This self-shuttering is nothing new for some of us. Since the divorce in 2018, and the subsequent move to Sherman, Texas, my life has been one of monastic proportions. Except for the occasional family get-together or visit from my son because he had project to get done on short notice, I have very little contact with the world around me. Yes, there is a movie theater, many pretty good restaurants, shopping centers, and other sites to visit. But I have no need of any of that. I have multiple movie streaming services for entertainment. I have a working stove and refrigerator so I can cook whatever I feel like at the moment. The only shopping I need to do besides groceries is done where I work at the Home Depot. I tried the church thing to see if I could form any relationships there, but with my work schedule, my attendance was spotty, and I never felt like I fit in to any of that.
So, I am affected very little by the "stay away from everybody" rules. Except for where I work. Yes, at 71+ I am still putting on the orange apron three to five days a week. I do go a little cabin fever crazy being separated from society, so I mingle (now at a safe distance) with the people of Texoma.
Oh, by the way, the question as to new transportation got resolved last May. The 2000 AstroVan was being quite uncooperative when it rained and had a lot of trouble starting. I missed one day of work and was late another day. Since I had been looking at various vehicles, notably the Kia Sorrento, Ford Flex, and Chevy Traverse, I was developing a plan, of sorts. One Friday in May, I checked online one last time before going to work. Reliable Chevrolet had a great deal on a 2018 Traverse with 31000 miles on it. I had to leave for work right then, but checked the computer at work to confirm what I saw. I emailed them and also called to let them know I would be down there on the next day to buy that car. By the time I got there, the salesman was ready to go, we drove it a bit, he checked my credit level and we went to the finance office to finalize everything.I had thought about keeping the Astro for the days it would start and use it as a materials hauler. I went back the next day and tried to start it, but it would not start. Again. I called a haul-it-away company and they gave me $200 for the van and hauled it off. It started right up that time.
Aside from the lack of van sized hauling space, I really like my new car. Sirius XM, heated seats, blind spot indicators, links with my phone for navigation, almost 30 mpg on the highway, and a host of other things I am still learning about.
On a sadder note, the elder dog, Duchess, is ailing. Sometime in December, she started getting real skinny. I took her to the vet who gave me some recommendations, and they sort of worked for a short period. She is thinner now. She still jumps up when I get the leashes. And she prances in the back yard. I hand feed her baked chicken, but some of that passes right through her only partially digested. Some nights she pees on the kitchen floor, and I have cleaned up runny brown stuff that should have been better digested. I am expecting to come home to her lifeless body one day.
Stay well. Stay safely apart. Vote Blue.
