Going out has become a matter of life or death, as I fight against an unseen enemy. I don’t have any real supplies to protect myself, so I was dressed in an excessively puffy jacket, ski gloves and have worn a plastic bag around my head. I was in need of food in my house, so I ventured to the smallest market I could find to scrounge for supplies. I managed to find a bag of potatoes, a quarter pound of ground beef, and 13 boxes of Jell-O. I don’t know what I will use the Jell-O for yet, but I do have a recipe book from the ‘50s that calls for Jell-O extensively, so perhaps this was a good find.
Isolation Log Day 9
It turns out that the Jell-O you’re supposed to use is to be unflavored, as my grape variant does not in fact pair well with beef in any capacity. I offered it to the dogs, and they refused. In requiring contact with other people, I have now dressed my cats up in hand-sewn Victorian-era outfits, choosing new names for them based on characters from the musical Cats. Rum Tum Tugger and Bustapher Jones have immense disdain for me, as their collars do not allow them to lick themselves. I’ve reminded them that licking themselves during dinner, which tonight was a mayonnaise and onion sandwich, is rude, especially at the table. They clawed me in protest. I continue to eat in the dark, undeterred.
Isolation Log Day 10
I managed to finally repair one of the light fixtures I ruined. Six hours on Google gave me the knowledge to work with copper wiring. The now singular working light fixture in my home looks like eyes, staring out across the layout of the house, always watching. Its brightness causes me fear during the usually dark nights I have now become so accustomed to. I woke from a fitful slumber and destroyed it, as I could no longer handle it watching me.
Isolation Log Day 11
Drank some beer on the roof. Got a tan. No big complaints.
Isolation Log Day 12
I discovered that food can be “delivered” to your door. Tonight, I ate like a king. Perhaps I shall survive this after all.
Isolation Log Day 13
It turns out, I can still talk to people on the outside after all. 6 feet of distance is all I need. I began to socialize and speak with neighbors, all standing in our driveways and chatting in a big communal meeting where no one was near each other. I felt a sense of community and understanding, and am beginning to feel whole again. Maybe after all this is over, one of them can help me repair the lights in my home and teach me how to make my cats less angry.
