Covid

It’s curious to see my response to a bout of Covid is not much different from what it was in early 2020. Despite a negative test, symptoms tell me everything I need to know. I have to remind myself every day this week that, given the regulations, I’m not obliged to quarantine. Nevertheless, Anja and I are both barely able to walk the dog. I work half days, and spend my afternoons in bed with hot water bottles.

Later in the week, I have cabin fever that is so intense it makes me cry in the park a little bit. On Sunday, the only thing I’m left with is a stuffy nose as well as some fatigue. God, I hope I don’t develop long Covid.

Consuming

Anja and I watch season two of Somebody Somewhere. It makes me regain a new appreciation for Bridget Everett’s physical comedy, new sincerity, and sass. I wish she and I were friends.

Tinkering

I make some changes to my website this week, centering a page of text with links on the homepage. Sometimes, I feel bad that I don’t take screenshots every time I change it. But I suppose my continuous redesign strategy prevents that from being realistic.

Politics

On Wednesday, the country has her very own 2016 American election result: after 20 years of being (rightfully) ridiculed as a far right party, PVV is finally the biggest, taking 37 of 150 seats in the House. Most people in my safe, progressive, friendly Amsterdam that I’ve spoken with are gobsmacked. Party leader Geert Wilders has become Geert Milders. A part of me is angry and sad, but a much larger part says: welcome to my world.