Recently we went for a bike ride. This was a big deal for me. I haven’t ridden my bicycle in at least six years…maybe more like eight years: I can’t recall. Twelve years ago I rode my bike a lot because that was the summer when the price of gasoline jumped to nearly five dollars per gallon and I was absolutely not paying that just to drive myself to the salon for my part-time job, or to my workouts at the gym. I rode about 75 miles each week, something I can’t imagine doing at this point in my life.
Anyway, we have this great ten-mile green way near our house that we can ride all the way to downtown Knoxville if we want to go that far. Since we’ve never ridden on it before and we’re always looking for pandemic-friendly activities, we decided to go. Jim took my old bike into the shop (Holla, West Bicycles! We love supporting local businesses!) for its first tune-up in ages and I picked out a new helmet (ALWAYS wear safety gear, folks!).
We headed over to the green way entry point near our house. (It’s right behind our local movie theater, by the way, which is closed for the time being and such a depressing sight.) We put our helmets on and as I hiked my leg up over my bike’s top tube for the first time, I felt every single year that has gone by since the last time and do not recommend.
I rode around the parking lot, messing around a little bit with my shifters. I never liked shifting my gears.
Side note: My idealbicycle would be a beach cruiser. On the beach. Not for exercise purposes.
My actualbicycle has about fifty gears (slight exaggeration) and for some reason my brain cannot make the split-second connect on which way to shift. It never mattered in Illinois: they don’t call us “Flatlanders” for nothing. When I was riding my bike from our home in Naperville to my workplace in Wheaton, I hardly had to shift at all. Here though, in the “Foothills of the Smoky Mountains”, shifting is A THING. Even the tiny hills are no joke if you’re not a daily cyclist.
I found myself getting very frustrated. I felt dumb. I felt like I was never going to grasp it. My poor husband tried his best to explain what I was supposed to do. I finally had to tell him that I heard was he was saying and in theory I understood it while standing still, but once I was riding and had to make those instant decisions, it all went out the window. After nearly melting down at the halfway point of our ride, we came across a mural depicting the local ecosystem, painted by Knoxville muralist Curtis Glover. Getting off of my bike to take the picture was a great reset; I felt that in many ways finding that mural was a reward for pushing through to that point. I ordered myself to relax and to replace my negative thoughts with positive ones. The ride back to where we began was so much easier for my brain. In the end I was happy with how I had no trouble with the ride physically, and that my mental state made a great recovery on the back half. I’m looking forward to going again and getting closer to downtown.
That day got me thinking (shocker!) about all of the old skills we are all going to need to relearn once the pandemic is over. Simply going into a crowded store, seeing live music, or even hugging people outside of our household is going to be nerve-wracking as we readjust to a world that will be safe once again. Our brains have had quite the workout over the past eight months and they’re not done just yet. After what will be well over a year of constantly thinking about how we need to conduct each and every daily task in accordance with what’s safe during a pandemic, it’s going to be more important than ever that we give ourselves grace as we figure out our latest “new normal.” Patience and positive thoughts are going to be key and, you know what? I think we’re up to it. In fact, I can’t wait to get started.
I was going to start writing this post earlier today, before the Big News, and it would have been a little bit different. After finding out that decency and democracy and so many other important things won today (WOOT AND YAY JOE AND KAMALA AND ALL OF US!), I’m pivoting. Just a little bit.
The first thing I plan to do is enjoy this feeling for a couple of days. Let’s all do that. We deserve to celebrate! This is a wonderful thing! Brighter days are ahead, not just in a broad way for me and my loved ones and the general public but specifically for so many people in our country who were being stifled and mistreated by the current administration. We have, time and time again, seen who Joe Biden is. He cares. He wants to get things done for all Americans whether he had their vote or not. He wants to work with people who don’t have the same opinions that are in his head. He is open to listening, learning, and correcting his mistakes.
After basking in it and also hopefully getting some sleep for once, it’s time to get to work. This is where I will give you the option of continuing to read, or bookmarking and returning after you party your face off in whatever way you choose.
*plays “Jeopardy!” music*
Decided to stay, huh? Great. First, we have two run-off races in Georgia that Democrats (Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff) need to win in order to gain control of the Senate. If we don’t win control, it will be much harder for Joe and Kamala to get anything done. I mean, have you met Mitch McConnell? I plan to write letters with Vote Forward and also do some textbanking. I’ve signed up to get information from Fair Fight, which is the organization that Stacey Abrams founded “to ensure every American has a voice in our election system.”
But wait! There’s more! Joe and Kamala can’t do this alone, even if we win control of the Senate. We are still a very divided country, with way too much racism and discrimination. Systems need to be changed in order to be the America that we want (I wrote about this in my last post). Things that the outgoing administration changed, taking us back decades, need to be fixed. There’s work to do, plenty to go around. America is not going to rebuild itself. As President-elect Biden said earlier today, “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.” And it’s going to take time. Don’t come to me on Day 101 of the Biden administration complaining that he hasn’t done enough. He has signed on to renovate a money pit and it’s going to be a while before we can even think about what kind of kitchen countertops we want.
Here is just a starter list of ideas for what you can busy yourself with as a productive and involved American citizen, beyond the Georgia Senate runoffs in January:
Start researching Senators who are up for reelection in 2022. Become familiar with those senators and the people running against them and then consider donating or volunteering to help. Oh wait! I did the research for you. It’s all right here on this non-partisan page. (Scroll down to the map.)
Start researching your local political scene: upcoming candidates, organizations, and events. I know we’re so tired from this week and frankly from the past four years but if we don’t stay awake and involved, we’re going to continue to have older white guy candidates and office-holders, and nobody wants that. It starts in the local races.
There is a racism problem in America. It’s going to take everything we have to educate and communicate (and frankly, deprogram in certain cases) as much as we need to, to make sure that Black citizens and citizens of color are treated with the fairness and justice that they deserve and that they are given the access to opportunities that they deserve. How much is that? The same as white people, and frankly if we truly want to fix this, more until we have succeeded. A few months ago I made a partial list of anti-racism resources. Go pick a few, and let’s get busy.
The LGBTQ community could use our help too, after four years of assault by the outgoing administration. I don’t have a list for this group but will create one and post it. In the meantime all you have to do is google “LGBTQ organizations.” Oh wait! I did the research for you. Check out this GLAAD list. You can even add “local” to that search and get more specific. (I can’t do that for you.)
Is there an issue that you care a lot about, but can’t imagine how you could possibly help? Google is your friend. There’s an organization for just about everything, and there are countless ways to get involved.
Shop locally. Since we’re in this pandemic fight for a while yet, businesses are suffering. The mom and pop businesses we love so much, as creative as many have become since spring, are taking a huge hit. Make sure to shop there, or order food from them, or whatever, and if you have the opportunity to leave a tip, be as generous as you can.
Stay active and healthy. I know I know, we’re stuck at home so much. But you can still go outside and take a walk! Put a mask in your pocket in case other people are on the path, and just get moving. Keeping our minds and bodies healthy is always important, especially right now, and we can get more done for our community when we’re feeling good.
Give to organizations that serve at-risk communities and those serving on the front lines.
See what you can safely do to help the elderly. Or your neighbors. Or your elderly neighbors. As the weather gets colder I’m going to go back to porch-dropping goodies like I was doing in the spring. Making other people smile will help you, I promise.
Look for the good. This pandemic is getting old (GETTING OLD?? I know I know. It’s old.), and even with Biden in the White House the road ahead can seem daunting. It’s important for our mental health to stay connected, celebrate all wins big and small, and find things to be grateful for daily. For many people, this year has been a great one in the sense that they got to spend more time with their kids than ever before because of working outside the home, or they adopted a pet because suddenly they were working remotely, or they learned new skills, or they got some home renovations done, or they got to wear sweatpants more often. The positive stuff is all there: you just have to find it.
As I mentioned, that’s just a partial list that took me a few minutes to create. I know that each of you has something that you have spent time here and there thinking about how it could be improved or what you could do if you got involved. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and come together to do the work. My personal plan, beyond what I already mentioned? I just became a monthly donor to a local organization founded by six Black women who want to provide loans to local Black start-ups. I plan to start following Knoxville Democrats more closely to watch for things I can do from home for now and out in town when it’s safer. I plan to get involved in KnoxPride, our local LGBTQ organization. And I plan to see what I can do to help get more Democrats in the Senate in 2022. That’s my starting point. Now it’s your turn!
But maybe go have some cake, the drink of your choice, and a well-deserved night or three of sleep first.
I have a lot of friends who are, overall, very happy right now. (And I’m not just talking about the introverts!) They’re thankful for the serenity and forced slow-down this pandemic has brought upon them. Naturally they are sad for all of the losses that have resulted from it as well; that has to be stated, but that’s a different topic for another day.
I can’t say that I’m always thankful but I definitely do have moments and days when I am. Maybe we all do, at different levels: there are good days and bad ones, good weeks and bad ones. These days, months into the pandemic, many people are getting quality time with their family members, time that they don’t usually get to enjoy when the world is spinning at its normal pace. Many people are able to take better care of themselves as work schedules have adjusted and commutes have disappeared. Others are finding new ways of staying busy.
Suddenly not being able to count on much while trying to stay hopeful and positive is not something one can adjust to easily, is it? (No.) In fact, even attempting so is tremendously hard on us in so many ways. Still, a common thread I’ve seen in so many people during this perfect storm mostly just referred to as “Ugh, 2020!” is the desire to try new things.
First up? Fitness, which seems to be huge because people are able to fit it in so much better than before:
I do a dance fitness workout every day at home (I have followed some great instructors on YouTube and created playlists that keep me moving while having fun), which helps so much because I’m much less active during the remainder of the day now than I was in February! Jen started walking and I’m so proud of her: she started out doing a mile or so each day and is now walking 5Ks and 10Ks! Sue, who lives on Cape Cod, is walking more, as well. She says, “I started walking for exercise. I did not have the motivation nor time to walk when working 10 hours a day. Since the pandemic, I walk 3-4 times a week and sometimes walk (instead of driving) places just because I have the time!” Kristin is walking with her son. She says, “It gets us out of the house and we talk about Minecraft or whatever he wants to chat about.” Elaine says she’s taken up bicycling, and I love that she’s balancing it out with “driveway drinks” with her neighbors. Lucrecer boldly started training for roller derby, something she’s talked about for a long time, and she’s doing amazing! Kory’s family bought kayaks. She says they have been using them a lot, and she’s “not sure if we would have bought them if everything was ‘normal.’” Heather told me that she takes more walks and instead of walking for the sake of walking, she “tries to be really intentional about noticing and appreciating nature. This also helps and is a go to when I’m anxious, stressed or down.” She also bought a Peloton bike and started spinning regularly in addition to her strength training routine. Brook hikes with her kids and friends. Leigh Ann and her husband walk every evening, as does Angela, who is having a step competition with her husband (and naturally she’s winning! WINK.). Lisha started practicing yoga, as did Marcie. Deanna, who is already a spinning instructor, told me that she decided to get her ACE certification, so she can teach online classes if there’s another shutdown. Jessica and her family have dance parties! She says, “We turn up the music and dance in the kitchen. It’s been a lovely way to get off devices, shake off the frustrations, laugh, and slide into the evening with a smile and shaky booty together.”
A bunch of us are spending more time in the kitchen doing other things:
In addition to getting better at meal planning, I’ve tried a bunch of new recipes, which has helped a lot. I made Chrissy Teigen’s knockoff “Schmolive Barden” breadsticks (and then tagged her in a tweet about them, which she retweeted, causing it to go viral for 24 hours), which were a huge hit. A couple of my friends made the breadsticks, too (Yes Wendi I KNOW I KNOW it takes four hours) and did a great job! Ann has been making challah (and also started a personal account on Instagram for the first time, CHALLAHHHHH!!! See what I did there?). Debbie has been making bread too. She said, “I’ve become obsessed with baking bread – mostly sourdough, but other types as well. I never baked from scratch before, because I always thought that meant sweets, but baking bread is a very satisfying and delicious short-term project/commitment. Now I eagerly watch baking videos and pore over multi-step recipes I would previously have run from!” Like me and so many others, Kory has also been meal planning, which she says made her realize how often they ate dinner out, pre-COVID! Jim has been learning how to make fancy cocktails and I fully support this activity because we’re married. Also, YUM. Speaking of cocktails, Jessica told me that her family has happy hour! Her kids make mocktails and smoothies, and she has a glass of wine or fizzy water or late coffee (depending on the day).
Game-playing is going on, too:
My other friend Jen has been doing puzzles. She told me, “We’ve doubled the puzzles we own, from one to two. Are we are puzzle people now? Unclear.” (I say yes.) Jill and her husband are doing puzzles, too. Marcie and her husband have been building LEGO sets (including the new “Friends” Central Perk set, which is so cute!). Alexandra is playing video games with her kids, and sometimes watching them play. Katie gave me one of the most popular answers, and I’m still cracking up about it: “My husband and I bought a Nintendo Switch in March and have kept it a secret from our kids ever since. We play after they go to bed. We can’t go on dates, so secret video games it is! And I’ve developed a martini hobby…I make fancy drinks to go with the videogaming.” (Don’t tell her kids, you guys!)
It’s not all fun and games…folks are learning new skills, too:
Jim has been learning to play the guitar. Lisa is learning to play the ukelele and can play “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz now! Hillary says everyone in her family has picked up new hobbies. She says, “I am learning to macrame and I taught my daughters both to knit. The youngest has started building fairy furniture and sewing. The oldest has really worked on her drawing skills and melodica playing.” Heather completed an HR Management Certification. Angela has learned to meditate daily.
We’re spending more time outside…
Brook went strawberry picking. Toni been walking and jogging outside and has enjoyed “more outdoor music, jeepin’ sunset drives, and more trips to the beach.” Some of us are fortunate to have open swimming pools this summer (guilty), and we’re taking advantage of that. Jill and her husband have been gardening on the terrace of their city apartment, growing herbs and tomatoes. Michael (aka Meeko) has rekindled his love of gardening. I got interested in growing our own herbs due to fewer grocery store trips, and I enjoy it, which feels bizarre for me since I despise gardening. (Full disclosure: Jim takes care of the herb garden. But I pick and cook with them!)
We’re getting crafty…
Wendi has done a couple of cross stitch projects, and so has Leigh Ann, who says, “At the start of quarantine, I started a big cross stitch in a cool, modern design that I won from an event last year, and now I’m hooked! It’s so meditative and now I always have a cross stitch project going.” Leigh Ann has also been able to work on her art a lot more these days. Karen has been sewing. She told me, “I haven’t done any sewing since grade 8 but bought a cheap sewing machine, as I am obsessed with making masks. My daughter likes to make stuffies and hem her thrift store purchases so it’s handy that way, too.” Lisa is knitting more. I was hand coloring note cards for a while and then stopped, but now I’m thinking I need to get back to that as I owe a few friends a note.
And we’re getting creative in other ways, too:
Kari is writing a book. My other friend Lisa started fostering puppies and ended up adopting one! Speaking of dogs, Kizz has done a lot of work on her dog training business as they switched to virtual learning, and she signed up for business coaching, something she feels like she never could have done, pre-pandemic. Anne has increased her year-round efforts in getting people to become part of the political process. She told me, “(I’ve been) writing postcards for MomsRising.org to infrequent voters to get out the vote. Organizing neighbors to get out the vote. Co-hosting a virtual event for my congressional candidate. Organizing friends to write postcards to key voters in my state.” (Anne is so inspiring: I ordered 100 postcards from MomsRising.org so I could help, too! If you want to order 10 or 100, go here.) Rachel says, “I started a regular video chat session with anyone who’s interested, and because of it have actually come as close as face-to-face with some of my longtime internet friends, which was pretty cool.” Tarrant has built three chicken coops and enjoyed many outdoor concerts. Kristin and her family rented an RV for the first time. Because of the pandemic, Lizz and her family decided to make a huge leap and moved out of the Bay area (where she’s lived her entire life) to Gold Country, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Kory has been using a Habit Tracker, pictured below. She told me that she “started it way back at the beginning of all of this when I was staying in my PJs all day, unfocused. It has really helped me see I am doing things during all of this–it has been a little weird for me: being home, not having a job, not interacting with others. The habit tracker has helped my sanity and mood.” And finally, Momo tried something she never thought she’d do: ride a motorcycle! (She wore a helmet, of course, and you should too, anytime you’re on any kind of wheels!)
After telling me about all of the outdoor activities she’s been enjoying, Lisa said, “(Since March) I’ve also realized the importance of self care with a new skincare routine. I’m in LOVE with curbside grocery service and am enjoying the conveniences of waiting in the car for appointments; I think places are more on time with this process! I do not miss eating in restaurants, surprisingly. Honestly, I’m having the best summer I’ve had in YEARS!!! I love going back to the ‘simple things.’” Meeko added, “COVID brought needed R&R and peace.”
I think the secret to finding that peace in all of this whenever we can is to try and let go of the past a little bit. Life will never be the same after this, even when we are all back out there, doing our normal activities with little to no cares in the world, not having to stay more than six feet away from other people. I’m convinced that the desire to discover new hobbies and new ways of doing things is the result of our brains simply telling us that as humans, we are adaptable even when we don’t think so, or when we don’t want to make changes. Change is constant. We will get through this. We will appreciate the little things even more than we did before, and we will rebuild–not our old lives, but new ones that are even better.
I have three hand-blown glass birds that I purchased on three different trips to one of my favorite places on earth, Cape May, New Jersey. These birds hang in the windows of three rooms in my house and they make me incredibly happy whenever I look at them. Usually.
Although it always sways a little bit because we keep the ceiling fan on, the green and yellow bird that hangs in our living room window normally looks to the left as its default position. This was double-checked about six weeks ago after Jim put a longer string on it: before he climbed back down the ladder he waited for the bird to stop moving, making sure it wasn’t going to rest crookedly.
I kid you not, ever since I’ve been self-isolating at home (nearly a month now), the bird keeps turning directly toward the window and resting there for long periods of time. I never noticed that before this strange era we’re living through; it is definitely a new thing. I work from home in an open-wide layout, so it’s not like I suddenly started spending more time than I usually do in the presence of that bird. We’re here together a lot.
These days that bird spends about twenty percent of its time gently swaying with the breeze from the ceiling fan, forty percent of its time in the left-looking default position, and forty percent of its time pointed straight at the window.
That bird is wistfully gazing outside, contemplating freedom.
That bird is me.
Sorry for the rear end view but it is what it is.
Sometimes I think the stress is just getting to me. Perhaps these last few weeks have been so mentally heavy that I’m not only imagining this bird is staring straight out that window purely as a result of mind games I’m playing with myself but also, I’m giving a glass bird the ability to think and act and represent me. Jim will definitely vouch for the bird’s 90-degree movement. At least once daily I look up, notice it at attention, and mumble to myself, “That damn bird.”
I’ve analyzed this to death (Because that’s what I do. Welcome!) and it boils down to the fact that this bird really does represent the pre-COVID-19 era me (in my mind). That Melisa traveled a lot. She went to the grocery store at will. She went to Target just to browse. (For thirty or forty minutes, sometimes!) She went to the movies. She went to concerts. She saw her family and friends whenever, wherever. She was free.
I know most of you feel me on all of this; we’re all going through a hard time together. In fact, let’s acknowledge something right now. I, along with many of you, have it very easy compared to those who are dealing with the virus as a patient, as a health worker on the front lines, as a family member of someone who is sick, or worst of all: as someone who has lost one or more loved ones suddenly and unexpectedly. (And don’t forget about the people who are under stress because they are considered essential workers, and the people who are struggling financially.) I do try to remember this during the times when my emotions are running high and my very being feels so heavy; in times like these it’s so important to find little things for which to be thankful, little things that can spark joy. While I’m not happy about it, if our collective staying home as much as possible can save lives then I’m in it for the duration.
Feeling helpless makes things worse. It’s a good idea to find things to do that will make us feel less so. I’ve been updating my list of things to do, watch, and learn online from homeevery single day. I’ve also been sending handwritten notes to friends and checking in more often on people with whom I don’t have frequent contact. I’ve also been baking and porch-dropping goodies for local friends and family. Jim and I have been ordering takeout from our favorite locally-owned restaurants to help them hang on during these uncertain times. Doing things for others makes me feel so much better.
In my most vulnerable moments, when I’ve been crying or feeling unable to get out from under the blankets on my couch, Jim tells me that we WILL get through this. He’s right. Our emotions ebbing and flowing like the ocean waves is totally normal and expected during an unprecedented time in modern history. We can do this, together while apart.
But if one of you can give my bird a pep talk, that would be great.
What with COVID-19 (coronavirus) having just been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, it has become more important than ever for us to work together to “flatten the curve” (slow down the spread of the virus) so as not to completely overwhelm the capacity of health care systems. And by “work together,” of course I mean “get it done but only while placing ourselves at least six feet away from other humans.”
COVID-19 is spread by respiratory secretions and possibly from touching contaminated surfaces, so lots of hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds while not touching our faces is our best bet when it comes to doing our best not to catch it. Extra disinfecting around the house and in public when possible (i.e. grocery cart handles) helps a lot, too. Most coronavirus cases are mild in generally healthy people, but older folks and people of all ages who have compromised immune systems are currently in danger.
That’s why recently, social distancing—the cancellation of events and other large gatherings of people, closing buildings and schools, asking employees to work from home when possible—has officially been recommended.
So let’s say you finish your work very quickly at home because you don’t have all the distractions of the office. And let’s say you love to read or binge-watch TV shows but don’t want to do that ALL the time. Or let’s say you don’t even like reading or watching TV at all. What’s a person to do with a sudden windfall of at-home time? Here are twenty-five ideas to get you started:
Try some new recipes. Your family will (probably) thank you.
Pick up that craft project that you started twenty years ago and last discovered on the floor in the back corner of your closet. Who cares if it’s clearly outdated? Finish it.
Call a friend. Or two. Or three. Catching up verbally is so much more fun than texting (it is for me, anyway).
Speaking of your closet, clean it out and/or organize everything so it makes sense. And then do another closet. And maybe your bathroom cabinets while you’re at it.
Write some letters, old-school style. The purpose and length is up to you, obviously. Some options are: a quick “Hi! I’m thinking of you!” on a cute postcard, a more elaborate letter on stationery, perhaps thanking someone (tips in my friend Nancy’s book, here, which you can have delivered right to your porch!) or taking some time to jot down a favorite memory you shared with someone special.
Clean up your inbox: unsubscribe from all of the stuff you frown at each time it pops up in email and then maybe even set up file folders to organize yourself there.
Dig through your purse for receipts that include surveys and actually take them. You might get a free burger or a discount on your next visit. While you’re digging, you may as well finish the job: clean out your purse!
Go through photos, the long-ago printed ones and the digital ones, discard the bad ones and the doubles, organize them in boxes or albums, and maybe even make some digital photo books. That sunflower picture up there? It’s going into a Shutterfly album full of my favorite pictures that I’ve taken while traveling.
Clean out your refrigerator. (You know it’s been forever.) While you’re at it, clean out your pantry by tossing everything that has an expired date on it.
Take that luxurious bubble bath you always wish you had time for.
Give yourself a manicure and/or a pedicure. Add in a face mask. Instant spa day!
Get some sleep! You need it!
Start a journal or a daily gratitude list.
Update your resume. Perhaps you’d like to find a new job, one that allows you to work remotely all the time?
Make a vision board so you’ll have a plan for your goals and dreams that you can see in full color.
Exercise! If you don’t have equipment at home, go for walks in the neighborhood or find workout instruction on YouTube (I do Zumba at home about five days a week, accompanied by the playlists I’ve made on YouTube!).
Color! You don’t need to purchase a coloring book; you can download pages all over the place.
Go through your belongings to see what you can donate or sell at a yard sale once spring is here for good.
Play card games or board games with your family, especially Monopoly if you’re into that because there’s hardly EVER enough time for Monopoly.
Start making a list of gift ideas for the holiday season. This way, you’ll be able to look out for sales between now and December, if you’re the “shove gifts in the closet” type.
Create a monthly budget spreadsheet if you don’t have one already, to see how you’re spending your money and what you need to do in order to reach financial goals (like those holiday gifts).
Rearrange your bookshelves by color, genre, or author.
Listen to a new podcast or your favorite artist’s new album, from start to finish.
Research your local area within 50 miles and plan a day trip or staycation for when we can finally feel good again about getting out there with others.
Hopefully, before we know it, we won’t have to worry as much about coronavirus—but we’ll still wash our hands often, for goodness’ sake—and we’ll be back to the busy hustle-bustle of life away from home. For now though, let’s do our part to keep everyone healthy and safe…and have a little fun or get things done in the process.
