It’s been a very long time since I updated this blog. It was on my to-do list when the pandemic hit.

Every time I was inspired to write, my dogs would pull my attention away. Even now they are pawing at me to pay attention to them. However, after writing several new and updated procedures and policies at work, my inner Shakespeare was ignited. God, I love a good policy and procedure.

Weeks before the whole world went nuts, Rodrigo was panicking. He suggested one of us should go to the states and try to ge my mother to stay down here with us to wait out the virus. I foolishly said, this is just media hype stop watching the news and it will all blow over. The day it hit the US, I panicked. I tried to catch a plane to convince mom to stay with us or at the very least, to have her 6 when she tried to buy toilet paper. I had a flight, then it was canceled. I got another, but then Argentina announced they would be closing its borders. Debating to go and wait it out in the US for the month or stay down in Argentina, I stayed. Good thing too. Rodrigo would have been stuck here for months with those crazy dogs. However, my mom was and still is alone. It bugs the hell out of me every day. Being torn between two worlds sums up most of my stress.

Argentina’s shut down was far more drastic than the US. We were not allowed to travel more than a 500 meters from our home. We could not be out past 9. Only emergency workers and grocery store workers were allowed out. They had to carry a document proving they had a right to walk past their 500 meter radius. Everyone else could only go the pharmacy and grocery. They said this would be in effect for 2 months.

So, I implemented a project plan with swim lanes and multi-step tasks for how we would survive for 2 months. Like many, I positioned this as a time for growth and to catch up on all those things I’ve been meaning to do.

First, I had Rodrigo rush out to the Mercado de Abasto Córdoba, the wholesale market for restaurants and grocery stores, and buy boxes of vegetables and meat. We spent a whole weekend oven and fire roasting vegetables,  packing them in oil, and canning. I felt like Laura Ingalls getting ready for the winter. We also made and froze agnolotti, gnocchi, and  spring rolls. Rodrigo decided to start making sourdough bread. We were the quintessential upper middle class Americans who have watched too many apocalypse shows and movies.

This shut down did pose a problem for us. The park where we took our dogs every morning was out of our 500 meter radius. The police were everywhere stopping people and checking where they live and if they had a right to be out. If you are caught in an area you are not supposed to be, you could be fined heavily or sent to jail. Seriously. We had to take our dogs out for walks. They are insane without a walk. The issue is within our 500 meters we have several hospitals, grocery stores, fire station, and several police stations. There are just too many people going to work at 5:30 am for us to feel safe. Plus they need to run.

We decided to go to the park anyway. At the park there was absolutely no one around, better for social distancing and they can run. We kept a keen eye for police. It was also easy since they drive around with their lights on. When we would see the police, we would jump behind a car or dumpster or into an alley. After a few weeks of this, our dogs would automatically hide when they saw the police. So I guess I did train them.

Walking there has been surreal. We leave at 5:30 am. It is winter so it’s cold. We’re bundled up with masks. All of us on high alert for the police. Flora walking like a hell beast clawing out of hades. Marvin a total spaz, bouncing from one side to another, “oh smell this, oh look at that, oh what’s that?” Elsa at attention looking for cops and/or cats. And Zena, walking like an old European lady after a long lunch. When Queen Z stops to check something out, there’s no moving her.

One early morning we are across the street from the park. We just need to cross the street. Queen Z decides she needs to stop and smell something. We can see the blue lights about 1/4 of a mile down the street. Rodrigo freaks. “Come on let’s go!” But I can’t. Zena is impossible to move when she wants to stop. Rodrigo grabs the 3 kids and runs to the park leaving me alone with Zena. At 5:45 in the AM, I’m screaming wait, wait, frantically looking back at the cops driving down the street, and holding onto Zena’s leash in a squat pulling her like a tug of war championship. If these cops see me, I’ll either get fined, or go to jail. I blanked. I got into child’s pose and hid under Zena. I know it is hard to imagine. In child’s pose I can get real small. Zena is the size of a pony. She kept smelling while the cop car slowly drove past us.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, if there is ever a zombie apocalypse I know now that my husband will leave me for dead.

I’ll leave you with THE song of Covid 2020. I can’t stop watching this; it makes me happy.

More to come. I’m inspired!