Year Four, Day 278: Pandemic Times, Day 27 - "Stay Home, Stay Safe", Day 15: " Before "

Hello Friends!

 It is already nearly 9 pm! I am constantly amazed at how the time seems to be flying. I have begun to make better use of my time. My daughter even suggested we go back to our old routine, from "before". I tried not to appear to be too pleased, but inside I was doing a happy dance


For I do love me a good routine!

Our routine from the time " before was 7:30 am until 12 noon, I (Zma) would babysit my granddaughter. Then at 12:15 I would gather my things into a backpack and walk to the bus stop to catch the Vine downtown Vancouver. If time permitted, I would stop at the Ft Vancouver Library, a righteous place to hang out, I might add, and pick up some books I had put on hold, and work on this blog.

Then I would walk two blocks to the bus stop and catch the Express bus to Portland. On the bus ride, I would check emails, check the news and Facebook, read a book, and/or listen to music. Sometimes I would knit.

Once I landed in Portland, I might grab lunch from a food cart, or, if I had packed a lunch, I would stop at Starbucks for coffee or tea to accompany my lunch while I did my daily bible reading, prayer, journaling and contemplation.

After which I would walk up to the music center and teach a few hours of classes.

On my break, I would play a piano and sip a little tea.

After my teaching shift, I would walk to the bus stop, and catch a bus downtown Portland. If there was enough time, I might gran another cup of tea from Starbucks (herbal), and walk over to the express bus stop. Back in Vancouver, I would often stop at the gym to get a bit oif a workout on the treadmill while catching up on the news. Back then, I was following the democratic debates. That seems like a lifetime ago. After my workout, I would head over to the hydro massage lounge. A 10 minute massage was included in my membership.

I really miss the hydromassage chairs! Sigh.

Then I would sit and read a bit before ordering a Lyft rude home. I would often grab a glass of water and go straight to bed.

Those were my weekdays. Most of all I am as Satirdasys from days gone by. After teaching students all say, I would hop on a bus to Columbia Correctional Facility to visit my son. We would sit a cross from a round table in the prison cafeteria and visit, eat chips from the overpriced vending machine, and play board games. Our new favorite was "Sequence". He usually beat me. But those were precious times.

I miss those visits. I miss my son. I miss my grandson. I miss my students. I miss Starbucks. I miss the library and the gym and the massage chairs.

I miss my old life, before!

Was this my life? Or was it just fantasy...

Of course I feel a song coming on, or perhaps a parody of a song:

 You're welcome.

I sure do miss my old life.

But no time for nostalgia. I need to study!

I am taking two online courses, one in epidemiology
("Fighting COVID-19 with Epidemiology: A Johns Hopkins Teach-Out") through Johns Hopkins University, and one blues class("The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form") through the University of Rochester.

These are free, fascinating and hopefully mind consuming, at least enough to tear my attention off the plight of our world.

I'll keep you posted.

For now, good bye, farewell, be well, be blessed.

Talk tomorrow. I certainly hope!

Love,

Zita