Honey, I'm heading to work.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I love you, too.
Phone rings. Hello, boss.
"Hello, glad I caught you."
Oh?
"Yes, I just got word from upstairs. Everyone is staying home for the time being."
Talk about last-minute!
"Not last-minute, they were meeting about this all yesterday."
How many did you miss this morning?
"Several. We have to turn them back when they get here."
That should make the ones from the other side of town happy. Thanks for the call. (click). Hey honey, guess what? I get to stay home for the time being, isn't that great?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I love you, too. I'm getting some more coffee.
Friday, March 27
Honey, I just got lucky!
With whom?
No, I managed to find a 6-pack of the Cottonelle. Store wasn't packed and I think they'd just restocked.
What about the water?
Still low, but we have the reverse osmosis anyway, so we're good.
Did you do any work this morning?
Yeah, I graded all that was submitted to me, which wasn't much.
Why is that?
Some parents think we have to make this up in the summer so they figure why bother? Some have low home tech. If that's the case, they can go get those packets at the food sites. Since we're not grading, I'm not feeling too much stress. (long silence). Honey, you ok?
No! (sobbing)
What's wrong?
Sally died yesterday!
What from?
Coronavirus.
I'm sorry, sweetie. You've known her a long time.
Since I was a kid.
How old was she?
75 I think. No, 74, her birthday's in September.
(sadly) She was a pretty nice person. I'll miss her.
Wednesday, April 15
Hey babe, what are you doing?
Oh, we have to go back and document all the contact we've had with students and parents for attendance.
Now? That could have been taken care of every week!
Yeah, well, you know the school district, one step ahead of the snails as always.
So, we going to do anything about the house?
Like?
Maybe some painting? Some cleaning?
Oh. Yeah. I guess we could.
Seeing as how you're home until the end of the month and the work from home doesn't take forever...we can watch movies and you can do your jigsaw puzzles all you want, but there's things to take care of.
(slightly annoyed) I know that! It's just a weird funk I'm in, like I'm in limbo.
(smiling patiently)Doing something other than sitting at the computer will help, I bet.
You're right! What do you want to paint?
Monday, April 27
Well, it's official.
What?
We're out for the duration.
At least you don't have to make it up.
From the looks of things there wouldn't be any point to that anyway since the country's on lockdown into the summer anyway. Hey! This sucks!
So you keep saying.
No, I mean Fay's Diner. It's permanently closed. That's the first one.
One of the best local places. We had our first date there, remember?
Yeah, the fried chicken and their spaghetti were to die for! Damn! I wonder what else will be closed?
Don't ask!
Friday, May 22
Hey, hon. Sorry I'm late!
(angry) What took you so fucking long?
Hey! I had to do all that shit by myself! Packing up a classroom alone isn't a picnic.
I'm sorry. I'm just-
What?
Well even when you're here, you're on social media, or playing a game, or working on another jigsaw. We're not doing much together...of anything.
(silent for a while) Yeah...I know. I can't explain it, it's just...I don't know what to do!
About us?
About anything! Work's fucked up, people are dying, there's a near riot every time I have to get something at the store, the streets and freeways are a suicide mission half the time, our government is lying to us all the time...with all that, I feel like I'm losing who I am. It's like I can't trust anyone and anything!
Including me?
(sighing) No, darlin, you're the one person who's stayed right by me all this time. (thinking) And you've been through a lot, too. You didn't lose just Sally, you lost Mary and Vera, too. How've you managed to deal with all of that?
Simple. You've been here to see me through it, and I'm trying to see you through things, too. I know sometimes you need to be by yourself, it's who you are. Just not all day, you know?
(smiling) I know.
Saturday, June 13
Well, I have good news and bad news.
Good first.
No more skanks in see-through PJs.
Huh?
Wal Mart closed down.
What?! That company was solid!
Not with the employee walkouts. They've had the highest cases since everything opened back up. Nobody feels safe there, or really anywhere else now.
I never thought I'd see the day! All right, what's the plan today?
We painted the whole dining room yesterday, I think it's a relax day!
Movies?
I already have a few lined up.
Friday, June 19
Honey, we need more dishwasher soap!
I know. Nobody has any, anyone who's left anyway.
I still think....no!
What?
I'm still in the mindset that I can go to the store to see if I can find a gem or two. No more of that.
For now.
Yeah, but so many have closed already. Target, Smart & Final...
And Texas Roadhouse!
What?!
Yup, no more ribeyes from there.
And the sweet tea!
And the shrimp with the sauce.
Well, shit! We have a grill, I can do shrimp skewers myself. The sauce? That's another story.
I can try something. Worst case scenario, you make your cocktail sauce, always a winner!
Saturday, July 11
Sweetheart, how are you?
Doing better, I think. (coughing) I hate hospitals.
I know, me too. Really missing you.
Feed the cats?
Yes.
Hold them?
I try, but you're Dr Dolittle here, not me.
(pause and a sob) I really (cough) miss you!
I miss you, too. I wish I could see you.
Thursday, July 23
How are you doing?
Great! I think I feel better than I did before I got it!
Good. I was really worried, you know?
I know. I was lucky. So were you!
After years of being around kids, I must have built a damn solid immune system. That sounds iffy now.
Oh?
Just had a Meet with the staff. As of now, we're starting school online in August.
Hmm. I guess we shouldn't be surprised, though I wonder how that'll work. Kids don't learn from packets.
No, it's going to be weird. And I need to figure out what to do with myself.
Huh?
We ended the year this way, that was one thing. The kids are already far behind and if they don't have good devices or anything at all, it'll be pointless.
What does that have to do with you?
Unless the district comes up with a good remote learning system, it's going to be a waste of a year.
Monday, August 3
Honey?
Yeah?
I just want you to know I love you!
I know.
Thank you, Han Solo! I know this is tough today. Your dad was always really nice to me.
It's weird, you know? He was never sick when I was a kid. A few sneezes and coughs here and there, but that's it.
But this was cancer, completely different.
Right. I know. I just wish I could be there. Fucking travel restrictions!
Nancy has everything taken care of, she knew you couldn't get there.
(voice shaking) Whew, this is going to be tough starting the school year this way. I don't know how I've made it this far.
You have me, silly!
I sure do. And honey?
Yes?
I love you, too!
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