In just a couple of weeks, it will officially be a year. It will mark a year since…everything happened at once. It all started out with some news stories about a virus in a Chinese province, graduated to talk about what might happen if it came here…then it came here (to the United States). Since then, 2.53 million people have died across the globe – and about a half million people in the United States alone have died.

Bars and restaurants closed for in-person service. Malls closed, stores and businesses closed, offices closed, movie theaters closed, schools/universities closed, sports arenas closed. How could something so tiny as a virus do so much damage? Well, as the scientists say, the virus did this by attaching itself to droplets of snot and getting into other people’s bodies. Does anyone else think this would be a great idea for a Pixar film? An animated story told from the virus’ point of view? Too soon?

I don’t really know what else to say. I’ve become almost institutionalized with adjusting to staying home more, not being able to REALLY see my friends and family, bundling up in enough layers to endure a Yukon winter when I go “out to the bar,” drinking less (on some nights, anyway), not pursuing pub trivia dominance like a madwoman, having to wear masks in public and at work, having to practice social distancing, globbing enough sanitizer on my hands over the course of a year to fill the hull of the Titanic, eating in the car without ending up with half the meal all over my clothing (well, I’m just kidding about that last thing, I don’t think I’ll ever learn how to do THAT properly)!

Will I ever venture into a bar for indoor service again? Will I attempt to summon my friends/comrades for pub trivia games? Will I continue working in the same job? Will my husband continue in his job? Will I be able to see friends and family again without having a “cooties” mentality? Will I ever be able to turn down the volume of my germophobia? Will I ever get Mexican food in a restaurant again? Will I ever sit at a bar for a nightcap again? Will I ever get through all of the episodes of “Murdoch Mysteries?”

I’m seeing SOME hope on the horizon, but it’s hard to cling to too much of that these days. For now, I have a cabin trip to look forward to in the month of April! We’ve booked a cabin in Brighton Recreation Area WITH LAKE FRONTAGE! It’s a very popular cabin and is difficult to book. I’ve only stayed in it twice before.

I’ll have to go into a dollar store for a battery run so I can set up my indoor light show! With so much uncertainty in the world, and so many canceled plans…don’t we all need these little things to look forward to?