Leave the House?

I had to leave the house today.  Not only that, I had to actually go somewhere.  Specifically, I had to go to a store.  It’s been five weeks since I interacted in the same physical space with someone other than my wife and two step kids.

My parents needed something from Home Depot.  I ordered it online and picked it up for them and dropped it off on their front steps.  I used Home Depot’s curbside pickup.  They brought the item out to the car and dropped it off in the parking spot next to mine.  When they walked away I picked it up and put it in the car.

Terrifying.

I exaggerate, but only a little.  I had a mask and gloves on.  My wife made the mask out of a bandanna and some elastics.  It worked great.  When I got home I put my clothes, including the mask, in the wash and took a shower.  Paranoid?  Yup.  Do I care?  Nope.

My father wanted to install the item I dropped off.  I didn’t think his back would let him.  I thought I would do it, but I talked to my brother about it and out of respect to the diabetic in my house who is at high risk from COVID-19 I asked him if there was any chance that he could handle the install.  He did.  I thank him so very much.  My brother John is awesome.  You should all send him some happy thoughts from me.

So I had gone about five weeks without interacting with anyone outside the house.  Now, officially, my clock is reset to zero and I’m going to be looking for COVID-19 symptoms even more than I already was for at least the next two weeks.

Yippee.

Thank you, John.

Screw you, COVID-19.