Earlier today, I got my first haircut since the pandemic started (I believe I last went in February). Let’s just say I was way overdue. Well, it’s not like any of us could get haircuts for a while, but since my hair was growing anyway, I decided to grow my bangs longer before getting another haircut. Mission accomplished. With cold/flu/coronavirus season approaching, now seemed like a good time to get it cut. If I have to go 6 months again, I think I can do it.
clogged
The drain in the bathroom was running really slow, so I tried my usual recipe of baking soda and vinegar. But, this time, it only made the problem worse. I then dumped some chemicals down the drain. And, the problem got even worse.
I do not have a drain snake, so I ran to Home Depot and bought a “hair snake” as I figured it was probably filled with hair. Well, I put it through the drain and nothing came out, so then I removed all of the drain pipes and saw that there was a bunch of sludge in the pipe that goes into the wall. I don’t know if the sludge was the original problem or if it was created by all the crap I put down the drain. I was able to clean it out (bonus: without getting a chemical burn!) and I put everything back together. I turned on the water and it flowed freely down the drain. Victory was mine, or so it seemed–the one pipe connection leaked. I got it tightened the best I could but there’s still a small leak I need to address. Perhaps it needs a new washer? We shall find out tonight. Still, I’m glad I didn’t have to call the plumber over this. I will try the drain snake first the next time, though.
first date
It’s has been 27 years since I dated, but here I go again. I had my first “date” with someone yesterday afternoon. We went to Sandyvale to walk around and let our dogs play at the dog park. We do not have another date set up at this time, but I think/hope we will get together again.
Dating during a pandemic is interesting, though not all bad. Going to a dog park is definitely less stressful than going on a traditional date. Once the weather turns cold and outdoor stuff is off the table, I’m not sure how things will work, but I guess I’ll worry about it then. Dating at this age also seems quite a bit different than dating when you’re younger, but maybe that’s just me.
the king of staten island
This movie was partially based on the life of its star, Pete Davidson (of Saturday Night Live fame). I don’t particularly enjoy his comedy, but this was a really good movie. It is the story of a guy in his mid-20s who is forced to grow up after his widowed mother starts dating again after 17 years.
My rating: 4/5
cheating
I haven’t been to a store other than for necessities (i.e. grocery and hardware stores) since the pandemic started. Jake and I go to T.J. Maxx twice a year–March and September. We hit it in March right before things got interesting. And, we went again today. I heard they were handling things pretty well there, so I wasn’t worried about it. They had a greeter at the door who was counting the number of people going in and out of the store. Everyone was masked (of course you always have a few with the mask below their nose!). Let’s hope the world is in better shape when we go again in March.
We were looking for a few things in particular and found most of those, but we didn’t buy a ton of stuff. On our way there, Jake ordered us lunch from Firehouse Subs and we picked that up on our way home. Things almost felt normal today.