Thursday, April 16, 2020

Corona Virus Diary - March 25th - April 3rd





I've started keeping a daily record of our time in quarantine. Its such an unprecedented unusual situation that if we don't document it five years from now we'll never believe what it was like and what we went through. Just fyi, my mild cold symptoms never have developed into much of anything and now are almost completely gone. Until there is a test for antibodies we'll just never know, will we?


Wednesday March 25th.

We got home yesterday around noon. A long afternoon of unloading, unpacking, laundry. We stopped in Zumbrota to pick up eggs and meat on the way. Andrew left everything in coolers at the end of the driveway. We talked to them on the phone but didn’t see them.

At 4 I stopped and took the dogs on a walk. Almost no one in Freeman Park, traffic very light on Eureka at what is usually a busy time. Lee went to the grocery store, Target and Trader Joe’s. Social distancing in effect. The hard thing for him is to try very hard to limit his trips for errands to say, every other day to limit his exposure. 


*Note: as we got better at being in quarantine trips to the store have become at most weekly outings, and I usually go several days without going anywhere at all in a car, and that is usually only to take something over to Sarah's. If there is any way to order something online that's what I do.

I’m watching my symptoms, if that’s what they are. Still feels like allergies or a mild cold. A lot of nasal drip, very thick. Mild headache. Mild cough. God help us. Come on body, if this is Covid 19 fight it!

Thursday March 26th.

I feel a little better today, but still feels like a very mild cold. I went for a run this morning. 31F was a bit of a shock but otherwise it was pretty nice. The path in Freeman Park was just a little bit icy, but the rail trail was great, firm, not icy, not muddy. Later in the morning I ran some errands. It is very very quiet out. I dropped off some dry cleaning, went to Walgreens and the pet store. I decided yesterday that it would be a good idea to take my temperature, both as a way to reassure myself that I’m not really sick, and as a heads up, if it comes to that. The battery on our digital thermometer is dead. We do have an ancient old fashioned thermometer, but I thought I’d replace the battery in the digital. Ha! Me and everyone else. No batteries of that size to be found, and no digital thermometers available on Amazon or Target until later in April or May. Oh well.

Lee has an IR thermometer, the kind you point at something to get a temperature reading. Its not a medical device; it was something he used while building the house (I think to look for leaks in the insulation). But he pointed it at our foreheads just for fun. Mine was 95.6F, his was 96.6. I wonder when hyperthermia sets in? Don’t think that’s a viable option. I’ll stick with the old timey mercury thermometer for now.

Sam and Danielle had their baby! A little girl. I’m hard at work on finishing their quilt; then I have to figure out the safest way to send it. Probably UPS or FedEx.

FaceTimed with Sarah and Leo and Daniel yesterday. I’m glad we have that option at least. By next Tuesday or Wednesday if nothing changes with our health its probably fine to start helping with Leo. 

*Note: This was not to be....

Friday March 27th.

Our rugs were being cleaned while we were gone. They brought them back today. We social distanced, they wore gloves, took off their shoes. Laid the small rugs in the entry, the big one in the living room, and left. Minimal contact, no danger. The rugs look really nice. The living room one had never been cleaned, it looks new.

I still feel like I might have a very mild cold. A slight cough, maybe a little bit of a sore throat. Still only a fleeting sense of that “oh I’m getting sick” feeling. I actually feel a little better today. And I ran this morning. It was in the 40’s, super nice running weather.

I finished Sam and Danielle’s quilt. I tried to set up an online package pickup so I don’t have to go to the store, but I got all the way through it and got an error. Ugh! I guess I’ll need to go out tomorrow.



Saturday March 28th.

Went for a hilly 7 miler this morning before the rain. Very nice. Then started working on the binding for Little Dude II’s quilt. It’s a bigger quilt than the one I made for Lula so the finish work will take a little longer. Around 11:30 we did a zoom call with Daniel, Kelsey, Sarah and Leo. They used snap camera so they were putting cats on their heads, changing themselves into girls or boys or babies, wearing rainbow sunglasses, snorkeling with fishes. It was so funny and kept Leo entertained. It was funny watching him feel his head to check for the cat up there, or take off his glasses, or blow bubbles under water. Kind of like me on Avatar! 



It’s raining this afternoon, and we might get some snow tonight. Lee is cooking up a storm, veggie soup, apple fritters. 

Monday March 30th.

Little Kirby Lee Herberg was born yesterday at 11:17 PM. 8.5 lb. Everyone is doing well. I talked to Sarah a little this afternoon. She was very proud of herself, as well she might be. She pushed him out all by herself, no epidural or anything. Labor was around 7-8 hours total. They are still at the birthing center, he’ll be circumsized tomorrow morning and then they’ll go home.



The birthing center said that to be safe they need to self-quarantine for two weeks. So we can’t help with Leo or meet Kirby in person until then. But we can bring them food and stuff and see them through glass. Sarah is apprehensive about caring for a newborn and a toddler with no help but they can do it. Fortunately neither one will be working during that period. 

I am sad but also relieved. If this cold/allergy hasn’t turned into something more serious by then I can feel confident that I’m not giving them anything. We will work this out.

Made bagels today, and also finished some bread for Sarah that she started before she went into labor. We’ll bring it over tomorrow. The quilt should be done in another 4-5 days, I think. Just finishing the binding but its all hand work so it takes awhile.

Tuesday March 31st.

This afternoon we went out and ran some errands and then took food and some other things over to Sarah’s. I had to pick up some clothes at the dry cleaners first. They had a sign, only one customer in the store at a time, and wait until they’ve sanitized before you come in. They were very careful. The we went to the UPS Store to mail Lula’s quilt. They had x’s on the floor marking where you should stand and a box with sanitized pens to use. It sure seems like the stores are getting the hang of this, and most people are trying hard to comply.

Then we stopped by Sarah and Erik’s. Leo and Erik were outside playing ball and Leo tried to run to us, but Erik scooped him up. It’s confusing for him, poor guy. Then Sarah came outside with Kirby. He’s so sweet and teeny! She is glowing and happy, says a vaginal birth is way better than a c-sect. Two weeks is endless and just a blink of an eye. We stood around 20 feet away just smiling and talking. Ah me.



Then we went to pick up carry out Thai for dinner. Again, very careful, the restaurant was blocked off, with only the register and one girl bringing out orders and taking money. There were a few other people waiting for their orders. We all stayed as far apart as we could, even without x’s on the floor. The man behind me asked how I was doing. The woman behind him tried to open the door for me as I left and then apologized and backed away as I hesitated. We both kind of laughed and she said, “well so much for being polite nowadays!” Yes this is still very new territory for all of us but we’re getting the hang of it as fast as we can.

Wednesday April 1st.

Whatever is wrong with me is the weirdest shit ever. I felt better for a day or two and today I feel kind of off again. It sounds like a very mild version of cv 19, where people feel better and then regress. I think because I am so freaking healthy the virus just can’t get a good foothold in my body, but because like everyone else I don’t have immunity it keeps trying. But this has been going on at LEAST since March 21st, maybe earlier, since I remember feeling like this off and on while we were still in Safety Harbor. I wish I had a functional thermometer.

Saturday April 4th.

I finished Kirby’s quilt and brought it over to Sarah’s with some cinnamon raisin bagels on the 2nd. We’ve been zooming and face timing a lot. Kirby is the cutest little thing. Sarah says he looks like an old man baby, he does! He’s got very fat cheeks, like August, Nicole’s baby. 



We had a scare today. One’s of my niece’s kids started running a fever with a cough. They got him tested and got the results back today, I think the quick turn-around was because they have a new baby. Anyway, he’s negative, thank God. Another friend in California isn’t as lucky. Two of her brothers and her sister-in-law are all sick and one brother is fighting for his life. 

I ran 8 miles this morning. Its beautiful out, but chilly, low 20’s. The run felt good, less tiring than the 4 miles I ran yesterday…

I’ve started making masks. All I’ve done so far is sort through my quilt scraps and wash the ones that are big enough, dry them and iron them (they’re cotton). I’ll cut them out this afternoon.

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