My clock is completely thrown off. I can’t believe it is September already.
All the plans I had for this summer are still written on my list of projects. Build a deck, replace a door, renovate the kitchen and spend time with the family, but here we are, Labour Day this Monday, and none of it is done, although I did spend time with the family. They’re tired of me now.
It can’t be the end of summer. The Tour de France just started. The Canucks are still in the playoffs (at the time of writing…), with no Tour de Delta or Boundary Bay Airshow, it’s tough to keep track.
Did the page for August on my calendar get stuck to July? I don’t have kids in school any longer, so I haven’t been getting the District emails. If it wasn’t for my new pandemic obsession with the FreeCell’s daily challenge, I’d have no idea what day it was.
But sure enough, next week schools will start back, although the exact structure will remain to be seen. People are nervous for obvious reasons, but like anything else with COVID-19, we don’t know everything. We’ve held hockey camps, soccer will be starting soon as well. Lucky for soccer it is outside, where the virus has a harder time being spread. A little bit of normal is a good thing, but not so much that we forget where we are.
While the news focuses on the pandemic, many other issues fall under the radar.
I heard a report that incidents of domestic violence have increased and intensified.
We also heard very high overdose numbers from Dr. Henry last week, another tragedy that continues to unfold. While we have to be careful during this pandemic, we also have to realize the greater impact it’s having on our society by staying locked up.
On the bright side, it appears the seasonal flu may be less intense than normal. Infection rates in Australia, where they are just coming out of winter, are way down. Our early infection rates are a fraction of what they normally are. That’s no surprise, and even a glimmer of good news. It shows people are taking the spread of germs seriously.
I’m optimistic as we head into fall. We have a ‘new normal’, people are used to staying six feet part, and wearing masks is becoming more prevalent. As the weather gets colder, it’s an advantage – all that exhaled breath that might infect someone is now being used to keep your face warm. By November, you’ll be pretty happy to have that mask on. And I can’t wait to see the costumes at Hallowe’en!
Hallowe’en? I’m not over the end of summer yet!
