Greetings, Internet! I hope everyone is staying as safe and sane as can be. This week, I went to Jersey City, quite liked it, but then got covid. I know, after eight hundred days of being cautious, I finally got covid, but I was vaccinated and boosted, so I’m doing all right now. Daily summaries below!

Day Seven Hundred and Ninety-Nine (5/20/22)

• Believe it or not, I had to repack everything last night because my parents are renovating their kitchen and bathroom and my father has deemed the house “unlivable.” So now they’re taking over my apartment and I’m going to crash at the boyfriend’s place. In Jersey City.
• TWO HOURS OF HOLLAND TUNNEL TRAFFIC. TWO. HOURS. WHY.
• DAMMIT, JERSEY SHORE TRAFFIC.
• THIS DRIVE SHOULD ONLY TAKE HALF AN HOUR.
• IT HAS BEEN TWO HOURS.
• GAAAAH.
• Oh, and now there’s a torrential downpour. COOL.
• My boyfriend went outside to help my mother unpack the car (yes, a weekend anywhere requires several bags of medical things + a commode chair). In the pouring rain.
• Cue watching “Hot Ones” with the boyfriend while eating frozen pizza. He’s been meaning to win me over to the side of Jersey City, so we shall see how this goes.
• Currently feeling: Omg, I never want to take the Holland Tunnel on a Friday afternoon again.

Day Eight Hundred (5/21/22)

• Day one of “boyfriend tries to convince me to move to Jersey City.”
• It was ninety degrees out, so we ordered peri chicken. Mmm…hot sauce and yuca fries.
• After the sun went down and it wasn’t oppressively hot outside, we went to a nearby ice cream place. I noticed that the sidewalks are wider and cleaner than they are in Manhattan. (“But Val, isn’t everywhere cleaner than Manhattan?” You clearly haven’t been to San Francisco. Or Long Island City. No one seems to clean up after their dogs there.)
• Dang, rocky road is awesome.
• Then we went to the waterfront. Manhattan looks so pretty when you’re a river away. Also, Sara Bareilles’ “City” started playing in my head as we went to the waterfront.
• Currently feeling: Folks, Jersey City’s kind of nice.

Day Eight Hundred and One (5/22/22)

• Day two of “boyfriend tries to convince me to move to Jersey City.”
• Attempted to use the shower at my boyfriend’s place. This is very difficult when you don’t have the proper setup, so we had to attempt a rather risky transfer that I’m pretty sure gave him the smallest of heart attacks.
• I met one of my boyfriend’s friends! At last, I know he has them!
• We went to a diner, and then went back to his place to watch “Blades of Glory.” I then subjected my boyfriend to YouTube videos of Olympic figure skating (as if to say, “This is what competitive figure skating actually looks like”).
• Currently feeling: It was too hot to really explore Jersey City, but I still think it’s nice. I could see myself moving here eventually.

Day Eight Hundred and Two (5/23/22)

• Aaaand I have the flu. I say this because I tested negative for covid, but I feel so sore and gross and argh.
• Went back to my place to chug tea and drink soup.
• My mother has been bingeing “Downtown Abbey” and I find this adorable.
• I really need to finish “Outlander” before this Starz promo runs out.
• My sister called to check how I was doing. Thankfully, no one in SF is sick (and I checked with my bestie, she’s fine). I have no idea where I picked up the flu, but I’m thankful I haven’t spread it (although my boyfriend may get it in a couple of days. Alas).
• Finished season six of “Outlander.”
• Currently feeling: Ugh, the flu sucks, folks.
• Currently looping: Illenium’s “Shivering” (feat. Spiritbox)

Day Eight Hundred and Three (5/24/22)

• Had ridiculous chills last night.
• Aaaand this bitch tested positive for covid. It only took about eight hundred days for me to get this virus, so, I guess I can consider that something of a win. Lol at me for thinking it was the flu.
• Woke up with a horrible sore throat. Although I have to say, the muscle aches aren’t nearly as bad as they were yesterday. And my fever seems less awful.
• More soup. And theraflu.
• Had a virtual appointment with my doctor. So I’ll no longer be contagious on day eleven. If we trace this back to when I first started feeling symptoms, that makes today day three (I felt a slight soreness in my throat on Sunday, but thought nothing of it. Oh, what a fool I was).
• Finished season seven of “Legends of Tomorrow.” I love these time idiots.
• Isolated in my room with a thermos of hot water and streaming the Rangers game. My mother is in my living room bingeing “Downton Abbey.” Thankfully, my mother has tested negative and has no symptoms.
• I thought that my sore throat was getting better, but it was just the theraflu working its magic. I say this because the theraflu has worn off and my throat is in pain. Ouch.
• Wordle: In five!
• Currently feeling: Thankfully, none of my close contacts have tested positive/have symptoms. I hope it stays that way. Also, ugh, covid sucks. Also, now “self-isolation diaries” takes on new meaning, haha, because I can’t leave here for another week or so.
• Currently looping: The sweet sounds of playoff hockey streaming on my laptop.

Day Eight Hundred and Four (5/25/22)

• Ugh, this fever is playing hopscotch with me. I have a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweater on my bed, and keep rotating between them depending on how hot or cold I’m feeling.
• Throat is sore, but not as sore as yesterday.
• Ugh, my voice is shot.
• Felt dizzy this morning, too. Also, I haven’t showered since the weekend. That is how exhausted I am.
• The boyfriend texted to let me know that his throat is feeling scratchy. Dammit.
• Wondering how bad this would be if I wasn’t double-vaxxed and boosted.
• THEY CANCELED MY LEGENDS?! NOOOOOO!!!!! I mean, it’s good that they went out on a solid season, but I’m going to miss my time idiots.
• Therapy! Somehow got through it with my shot voice.
• Watched the Selena Gomez SNL episode (I contend that she was always too good for Justin Bieber), and livestreamed a sad Mets game. And then watched the Lizzo SNL episode.
• Okay, the SNL “Black Eyed Peas” sketch with Lizzo hosting is incredible.
• My diet consists primarily of oatmeal, soup, and soft bread. I can still taste things, but they’re a tad…duller? It’s pretty slight.
• Also the front of my neck feels tender. This is weird.
• Wordle: In three!
• Currently feeling: Despite the rocky morning, I had a bit more energy towards the evening, so huzzah for that! But also, ugh, my head and chest are so stuffy.
• Currently looping: NEW LORNA SHORE! “Sun//Eater” came out when I was in SF, so I totally missed it.

Day Eight Hundred and Five (5/26/22)

• Woke up at 5am, which began three hours of on and off coughing. But hey, my sore throat feels pretty minimal now!
• So much coughing.
• Had enough energy to take a shower. Huzzah!
• That feeling when you think, “I feel so much better!” but also can’t go into the living room because you don’t want to expose your mother to a highly contagious virus.
• I need more tissues, folks.
• Donated to Everytown. Because I can’t read the news without sobbing.
• Started the “Shadow and Bone” series on Netflix. Dang, I’m a sucker for a half-Asian female lead. Got through three episodes.
• Oh snap, “Stranger Things” releases new episodes tomorrow!
• <exorcist cough>
• When I cough, I have to grab my chair and use it to brace, because this girl does not have a strong cough. Thanks, SCI.
• The boyfriend texted that he has tested positive for covid. Girlfriend of the year here,  people. It’s like, “Hey, I just got back from San Francisco and I brought you the first disease you’ve experienced in over two years!” Or who knows, maybe we were exposed to covid at the same time and just had different incubation periods.
• Wordle: In five!
• Currently feeling: So much less miserable! Huzzah for Theraflu and fluids! And for being at the point in a relationship when you inevitably get your partner sick? I don’t know. Is that a milestone?
• Currently looping: Episodes of “Shadow and Bone,” haha. Although that’s more bingeing than looping.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, wear a mask, and if you feel flu-like symptoms, keep testing for covid even if the first few come up negative!