So, How Does it Go?

First of all: ahaha.

I thought with the stay-at-home order, working from home, and time freed up since I'm not communing, I'd have more time for things like editing that novel and blogging.

But as you know, round about the time the virus started lolloping through the state like a big bear, we decided to remodel the master bathroom. Not done yet. And the paint on the walls, completed today, may be TOO YELLOW. Send help.

I'm ready to go back to work, not necessarily because I want to go back on the Chernobyl mobile and such, but because I'm tired. That bathroom remodel has taken up a lot of time. Add to that the garden. Oh, the garden. The crabgrass is gone from the raspberries. And the tiller is now in the dumpster at Ace Hardware and we have a new used one I used just this week to prep the garden for planting. That, I'm going to leave to Michelle, as I've still got the bathroom to deal with.

And while it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm really trying not to. The bathroom is close to being done. The paint is a minor issue, given what else we've gone through to get the room to where it is now. Painting would add another day to the project, so not that bad. Still, I'd like to think the only thing I have to do with paint now is touch up, not start over.

Second of all, the stay-at-home order technically expired on May 1. But we're going through stages of re-opening. Stage 2 starts tomorrow, meaning businesses like restaurants and hair salons and such can re-open. All's up in the air as to when we'll get back to work. I keep hearing the word June popping out of the mouths of higher-ups. Part of it is that many of our projects make social distancing a difficult thing to achieve. I keep thinking every Monday when I check in for work that I'll get the message that we're headed back, but that's two Mondays now without the word.

I'm doing about a third of the hours I'm used to, but still getting paid for the difference. When this started six or so weeks ago, they said the Department of Energy had lined things up for this pattern to continue for ten weeks. That seemed like a long time then, and seems like a long time still. I hope things are back to more normal before that ten-week period is up.

The kids, I think, are doing okay. They're both chafing a bit at the social distancing, particularly Isaac, who loves being with his friends. We are winding down home school, though, which is a good thing. Today we spent a good few hours helping Lexie and Isaac with their sculptures for their art class. I'll have to post pictures.

I should say I'm pretty proud of Lexie -- she's earned five merit badges while being stuck at home: Geocaching, Citizenship in the Nation, Home Repairs, Photography, and one other that's eluding me at the moment. Oh yeah. Family Life. That's a biggie. Isaac did manage to squeak out Home Repairs, which is a good one for him to earn. That also means one more Eagle palm for him.

Liam is still doing the mission thing. He's getting more used to working on the church farms in the area, though the wind out there in Osgood is really wearing on him. He started again at Sellers Creek Trek Center this week. He really enjoyed that last summer, so I hope that's a good thing for him.