My home state of Tennessee is wide open and working hard to build up the fall and winter peak but my wife and I have been isolated for 7 weeks. She took a leave from her retail job to avoid being exposed during the peak. I own a farm, so I had to go out twice for parts, once for fertilizer and twice to grocery shop.
I know it is not PC to say this but I am loving this life! This is the first spring since 1992 that I have been here daytimes to watch it unfold - beautiful! I am fortunate to still be paid by the university and my work continues, busier than ever actually, from home. I just wish I had more time to get more of the often delayed projects around here done, but I have tackled several.
I can definitely see the benefits of retirement and I cannot wait! We've worked pretty hard for 30 years to get this place decent and it should be a fun thing to mess around with in my retired years. I have 2 years and 5 months to a pension, so I am trying to hold out. But this experience has been such a joy. I'm not tensed up about my workday or about what is going to happen tomorrow, I can go out and see nature anytime I want to, and my work is getting done. Very blessed.
Now if my friend's dad would just get off the ventilator for good and my other friend's grandmother and two aunts could get off theirs, it would be perfect. I am never far way from COVID, as I cover it for the university in a variety of ways.
Today we passed 65,000 sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, cousins, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers. Gone. As I said, I am very blessed.