So….for the first time since 2018 we are having small regrets about being homeless by choice.  Yes, we’ve moved yet again.  In the middle of a pandemic.  My parents are snow birds and it was time for them to fly (well, technically they drove, but birds don’t drive) back to Wisconsin.  While they would have let us stay at their house and would have been happy to have us (well, at least for a week or so until they got sick of the house constantly smelling like garlic at dinner time), we thought it was best for everyone if we moved on.

Lucy and I in front of the Star Tribune building.  No, my face did not touch that cut out at all.

We tried to find a place to stay near my parents in Wisconsin, but there were surprisingly few options and nothing that worked for us.  (Nope, we were not paying $15K a month for a home on the lake and, frankly, I’m wondering who on earth can afford that even if several families are splitting the bill.  And, no, we were not moving into a place without a washer/dryer in the middle of a pandemic even if we have gotten very used to hand washing our clothes when we travel.  And, no, we were not moving into a place with a tiny little kitchenette complete with a dorm size fridge instead of a real kitchen when all meals are being eaten at home and shopping trips are being minimized.)

Thankfully, we ultimately found a fully furnished apartment in nearby Minneapolis and moved there earlier this week.  So far, we love our apartment in Minneapolis.  We went with a two bedroom two bathroom place so we could spread out and could quarantine if one of us got sick.  (Hey, it isn’t like our money is going towards fancy dinners out or scuba diving and snorkeling or expensive bar tabs these days, right?)  The extra bedroom also does double duty as the place to store anything potentially contaminated with the virus for three days.  (Yes, I am one of THOSE people.)  The apartment is brand new and has everything we need and most of what we want.  Honestly, if Robert wasn’t such an amazing cook, we would be set.  But, the apartment only came with one cookie sheet and one mixing bowl and no hand mixer and no Dutch oven and no food storage containers …. so we’ve already figured out how to do curbside pick-up at a local Target and stocked up on a few of those “essentials.”  I’m trying to talk Robert down from investing in better knives….  Guess we will have plenty to add to our storage locker when this is over.

The Mary Tyler Moore statue in downtown Minneapolis.

The big news (and the reason we decided to invest in some cooking essentials) is that we are here at least until the end of August.  Gulp.  We can’t believe we are staying in one place for so long.  But, we don’t see international borders opening up again much before then and we don’t see us getting on a plane before then even if borders do open up.  Minneapolis is lovely in the summer so that is where we will be.  We are happy and relieved to have a “home” for the next few months.

A Bob Dylan mural in downtown Minneapolis.  Yes, I took a very crooked photo.  Oh well.

So….what do we think of everything that is going on?  Well, first off, we recognize that we are incredibly privileged and incredibly lucky.  We are safe (well, as safe as anyone can be these days) and comfortable, we are together, our friends and family are reasonably healthy, and we don’t have to worry about how we are going to pay rent or put food on the table.  Luckily, we are handling the isolation well — a couple of years of spending pretty much 24/7 together has served us nicely during lock-down.  Now, if we could just get an exercise routine down….

But, we are also frustrated.  We are frustrated at how the US government has handled (or mishandled) this crisis.  We are frustrated that Congress refuses to pass any effective relief for those that are struggling.  (Seriously, who thinks a single $1200 — a check many Americans are still waiting for — is going to make up for not working for several months.)  We are frustrated that the US still doesn’t have universal health care and that all employees don’t get paid sick leave.  We are frustrated that many Americans refuse to wear masks and aren’t taking social distancing seriously.  We are frustrated that idiots are out on the streets protesting with their AR-15’s and confederate flags.  We are frustrated that states are opening up as Covid cases continue to increase.

First Avenue with a very important message.  Vote 2020.  Because your life depends upon it.

And, we are frustrated that we have a president who suggested people should shine sunlight up their ass while injecting bleach into their bodies and then lied about it while castigating a reporter.  The world — and the US in particular — is not a pretty place right now.  And, personally, we think it is going to get worse before it gets better.

On that happy note….stay safe and stay healthy.