COVID Staycation 2020: Day 1

Aug 262020

We keep getting all these reminder emails to use our PTO, under the guise of being kind to our mental well-being but really it’s because the firm doesn’t want everyone playing chicken with Covid and waiting until it’s safe to travel which likely won’t be anytime soon and then everyone will try to take off the entire month of December.

I’ve been taking days here and there but then I pulled the trigger and scheduled off for a full week this month and one week in October too, and here I am, smack in the middle of my “staycation” and don’t even bother asking me how that’s going because you guys all know how much I hate “staying.”

So far, most of the days have been the same as all the other days during Covid, except that I haven’t had to log onto work. I’ve just been spending lots of time with the cats and reading books. And cramping Chooch’s style.

(A few weeks ago, I had the department shared calendar up on my screen while I was working and Chooch was like, “Why does your name take up that whole entire line?” and I said, “Because I’m off that whole week.” He tone went flat as he said, “Yay. I’m so excited for me.”)

Anyway, here is a recap of the highlights from Monday and Tuesday because there were kind of some, I guess.

On Monday, I had the grand idea to walk to the neighboring town of Beechview after lunch. Usually, I would see the main street of it every day since it’s on my trolley route to work, but as it is, I haven’t been in Beechview since March! It’s not too far of a walk, and I pointed out that there is a big Las Palmas grocery store there (as opposed to the small, bodego-style version we have in Brookline) and this appealed to Chooch because there are some new flavors of Takis that he’s been wanting to try.

Bribing kids with spicy Mexican snacks is OK, parents.

On the way there, we walked down one of the nicer streets in Dormont and they had exercise suggestions taped to some of the trees, so we were jumping and spinning and then eventually realized at the end of the street that there was a scavenger hunt set up on that block, so I promised that we would walk home that same way so we could play. (Honestly, it was only like 25% for Chooch’s sake and the rest for myself – I like funtime too!!)

Then I took this picture of Chooch and hours later, when I posted it on Instagram, I yelled out, “OMG that’s so cool how you accidentally matched up with the background” and Chooch scowled and said, “I did that on purpose. I told you I was doing that as you took the picture!” SORRY, MY 41-YEAR-OLD EARS DID NOT HEAR THAT.

At Las Palmas, we went hogwild on Takis (I mean, we bought three small bags, but sure OK. Hogwild) and then I said, “We should be nice to your dad since he’s been working so hard on getting shit done around the house. I’m going to text him and see if he wants anything.” So I did, but then I forgot that I texted him and we were tired of being there after walking down, like, 3 aisles, so we checked out and left. Two blocks away, Henry texted me and said, “surprise me.”

I showed it to Chooch and we did the clenched teeth inhale. “Um, maybe we could get him something from Potomac Bakery,” I suggested but then remembered that I didn’t have any cash, lol, oh well.

Meanwhile, we treated ourselves to frozen treats at Alquisiras Paleteria, haha.

We walked past some older white guy who was like “ICE CREAM, HUH? LOOKS GOOD” and we jumped and said “yessir” like we were suddenly Mayberry children who just got caught jaywalking in front of the postmaster and he just kept pressing us for information about where we got them and I kept trying to answer but he kept cutting me off and saying, “THAT BBQ PLACE DOWN THERE, HUH” and like, no, that’s not where, but if you’re so fucking sure why do you keep asking. I started to wonder if he was undercover ICE and I got really uncomfortable.

Also, my thumbnails are the only nails on my hands that have polish on them and I still can’t be bothered to do anything about it.

We had way too much fun playing planetary peeping toms, you guys. Way too much fun. All streets should do this! Again, just like how the Little Library wouldn’t fare well in my front yard, I can’t imagine the people on my block getting their shit together and participating in something like this. I mean, I guess one of them could be “passed out drunk guy” because Chooch’s nemesis Larry can often be found in an inebriated supine state in his front yard.

Yeah, we had way too much fun doing this, lol. I was fine until we came across the one that had us touching our toes because my back, oh boy, my back.

(GO TO THE DOCTOR is what Henry and Chooch keep suggesting but I’m like, No I will keep watching LOWER BACK PAIN REMEDY videos on YouTube, thanks guys.)

The other notable thing that happened on Monday was that the cats’ new tunnel came! To be fair, only Drew cares about the tunnels and her other two are pretty beat up so she needed a replacement.

I didn’t realize that we actually purchased a JZZ BAR, though.

Oh! One other exciting thing happened! I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a picture of Taemin from when SuperM appeared on some Japanese show recently and I was like IS HE WEARING A CURE T-SHIRT because I could see what appeared to be the top of Robert Smith’s hair peeking out from underneath the blazer Taemin was also wearing, so I spent all this time scrolling through Instagram and YouTube looking for more photos and videos of their appearance and can confirm that YES, YES HE WAS WEARING A CURE T-SHIRT AND MY WORLDS COLLIDED IN THE PRETTIEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL EXPLOSION INSIDE MY HEART.