Day 55, self quarantine:
Yay! It’s Saturday! Woo, it really does feels like the weekend today. I feel so free, sitting on my sofa now, with no plans other than to watch Top Chef and be there for moral support while Gary works out back.
I love this liberated feeling. I want it all the time.
Isn’t that supposed to be like the only real perk of old age?
Seems dumb not to take full advantage, huh.
So as I ponder my own subtle and maybe not so subtle personality changes during quarantine, the changes in Gary are kind of astounding.
I’m not just talking about the wildlife habitat growing on his face.
In the *gasp* eight weeks we’ve been home, he’s gone from the guy who fought me all the way about staying home to the person who’s freaking out the country is opening too soon.
The gruff, macho man I worried wouldn’t wear a mask wears one just to walk outside and snip some basil from our plants and comes back indoors flustered and angry when he sees anyone not wearing one.
He went from only watching sports on television to being a devotee of political satire and NPR news.
We have lively discussions and, erm fantasies, about Trump and his brain dead supporters.
But the biggest change pretty much brought me to my knees yesterday, when he came back in the house looking like the old Gary, furious because two workers were double-parked at the end of our street and wouldn’t move their truck when Gary wanted to take a drive to Lemon Hill with Jake.
I had just come downstairs for a cup of coffee, relieved they were out of the house for an hour. I had a bunch of stuff to do for work and was so not into it that I was happy to have no distractions.
“I know who they are. They work around here all the time. I’m going to flatten all four tires on their truck!” he shouted as he walked back inside with Jake.
The old me would have immediately made a face and urged him not to say such a thing let alone do it, even though there was no way in hell he ever would, and we’d end up having an argument over something that didn’t even happen.
Yesterday while he was ranting, I merely shot him a disappointed parent look, grabbed my coffee mug, and walked back upstairs to work while he was still in the middle of his tirade.
Ten minutes later, he appeared in the doorway.
“I’m sorry, Rob. I just wanted to take Jake to the park.”
Omg. Who are you and what have you done with Gary?
But instead I said, “I know. And I know those guys are assholes. But you always tell me you never stopped being a love and peace hippie, and when you get like that, I..,”
“I know. I apologize,” he said meekly.
Meek. Gary was meek. Holy hell, who is this guy?
I jumped up and gave him a hug.
Other than yesterday’s little snit, Gary is relaxed and smiling all the time now.
“Welcome to my retirement, babe,” he said when I mentioned it.
Okay, then. I’m down with that and jealous as hell.
Oh well. I’ll figure it out. Time to watch Top Chef and google spectacular brunches for Mother’s Day.
Because priorities 😎
