Pandemic Summer Week 16

Pandemic Summer

Week 16

Day 105 – Sunday, June 28, 2020

I did laundry and vacuuming yesterday (summer cat hair is just ridiculous). 

At 2pm, I took Elijah out for his first ever (with me) driving lesson.  In October, my cousin, Randy, let him drive a truck on some country roads and explained some of the basics.  Yesterday, we started out in a parking lot, the Burdette pool (it’s closed) parking lot.  He learned to start the car; turn on headlights; use windshield wipers (it started raining when we got there); putting the car into ‘park’, ‘drive’, and ‘reverse’; taking your foot off the break; the tiniest bit of using the gas pedal; driving in a square; and pulling into a parking space.  He’s driving Hannah’s vehicle, which doesn’t look that big out the outside, but is HUGE on the inside.  He did a really nice job but made enough mistakes that he realized just how little he knows.  On the way home he commented that he wasn’t sure how one ever got confident enough to drive on streets with traffic. The plan for vehicles, is just to pass them down.  I will get a new car, Hannah will inherit my car, Elijah will get Harold (Hannah’s car) because it’s an around-the-town vehicle not a drive-two-hours-home-from-college vehicle. 

Last night’s menu was supposed to be grilled pork tenderloin with grilled corn on the cob.  I got the charcoal started with no issues, but when I checked on it 30 minutes later, it just hadn’t gotten very far.  Then it started sprinkling, and there was no saving it.  So, I got out the deep fryer and fried chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, and tater tots.  It was on the opposite end of the healthy food spectrum from what I had planned, but it was delicious.  To Leah’s delight, I fried too much chicken, so there is cold, fried chicken in the fridge for lunch.  

I slept in and got NINE hours of sleep; I usually get about 6 ½.  Really loud thunder (and a cat who shall remain nameless) woke me up several times this morning, but I just kept going back to sleep.  It was fantastic!  When I did get up, it was pouring rain, but it seems to have tapered off now.  Looks like I should be able to grill tonight, so that’s positive.  

Day 106 – Monday, June 29, 2020

I grilled that pork tenderloin last night.  I should have used the stupid meat thermometer but didn’t.  I undercooked it, so I sliced it, and tossed it back on the grill in foil, and overcooked it… It was ok.  

This morning, I went grocery shopping at Walmart.  Well, it was more like snack shopping for our road trip to OKC on Wednesday.  We have some healthy options along with the normal junk.  I was proud of the west side Walmart this morning, because almost everyone was wearing a mask.  

At 9:00 I headed to Schnuck’s since I need to get an Rx and that’s when the pharmacy opens.  I’m sad that CVS is taking over the Schnuck’s pharmacy this week, which means prices will go up.  Since I was at Schnuck’s I grapes and apple slices for the trip along with individually bottled drinks for the kids.  Usually, on our road trips, I let the kids pick a drink and a snack when we stop for gas.  Those have been pre-purchased this time around.  I always use the self check-out, because I prefer it.  Today, the regular check-out line was long, and an older gentleman asked if I would help him use the self check-out.  He was amazed at how easy it was (he only had two items).  

Elijah thinks he has a cold, but I think it’s allergies.  He has watery eyes and a runny nose.  No fever, no cough, no sore throat, so hopefully the allergy medicine will help.  I’m going to blame Saharan dust.  Hannah had hives on her face yesterday, and that is also getting blamed on the dust! 

Day 107 – Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Last night’s dinner was a “what can I make with ground turkey and hamburger buns?” kind of meal.  We ended up having BBQ sloppy joes.  Last week I thawed the ground turkey because tacos were on the menu, but I forgot I had promised Leah they would be shredded CHICKEN tacos.  No idea why I had an entire extra package of hamburger buns…. I liked it, the kids ate it and didn’t complain, so that’s a “win” in my book.  

This morning, I took Georgia in for her annual vet appointment.  I do think the vet’s office needs to let people know of their new procedures before they arrive.  I was a little shocked when I called, that they would come pick Georgia up from the car.  It went very smoothly and was extremely efficient.  Once the vet examined her, he called and talked to me.  Then the office staff called to check out and get my payment information and let me know they had scheduled Georgia for next year.  Then Georgia was brought back out to the car.  The best news is that she has lost 6oz since last year.  I started her and Oliver on diet food almost a year ago.  She has a petite frame and isn’t very active.

We have a very rainy day in store for us, and I’m hoping that all the rain happens today, and tomorrow will be dry for our trek to Oklahoma.  Elijah wants to drive today, and Leah wants to swim.  I’m not sure if those things will happen.  I should probably just take Elijah out and get it over with.

Day 108 – Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Happy July!!

Today was a travel day.  Shockingly, I slept well (I often don’t before a trip), and got up at 4am.  I got myself ready, the kids up, and the car packed a few minutes before 5:30, when I wanted to leave.  

The trip started off foggy, but I was happy that it wasn’t rain.  Evansville had had two days of heavy rain.  We made good time and our first stop was 25 miles east of St Louis after about two hours of driving.  The rest stop was practically empty.  I passed out breakfast snacks to the kids and headed off toward St Louis.  

Around Rolla, I needed to stop for gas, but Love’s card readers weren’t working on the gas pumps, so we ended up at a tiny Sinclair station.  Some really nasty clouds had just rolled in at that point.  Just as we got back on the highway it started pouring, like can’t-see-the-road pouring.  That lasted about 20 minutes and was incredibly nerve wracking.  It continued to rain but until we stopped in Conway for another bathroom break.  When we got out of the car, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees!

We drove on a little farther to Springfield to eat lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  Wow!  I thought our CFA had a crazy drive-through, but this one was even crazier. We went to the one by Bass Pro Shop (on the corner of Sunshine & Campbell which of course reminds me of my friend).

We made our last bathroom stop at the Oklahoma Welcome Center and stopped for gas at the QT in Claremore (I think).  We arrived at my parents’ house in OKC at 4:45 which was within the expected 30-minute window.  It was 100 degrees!

After we ate BBQ sandwiches, we hopped in the pool for an hour or so.  It was a delightful ending to our day.

Day 109 – Thursday, July 2, 2020

We ended the day with some strawberries dipped in fudge frosting, banana and/or applesauce muffins, and conversation with Mom & Dad, Drew, and Bailey.  We went to bed around 10pm and made Elijah go to bed too (we are all together, so no late nights for him!).

Hannah and I got up around 6am and ate some oatmeal with Mom & Dad.  Around 7:30, Hannah and I hopped in the pool and swam 20 laps (40 back and forth lengths).  Then we floated and sunned until 10am.  The pool was very refreshing this morning, and floating before the sun was too high in the sky was the most relaxing thing I think I have ever done.  The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue with cotton puff clouds strewn crossed it.  A delightful morning if ever there was one.

Plans for today include, lunch, lol.  More swimming.  Dinner.  More swimming.  Maybe some games.  I am going to order groceries to be delivered for tomorrow night’s belated Mother’s & Father’s Day celebration.  I’m making me signature grilled marinated chicken and corn, with (kale?) salad, some kind of bread, and dessert (I’m thinking a cobbler with ice cream, of course).  

Day 110 – Friday, July 3, 2020

I did grocery delivery from Walmart, and once I finally got the order in, it was amazing.  I tried to remember the 3-digit number on the back of my credit card, but got the number order wrong… and so it simply wouldn’t let me use that card (understandable), so I had to use another card.  They didn’t have fresh corn still in the husk, but they did have some packaged fresh corn on the cob, so I got that.  I’ll just have to wrap it in foil before grilling. 

Mom made ham casserole and broccoli salad last night, and it was amazing.  After dinner, we went swimming again.  Elijah’s swim shirt, which was orange when I bought it over a year ago, is now a faded red.  We just noticed that last night, and he and Leah INSISTED that he had another swim shirt that was orange and I was tricking them.  This disagreement went on for way too long, the better part of the hour.  It’s weird, but true, apparently the yellow dye faded out of the shirt…. And he just has the one swim shirt. 

This morning was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, so practically perfect.

Day 111 – Saturday, July 4, 2020

Happy Treason Day to my fellow Americans!

We watched Hamilton yesterday and we really enjoyed it.  Hannah listened to the music since it came out, but the rest of us, not so much.  I wasn’t sure if I’d really like it since musicals aren’t really my thing, but I did.  My favorite parts had King George, lol.  I’d happily watch the first half over and over, though the second half is pretty sad.

Last night was not a good night for sleeping.  Fireworks on the next street were being set off at 1:30am, and there was a thunderstorm with torrential rain and hail around 3:00 (no visible damage, so the hail must have been pretty small).  

We did not swim this morning since the pool needed to be cleaned up from the storm and all of our towels that were hanging out to dry were soaked.  

My brother is planning on coming over this morning with games to play with the kids. We will have a festive meal at mid-day.  I assume we will swim this afternoon.