Virus Vacation

Being unable to go to work during this time, I was worried what I would to do find structure. How would I keep myself from going stir crazy and loosing my mind. It would be too easy to just pour myself a drink at noon. I will not being doing that. I have found a better way to distract and focus my thoughts. A way of treating my anxiety. Working out throughout the day and spending most of my free time outside. Going for walks has always been good for my mental health. It’s just you and your thoughts. I must say that it decided to get warm on this first week of virus vacation. (Thanks, Leroy. I needed a name for this sabbatical.) A little hot during the afternoons but I can cope. 3 walks a day. I’ve been keeping up with my steps and the distance I journey on foot throughout the day. It’s been kind of motivating. Maybe when this all blows over I will be in better shape than I’ve been in a long time. Gotta set some kind of goal during moments of uncertainty. I want to remain as positive as I can. It’s out of my hands, like I said before. Roll with the punches. We can do this. Falling into despair might be easy, I get that. When you are hearing bad news everywhere you turn the spirit can sink. So look within yourself and find something that is bright that you cherish. A memory, person, song, or feeling. Whatever! If you start to sink, grab onto that and let it lift your spirit back up. I fully recommend going outside and taking a moment to admire nature. Look at some flowers. Listen to the bird songs. Their is so much beauty to admire if you look.

On another note, wearing shorts outside everyday had me realize just how pale my legs are. Good lord, how many people have I blinded this week? By the end of week….

It was only a matter of time before a case of COVID-19 showed up in our little city and Tuesday was that day. It was confirmed. Now that it is here will we have another surge of panic shopping? Even if that were to happen the grocery stores are still pretty cleaned from the last round. All these people shopping like it is the end of the word. It’s disgusting. Toilet paper still hasn’t been available whenever I’ve gone, and I go daily. Often to multiple stores. If I can be the eyes in the store to help someone find something that they need, well, I play a positive part in this. I want to help however I can. A friend needed flour and I found her flour. They were just putting it on the shelf. And since I have only actually put in 2 hours of work in 4 days I figure I can be on the front line when it comes to braving the stores. I’m even okay with the one in one out system that they implemented. The shopping is so much more relaxed once you gain entry. Before it was a frantic mess. And don’t worry, I’m being safe. I practice safe social distancing, and I have used more sanitizer than probably ever in my life. I don’t touch anything unless I need it and I don’t ever touch my face until my hands have been washed. This is the most germaphobe days of my life.

What else to do with the free time? :/ Reorganize my sock drawer? Inventory my underwear? How about alphabetize the spice rack? How about call the plumber? Ive had a sink that was slow to drain and a minor toilet problem he could also looked at. He fixed the toilet issue without problem. The sink… f***. Seems that’s a bigger issue. What did he pull out of the drain? F***ing roots.. ROOTS!!! Great to hear. Well, that’s not supposed to be there! No amount of Drain-O is going to take care of this. Houston, we have a problem!! It’s a deal he can’t fix because he is reaching there in age. Family plumber is getting old. At least it’s just localized to one sink and not pressing. But still.

Wednesday, day 5, I was feeling a it. The word from the plumber was kind of the gut punch I needed to send me into the blues. I was f***ing sulking. I don’t sulk. I miss the normalcy. I miss my campus friends. I’m keeping in touch through multiple text but it’s not the same as seeing them and engaging in first hand conversation. I’ve let the day steal my joy. It’s like the world wanted me to be a downer Wednesday. I’m trying to keep positive but man… Sometimes its hard. Also, F*** Suddenlink. Of course my service is “interrupted” at this time. I could not even watch the movies I needed to catch up on. Also, those f***ing roots. D*** them.

The rest of the week I felt fine. Everyone has their bad days, right? Friday rolled around. I was tired of going out to find beauty so I bought plants for the patio. If I was eventually going to be on forced quarantine I wanted a nice place to sit outside. My grandmother and my mom gave me a high appreciation for flowers at a very young age. They are mother nature’s art.

Once bekah was off work we went for a walk. She struggled to keep pace. Said that I have long legs. For a person that runs I’m confused by the struggle. I’m just happy she came with me and didn’t want “happy hour” at the house. She has had a rough week. Some people are so cruel & rude during these times. I get that you are scared. That life as we knew it has changed. But that includes most of us. Leave the people trying to help that are still working alone. They deserve your admiration.

New Pearl Jam album came out Friday. It was like hearing a soothing voice from the past. My first favorite band. I felt like I was hearing from a family friend for the first time in years. The album is surprisingly good. It’s cliche to say this when a new album is released, but this might be the best they have done in years. It was a nice cap off for the week.

Here is a song that has been on my mind a lot lately. I mentioned Stephen Kings The Stand. Well this song is featured in the movie. Not to mention, it’s kind of a good tune.

Don’t forget that I’m doing a weekend food blog until this is over. Try not to be afraid and anxious during these uncertain times. Keep on with the positive. Until next week, cheers!!!!

Jalapeño

Monday night it was baby back ribs. This is a weekend meal at our house due to the time it takes to properly cook. Well, as you guys all know, I’m not working. So I light the grill and have it set for 275. Season the ribs with a dry rub that can be found at HEB. They go on for 4 1/2 hours. You want them to fall off the bone. When they come off the grill I begin to prepare my side dish: Jalapeño slaw. Easy fix & always delicious. The ribs were perfect. They might actually be some of the best that I’ve made. Yay me!!!

Bibigo. Spicy. Hot. Burn my tongue. Hurt me please. This is the most normal meal we have made I a little while I think. Garnish with the green onion and carrots we had. Oh, don’t forget the jalapeño.

So Bekah wanted to do Chopped, a show that we both enjoy. We’ve been watching it since we first began dating over a decade ago. If you are not familiar with the rules, the contestant is presented with a basket. With in that basket are 4 key ingredients that must be used to cook a meal. They can go to the pantry and use other ingredients. They have a short time to throw everything together for the judges to vote a contestant out if they didn’t use or correctly incorporate said ingredients. That’s what we did Wednesday. Trying to keep things fun during these strange days. I made two sauces: a chipotle sour cream sauce &avocado & lemon sauce. The chicken was seasoned in chipotle and served over a bed of lettuce and garnished with thinly sliced radish to give a sweet crunch to the meal. Of course jalapeño. The squash was portly executed. It was tasty, but did not fit well with the rest. I had fun and this might become something normal.

More chipotle chicken. The stand out tonight would be the baby now-tie pasta salad. It had peas, corn, carrots, red bell, jalapeño. Added salsa, ranch & chili powder. Such a nice summer dish that I probably have not made in about 4 years. It got hot today. It hit the spot.

Broccoli cheese and chicken. Guess what I added to the velvetta? Heavy f***ing cream. Scream that fat free milk that I can’t find in the store anymore. This turned out super tasty. A nice easy comfort meal for the end of an interesting week.

Cocktail of the Week: Peach vodka & unsweet tea!