Self-Isolation: Day 10

Today is Sunday April 26 2020.

For ten days we've been living inside our home like a rabbit underground.
Popping up only to sniff the air for a moment.
I swept the garage earlier today and it felt refreshing as hell to remove a layer of dust;

dead leaves.
While things have been different during these days of self-isolation, it's almost like it has given us a new opportunity to be appreciative of the world around us.

I make quesadillas for breakfast this morning after sautéing some onions and red peppers.

The first one turns out decent (you can tell I haven't done this before)

And the second one nearly doesn't turn out at all. I end up having to turn off the stove, wash the frying pan and start over. It took me a couple hours, but I thought about the kitchen utensil that would have made things easier for me. It's always the same one I seem to forget - tongs!

Tongs are obviously the most underrated of all the utensils. You can use them for easy lifting, flipping, and moving. But this post isn't about the multiple uses for kitchen tongs.

Today's post is about the same thing as many others before it - it's the end of an era.

Our self-isolating ends tonight. Tomorrow morning my husband and I can both leave the house and go to our second homes again. I think it's a pretty special thing to know our bosses both miss us; our teams miss us. Having a supportive environment makes all the difference when it comes to getting out of bed for work in the mornings. I know both of us have two little words floating in the back of our minds, still, as we head into this final week of April; month end. 

For sales professionals, 'month-end' is either a shitshow or a shit show. Compared to last April, our numbers are both down. The price of oil in Alberta is well below where any of us thought it could sit. We have to become more creative than ever if we want to earn clients now. We still have targets to hit. If we leverage the platforms and skills we have - what do they say?

All our cards on the table? No beating around the bush?

The eggs are in more than one basket around here!

Another thing I've been working on these past ten days is my condo. Its been vacant since November and I have found new tenants, set to move in on the first of the month.

Whenever I think of my townhouse I get pretty sentimental. Six years ago I bought my first place, leaving my Mom's nest. It's a three-story property with two master bedrooms and a basement that doubles as the furnace-room-and-garage. I love that house until December 4th when I got a phone call saying there had been a flood. A flood, in the middle of fucking winter. This is what happens when you rent your house to pieces of shit who can't figure out how to put up a universal smoke detector. 

Three months and more than $28,000 later I have new vinyl plank flooring and a big, fat insurance claim. Thank you very much you fucking brats.

I think the real problem I have is no matter what, I'm always going to be the landlady to someone younger than me. This bothers me more than I can say.

I remember telling my husband after I bought my townhouse, it was like I had no friends. They didn't want to come over and visit me because it meant coming to "My House", and that was just "Weird."

I don't even remember feeling super proud to be a homeowner, since the people I thought cared about me now gave me this look like they couldn't understand someone who'd ask for that much responsibility. Since then I've really learned being a homeowner isn't all it's cracked up to be. Still I'll never regret the decision to buy a house at 21.

Tonight there was a concert hosted by Rick Mercer called Stronger Together and it aired it on all the major networks; CTV, Global, CBC, Citytv. Stronger Together Canada brought Canadian stars on screen for messages of support, songs for frontline works and lots and lots of Thank You's to our first responders, grocery store staff, pharmacists, delivery drivers, and too many others putting their lives at risk so that the rest of the world can still carry on. #StrongerTogether was trending on Twitter when I checked my phone half way through. I had to send a text message to one of my clients as well.

About a month ago he called me with an idea, asking for my thoughts. 

He says, "I made a new website." Check it out.

Thinking about what he could do for his community, while the pandemic carries out its run here in Alberta, he started Stronger2gether.ca

100% of sales of the premium clothing line 'STRONGER TOGETHER 2020' goes directly to charities, including food banks of Southern Alberta. 

I knew it was an excellent idea when he told me about it and sitting there watching great Canadian singer-songwriters like Tom Cochrane and Buffy Sainte-Marie, he texts me back to say, "Another order!" 

"And another."

It's getting close to midnight and I must be on my way to bed.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe. 

Until tomorrow.

PS. Super Saturation from Cabin Brewing of Calgary, Alberta 

This is 'I'm not even done yet and I'm going to need more yummy', New England Pale Ale @CabinBrewing #Abcraftbeer pic.twitter.com/k7gAjFix0t

— polly sparks (@__aiw) April 26, 2020

Self Isolation: Day 9

Today is Saturday, April 25th 2020

My coworker got his COVID-19 test results back this morning and they are like mine, negative.
Excellent news to start off the weekend with!
This doesn't mean we can't contract Coronavirus, but we are in the clear.
I can go back to work on Monday.
In the back of my mind I think the worst may still be on its way. Especially if the President of the United States doesn't understand the meaning of sarcasm. 
I really hope it's not just me who thinks Donald Trump is a baby in a playpen, learning how to talk. Touching things that interest him and saying whatever noise comes out of his mouth first.
Then taking the interesting things and putting them into his mouth.

My husband made me eggs this morning and I ate them with two slices of toast and some cantaloupe for breakfast. Afterwards I forced myself to go outside and start raking the leaves in the backyard.
Yard maintenance is hands down the worst of my first world problems. Our backyard is so wide we share the fence with four other homes. I wouldn't call all of them 'neighbours' though.

While I was outside I called my colleague who covered for me this past week at the office, to see how she felt about things. FaceTime is great for quickly catching up with someone. It's 100x better than a phone call when you can, at least I highly recommend it.
Sending a text message is only good for quick announcements,
- telling someone you're on the way
- also known as, letting your boss known you're running behind, or
- if you're on a bad date and need to be rescued
- asking someone a question you don't need to know the answer to immediately
A video chat is superior because you don't need to imagine the tone of the dialogue
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the only time we would Skype is when we wanted to chat to our family and friends who lived in other cities, or back home while we're on vacation somewhere.
Communication tools are suddenly being worshiped.

As I look over at the kitchen window where the plants live, I see the Poinsettia my aunt gifted us at Christmas turning brown. Leaves, formerly green have dried and fallen off onto the windowsill. Below it on the hardwood floor is my Aloe Vera, looking worse if I'm being honest.
I don't know whether to cry or laugh. Yesterday I threw the lemon tree into the green bin.
I take a closer look at the aloe and determine it needs more sunlight. And I'm not going to cry.
My solution to the pandemic is 1. wash my fucking hands 2. laugh my fucking ass off and 3. bring my houseplants back to life. Am I losing it?

The trouble is, we are treating this as a threat to public health and nobody knows when restrictions will end but everybody seems to have some sort of symptom! I think these could be related to the weather, the seasons changing and possibly something called hay fever?

I'm taking a break now, it's almost 4:20.

Self-Isolation: Day 8

Today is Friday, April 24 2020

Waking up alongside the bright orange sun makes me smile.

But only for a moment.

A week ago I performed the online self assessment for Coronavirus through Alberta Health. And yesterday I got the good news by automated phone call from AHS COVID.
My COVID-19 test results turned out negative. My nose is somewhat runny however I'm not considering this as a symptom of COVID-19 at this point. My colleague who tested the same day has not received his COVID-19 test results.

Each day, my commute to work would start with the University of Calgary radio station - CJSW.
I love listening to the disc jockeys explain why they choose specific songs. CJSW is an excellent place to hear songs you might not hear too often, and you also learn about artists who don't ever get the chance to be heard on the radio. That's probably the best/coolest part.
I'm listening now.
Currently, Seven Day Fool is playing.
Not only do I love this song but now I'm starting to think about how great a fit it is
Do you have a favourite day of the week?
Mine used to be Tuesdays since it was after Monday and we all know how manic Mondays can be. Then in college my favourite day became Thursdays since it was Student Night and that meant crazy deals on triple-highballs at the campus bar. #ThursDen (as in the University of Calgary's watering hole, "The Den.") Those were some of the most embarrassing nights of our lives.
Since March we have had major changes in our routines. We've had no choice but to adapt and adjust.
Seven days seem to blend together these days. Even though it has only been seven weeks, or eight now I'm not even sure - we must exude love. We must continue to show just how loving we can be.
We are living in the textbooks of the future right now.
Even though we can't physically hug, we can send hugs virtually through GIFs and emojis.
It's almost too easy to share love these days. Send someone a video clip or a song.
Make a playlist, like this Classic Metal Mixtape for 4/20 by CC Getty.

{19:50} I'm listening to it now.
Hit The Lights by Metallica is playing.

As my head bangs back and forth someone tells me to eat dinner.
I have the best husband in the whole world.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 7

Today is Thursday, April 23rd 2020

It's official - for seven days we have been at home, self-isolating.
I took down the sign in the window at our front door.
Anxious to hear back from Alberta Health about my COVID-19 test results.
Fuck it.
I didn't get laid off. I continue to work-from-home, self-isolation in Calgary is a blessing. Compared to the seriously vulnerable communities, those already at risk, we have nothing to complain about. Alberta Health is doing their job and so should we. But we're not really doing anything.
We can do better as I touched on yesterday - but we have to do more.

We simply must provide access to testing everywhere in this country.

{10:08 a.m.}
AHS COVID displays on my Samsung Galaxy S7
Incoming call, I answer.
It's an automated message for (insert my legal name here)
"The results of your COVID test are N E G A T I V E"
That's it?
Thank God, I mean, but, I mean, that's it?

According to my calculations, COVID-19 testing in Alberta takes approximately 7 days from requisition to results. I must continue self-isolating for 10 days or until symptoms stop (whichever is longer). This is the recommendation I received after a nurse phoned me on Friday last week following my COVID online self-assessment through Alberta Health.
I still have a runny nose.
Yesterday, I started the day with a headache. This is the main concern with Coronavirus: it is a number of viruses contained in one. We've seen COVID-19 already before.

My husband pours me a bowl of Jordans Morning Crisp this time. He slices half a banana. Fuck Yeah! And all of this seems like such a normal thing to do, but in the background a lot has happened in our lives since Friday the 13th.
I almost feel like that was the last day normal things really occurred.
Millions of Canadians have since lost incomes.
Even if the layoff is considered temporary, we have to think big picture. The majority of people will not look at our Prime Minister, or security of any kind, (emotional, financial, social, economical, etc.) the same way again. Asking for change all this time and only now do we clue in - we didn't get our shit together... last year? Now how does the government suddenly think they know, when, and how we're safe to resume work at full-speed?
Thankfully we have the boss, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
I heard her say, "we are our best defense."
She's the only one we really trust.

Some of you know we got married about 8 weeks ago. You could say we're honeymooning in our home. Our friends have started to receive 'Thank You' cards in the mail - sending us well wishes via text message. We've remarked how lucky our wedding went off (without a hitch, ha!). Our last time together in a large group before gathering restrictions were put in place, was our wedding reception on the Leap Year Day.

Some of our family was unable to leave Asia to make our wedding. Because the borders between Laos and Thailand had already closed, aunts, uncles and cousins could not obtain travel visas to come to Canada. The sad part about this was it would have been their very first time visiting the Great White North. Where did that come from anyway - Great White North?
I guess it could have been Bob and Doug Mckenzie back in the good old days of Second City Television.

SCTV ran between 1976 and 1984 as a Canadian Television Sketch Comedy Show.
The comedy tells the story of a fictitious TV broadcast station (later network) in Melonville. To this day I'm not sure anyone really knows where Melonville was supposed to be. It was a funny show and I think six seasons aired on NBC. During its network run the show received 15 Emmy nominations. Sometimes episodes would compete for the Emmy. I watched a couple clips on YouTube tonight.

Right after, we learned The Calgary Stampede is cancelled for 2020.
It would have started on my birthday this year. But it was the right move.
Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 6

Today is Wednesday, April 22 2020

It's pretty overcast so far this 'Hump Day.'
Usually the middle of the week is a busy time for both my husband and I.
He's supposed to be starting his 20 days of vacation tomorrow - but we've both got a feeling his boss is not going to make him take it because he's too valuable.
On Day 3 of self-isolation in Calgary, I spoke openly about how car dealership owners can be such bullshit to work for.

I washed some raspberries and poured us 2 bowls of Jordans Morning Crisp cereal. Their range of breakfast products includes Muesli and Granola and they're fabulous. If you are not a fan of breakfast I don't think I'll be able to properly trust you. Ron Swanson said, 'There isn't a sadness that breakfast food can't cure.' and I trust Ron Swanson.

Since starting our self-isolation I've somehow learned to live with the constant feeling of being scared. Coronavirus isn't going away any time soon. Work-from-Home is here to stay for the foreseeable future and it's OK to feel uncomfortable, angry, and frustrated. It is a terrible situation we're in but I also learned we're on the same team.
As the days turn into summer ones, and we begin to feel the itch to get out more and live our lives the way we're familiar. We must do better.

My boss called this morning and we chatted for the better part of an hour. He's the kind of leader who just lets his staff, 'get on.' Since he's from the UK I found it a bit difficult to understand what he was saying in the beginning. After working with him for three years now I'll even find myself using words consecutively that he would in conversation (minus the English accent, of course).
This man has been a paratrooper in the army, prison guard, police officer; twice a husband, twice a father; an IT professional; Walmart employee stocking shelves; large-format printer Technician and Branch Manager. He's truly the best boss I have ever had the pleasure to work for and with. He believes it's no use hiring smart people if you don't let them "get on with it." And he taught me to be critically cynical (something his boss dislikes) because it makes him a cynical old bastard (his words, not mine).

For lunch I whip up egg salad. I hear a lot of people don't like egg salad but I think the best part about egg salad is you can turn it into a sandwich with just about any type of bread (one of my favourite things). You can spread the egg salad on a thick slice like baguette or ciabatta and enjoy open-face. Today I just toasted 4 slices of whole wheat bread and loaded as much egg salad in between slices.

Apparently my recipe for Egg Salad Sandwiches is pretty amazing so I'll leave it here.
For 2 big ass sandwiches I use 3-4 eggs depending on size.
1. Once your boiled eggs have cooled, peel and cut them into quarters
2. Toss eggs in a small mixing bowl with 1 avocado, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, and a squirt of yellow mustard
3. Season with 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon paprika + 1 teaspoon salt then pepper to taste
4. Combine well. If you like cilantro you can chop some fresh and garnish the egg salad before serving.
I don't have any cilantro in the fridge so we went without this time.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your kitchen is now stinky!

I hope I could make you laugh there because laughter will forever be the best kind of medicine. One medicine we need a lot more of now.
If you're still paying close attention to media and news reports these days you know what it looks like. I can only encourage you to watch or read something humorous. Stay away from TikTok though, I swear it's a trap. For reading material, David Duchovny's "Holy Cow" is a good start. For a feel-good movie, check out The Cobbler featuring the ever-hilarious Adam Sandler. Hang in there.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 5

Today is Tuesday, April 21st 2020

We woke up really early this morning. I think it was barely 05:00.

Last night we watched the first 2 episodes of COOKED with Cannabis on Netflix. The cannabis-infused cooking competition is co-hosted by Kelis (singer of 'Milkshake' and chef) and Portland-based chef and cannabis enthusiast, Leather Storrs. What a name to name your child!
Since the competitors are considered experts in cannabis cooking, the appetizers, entrees and desserts created are absolutely stunning. We didn't want to eat everything in the pantry in one night so we had to switch TV shows.
Afterwards we drifted back four years to take in Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60, originally released in November 2016.

I can't believe I'm going to admit that I forgot this, but Carvey played a small role in Rob Reiner's 1984 film 'This Is Spinal Tap'. If you have no clue what I'm referring to you can watch the official trailer on YouTube here.
If you've continued reading this then you might have been turned off by the trailer for the Spinal Tap movie and to that I will say Rotten Tomatoes has scored this bad boy a 95% on the tomatometer. It really is an all-time comedy classic.

I taped a note to the window by our front door this morning.
Basically it explains we are self-isolating for another five days and would appreciate if you rang the doorbell and left any deliveries on the front step.
We've started to order groceries, of course, but how could I disregard a bit of local craft beer through Wise Guys Liquor of Calgary? One of the owners, Sean has made me reconsider the majority of liquor store operators due to his award-winning attitude. If I stop by the store he's often there with a smile on his face, ready to help with your beer, wine or spirits purchase. For a long time I thought people who ran liquor stores didn't understand or care about the types of alcohol they offered their customers. Sean typically give you options and he's never been shy to mention the price. I'll put my hand on my heart and say the service you'll receive from Sean and the entire Wise Guys Liquor team is phenomenal. Since the coronavirus pandemic they have been handling online orders like a dream, and Sean will personally give you a call to provide an update on your order's status, or let you know if there might be anything currently out of stock.

About an hour ago I got a phone call from a nurse at Alberta Health. They can schedule my COVID-19 Testing for this afternoon. As they work through what I can only imagine is dozens of thousands of requests, the nurse's voice on the other end sounded intensely positive and collected. She gave me the directions to C3 Church Calgary West, where Drive-Thru Testing for Coronavirus (COVID-19) is taking place for someone like me who lives in Northwest Calgary. The important thing to mention  here is one cannot simply head over to C3 Church and Drive-Thru Testing for COVID-19. You must be referred by public health, and have had a phone call from a nurse just as I have done.
I hope you never have to worry about getting tested for coronavirus.
But in the event you do, I'll be back to give you an update on the whole process....

{About 6:00 p.m.}
Earlier I drove west on Highway 1 towards the mountains. It was showing 18° Celsius in my Toyota Prius. I felt a little weird to be driving for the first time since last Thursday. My husband told me to drive the new Volkswagen Atlas CrossSport and give him my thoughts. It's a nice vehicle.

After not 1 but 2 U-turns I managed to find myself at C3 Church where Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing is set-up by Alberta Health. Rows of skinny, orange pylons indicating lanes greet me as I pull up, it looks like I'm the first in line. The first woman mentioned they are slow this afternoon (I guess that's a good thing?) and she guides me to follow the pylons till I get to the next assistant. I park my car underneath a white tent and shut off the engine.
There's a Toyota in front of me, Corolla.

Not two minutes later a woman approaches my window wearing PPE and hands me a single sheet of paper - an e-mail, printed, originally sent March 12, 2020. It reads: You have been tested because your risk of having COVID-19 is higher than most Albertans. We know it can be frightening to wait for test results and you are likely worried about your well-being and the well-being of people around you. Even though you are at higher risk, it is still very likely that your symptoms are caused by one of the many other common viruses that cause respiratory symptoms, such as the influenza virus. 
She asks me to hold up my picture ID and health care card then turns to produce my test sample from inside somewhere. The whole thing took no longer than 10 minutes. I drove away after opening my mouth and saying 'AHH.' Within 5 days I'll be contacted by phone with the results.

Since leaving the house for my COVID-19 testing our groceries were delivered by PC Express.
Our Alberta Craft Beer was also dropped off by the lovely team at Wise Guys Liquor. I tried the neMeSIS IPA from Zero Issue Brewing and the intensity of citrus notes is literally like the perfect, alcoholic milkshake.

And so I leave you with the lovely Kelis and the original 'Milkshake'

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 4

Today is Monday, April 20th 2020

We started the day with the worst type of breaking news.
A dentist in The Maritimes went on a shooting spree, stealing more than 18 Canadian lives. This event now being called the deadliest mass shooting in Canada. A police officer says they expect to find more victims still. This fucking lunatic had rigged his vehicle to look like an RCMP car!
I wish I could send a letter to each and every family grieving the loss of their loved one today.
Somehow you can't even fathom, 'Rest in Peace' for this kind of thing.

Today is also 4/20.
Did you know you have to smoke weed today?
Following a quick bite of blueberry pancakes, I rolled a joint and indulged myself in some Damn Sour from Delta-9. According to Lift&co - Damn Sour is a slightly sativa-dominant hybrid. THC 23% and CBD 10%. The effect should begin heady then taper into a strong but mellow body effect. If you don't think I'm happy to work-from-home then you're clearly not high enough.

During my high I noticed we have only eight working days remaining in April. My machines sales have been stuck at 1 for the month and I am dying to close a deal with a client I drove to Edmonton to meet with 2 years ago! Since then he has purchased consumables from me approximately two times, and I shit you not it's just tape he buys. Yup, rolls of tape. You can imagine how determined I have been to provide him with an equipment solution like a digital high-speed label printer and finisher.
And I've determined I need to sell at least two more machines in order to get my back my mojo.

Ending the day on a High Note I finished the first of 4 Thomas Kinkade puzzles I bought for self-isolating. On Day 2 of self-isolation in Calgary I told you I'd post a photo once complete.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.

Until tomorrow.

Thomas Kinkade Disney's Beauty and the Beast Puzzle

Self-Isolation: Day 3

Today is Sunday, April 19th 2020

One of the games I've been playing on my Android to waste time is Hidden City.
If you were the type of kid who loved the 'I Spy' series books I think you'd enjoy it too.
Think: 'Where's Waldo?'

This morning in Calgary is absolutely phenomenal. According to theweathernetwork.ca we are sitting at 10° so far. It's almost noon, so it seems we'll be getting warmer too. Thanks Mister Sun!

For brunch I made one of my favourite Mediterranean dishes: Shakshuka

Spicy Shakshuka; poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce

If you'd like to give this a try I'll leave the directions below

First chop a small onion 

And three or more cloves of garlic, depending on how much you can handle

Using a deep pan, saute together in a couple tablespoons of olive oil 

After five or ten minutes season with 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a bunch of red chili flakes (add lots if you want this to be more spicy) Combine everything well

Pour 1 can of whole tomatoes into the pan

Season with salt and pepper

Carefully break up the tomatoes

Simmer for approximately 25 minutes, I usually wait until the tomatoes have become very tender

Crack 5 or 6 eggs and cook for about 8 more minutes

You might want to cover the pan with a lid for the last couple minutes to cook the top of the eggs

Remove from heat and garnish with feta, fresh basil or more chili flakes

You can also season with cayenne pepper and nutmeg but I opted not for this morning's brunch

My husband has been watching, "Snow White and the Huntsman".

Since I've seen this movie already I get to work on my isolation diary.
I can hardly believe tomorrow is 4/20.
During March we were both at the office full-time and he knew he would have to take 20 days off starting near the end of April. Yeah, here's an interesting one for you... his employer has forced both him and his business partner to take their vacation days (20 of them) during the pandemic. This - he's told, is to avoid having to lay one or the other off! With the government paying 75% of a company's wages right now this seems like a major fucking joke. But you know what they say about the owners of car dealerships...

They

Don't 

Give

A

Fuck.

Can you imagine how far ahead of the curve we'd have been, had we mentioned to Canadians before Christmas when we heard about the coronavirus affecting Asia? If only we started planning for a pandemic four months ago. Meanwhile our country is still "working on" how to assist the hundreds of thousands of frontline workers, Indigenous Peoples, and others more at-risk than ever before. You brag on live television about wanting to get money into the bank accounts of the majority; the Canadians who lost their jobs, but SURPRISE, there was already a plan in place for people who get laid off - it's called EI. Instead you decide to offer them a fancy, new pay cheque to #StayHome and self-isolate. This only makes you look good for the moment. If you asked me, Mr. Trudeau, I say you could have been spending your time more wisely. WAKE UP DUDE. Things are only going to get much worse, before they get any better. End rant.

Later we'll go for a short walk around the neighbourhood to take advantage of that Vitamin D.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.

Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 2

Today is Saturday, April 18th 2020

Our eyes opened up to the weekend, a little after 07:00. Rolling over, I snuggling further into the bed sheets I didn't want to climb out of yet. The weekends probably don't mean as much if you've been laid of or in self-isolation but it's only day 2 for us. Hello.

I closed my eyes and fell back asleep for another 45 minutes or so.
The phone ringing woke me up.
'Home' it said on my screen and I knew my Mom would phone again in the next 10 minutes if I didn't pick up. Good Morning.

She's asking how we are feeling. Do we have symptoms developing?
If anyone asks I've been saying "I'm OK." But I'm only saying this to help myself believe it. It's what we do to protect ourselves maybe. She tells me to have a coffee and we'll talk later. Click.
I am feeling well enough to cook meals, think straight, smoke a joint, write here, and work on a Thomas Kinkade designed Beauty and the Beast puzzle. I only started the 500-piece distraction yesterday but I think I'll have it completed by Sunday evening. If I do I'll share a picture in tomorrow's update.

After coffee we agreed it was a day to have French Toast for breakfast.
Crack 3 eggs
Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract
A sprinkle of brown sugar
Can I have some milk?
Nope! Smells weird.
Whisk it up
Turn on the stove
Add butter to the pan
Soak 4 slices of whole wheat toast
Fry them until they're golden brown
Add 'Milk' to the grocery list on the fridge

I have a meeting in a little over an hour. It's because I'm on the condominium board for my townhouse. Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) should take place next month and my guess is we'll have to send a link to owners for a Zoom meeting, or something similar.

Yesterday I realized I have an opportunity to work smarter now while I work-from-home.
People (meaning clients) have more time on their hands. Especially on the weekends; which were normally reserved for going out and plans. If their business is non-essential they'll be stressing out about how they will pay their rent or other bills. If they already work-from-home, as in their business is a home-business, maybe they have to rework the business strategy. Some of them might be wondering how they will come out of this still a business-owner. It's not about if, it's about WHEN - when we come out of this, we will be battered and blue but not broken.

We must continue practicing social-distancing in public. And paying attention to the world, our health, and the well-being of our families.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

Self-Isolation: Day 1

Today is Friday, April 17th 2020

I woke up around 05:45 and tossed in bed for approximately 20 minutes to wake myself up fully. It's my day to head into the office. For the last month we've been rotating our small team of five to minimize staff at work, keeping three of us to work-from-home.

I washed my face, brushed my teeth and for some reason decided to check my work phone. Maybe I had a feeling something was off, because it was.
My colleague; whom I was at the office with Wednesday, sent a WhatsApp message to our group stating he woke up around 02:00 "with shortness of breath, nausea, cough and chest pain suddenly".

Immediately I'm thinking about the coronavirus, the one they call COVID-19.

He's in his mid-twenties, living at home with his father. Thankfully it was just him and I working together, so we can rule out our sixty-seven-year-old Manager having had close contact. The two of them hadn't worked together in a couple weeks. Our two additional co-workers who were in the office the day before did not have a problem covering for us today. This is what we do - protect each other.

What I didn't realize at the time of the original WhatsApp message: he has asthma.
Any person with underlying health conditions has to be extra careful when they are in public today. We simply cannot know who may be carrying the coronavirus and this should be enough. Shouldn't it? Or do we need to continually watch a rise in confirmed cases in the Calgary zone for our people to take this seriously?

After performing the self-assessment online through MyHealth.ab.ca he will be referred for testing and must self-isolate for 10 days or until symptoms are completely gone (whichever is longer). Now my house is doing the same. This is what we do - protect each other.

My husband was also on duty to work-from-home yesterday so his office was not potentially exposed either; thankfully. He notified his boss as soon as I had the heart to let him know about the situation, and immediately contacted the rest of the management team. I, too decided to perform the self-assessment and the recommendation was to isolate for 10 days as well, based on the one symptom I had experienced over the last week. This is how we will effectively reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 in Calgary. We must protect each other.

For most of the day we sat across the kitchen table in work-mode.
Answering and making phone calls
Sending e-mails
Taking deep breaths from time to time
Just doing our best

We are both in sales of essential goods and services so it's important our clients know we are here to help. More so during these super scary days, when the President of America is tweeting about reopening the US economy. Meanwhile daily deaths in major US cities continues to surpass the 500's.

Our economy here in Alberta was in a rough patch BEFORE the pandemic started. But here we are sitting in our home offices trying to weather this storm. And it's only going to get worse if we don't keep our distance. I think if I do end up selling any equipment I'll burst into tears.

Thank you for the opportunity to protect and scribe.
Until tomorrow.

04-04-2020

Usually I have a lot to say but lately it's harder to have an opinion.
I guess it's because we're only really looking for the facts these days. Facts about COVID-19, obviously.

Yesterday the President of the United States ordered 3M (Yup, THE One & Only) to cease exports of respirators to Canada. What is n95? N95 is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and efficient filtration of airborne particles (95%, hence the designation).
What a total fucking asshole!
President Trump is possibly the single most self-serving person on this planet right now. Damn, I guess giving my opinion can still be pretty easy :)

All opinions aside, since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11th, I have seen a lot of news. And I'm sure you have too - legitimate news, semi-legit news, fake news, SUPER-fake news, the unbelievable, and all the TikTok videos in between.
Over the last three weeks I've learned to count myself luckier than many Canadians who have had the loss of major contracts, or to face layoffs, and in the worst case, bankruptcy. This is only the beginning and I am proud to hear the daily updates from Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau which have left me with my hand on my heart. We can get through this by listening and having compassion.
Now there's a word Donald Trump has never heard of!

Like many people, I'm frightened about the pandemic and what the coronavirus can achieve if we let our foot off the brake, or gas, or whatever it is that we are doing to slow this fucker down.
I'm pretty sure it's called, "being aware of why we do certain things."
Today more than ever before we must, must, must, must, must think about how we dress, where we go to buy the things we need, and where we put our hands. I'm scared and I'm not afraid to say that either. Maybe it's because Canada has nearly 13,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Or maybe it's because I found Johns Hopkins University map tracking global coronavirus infections and deaths; receiving billions of hits each day.

Are you paying attention yet?

It's the fourth day of the fourth month of the 20th year of the 21st century. In the Chinese zodiac it's the Year of the Rat - the first of all zodiac animals.
In Chinese culture rats were identified as a sign of wealth and surplus due to the fact they multiply rapidly. The rat also represents the beginning of a new day; yet here we are living each day like it's our last....

When I looked up Donald Trump's zodiac sign I realized how much of a bitch he really is. Yup, that's right he was born in 1946 - the Year of the Dog. Now a dog's most defining character is of course his loyalty. Honest and popular in social circles, I have to agree the senile, old brute cannot learn to keep his mouth shut. He might care about his looks but when it comes to sounding intelligent, ha, forget it... he just barks and barks, and he'll keep barking until he blows your fucking house down.
The best thing I learned about Dogs is despite how they act, deep down inside they are worried and anxious. They even pee a little on the floor when they get too excited about something, and I'm convinced people in The White House are probably sick of cleaning up piss these last few years. The man is as volatile as a 12 week old puppy.

Dogs of 1946 are particularly known for being dream chasers, extremely opinionated and quick to defend their stance. Hmm. Now that's pretty interesting stuff right there.
If you don't believe me, name one good thing Trump has done for the good of all Americans.
I'm not saying Donald Trump should resign for the good of the American people, but, the facts are the facts - and you sir, are killing your country one tweet at a time.
Don't @ me.