Diary of a Woman in a Small NYC Apartment Determined Not to Get Coronavirus

 photo I took on one of my walks in Central Park this week

It’s 8:57 am on day whatever of isolation. I hear Santana playing, as Dave is a music teacher. He’s on the couch with two laptops in front of him preparing a remote lesson for his students. Me, I’m at my computer, getting ready for another day. Usually we split into two rooms for the day, but right now we’re both still in the living room.

It’s certainly not business as usual. I’m the same Kathy that usually opens email about travel and deals and shopping. Today, I delete most of those emails without reading them. I’m not depressed, I’m just living in a different world at the moment.

I live in New York City, the current covid-19 epicenter. The cases are growing exponentially and here I am (I mean we are) holed up in my 800 square foot one bedroom apartment. We are in a state of controlled terror, determined to stay safe, live our lives and not get the virus.

Instead of checking the court website to read the latest of who tested positive for the coronavirus, I thought I’d diary a bit.

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook that I’d gotten a delivery time slot on Amazon Fresh. When would I have ever written about that before? Never. And when oh when would 50 people have actually liked (or loved) that post and offered their own experiences of deliveries from Instacart, Fresh Direct and the like? Like never, right?

It’s a new world out there, or at least a very different one, for at least the time being. The time being. That’s what makes it not as difficult. The idea that I’m not going to be hunkered down here for-fucking-ever.

He sneezes. Oh no. We jump.

So, what’s my life been like? I shower every day, yay!

When the weather is okay, I go out for a long walk either to Carl Schurz Park (along the East River near Gracie Mansion) or to Central Park.

Carl Schurz Park

I don’t have a facemask, but sometimes I put a Buff over my mouth and nose. It would’ve looked comical (or weird) a few months ago, but now is now. Dave even says he thinks it looks sexy. (And you ask why I love the man?)

I’ve started looking into taking some online fitness classes, especially on rainy days. I might even write a separate post on all the special trial offers from these different programs. The biggest problem is finding room for a yoga mat in the living room for me to work out (this might be a typical NYC problem). The other day, I took an intro class from Exhale on Demand – I put the yoga mat on the floor behind my computer. It was good, but with the floor exercises, I couldn’t see what the instructor was doing. I wish I had a Peloton.

Food. In the days leading up to isolation, we stocked the freezer with healthy foods from Costco. There’s chicken, salmon, cod, veggies, etc. I have an Instant Pot and made some good meals – a big vat of Chicken Soup one day and Shrimp Scampi with pasta another (the Scampi didn’t come out perfect, but I learned some lessons for next time). We’ve eaten well for dinners.

Like many citydwellers, we are accustomed to daily trips to markets like Trader Joe’s and Fairway. It was kind of a regular activity. I didn’t know I’d miss it. In the day of social distancing, we made a pact not to go to stores unless absolutely necessary (such as the trip to the liquor store on the corner for bottle of mezcal and a few bottles of wine) (okay, a case of wine). There are still plenty of outdoor produce stands, so we can get salad and fruits without going into a store.

Dave took a break from playing Ramones songs on his bass guitar to make a perfect Smoke Screen (a Mezcal/Aperol cocktail served at the Confidante in Miami Beach)

Mezcal and wine notwithstanding, I’m determined to eat healthy through this time. In the days BC (before coronavirus), we were never home for daytime meals. It became apparent that we now needed to day-to-day items for breakfast, lunch and snacks. I started making a list (for the eventual Amazon Fresh order mentioned above) and that’s when I discovered that Dave had a Depression-era kind of outlook on the matter. I said, how about we order some bread, cheese, juice, yogurt and hummus? He only wanted me to buy pounds and pounds of potatoes and pasta. I said we have a small kitchen, what the F are we going to do with ten pounds of potatoes? I reminded him that there are already three potatoes in the fridge. He said he’s saving them. OMG, he wants to hoard potatoes! For what, the apocalypse? I said eat your potatoes and then we can get more.

I can’t tell you how many trips I’ve had to cancel. Well actually, I can, but I already wrote about that. Ack, I miss my travels. And, I haven’t even talked about work yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Virtual hugs. Stay safe.