Merry COVID-mas

 This is likely to be my last post of this strange, stressful, frustrating year.

It won't be...mist.

For the first time in my professional life, I'm part of a company that shuts down from Christmas Eve 'til after new year's, and I can't wait to have some proper downtime in which to relax. It's been a bit of a stressful couple of weeks.

I've taken my moments of peace wherever I could find them.

Last Monday - December 7th - Tank was informed that there had been a confirmed positive Covid case in the warehouse. Since it was his closest work associate, we were both concerned, and he commenced self-isolation as soon as he returned home that evening. We booked a test for him, but couldn't get an appointment until Wednesday afternoon; they wouldn't test me at all, since I'd had no direct contact with the positive case.

The way ahead seemed dark.

The upside was this gave us some time for Tank to call CRA in an attempt to get his account unlocked, as we'd both been subject to fraudulent CERB claims back in July and he has no way of sitting on hold for more than an hour during the times that our government deigns to provide service to its citizens. He'd need his account to claim the new Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit so he could have some income while he was isolating.

It also meant I got some company on my afternoon lunch runs!

Tank was called Friday morning to confirm our fears: he'd tested positive for Covid, and since we'd both been experiencing some cold-like symptoms, I booked in to have myself tested on Saturday. I also had to inform my employer that I had potentially been infected when I last visited the office on Friday, December the 4th. Definitely not good times!

It also meant I needed to isolate as well, so an unpleasantly rainy afternoon became an opportunity for a trail run as I didn't expect many people to be out.

Resolving the issues with CRA took many calls and probably a full work day's total time on hold, and I continued to do my job full-time from home as I tried to help Tank resolve the issues. Bafflingly enough, my test came back negative - I'd been warned by the public health nurses at the test site that a false negative was a possibility, and to isolate according to the schedule given to Tank regardless of the result. Since he was to remain quarantined until the end of Thursday, December 17th, we ordered in some groceries to supplement what I had stocked in the freezer, and hunkered in at home.

Save for a bit of trail time, making sure I stayed well away from anyone but the trees.

Fortunately, we both seem to have had mild cases (assuming mine is even Covid); just some throat soreness, a runny nose, and some fatigue. I've dropped back to bare minimum distance for the most part, but continue to run once daily from Monday to Thursday and twice each Saturdays and Sundays.

Even discovering some beautiful new places.

Our symptoms seem to be fading, Tank has now been cleared to return to work on Monday, and we seem to have his affairs mostly in order with the government, so hopefully some peace can return to our lives in time for the holiday season so close at hand. It's been wonderful being spoiled with fresh-brewed coffee in the mornings; having company during the day and on runs; and getting a helping hand with a few things around the house...but I also value having un-distracted time to do my work, some of which requires intense concentration.

In running and in life, sometimes you just need a solo mission.

So it seems we've gone in for the full pandemic experience, just as the light of vaccine approvals appears to dawn on the horizon. Hopefully within a few months this will all just be the stuff of memory, letting us trade our masks for race bibs and gather to celebrate with our friends and family.

I truly wish you all the best as 2020 draws to a close - may you be filled with joy and festive spirit, surrounded by love and care, and stay happy and healthy all through the new year!

Be safe out there, and I'll see you in 2021!