Plague 2020#10 August

[geowench]

The main thing I remember about August is being exhausted.  All. the. time.  And also being worried that I might actually have COVID.  I think both these things are due to ragweed, to which I am crazy allergic.  I spent the month with a nagging sore throat, a barky cough, fairly intense headaches, and deep fatigue.  Perhaps I should have gotten myself tested, but FB memories kept telling me that I feel this way every August, and given that I hardly ever see anyone and even at work am barricaded in my office and everyone wears masks - well parsimony told me it was allergies and not COVID.  Oh and hubs was fine - he's not sensitive to ragweed and grasses like I am.  I asked him several times if he thought I should get tested and he kept saying that I didn't have any symptoms that I don't have very August, so I never did.  Also if anyone at work had asked me to or been concerned, I would have gotten tested.  But I guess they're used to my grandpa hacking.  I'm justifying myself a lot here; probably I should have gone and gotten tested ...

This weekend is the first time I've had any energy all month.  Today I made a nice pancake breakfast for the hubs then we went for a walk (1.76 miles - my knee has been bothering me, so I didn't push it).  Did laundrey, made a yummy bundt cake, prepped my clothes for the week.  Even did two (short) exercise videos (abs and stretch).  Yesterday I even cleaned the kitchen and mopped the floor, which desperately needed it.  Oh I also baked a loaf of sandwich bread for the mad scientist's lunches.  So a productive weekend, although I didn't get the upstairs bathroom cleaned, which is verging on bachelor territory.  Ah well.  Next weekend, hopefully.

Normally this time of year we are off to Europe for a conference.  Last year it was Greece, which was fantabulous.  It was supposed to be some small town in Brussels this year.  I guess the Europeans could still do it, but they called it off in the spring.  Maybe next year.  Hopefully.

This coming month I need to get back on the wagon with my PT exercises.  Probably I should set some other goals too, but I'm drawing a blank.  

I wonder if 2020 will go down as the annus horribilus or if will be just the beginning of a longer suckfest.  Opinions?

Comments

[mrs_redboots]

Who knows? We are taking it a week at a time. And if it's any consolation, Belgium is back on the no-go list, so no Britons could have attended your conference.

[geowench]

Ah well. Maybe next year. Or the year after.

[old_black]

Wow! What a busy weekend!! We have only 1 bathroom, so cleaning is not so bad, but nonetheless, it is my most disliked of all the domestic tasks.

How lucky is the mad scientist that he has you baking bread for him.

Who knows how we'll look back on 2020?
For you Americans I guess November 3 will be a day which sets the tone for what is to come, but if we don't get a fully functional and useful vaccine, the outlook for 2021 could look pretty grim for everyone. Here in Australia we seem to be heading towards a future of long-term distancing, masking and gathering restrictions. As with the US, the federal government (with eyes on the economy) is pushing for return towards normality, but the states, with health being mainly their responsibility, are taking a more restrictive approach. As everywhere, old people are the ones paying the ultimate price for COVID-19, but face-to-face service industries (cafes, restaurants, tourism, entertainemnt & the arts) are struggling to survive and will be in big trouble if the social restrictions remain and the federal government decides that it can't afford to keep supporting them. My university is shedding staff with a "voluntary separation program" at the moment, but forced redundancies could easily be on the table if not enough people put up their hand to go.

[geowench]

I think our election will be very similar to four years ago, unfortunately. I am not terribly optimistic that things will get back to normal anytime soon, COVID-wise. Our country has really botched the response and I anticipate playing turtle for quite some time to come.

[fineplan]

Oh no! I've been worried that the election will be like last time, too, but everyone is telling me I'm being too cynical... Having someone else agree with me has me worrying more! haha

[fineplan]

I've been weirdly tired all the time too... Like, normally I can't nap, but now I do a couple times a week... I also seem to dream really deeply and vividly.

[geowench]

Me too! Both to napping when I never used to and to really vivid dreams (that I can't quite remember when I wake).