When I first started staying home I had a far different outlook on my health.
Of course I was under the impression, as we all were, that this self quarantine
thing wouldn't last that long. Boy, were we all wrong. Remember when it seemed
like New York was in the news every day?
That seems like a lifetime ago.
Now Florida, where I live, and everywhere else has gotten scarier.
At first boredom set in and I found myself drinking, it seemed like, buckets of Merlot every single day. When I was younger it was beer and more beer. Now? I do love my red wine. I also have
a pantry full of stuff I shouldn't eat. I have kids. I know, I know, you can put all the blame on them if you want to but truthfully you don't have to eat their stuff.
I found myself knee deep in things like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which I love,
and chips and subs and pizza and Mexican food and too much more.
Bad, Mark, bad.
I'm more than happy to go to Publix with list in hand to get provisions. When I go to my local grocery, mask on of course,
I see wine and beer in just about every
cart. In this goofy time booze seems to be doing very well. Liquor stores are doing bang up bizness with things I don't drink a
lot of: whiskey, vodka, rum, scotch; but there are people, bunches of them, that
sure do.
And then one day I decided to make a change.
Exercise is always important as far as good health goes. I can't run like I used to and to be honest I was never much of a jogger but I have
this sweet dog, Lola, who I make sure I walk every day now. Two miles. I say to her, "I take you out you save my life."
Good trade.
Lola wags her tail and barks every time I pick up her leash. She's going for a walk.
When I'm out there I see all kinds
of people, some in great shape, others, not so much, and they are incentive for me to keep
on keeping on.
I went back to watching what I eat. More veggies and fruit less you know what. And smaller portions.
Don't get me wrong I still have my beloved Merlot
just not buckets. And once a week I splurge.
Just so you know splurging now is not what it used to be.
My waist is at a size I haven't seen in decades. Plural. I take pills
every day that aren't multi-vitamins and I'm determined to make them go bye
bye.
A friend said, "Don't take this the wrong way but having a stroke saved your
life." I hadn't thought of it like that but he's right. It sure changed it.
I need to go take a shower. To wash the sweat, the stink off.
In the middle of this darkness here comes the sun.
#MarkMcEwen
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Monday, August 24, 2020
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Back To School Coronavirus Edition
My wife and I are having a discussion that I'll bet a lot of parents are having.
Should we send our kids back to school?
Before I get to that let me tell you something you already know. 2020 has been a dangerous year because of COVID-19. Oh, there have been other things but let's stick to the Coronavirus. I've been home for what seems like forever trying to be safe. I was on the phone with someone the other day and I said, "Happy Friday." They responded that they had no idea what day it was, somebody had to tell them. When you're in your house day after day the days begin to blur together. I'm guilty of thinking it's Tuesday when it's really Thursday.
I'm also a mask wearing, hands washing, social distancing, kind of guy. Can never be too careful. By the way there's a phrase I never heard before-social distancing.
We all are very familiar with it now.
Okay, should my kids go back to school.
I have twins and their thinking is split. One of them, Miles, wants to physically go back to his high school. He says he misses the ritual of getting up early, showering, getting dressed, and heading out. He says he especially misses seeing his classmates. This spring he did virtual schooling and he did okay but he has been pushing for going back to his actual school.
I was a substitute teacher and when I first subbed I noticed hand sanitizer in every class room. I wondered about that but didn't use it. Big mistake. I got sick as a dog and then realized that schools were a petri dish. Not for the students, they build up immunity, but for the brand new subs, like me, who haven't.
You better believe that I washed my hands every chance I got after that. One other thing, I would see kids coughing and sneezing and blowing their nose big time and I would think, "Why are you even here?"
I'd see that every day.
On to my other twin, Griffin.
He, on the other hand, has no problem with virtual schooling. He's fine with learning from home, he's fine with staying up on classes and homework through his iPad. He sees and talks to his friends every day through FaceTiming and texting.
Two different view points.
Also because I'm a stroke survivor I'm right in the middle of that 'at risk' category. I worry about them catching it. I worry that they might inadvertently bring the virus home.
I worry, I worry.
A main difference between being a kid and being a parent is when you're a kid you worry about nothing. When you're a parent you worry all the time about your kids. Wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. My Dad used to say he couldn't go to sleep until all of his kids came home at night. I used to think yeah, right. Now? I know exactly what he was talking about.
Throw in COVID-19 and as the saying goes, "There you go."
One last thing I worry about is the teachers catching it. This Coronavirus does.not.discriminate. Old, young, black, white, brown, rich, poor. It doesn't care.
Their school starts August 17th.
Right now? I'm leaning towards the virtual. Today. Ask me tomorrow.
How about you?
#MarkMcEwen
Subscribe to my blog: Mark McEwen's World
Follow me on twitter: @mcewenmark
Like my page on facebook: www.facebook.com/markmcewensworld
And also visit my website: www.markmcewen.com
Should we send our kids back to school?
Before I get to that let me tell you something you already know. 2020 has been a dangerous year because of COVID-19. Oh, there have been other things but let's stick to the Coronavirus. I've been home for what seems like forever trying to be safe. I was on the phone with someone the other day and I said, "Happy Friday." They responded that they had no idea what day it was, somebody had to tell them. When you're in your house day after day the days begin to blur together. I'm guilty of thinking it's Tuesday when it's really Thursday.
I'm also a mask wearing, hands washing, social distancing, kind of guy. Can never be too careful. By the way there's a phrase I never heard before-social distancing.
We all are very familiar with it now.
Okay, should my kids go back to school.
I have twins and their thinking is split. One of them, Miles, wants to physically go back to his high school. He says he misses the ritual of getting up early, showering, getting dressed, and heading out. He says he especially misses seeing his classmates. This spring he did virtual schooling and he did okay but he has been pushing for going back to his actual school.
I was a substitute teacher and when I first subbed I noticed hand sanitizer in every class room. I wondered about that but didn't use it. Big mistake. I got sick as a dog and then realized that schools were a petri dish. Not for the students, they build up immunity, but for the brand new subs, like me, who haven't.
You better believe that I washed my hands every chance I got after that. One other thing, I would see kids coughing and sneezing and blowing their nose big time and I would think, "Why are you even here?"
I'd see that every day.
On to my other twin, Griffin.
He, on the other hand, has no problem with virtual schooling. He's fine with learning from home, he's fine with staying up on classes and homework through his iPad. He sees and talks to his friends every day through FaceTiming and texting.
Two different view points.
Also because I'm a stroke survivor I'm right in the middle of that 'at risk' category. I worry about them catching it. I worry that they might inadvertently bring the virus home.
I worry, I worry.
A main difference between being a kid and being a parent is when you're a kid you worry about nothing. When you're a parent you worry all the time about your kids. Wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. My Dad used to say he couldn't go to sleep until all of his kids came home at night. I used to think yeah, right. Now? I know exactly what he was talking about.
Throw in COVID-19 and as the saying goes, "There you go."
One last thing I worry about is the teachers catching it. This Coronavirus does.not.discriminate. Old, young, black, white, brown, rich, poor. It doesn't care.
Their school starts August 17th.
Right now? I'm leaning towards the virtual. Today. Ask me tomorrow.
How about you?
#MarkMcEwen
Subscribe to my blog: Mark McEwen's World
Follow me on twitter: @mcewenmark
Like my page on facebook: www.facebook.com/markmcewensworld
And also visit my website: www.markmcewen.com
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