Woke up at 3:53 to the never-ending sounds of a cat scratching inside a litter box.
Fell back asleep.
Slept in until 7:35 (not as late as I would have liked).
Husband discovered cat puke on the bedspread that was clean when we put it on the bed the previous night.
Upon closer inspection, discovered the puke had soaked through to the white down comforter (Ikea Brussels seems to only sell white sheets and comforters because apparently Belgians do not stain things?).
Attempted to clean both bedspread and comforter; gave up because I had not had coffee and allowed husband to take over.
So basically, so far day 2 of the lockdown started out like any other day with three cats.
Went to the grocery store and found the toilet paper aisle fully stocked. One staff person was wearing a face mask and gloves.
Walked with the dog in the forest and crossed paths with many people out enjoying the rare visit from the sun.Atticus wrapped his leash around my legs several times, and I did my best not to fall flat on my face. So, still the usual.
Met the only other person I have seen wearing Xtratuf rain boots outside of Alaska or the Pacific Northwest (besides my husband). Turned out to be a woman from Kansas whose husband was originally from Brussels. Her mother got them for her as a gift before they moved to Brussels. Wise choice! Mine are over a decade old and still going strong.
I noticed as I walked on sidewalks that some people would pull a scarf or sweater up to cover their face as I walked by, but maybe I just look sickly or suspicious? I mean, I am Jewish.
Made it partway through the afternoon before panic set in. Drank a glass of red wine and vacuumed the entire house.
Made a nice meal with my husband, and we discussed the question: Should we stay or should we go?
Updates from my husband’s nephew, who was attempting to return to the United States when his study abroad program in Morocco was cancelled, as well as articles reporting on chaos at airports, were not encouraging. Plus, our original plan had been to fly into Seattle at the end of May and stay with my husband’s mother. For one, Seattle is a hot spot for the virus. In addition, we don’t want to increase her risk of contracting the virus because she is older.
To unwind, my husband read aloud from our Dragons of Pern series while I conducted multiple surgeries on a polar bear stuffed toy that had been in the “emergency room” waiting station on top of our recycling bin for several months.
life of m 