‘I count my blessings instead of sleep’

According to my new Apple Watch (which, incidentally, does everything except the dishes), I slept 10.1 hours the other night. I mentioned this dubious figure to Dude Man the next morning.

“I didn’t go to bed until around 2, and then I got up before sunrise. So what’s with this 10.1 hours of sleep?” “It’s counting all the sleeping you do during The Crown,” he said, going on to explain that good ole Apple can tell when I “nod off” on the couch and adds that time to my total sleep. I, like my mother before me, am rather famous for my ability to “sleep read” or “sleep watch” without spilling a drop from the glass of wine clutched in my somnolent paw.

Latest creation-in-progress. Yes, I can do this while Crown-watching

And while I think Apple counting upright sleep is totally cheating, I suppose I should feel somewhat comforted knowing I’m getting more shut-eye that I thought I was. Ever since The Corona Craziness, I, like many others, have had trouble getting adequate Zzzzzs. All that wondering what the heck to cook for the 269th straight dinner, not to mention when in heaven’s name I’ll get to hug my Mom again will do that to a person.

Sometimes when tossing and turning, I try to think of some good things that have come out of this time of Conflict with a Capital C. Now, with New Year’s coming, it seems like a good time to count them up.

Here, in no particular order, are some silver linings, the first of which is actually silver:

(sings) Sil-ver Hair…silver haaaairr…it’s Christmas Time in the City

Embracing the Gray. Oddly enough, when I couldn’t get to my Hair Person anymore, and let it go, Dude Man didn’t even notice. So even when the Hair Care Ban was lifted, I decided to skip coloring. Which is awkward because Colorist Girl is married to Haircut Guy. Oh well. So I look like a silvery shaggy dog. No one sees me except on Zoom.

Embracing the Guy. I used to dread the time when Dude Man would retire and we would be Spending More Time Together. I had my life pretty organized, and couldn’t imagine how he’d fit in on a more-or-less 24/7 basis. But I’m happy to report that he doesn’t get on my nerves too much. Besides, he’s awfully entertaining. Mostly unintentionally so. (See photo of him at the top of this post blowing leaves in his wetsuit.)

Dude Man ignoring Danger Man while on one of our many Covid hikes

No more excuses. As you may know, “Lutheran Lying” means that you never lie; you edit. Back in the Before Times when a person I wasn’t particularly interested in hanging out with would ask, say, to have lunch, I would respond with something like, “Oh, I have plans that day.” Said plans could be eating a sandwich at home while reading a book. Now I don’t have to Lutheran Lie since nobody makes dates to do anything anymore.

Typical scene from our Family FaceTime calls. Thanks, Scott!

Last, and definitely not least, I’m spending more time with my family than ever before. True, this is not in-person time — see wish for Mom Hugs, above — but it is real. We five sibs gather on FaceTime every Sunday night to chat with our mother. At first the conversation was somewhat stilted; the technology was glitchy, the cameras pointed oddly, sound cut in and out. But as time went by, we relaxed to the point that we’d talk while cooking, while knitting, while walking down the street or riding in the car.

Well. I must say that wasn’t a very long list. But I bet if you think hard — sipping a glass of wine at the same time helps, though do try to stay awake — you’ll come up with a few silvery side-effects of your own Lockdown Life.

Staying inside has its upside

In the meantime, from my isolated little heart to yours — best wishes for a Happy (and Better) New Year.

New York City. December 2020