NJ

Well we made it to NJ; we piled everything in the car for our 45 minute trek and now we’re quarantined in a four bedroom four bath home. I get to look at the birds (when I’m not looking at my computer for work) so that makes me happy. Our gigantic shoprite order arrived a little anticlimactic. My $600 order was reduced by 1/3 to $400 since basically none of the meat i ordered was delivered. I also got the finest selection of bamboo toilet paper instead of Charmin (hoping my ass can handle it). I’ve told my husband he cant go anywhere and all day he’s come up with excuses as to why he needs to go somewhere -yet he hasn’t left. I really feel my best chance of staying ahead of this is staying here at the house or in the yard etc. We now have enough food to last us a month or more. The new normal is reserving a shoprite delivery time today for next week hoping to get delivered fresh produce. I can’t go to the store - even during the safety early hours for over 60 and compromised. It’s just too big a risk especially as each day covid cases grow. I’m tired of reading the news with no answers in sight as to when this may calm down and yet i read each word intently looking for hidden clues. I speak to my friends all over the world and joke about what this means and how we’re coping. I’ve even cancelled my nail appointment. But in all seriousness we ARE coping. My sister-in-law reminded me that these extraordinary efforts are nothing yet as compared to some natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy where all our utilities were lost for over a week in the freezing cold. It’s perspective (and for me it’s because I love drama). I mean I’m well prepared to hunker down; and I realize the seriousness of this virus; but the media has created a whirlwind - true maybe not as many would take it serious without that whirlwind so there’s that trade off. Tons of people are losing their jobs and will not have money to find the food they source. It will take decades for us to rebound economically. All that, a different scary, the new normal will evolve again. Scheduled to have my final treatment in 14 days but who knows. Love you mom.