was mostly families and casually dressed singles, like me. Oakland was bustling when I arrived, apparently those who left to get away from the smoke were all making their way back again. However, I was pleased to see that most people spread out around the baggage carrousel and tried to stay well away from each other – except for the typically oblivious people who couldn’t seem to understand that no one wanted them standing on top of them waiting to frantically grab their case and get out.

Of course, the idea that I had stayed away long enough to miss the toxic, smoke filled air was ridiculous; the fires were still blazing away and new ones were springing up. While the air quality was relatively good the day or two after I got back, it soon returned to toxic levels. Within a few days, I found myself back in solitary confinement. I had to laugh when reports were saying that California had decreasing numbers of COVID cases. Given that most Californians couldn’t actually go outside, and I doubt anyone wanted to partake of the outdoor dining at restaurants to consume their meals along with smoke and ash, I suspect the numbers were more a reflection of the fact that people were staying indoors and avoiding any contacts outside their household. The fires continued to blaze and more broke out in Napa and Sonoma, threatening for a second year the vineyards, with at least one being burned to the ground. My trip to pick up my wine club fall selections turned into a reluctant ‘yes, please’ to the emails asking if I wanted my wine shipped instead. It was not only dangerous to breathe the air in wine country, it was questionable whether the roads were actually open.

My work was another round of off-again, on-again that is the world of mergers and acquisitions. There is always great excitement when it appears we may have a target, a dash to get the work started so we can deliver our due diligence on time, and then a collective groan when we either lose the target or decide to pursue a different one. And so, once again, this month has been ‘all COVID, all the time,’ and I’ve continued to try to pull together a plan to open the offices to employees again by looking into the crystal ball that hasn’t provided any semblance of reality so far. It is interesting work, and I am learning a lot about infectious diseases, the science behind containment and filtration systems, as well as the reactionary nature of state government as the legislature scrambles to throw together responses to employment impacts of the pandemic. Most of the new laws are well intentioned, but not well thought out and leave us scrambling to figure out how exactly to implement these ‘with immediate effect’ laws that are probably aimed at one specific problem and fail to account for the fact that not all companies are Amazon or Target or Trader Joe’s. When I do have an opportunity to go outside, I groan inwardly as I see people who just can’t seem to understand the precautions. I want to shout at them, “It’s not that hard! You need to wear a mask that covers your entire nose and mouth AND keep 6-feet away from people AND wash your hands!” My company’s chief medical doctor vents his frustration and tells us that these are not ‘or’ statements – it’s not that you either wear a mask, or keep 6-feet away. . .

Each morning, I now find myself not only checking how much time I have until my first meeting, but also the air quality, with temperature being a close third. I wake up, check the air and then decide whether I’ll be going for a run or doing yet another episode of online yoga. Thankfully, the author of one of my favorite fictional book series (The Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) released her next installment after a 6-year break due to a series of tragic family events. Given all the time I have on my hands these days, I decided to go back and read the first eight books again, and then read the new one. In the pre-COVID world, I would never have considered doing something like this, but these days, it makes perfect sense. The fact that I tried and failed to actually order a smart TV from Amazon played into this activity since my original idea of finally watching some of my favorite movies on a big screen was deferred. After several delivery delays, I finally canceled my order outright and tried again with Best Buy, even though it meant I had to pay $200 more for the exact same item. Fingers crossed (or ‘tap wood’ as they say in British English), month 8 will be filled with lots of films curtesy of my Disney+ and Amazon Prime membership.

In addition to binge-reading a book series, I also started an online class on Teresa of Avila’s ‘Interior Castles.’ This is the first book on Christian mysticism that I ever read. (Yes, I’m an advocate of ‘go hard, or go home’ and recognize this isn’t the normal route most people take when exploring Christian mysticism). It’s an interesting class and I like to see the different perspectives taken by American instructors versus the Irish Carmelite monk that led my retreat on this topic in Oxford, England. I do miss the interaction and discussion of a live class, but it is nice to have the option of pausing the lecture, replaying it or watching it while I’m making a meal. There’s also the benefit of having students all over, though most are in various parts of the US, so there also a more diverse response to the questions on each unit.

So, month 7 wasn’t nearly as interesting as the previous six. I did plan and book a trip to Houston to see my grandson in person for the first time since January – oh, and my kids too (lol). I’m looking forward to finally reconnecting physically, as opposed to just on Zoom or FaceTime. While traveling is still a bit nerve wracking, it’s something to look forward to as the fires slowly come to an end for this year. I also get to try out my daughter’s jog stroller and see whether he’ll let me take him for a run. We had planned that this would happen as soon as he could sit up in the stroller, but COVID has pushed off the first run with Nana. Getting away from the fires is definitely a high priority, but I’m also hoping that we don’t get too much further into the Greek names for tropical storms this year. Escaping fires only to land in hurricanes isn’t high on my priority list. Ah, 2020, you are a challenge, aren’t you?

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Jeannine

In the summer of 2018, I entered what I view as my 5th stage of life. The children are both grown up and married. I am on my own, and free of dependencies. Following a 5 year adventure of living in the UK, and working globally, I have returned to the US. During my unexpected return, I wondered whether it was time for the Chicago chapter to finally begin. I've always known that I'd live here eventually, especially since my first visit to the city in the early 1990's. It's an exciting time, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the next stage of the journey.