As the fourth week of quarantine begins, I would like to reflect on my accomplishments:

1. I have not killed my boyfriend
2. I have not killed my cat
3. I have showered very nearly every day
4. I have lost four pounds
5. I convinced my boyfriend, an IT technician, that I needed to have his super sweet two monitor set-up for work, and that he could manage with his laptop and one screen in the kitchen.

I am obviously most proud of number five. My boyfriend, Brazilian Helicopter Pilot, is almost too nice for his own good so not killing him as been a minor challenge at best. To be quite honest, the true accomplishment is probably “My boyfriend has not killed me.” (There was a close moment on the first day of quarantine where I was vibrating out of my skin and about two seconds from baking everything in the apartment, but he just cleaned the tub and drew me a bath and we were all okay). The cat on the other hand has been a complete terror, especially the first week when she completely wigged out and had no idea how to handle us being home 24/7. She has settled down now and might even be edging into lap cat adjacent territory.

There are of course downsides to quarantine:

• My mustache has grown back in
• My eyebrows are trying to merge with my hairline
• I walk like an old lady with hip problems because I am doing too much yoga
• My screen time is through the roof
• I am running out of birthday cards

I fully expect to look like Sasquatch by the end of the lockdown because there is no way I am waxing my own lip or eyebrows and my wax technicians have put the fear of God into me about shaving my lip. On top of this my undercut is growing out so I am definitely going to look a total and complete mess my first day (in person) back at work. I am so not looking forward to that.

One of my goals this year was to be better about sending birthday cards, but that is not going so well because in my rush to stock up on essentials I forgot birthday cards – how silly of me! I sent a birthday card our last week that BHP had purchased before lockdown and it was FILTHY with glitter. My apologies to the recipient, pickings were really slim.

Good things are, thankfully, still plentiful. My immediate family is all healthy and safe, I still have my job, I am eating healthy and exercising, and I am getting a smidge more writing time. I am coming to accept the fact that I am not a prolific writer, words do not simply flow from my brain to the page. I have to spend long minutes staring in panic at the page and doubting my own writing credentials before I can write even ten words, it’s just how it is.

I hope that all of you out there are taking good care of yourselves those around you. Remember – drink water, get up and move around, stretch, and give yourself some breaks. This is not an easy thing to go through, but we are doing it : )