COVID Diaries - let's go into August

Apparently, I've been at this so long the daily blogs are getting old?  Who knew that'd become a thing?!?

Some changes for the better in my life this week:
Captain Smiley finally got me to make an actual office in my house.  This involved a trip to Ikea and that was a fascinating experience worth almost an entire blog post itself.  I now have fancy lights for my plants, succulents for my office, an outdoor rug, etc.

Captain Smiley also hosted me and Dungeon Master for a socially distant grill out last night and that was a pleasure.  Apparently though, I eat too much meat?  Didn't know what was a thing.

I haven't "changed" my diet, but I am in what you'd call the contemplation phase of doing so.  I've done keto a few times before. As I recall, the first week or two are hell.  So, making the initial change is always the hardest.

I am running more and walking less.

I am running with Olive who is biking next to me, and that's been something I look forward to each week. We've done a few different routes, and may start repeating them.  I'm starting to feel like I may actually 'run' my virtual 10 miler.  (I'd been looking at that thing with quite a bit of resentment until now.)

I am about 30 miles from finally finishing this stupid run across Minnesota that stressed me out all summer (and kept me running more than I would've otherwise in all that heat).  Count your blessings, right?

In about a month, one of my most favorite colleagues will retire.  And then my lovely team of six will be down to four.  We will not hire for some time due to working remotely.  We get so much more done with so much less money paid out for mileage this way.  Who knows what the new "post COVID" normal will be, but I doubt it'll be the "old normal".

To have August welcome me, we had super mild, cool Minnesota weather.  Finally.  After the baking heat of June and July. So I'm sitting outside, about to take down my shade sail.  No one's a/c is running, but a few people are mowing their grass.  It's so quiet and peaceful right now.