So in the last couple weeks, we’ve started doing a few things we have not done since before the pandemic. We’ve had small groups of friends over, no more than 4 so a total of 6 people counting us, and only outside. I got a haircut – but just the short kind, 15-min. bang trim, rather than the 30-40-min. wash & cut, and to reduce the time I was in the salon, I was supposed to go home and make my next appointment online, and I have not done that yet.
Friday I have an eye doctor appointment.
But, this is us in Dane County. Covid-19 activity level high.
And they put the Covid maps back into the weather.
Madison, Dane County where it’s going up up up
Chicago, Cook County where it peaked in April, and while cases are rising the peak is past
I so want to ask my kids in Chicago to come visit, but it just doesn’t seem like a good idea. I mean, they’re telling us to stay home July 4.
I ordered a new refrigerator, kind of inspired by my friend Meredith. Meredith, Anna, Meredith’s cross-the-street neighbor, and I went in on a pig, and pick up on Monday turned into a perfect storm for Meredith, and literal storm for us all. Pork pick up, Meredith’s new refrigerator delivery, and thunder all arrived at the same time.
I managed to get home and get all the meat into the freezer without getting wet. I threw down a bunch of towels in the place where it leaks in the basement, and went back to work, but then I was lazy and never went back down again until Tuesday morning when by some miracle the towel dams held – the towels were wet, but no water went beyond their edges.
Saturday in anticipation of the pork arrival, I thawed out all the muffins I had stashed in the freezer, and along with chocolate zucchini ones I’d made Friday with my first CSA zucchini, I delivered bags of 10 mixed muffins to the friends we’d planned a zoom brunch with, on Sunday morning. It was fun, but we think next time maybe we’ll socially distance our meet in a park.
Rhubarb muffins, baked Saturday. They still taste good Tuesday but are turning a bit grey
Banana with cream cheese frosting
Charoset, or date-buckwheat, only 2 of these left
There were also blueberry cornmeal made with sourdough discard, that I only photographed as leftover, fried in butter, and drizzled with maple syrup.
On Tuesday, the cleaners came so we went for our traditional 5K hike in a park while they were in the house, and then ran an errand and got coffee. This time the errand was picking up per-ordered cat food, and the curbside pickup was kind of backed up so they gave us a goody bag, that we discovered was actually dog stuff when we opened it. I gave it to our neighbor who has a fluffy white puppy. We ordered burgers and fries from Old Fashioned, and they were delivered by Door Dash, my first Door Dash experience. Which was pretty cool actually. Instead of ringing the doorbell, I got a slightly cryptic text “This text conversation is related to a Door Dash order.” And when I replied “are you here?” they sent me a picture of my food on the front stoop. It was all good – Mark’s burger had an egg on top and it arrived with runny yolk, and my fries were still hot, too, though they lost their appeal about halfway through the serving – but that could happen in the restaurant too. It was expensive, $45 for two burgers, and kind of a lot of trash/packaging.
Door Dash delivery location
My Old Fashioned burger, delivered by Door Dash. Lots of packaging – I just tossed it all in the trash after dinner.
In other milestones, Ethan came back to Wisconsin to move his girlfriend Megan out to Denver. They came by for dessert on Wednesday, an icebox cake with pastry cream, and cake from that sheet of angel cake, and rhubarb puree. Ethan works for Door Dash, and said he worked on developing that contact-less delivery system, with the photo. I made Ovens of Brittany rice salad for a light dinner before, so we’d have room for cake.
Rice salad with the first CSA snow peas in it
Belinda and Stephen are moving to Louisville, so they came by for drinks & snacks on Thursday, and Al & Emma came too. There was black bean and corn salsa with chips, crostini toasted with garlic butter and topped with goat cheese and sun dried tomato puree, veggies with ranch dip, and and cheese & salami & crackers.
And we sat in the backyard for the first time since it was destroyed by the garage construction last year, another milestone.
Mark’s picture of Belinda, Stephen, and Sascha in our backyard
Friday morning, trying to understand 4th of July, I watched these:
And later, Robyn Hitchcock, though Robyn as an Englishman, doesn’t have much to do with 4th of July.
And a final milestone – it used to be that it was time to do laundry when I ran out of underwear. Now it’s when I run out of masks.