Random Thoughts

I have so much free time to think right now and that isn’t always a good thing. My mind starts to focus on really strange things or become mildly obsessed with an idea. If my brain gets too overloaded with my own thoughts, fears, and anxieties, I have to put on a podcast or start reading a book that can really focus my attention. Here are a few of the things that have occupied my mind recently.

I have a lot of squirrels at my house. Not inside my house (unfortunately), but on my lawn and in my trees. This is partially my fault since I put food out for them every day. I have one squirrel who has been visiting me for about two years. He has a notch out of one ear and his tail is missing a patch of fluff. He’s easy to spot. Lately, I have had a lot more unfamiliar visitors. I am thinking of using some of my free time to catalog them. I could make an excel workbook that helps me keep track of their habits and cross references to the time of day they arrive, how much they eat, and whether they come alone or with a friend. It marries my love of squirrels and my Microsoft skills. Oh my gosh, this is out of hand.

There is a strange internal gurgling, drippy noise my sinuses make when they are clearing up. I think only I can hear it from inside my face. It’s at once disgusting and hypnotizing. Is this a thing, or am I starting to have hallucinations?

There is a big park near us where all the soccer games used to be played. They built a new soccer park, so this one is only used for practices and occasional games. When it’s not in use for sports, it doubles as an off-leash dog park. This place is a wonderland for dog lovers. I get to pet so many dogs, except when I don’t. We have been taking the dogs there a lot lately because there is plenty of space to stay far away from other humans, but my husband forbid me from petting any of the dogs during social distancing. It is complete torture. My hands actually tingle a bit every time a dog comes near and I find myself reaching out to them and having to draw my hands back. Can I just request that no one else touch their own dogs so that when I see them I can touch them without fear that their owners don’t wash their hands or sneeze on their pups? I don’t think I have ever sneezed on my dogs, but I can’t be sure.

I am sure you can all agree with me when I say this isolation stuff sucks. I really can’t wait for life to return to a bit of normalcy. Now if we could get everyone to do their part and continue to stay home, far away from other humans, and take all the precautions necessary if they have to go out, then this could be over a lot sooner.

Stay safe, stay home, and be kind to each other.