Remodeling, Moving, and COVID-19

What do you get when you combine remodeling, moving, and COVID-19? My life.

Just my luck.

Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good

As I wrote about in a previous blog, hubby and I bought a small home at the beach. Living on the coast has been a lifetime dream of mine, so I’m thrilled. However, the 40-year-old place definitely needed some updating.

First, the happy news. Our house remodel is almost complete. Just some finishing touches. When it’s done, I’ll share photos and tips for those of you who plan to downsize and/or remodel a home.

Here’s a before and after photo of one of our bathrooms we remodeled to give you a taste of what’s to come. We removed the stained fiberglass and tiled the shower, re-tiled the floor, replaced the shower door, changed the vanity and cabinets, and painted the walls a bright white. My 90-year-old father calls it wild. It was inspired by a photo from  Better Homes & Gardens featuring remodels of small bathrooms. What do you think?

Before

After

The other happy news: We’ve only been here for a few weeks, but we love it already! As I write this blog, I have the most beautiful view out my window. The apples on my tree are ready to be picked and a rabbit is grazing in the grass. Absolutely peaceful and just what I need right now.

The Bad 

We were slowly moving our stuff into our new home this past month while working on the house.

Boxes needed to be unpacked. Blinds needed to be hung, backsplash installed, bathroom mirrors mounted, etc.

Then we hit a snag.

The morning after we watched our grandson, Rowan, after school, he tested positive for COVID. He had been coughing and we thought for sure we were doomed. We isolated for five days since we needed to pack boxes anyway. But we tested negative and thought somehow we dodged the bullet.

A week and a half later, my son and grandchildren helped us move furniture. The last day they were here at our house, I had a scratchy throat, but didn’t think much about it. Thought it was allergies from dust. However, by that night, my husband, Scott, and I both had a dry cough. (A desert joke: but at least it was a dry cough – get it?) The following morning we felt sick and tested again.

Both of us tested positive. Two years of avoiding COVID-19 and we get it now in the middle of moving? NOOOOO!

We had gone to an outdoor concert seven days prior. Did we get infected there? Possibly, since according to the CDC, COVID symptoms can appear anywhere from two to 14 days after someone is exposed. However, the average incubation period is four to five days.

Did Rowan have a rebound case unbeknownst to him and was still contagious? ( I actually don’t think this is the case.) Or did we get infected somewhere else? Who knows.

However it happened, everyone that was with us when we moved got it too. The CDC isn’t kidding when they say this thing is contagious. The CDC says that its guidelines were updated to reflect growing evidence that suggests transmission of COVID-19 often occurs one to two days before the onset of symptoms and during the two to three days afterward. Everyone that got infected were with us during that time period.

My son, my 90-year-old father, and finally my granddaughter all got COVID-19. I was worried most of all about my father, but he was given antiviral medication immediately and only had mild symptoms.

The Ugly

Scott got a mild case, supposedly like most people who get COVID-19. He had a dry cough, stuffy nose, and was tired. But that was about it. He was still bouncing around the house.

So annoying.

Me? I coughed so hard, the rib pain made me double over. Had a sore throat so bad I could hardly swallow. Add to that, a low grade fever, muscle aches not to be ignored, and a headache like never experienced before. I was miserable.

Research shows that about 81 percent of people with COVID-19 have a mild or moderate illness. Only a relatively small percentage of people get severe symptoms. Leave it to me to be one of them. If there’s a hard way to do something, I’ll find it.

It’s Either Laugh or Cry

Well, it’s over now. We’ll count our blessings that we survived COVID-19. We had our shots and boosters and at least didn’t have to go to the hospital.

If you read my blog regularly (check out the humor tab) or are a fan of my author Facebook page, you know that I have a warped sense of humor. So, I’ll end this blog with a few corny COVID jokes I found on the Internet ((you’ve heard of the pundemic, right?) But you’ll have to wait two to 14 days to get the jokes – haha.

• Why don’t chefs find coronavirus jokes funny? They’re in bad taste.
• Did you hear the joke about COVID? Never mind, I don’t want to spread it around.
• Where do sick boats go to get healthy? The dock.

And finally one you may have seen as a meme: “Back in my day you would cough to cover up a fart. Now with COVID-19, you fart to cover up a cough.” (If you enjoy humor about farts, be sure and check out my previous blog, Are Boomers a Bunch of Farts – Literally, on the subject. Yes, I went there.)

Have you had COVID-19? What was your experience like? Leave me a comment. I’d love to commiserate with you!