Dave Shelters in Place: Day 1

Today was Day 1 of our Shelter in Place as ordered by Governor Bullock to help lessen the spread of COVID-19 in the state of Montana. It was also my birthday today, and how often do you get to have a birthday in the middle of a pandemic? I was curious to see how this would go.

Here's how I spent Day 1:

• Got out of bed around 7 a.m. and enjoyed a cup of coffee while I reflected on my life in my journal.That's what you're supposed to do on your birthday, right? Reflect? Turns out the last 55 years did not go as I had thought they would, since I'm currently not living on the millions of dollars I made as a stand-out major league baseball player.

• Watched the news to get caught up on the pandemic and see how we're doing in fighting it. The number of confirmed cases is going up--which we expected--but it's good to know that the United States is actually near the bottom for the percentage of deaths related to COVID-19. Right now it's about 1.4%, Italy is over 10%.

• Enjoyed my birthday breakfast of bacon & eggs with a candle placed in the middle of my pancake. Nice touch, Candice!

• After breakfast, co-host Ally & hubby John paid a surprise visit to deliver birthday balloons. Of course, in the middle of a pandemic, you don't come to the door. You leave the balloons on the lawn, tied to a rock so they don't blow away. Thanks Ally & John!

• Played a game of bottle flip (watch video below) with James. It's all fun & games until someone (James) knocks something off the wall. Oops!

• Worked out and then took a walk around the neighborhood. Hardly anyone was out and about. I didn't pass any other people walking, and the one jogger who approached me made sure she was the appropriate six-feet away. If she hadn't, I was ready to move further to the side.

• Watched an episode of Yellowstone with Candice while Super James napped, followed by a game of computer baseball with James when he woke up. Angels lost, as usual.

• Instead of going out to dinner, because, you know, there's a pandemic and no restaurants are open for dine-in, Candice made me a birthday dinner of salmon, rice, snap peas, and wine, with my favorite: a hot fudge sundae for desert! Lucky me!

Apparently, you can enjoy a nice birthday while sheltering in place in the middle of a world-wide pandemic. Wonder how I'll celebrate next year? In a plague of locusts; with a burning meteorite in my backyard; or an every 100-year-blizzard/snowstorm? Can't wait to find out because that means I'll have lived another year!

How's your shelter in place going? Email me and let me know!