Saltwater has a distinct and not entirely pleasant taste. Today is July 17.
For some reason, my jaw kept hurting last night, even after I took my evening painkiller. I tried reading and listening to music, but eventually simply finding a comfortable position was the easiest way to fall asleep. I didn’t sleep for as long as I would have liked, but I am getting used to waking up at a reasonable hour. I think my more normalized sleep schedule will pay off in the fall when I have 8 a.m. classes.
I wandered to the kitchen after waking up and found my mom beginning to address my graduation party invitations. She hadn’t made much progress, though, because she had to keep checking about updated addresses. I ate yogurt and took my morning pills then began helping her with the invitations. At some I think knowing how to properly address a letter will become obsolete, but I for one enjoy having a tangible letter to hold on to. Electronic communication is all well and good, but there’s something special about having a scrapbook or collection of old letters and notes to hold on to.
With both of us working, addressing all the invitations took about two hours. We had fun, and I was happy to start my day productively. I messed up a few of the invitations, however, because I accidentally wrote the names too close to the top of the card, which meant there wasn’t enough space for the stamp. My mom made fun of me, as parents do, but with some blank stickers and a few rewrites, we were able to amend the error. When we finished, the two of us headed to the post office to send the invitations.
We saw a number of people wearing masks while we were driving, which was nice, but I still wish more people would be respectful and considerate of others’ health. In addition to sending my graduation invitations, we also mailed a birthday card to my younger cousin who is turning 17 later this month. Normally we’d be up in Canada celebrating it with her, but for now a card will have to suffice. I hope she and her family can attend my graduation party, but I completely understand if they don’t feel comfortable making the trip and being around a group of other people. We’re taking precautions with food and time slots and other variables, but I’m still nervous this is too much of a risk. I hope by requiring masks and following social distancing practices everything will be fine.After we dropped off the mail at the post office, my mom and I stopped by Andy’s Frozen Custard, and she got me an ice cream. Soft foods are still easiest to eat, so I’ve been favoring Jell-O lately. I miss normal food, but I’d rather eat food in gel form than have my jaw ache. She also stopped by Panera to get a free coffee, so all in all we had a productive trip. When we got home, she and I picked out a new pair of white summer dress shoes for me to have at graduation. I hope they fit, but if they don’t I can always use the pair I have now.
She also did some research and ordered a number of cloth masks for our family so my brother and I could have them when we’re at school in the fall and my dad can have a nicer mask when he’s teaching. Because she’s retired, she won’t be around other people as much as we will, but she also wanted a good mask to have so we aren’t throwing away masks and contributing to waste in the environment.
Soon after she completed the purchases, she realized we had forgotten to send one invitation, so after tracking down the couple’s address we headed back to the post office to send the final letter. On our way home, we stopped at a local farmer’s stand to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables. My mom loves making dishes with fresh food in the summer, and her meals taste great.
In the evening, my parents and I watched Chuck and hung out together. I iced my jaw some more, but it continued to annoy me, especially whenever I had to do a saltwater rinse. Tomorrow is the last day I have to take antibiotics, but I’ll need to continue taking careful care of the wounds for at least another two weeks to prevent dry sockets and make sure everything heals correctly. I would hate to be going through all this while school was in session. I’m glad I’ll be almost back to normal by graduation.
Tomorrow I’m going to (potentially) write an essay for a scholarship that’s due at the end of the month. I’m also going to try and finish my letters to friends so I’m not cutting them too close to the actual date of the graduation party. My mom and I will be attending a friend’s graduation party in the evening, but after that I’m content to go back to my life of isolation so I’m not risking getting myself or my family sick.
“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” ― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
How did you spend your 122nd day of social distancing? Let us know in the comments below.
