Lockdown: Fish and kim chi

Went to the office to update some software on my work-issued laptop and to grab a few things from my desk. I didn’t need my movie-quote calendar or my Harry Potter calendar, but since I was there anyway, I brought those too.

Then I met Crush Girl for a few minutes to give her something, appropriately socially distanced, of course. I thought I might sneak into Walmart to grab something I really need, although not yet urgently, and from fifty yards away from the entrance, it looked like the regular flow of people going in and coming out. Are you kidding me? I got shivers just picturing myself among them all.

So I headed for Lowes, which has other options for the thing I need. Pulled into the parking lot, and it also looked like business as usual. While I idled in an aisle of parked cars, I saw at least four couples on their way from cars to the store. No thank you. I didn’t even pull into a stall.

I’m going to try Lowes again on a weekday morning (it opens at 6:30), perhaps early Tuesday on my way back from doing early laundry.

I had dim hopes for a stop at Ahi & Vegetable, one of my favorite sushi/salad places. In order to help out locally owned restaurants, one of the banks here put up $100,000 to reimburse diners fifty percent of their checks (for bills totalling up to $100 per visit) if they share a photo on social media with the recommended tags and a DM photo of the receipt. Ahi & Veg is one of the places on the list.

One woman was on her way out when I walked up, and nobody else was in the store. Yay. So yeah, I picked up a sashimi special (hamachi, salmon, and ahi sashimi on a bed of fresh greens, with their amazing, famously addictive salad dressing) and then I went a few doors down to a Korean take-out and got some meat jun (banchan: bean sprouts, kim chi, shoyu potato, and cold tofu). Korean for lunch; sashimi for dinner.

It’s nearly 1:30 in the morning and I’m having dinner now. Yummy as heck.

The walk felt really good for the first half, so I went a bit further. 17,600 steps for Sunday (nearly eight miles) and 2500 hundred for a head start on Monday. The last mile was a bit painful; I’m going to feel it in the morning for sure, but whatever. Gotta make up for all that Korean food.

Traded a few IMs with someone who sometimes reads this space. That was nice. She’s in actual self-quarantine because of a canceled cruise she was set to board (as in, she’s from the northern midwest and she was in San Diego getting ready to board when they they canceled). Also with Crush Girl, whom I also got to chat with in person for a few minutes. And then a few texts with the writing partner.

Hawaii is up 25 new cases Sunday. I fear there’s about to be an explosion in numbers. New York has me spooked.

It was nice to get takeout, nice to see Crush Girl, nice to go for a very long walk and not be rained upon, and nice to listen to some good music (Foo Fighters for most of the walk). I wouldn’t say I feel great, but there are worse ways to spend a Sunday.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re not going through this alone. Please reach out if you’re feeling too isolated.

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