The stories we tell ourselves
Quarantine Week 2: Vol. 2
Dreaming of Getting Out of Dodge
Two years ago today, the kids and I were flying home to JFK after a week in Italy together. My youngest daughter was spending the spring semester in Florence, and the rest of us flew to Rome in late March where she met us to hop around the country for a week. We pretty much spent two days in Rome, then took a bus to Siena for two days and then a train to Florence for another two days and then home.
My ill-advised strategy was to A: see as much as possible while B: trying not to spend too much money and C: keep everybody so busy, there was no time for fighting.
As you can imagine, we did indeed see a lot but it also cost a lot (altough working children paid their own way) and the constant touring and moving from place to place was exhausting and made everyone cranky. It did not help that I had to stop every three minutes for the four kids to get together and pose in front of some fountain or palace, which provoked my oldest to subtly give me the finger in a lot of the photos towards the end of the trip. If you look closely, pretty much all the pictures of the kids at Boboli Gardens or the Michaelangelo Plaza with the panoramic view of all those iconic red rooftops, you can see my son flipping me the bird.
This is not to say that the trip was a wash. I'm lucky to have been able to look up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling together with my children and share bites of a cacio e pepe in Rome that we all still talk about. I have nothing but fond memories of the trip and dream of going back one day (sans la famille).
I was reminded that we were in Italy around this time by Facebook, who's just so good at reminding us what we were up to two years ago or six years ago but why can't it remind me why I went upstairs?
There have been a bunch of "memories" cropping up this week as the beginning of April has often coincided with school spring break. There have been pictures of me and my two younger kids settling into a 16-hour flight we took to visit friends in Hong Kong five years ago. Another of the same two kids visiting little cousins in San Francisco a year before that. Who would have thought that in April 2020, we'd all be confined by something even more challenging that a 16-hour flight in coach (which is extremely challenging)?
A friend just texted me a funny list of things she says are keeping her sane during the pandemic, ranging from her two kids and Peleton bike to seeing her new boyfriend and wine.
I'd have to say that what's getting me through this is:
Tiger King
Friday Happy Hour meetings with kids
This newsletter
Walks in the woods with my oldest
Nightly rummy tournament with girls
All the hilarious memes and videos on the Internets about the pandemic (did you see the video of the woman giving a cheery account of how things are going trapped home with the family while holding up signs begging for help?) and Tiger King
Zoom happy hours with college friends and my Ladycationers
Relaxed personal hygiene
Knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that I it could be so much worse.
According to my iPhone, a highly unreliable source for predicting the weather, it's supposed to be a nice weekend here in New Jersey. I've never had such an urge to go outside and violently rake as I do now. I sense it will be highly cathartic.
That's all we can do right now: stay healthy and safe. Repress violent urges. Keep our mouths shut if we don't have something nice to say. Create safe places for communication and letting everybody be heard.
And dream about getting the fuck out of dodge as soon as this pandemic has run its course.
Until then ... be well.
xoAmy
CAUTION: Naughty language ahead. But funny.
The Friday Faves
The kids an I watched Tiger King in two sittings on Saturday. All seven 45-minute episodes. It was like a train wreck you just couldn't take your eyes off of.
My lovely friend and hair color guru texted to tell me she thought I'd like this Masterpiece Theater series, which I really do love. A wonderful reprieve from life inside these four walls and, oh, Corfu. And not a big cat in sight. Watch it free on Amazon Prime.
If you've been here long enough, you know I am a sucker for a sheet pan dinner. I made this one a few months ago for the teenager, who loves Indian food, and we agreed it was delish. Pulling out the recipe to make for dinner next week.
When we're not playing cards, the kids and I have had fun playing this game, which my younger daughter discovered through college roommates and had one sent here prior to her arrival two weeks ago for us to play. She even played an online version of it remotely with those roommates the other night.
This video of former and current cast members of one of my favorite musicals made me smile. Just fast forward through James Cordon talking.
Gretchen Rubin has 9 tips for investing in your future while working from home, which could be inspiring or make you want to cry. Up to you.
As always, if you know someone who might be interested in whatever it is I say, please share and suggest they delivered straight to their inbox.