The Virus Diary: Strange Summer

We are almost to August.  I think it's fair to say that this is the strangest summer EVER.  I knew it was going to be a strange summer last year...that's because for the first time in...seemingly forever, there would be no summer read from Dorothea Benton Frank.  (I miss her:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/dorothea-benton-frank.html).  But I didn't know all the other strangeness that was going to envelope me and everyone!

I think about a year ago.  It was a great summer.  I mean this was me last summer (July 31st to be exact):   I know it's not my best side (no comments please!) but there I am and in front of me (just a mere few feet) is Chris Isaak along with bandmates Kenney Dale Johnson and Hershel Yatovitz.  Totally amazing. (Totally:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-chris-isaak-adventure-gentleman-and.html)  One of the highlights of my year and I thought for SURE after that night that I attend another summer concert. Well...

This past Sunday we should have been taking my son to the airport. (Which one I'm not sure...we never got that far!)  He was supposed to be headed to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for 12 days.  An educational trip that would have him out of the country for his birthday.  (Which is next week.)  It was hard for me to conceive him not being with his family for his birthday.  Now I don't have to.

This is the first summer since 2013 that he is not away at camp.  This is the first summer that he is not spending time with either sets of his grandparents.  (My in laws usually take him on a road trip somewhere; my parents set him up with something at the NJ shore.)   It's the first summer (and spring as well) since my son and I started participating in Civil War reenactments that there are no events.  (Although I did hear of one after the fact, but...)

It's a hot summer.  Or so it seems.  After a long cold (or coolish) spring (heck, I never got my winter coat to the cleaners) and some moderate temperatures as summer began; it got HOT.  Maybe it is not more so than usual, but it seems that way to me.  Probably because for this strange summer I am sitting in a "home office" (aka the computer room) with a overhead fan (shades of Twin Peaks here) going non-stop and a portable A/C unit that sits to my immediate left ( and my husband's immediate right).  It keeps the room, with multiple computers and technology, moderate.  We'd crash and burn without it.  I think I am going to crash and burn when I get my electric bill.  (And let's not talk about my grocery bill...)

Of course my gas cost is way down.  At least what goes into my car.  I've probably filled my tank once every three weeks since March and the price of gasoline is way down.  (Although it was much "downer.")  Summer time should mean driving to the shore, to pick up the boy from somewhere, going places...But we're going nowhere.  (Cue the Chris Isaak song in my head!)

Although it's still summer and not yet August, the back to school stuff.  I've seen the notebooks, pencils, pens and backpacks lined up in the stores.  Of course no one knows what the heck we'll be doing when it comes to school.  This is NOT a slam on educators or administrators.  I know they are trying to figure out what to do amid the chaos of multiple scenarios.  Plus, let's face it there is no right answer.  No matter what choice we make (in school, virtual, hybrid) there are going to be negative ramifications.  You just hope not too negative. Besides I'm still trying to get over the fact that my son cannot take French and Choir (both subjects he has come to love with teachers we all adore) because both are only being offered during period 3.  (This wouldn't have been such devastating news if both classes hadn't helped make what there was of his freshman year so good and introduced him to a world of all sorts of good things.)  Reluctantly (because there was no alternative) he gave up choir because:  a. He needs at least 2 years of language and this is year 2 in high school; b. If he gives up French this year he'll have to take it next year and we'll probably be faced with the same conundrum; and c. who knows if they'll be able to actually do choir this year.  (Although they did do a nice job virtually at the end of the year.)  Having to cho0se was almost as bad as dealing with...well this darned pandemic.

And we're going to be dealing with it for a while, so let's get ready for an abnormal autumn and a wacky winter.  All of which will be followed by a screwy spring and that brings us back to...

...Strange...abnormal...wacky...screwy...

Just as long as we all stay safe and well; does it really matter?



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