What I Did During My Covid Vacation

The first day the sore throat was suspicious, and since my co-worker had texted positive, I had my concerns. In spite of them, I took a long walk in the sunshine, met Carolyn for breakfast with the warning that I could have Covid, then went home and took care of laundry. The second day, was decidedly less fun, with chills, nausea, vomiting and the realization that this was exactly how I felt when I got my Covid vaccine. This was not good, but I was still testing negative.

The third day the bright red line jumped up and shouted, “Hey, check me out!” from the test strip. I emailed work to let them know and they told me I would have to be out all week or longer, and that I would be paid for it. As someone who has not had more than two paid days off for over a year, I almost cried with joy, then slept for twenty-three hours. The following day was another blur of sleep, getting up to let the dog out, and more sleep.

The next day, after my morning latte, I had a bit of energy and started tackling things like pruning the rose bushes, and ironing. I leave ironing for special moments that strike one or twice a year. Once I do it, I’m always pleasantly surprised by the mountain of clothes I’d completely forgotten that have sat slumped in a corner for six months.

Ironing can only be accomplished while binge-watching English period dramas. This time I went for re-runs of Grantchester with gorgeous James Norton, whose shoulders should be outlawed for making women, old enough to be his grandmother, think impure thoughts.

After that, like Father Mackenzie, I actually darned my socks in the night, then I mended two shirts that had been sitting on a chair for over a year. I paid my bills, cleaned, did more laundry, super-glued a purse, oiled my sewing machine, baked cookies, made pesto, enjoyed the beautiful full moon from my kitchen window, and slept more.

I ordered a pair of shoes (on sale), cooked pasta, sauteed mushrooms, brushed the dog, cleaned my refrigerator, wiped up the limoncello that leaked all over my freezer when my brother haphazardly shoved it in on his last visit. Then I roasted Brussels sprouts to test my smell. It was definitely not affected.

I walked a bit and tried to relax like normal people do when they get sick, but it doesn’t come easy. I even shredded papers that have been waiting for a year and a half.

I have a little more organizing to do and then I might actually almost be caught up so I can do some writing and not feel guilty about all the things that need to be done, which only happened once before in my life…during shut-down in the spring of 2020. If this is what retirement is like, I will be ready to go back to work after two weeks.

Covid, you are all the joy of a long-sought vacation with none of the fun. But thank you…I think.