Check-in #22. Well hello, fellow Covid-19 warriors and 2020 survivors! How are you guys doing? It’s been a while! Not because I wanted to abandon you. Not at all. Rather because there have been so many crazy things, I was a little (a lot!) overwhelmed. And not really able to choose which ones to share with you. Because if I had to repeat some of the things, I’d probably be sitting on our couch and still be hysterically laughing while crying at the same time. Yep, I think that sums it up pretty well. Thankfully we have this pooch to cuddle with (if he permits).

Now honestly, I am living through this and writing about it and I can hardly believe any of it. But here we go – our check-in # 22 is finally here. Why today? Simply because today of all days I have to write about my thoughts and experience around Covid-19. And if you continue reading, you’ll understand. Or if you watch news on TV. Then too.
I think I figured out what’s going on, y’all. It took me a while. We are all stuck in the 4 seasons (aka years) long season finale of the show called “America”. It was one of our favorite shows before, but this last season has been tough. Overly eager Writers, that wrote far too many twists and turns into the show and Directors that want to sell commercials through cliff hangers and suspense at all costs, seem to be driving this.
Imagine you are watching “Friends” and suddenly you find out that Rachel is secretly a brain eating Alien that has replaced Ross’ brain with Joey’s and Joey is actually Albert Einstein. Right, that would be strange. Well, compared to “America” that’s basically a good old fashioned boring storyline.
We are in one of those shows, where you think about just stopping to watch the finale, but then you have invested so much time you really want to know how it will end. Even though it’s super scary. Will the writers show a heart and give us a happy ending or will there just be a spin off called “America – the day after the apocalypse”? We shall find out around Halloween, how fitting!
Today Karma made a surprise cameo appearance in our show. And how could I not write about it, when that happens? I had to. Because – drum roll – please – our Covidiot in Chief tested positive! No dummies, they did not test him for the presence of living brain cells…You are adorable for thinking there is a brain somewhere.
They tested him for Covid-19 and he and is female room mate (even though I doubt they even share any rooms if she can avoid it) both tested positive. Ha. I guess the fact that his podium was always far enough away from the unmasked crowds, he was praising and lying to, did not help. It did not prevent the virus, that does not really exist, from spreading to the person that is 100% immune thanks to the miracle drug hydroxychloroquine.
Just as I am writing this there is a Trump election campaign commercial on TV, where they say that Trump will eradicate the Corona Virus. So this is all a master plan. Who knew? Well, then I sure hope it includes all the folks he got in touch with because all he has been doing the past couple of days is spreading the virus. After he spread hate during the “not so presidential” debate, that’s kinda fitting, too.
What better to happen though, when you are in the middle of some nasty fall-out over not having denounced the “proud boys” and other white supremacists. But what a great distraction, the news talked about nothing else today. Debate debacle averted. Street smart, I’ll give you that. Just wondering how he got the Doctors to lie for him…hahaha, no I am not wondering. At all. The CDC has published updates “altered” by his team ever since this craziness started. Did I mention too many twists and turns in this season? Told you.
Our life has been pretty much the same. We continue to live in our little “bubble” community, keeping our distance and continue to be selective and careful with activities that could expose us to Covidiots. And our Sammy is still a happy puppy enjoying the best pooch life ever. He had a small leg “injury” earlier in the week. And because we got ourselves a little drama queen, it seemed to be a big deal for one afternoon and evening. And then it turned out to be absolutely nothing the next day. As if one night’s good sleep made him forget it even happened. It left Henning and I stunned. Relieved, but absolutely stunned.

I am sure, Sam is going to write about this traumatic experience he forgot about the next day in his own little corner. Want to hear a labs’ opinion? Check it out here!
Florida has reached over 700,000 cases and started re-opening phase 3 by “executive order” so that local leaders with a functioning brain would not do anything stupid. Like for example keep super spreader events from happening or so.
Now I am really wondering, how this went down. Maybe Mr. DeSantis asked his staff to give him a number between 0 and 700,001 to pick the amount of cases that would be the perfect timing for re-opening the state. Or he could have just felt that 700,000 cases has such a nice ring to it, it was great timing for entering phase 3? I mean, it makes sense. If your brain works like the one of Mr. DeSantis or our Covidiot in Chief that is. Then this seems to make sense. But for us “normal folks” it really does not.
So it’s definitely recommendable to stay diligent. In Florida and elsewhere. Especially since Halloween is right around the corner and with 2020 having been the way it has, you never know. Mark my words!
Speaking of Halloween, job wise this is probably the best year in my career within American Express so far. No, that did not come out right. My job or career are not scary or dark or dead. Of course not. I was just getting ahead of myself here a little bit. I am planning two townhalls for my Customer Service Professionals for October and they are Halloween themed. It will be fun, especially if people join in and get dressed up as well. I was thinking about going as 2020, but then its a Business event after all so I really can’t be that scary. I am going as a dark gothic witch instead. That definitely fits my character or mood for most of the time since the pandemic started.
Stay tuned for pictures.
Just a little over three weeks until our PTO and trip to the mountains in North Carolina. The Airbnb host shared some Covid-19 considerations and also let us know, that the local stores might not have the products we would need to purchase and even recommended doing curbside pick-up at Walmart. We will bring a lot of our food anyways and for the rest we will put our big boy (or girl) pants on and go into Walmart to buy them.
There is not much to laugh about right now, but if you need a good laugh, you can count on our HOA (Home Owners Association) apparently. Who’d have thought? They seem to be bored during the pandemic and spend their time by inspecting the houses in the neighborhood for “violations”. We got two citations already, more or less valid.
Today we got our third citation. And it’s really quite funny. I am just not sure, how we are supposed to remove the violation. Because apparently we are having mold at our second story windows. At our one story home. I guess there is a whole other story, that’s only visible to our HOA. Now I am wondering if that could maybe even increase our resale value? We would have to remove the invisible mold first, of course. I will keep you posted on their reaction to our ask for “proof”.
Tomorrow is this little monkeys 5th birthday. I can’t believe it’s been five years since we drove to Upstate NY to pick him up. He was so tiny. Super annoying and stressful and super tiny and cute at the same time.

Can you believe this cuteness? We made him a little cave in his crate and he felt so safe and salvaged. With all the work he is causing, we are lucky to have him. Even if it means cooking sweet potatoes every other day, making him ground turkey almost all the time and entertaining him (Henning mostly) day round. He gives us a lot of exercise which keeps us fit and healthy. And hopefully him too so that we can have a lot more great years and adventures together.
Happy Birthday, Sammy!
I think I will end today’s check-in #22 with Sam. It does not get any better than this. Despite everything that is going on, we are a lucky & happy family! It’s good to remind ourselves of that once in a while. And value the memories we can make together, even if some of them are pretty odd. Memories like the picture below are precious and they will stay with us forever.

So even with our lives being pretty messed up right now, go out and make memories. As I said before, you won’t get this time of your life back. Might as well make the best of it! Go and be great! And if you hear bullies talk about not denouncing white supremacists, call them out and stand up as if your life depended on it. Because it does!
Keep your distance, wear your mask, stay healthy and take care!
Hugs,
Nannette