I've been schooled.
I haven't just been sitting home feeding my own anxiety, although I have to admit I've been doing plenty of that. I've also been learning and growing (stop looking at my belly). Like so many others, I've been held captive by the pandemic home tutorial. Apparently it's a course that's a requirement this term.
Corona Lessons.
Not the beer kind, that may or may not have been in my college days. I can neither confirm nor deny. Probably because I can't really remember . . . but I digress.
To prove I've mastered the current Corona curriculum, I'm now prepared to submit my written final. In the name of documenting history, I hereby record for posterity some of the life lessons I never needed to learn and now will never forget:
~ I can't go two minutes without touching my face.
~ Not to get too excited just because I can still get my pants on. If I can't take so much as a single step in them, turns out it's not the accomplishment I'd thought.
~ Knit gloves can't work the ATM screen.
~ When you use google, you can get more than 2 answers to a yes/no question.
~ You can buy pretty much anything on the neighborhood black market for a roll of toilet paper.
~ The barkingest dog on the planet lives somewhere on the street behind my house.
~ Next time a pandemic is headed my way, I need to make sure my grill isn't low on propane. Or I'll be baking all those foods I'd normally grill (and cleaning many more pots and pans).
I haven't just been sitting home feeding my own anxiety, although I have to admit I've been doing plenty of that. I've also been learning and growing (stop looking at my belly). Like so many others, I've been held captive by the pandemic home tutorial. Apparently it's a course that's a requirement this term.
Corona Lessons.
Not the beer kind, that may or may not have been in my college days. I can neither confirm nor deny. Probably because I can't really remember . . . but I digress.
To prove I've mastered the current Corona curriculum, I'm now prepared to submit my written final. In the name of documenting history, I hereby record for posterity some of the life lessons I never needed to learn and now will never forget:
~ I can't go two minutes without touching my face.
~ Not to get too excited just because I can still get my pants on. If I can't take so much as a single step in them, turns out it's not the accomplishment I'd thought.
~ Knit gloves can't work the ATM screen.
~ When you use google, you can get more than 2 answers to a yes/no question.
~ You can buy pretty much anything on the neighborhood black market for a roll of toilet paper.
~ The barkingest dog on the planet lives somewhere on the street behind my house.
~ Next time a pandemic is headed my way, I need to make sure my grill isn't low on propane. Or I'll be baking all those foods I'd normally grill (and cleaning many more pots and pans).
Balsamic Marinated Tuna Steak
~ I can scare the crap out of myself with a mere sneeze.
~ There are 700 things you can make with pasta. And I can name them all.
~ I can fly my son home from Boulder for $50 but can't because it's not safe for him to be in airports. And knowing that makes me absolutely crazy.
~ As soon as I got comfortable laying in the sun on the deck, my phone dinged to tell me it was getting hot. I had no idea cell phones had hot flashes too.
~ I actually cannot be happy watching TV all day.
~ No matter how creative I think I am, or how well I'd convinced myself, there are certain ingredient substitutions that just do not work.
And one final lesson:
~ Just when I thought that we as a society had lost our humanity to narcissism, I've witnessed the re-emergence of selflessness, kindness, and compassion.
I thank those who have lead with their values not just for their bravery and their service, but for gifting me the renewed ability to hope.
Balsamic Marinated Tuna Steak
©www.BakingInATornado.comPrintable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 (about 6 oz) 1/2 inch thick fresh tuna steak
3 TBSP balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 tsp minced garlic
OPT: wedge of fresh lemon for serving
Directions:
*Whisk together the dressing, lemon juice, maple syrup and minced garlic.
*Pour the marinade into a flat plate with a lip (a pie plate works well). Add the fish, turning once to coat both sides, cover and marinate for 1 - 2 hours, turning once half way through.
*NOTE: This recipe lends itself well to grilling, just be sure not to overcook as the tuna will dry out.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
*Remove the tuna steak from the marinade and place on the prepared tray. Cook for 8 minutes.
*Check for doneness. It should flake when a fork is inserted into the fish, but the center should still be red (for medium rare) or pink (for medium). Cook for another 2 - 4 minutes if necessary to achieve preferred level of doneness.
Another Corona lesson I learned: if you had put something off, and didn't do it during the pandemic (exceptions: materials not available or not safe to do) you aren't ever going to do it. Like the piles of unread books in my room. Or my 10 or so crochet works in progress, only one of which was touched (and not completed). You are so right about substitutions. But we all have to make do. Like using kitty litter to try to dry flowers. So: our local Aldi sells nice tuna steak. And we are in an actual heat wave. Hmmm. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI agree, if you're stuck at home for weeks and weeks and you don't do it, you probably never will. I, however, am getting through some of those books I had piling up (on my Kindle), so at least I'm accomplishing something.
DeleteAll of the above. And I would add one more: Neighbours come and go. Civilizations grow old and die. But family (especially when you are closely closeted with them) go on forever! ;)
ReplyDeleteMy friends come up with the best lessons. Yes, learning that one too. Some are too far away, the others are all too close.
DeleteI've learned that the projects I was procrastinating...I still am. And I know I touch my face a million times before lunch.
ReplyDeleteHope you are well
Dawn
Miss my cleaning lady almost as much as my son. Turns out I can ignore a dirty house like a champ, although that's not exactly procrastinating, more waiting it out.
DeleteI totally agree with your list, especially the 'touch my face' one. Fun fact....if you keep the hand sanitizer on your hands,you will stop touching at least your eyes and mouth. Lesson learned the hard way....several times.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one. I learned that if you put on hand sanitizer you can't get gloves to go on.
DeleteI learned that if I eat a healthy snack (i.e., vegetables or fruit) every other time some of my pants will still fit.
ReplyDeleteHmm, maybe I should try that.
DeleteBloody great lessons
ReplyDeleteBet you've learned a few yourself.
Delete