Ok, so maybe now we know it’s not a flu, and possibly it didn’t start in Chinese bats, but that was a better title than “what-the-hey-is-this-creepy-crud-that-is-filling-up-our-lungs-and-defying-all-efforts-at-eradication” virus.

And i’m simply tired of hearing and reading the dreaded “C” word.

So, i’m not gonna say it. i think we’ve got enough doom and anxiety-producing, terrifying newscasts in our present moment.

So, today i’m going to focus on what POSITIVELY has come into my life thanks to the CBFZA.

YOU.

You are the first thing that’s come into my life. Because, when i became sick with THE virus (or perhaps just A virus that looked very much like THE virus) i had to self-quarantine. For a long, long time. For over 2 months i didn’t see anyone and i don’t know if i’ve ever been so alone. But you all were there for me. i received hundreds of messages and texts and Facebook funny memes and snail mail gifts and offers of soup and bedtime stories and just about anything and everything under the sun that could be emailed, snail mailed or mule mailed.

(i made that last one up. Although there is a mule named Gus who lives across the lane and i have often daydreamed about saddling him up and riding Pony Express style up the canyon delivering important documents, claim stakes and cowboy love letters – or at least teaching him to kick a football – it’s never been done because i’ve forgotten how to ride and Gus HATES ME. Like REALLY hates me. Not even daily attempted carrot bribes can make that mule look at me let alone come over and let me kiss his nose. The cantankerous cus.)

Another biggie that came into my life when the entire world came to a screeching halt was Jack.

Shortly before all this started, i lost my beloved cattle dog, Annie. Her time here on earth slowly came to an end after 14 wonderful years, and her final moments were peaceful. My following moments, however, were filled with grief and heartbreak. i didn’t know if i could ever bear to bring in another four-legged best friend into my life. There could never be another Annie.

But two months of isolation and loneliness can change a person’s perception and like thousands of you across the country, i became ready for another fuzzy sidekick. So, i decided to adopt again.

And wow! So did everyone else! Dogs were swooped up by the hundreds! Shelters and private rescue groups had the unexpected and delightful problem of not having any available dogs in their kennels and foster homes. i was both happy for them but frustrated for me. i would think i found the perfect fun, couch potato pup for me only to receive a response email informing me they had already been adopted. It was nuts!

Then one day, a new face popped up on Petfinder.com and he was right here in a shelter in my home town! i couldn’t believe it. i made an appointment for the next available time and Dad picked me up and drove me to the shelter since i was still not well.

When i arrived he already had four more appointments booked after me! Due to the pandemic, preliminary paperwork was done in the parking lot and we were taken to an outdoor run to be introduced. i felt like i had been given a back stage pass to a famous Korean Pop star (or Shaun Cassidy in my era) and i had only 20 minutes to make him fall in love with me, give up his lifestyle of paparazzi, limousines and televisions thrown out of 5-star luxury hotel windows and come live in a tv-less cabin 25 miles out of town in the middle of nowhere.

(And if you are new here, and wondering how i ended up living alone in a cabin in the woods, you can read about it and my adorable unending optimism here.)

When he was brought in to the yard, i was smitten at first sight. i immediately told the kennel staffer i wanted him, to which she responded that although i only had 20 minutes to decide, i did HAVE to take the full 20 minutes. It was some kind of dog-adoption-time rule that i expect had less to do with adequate socialization time and more with understaffed busy kennel time and the fact that Jack had a very full dance card. So we kissed and hugged (just like when i met Shaun Cassidy! In my dreams!) and impatiently watched the clock on my iPhone until the longest 20 minutes in my life was up and we could sign the papers and take sweet Jack to his new forever home.

We arrived home and Dad left us to settle in and figure out this new life together in our little cabin. And Jack really didn’t have much problem giving up the lights, camera and fifths of vodka in a swimming pool. Over time, he acclimated fairly well to living in a cabin in the woods, although the croaking frogs at night still freak him out.

(To be honest…they kinda do me too. They are LOUD! And always seem to be just “over there…”. Never right where we are. Like some kind of freaky, croaky, out of tune rainbow that only shows up in the dark. But then it wouldn’t be a rainbow. i don’t know the right metaphor. All i know is that’s a LOT of frogs and although one or two frogs are cute, especially if they can sing “It Ain’t Easy Being Green”, what sounds like hundreds of invisible frogs practicing backup vocals to a creepy close-eyed kid playing Dueling Banjos are NOT. Especially when i try to walk toward them and all 352 of them instantly go silent. AT THE SAME TIME. And did i tell you this is at night? Fuuuuuu…. )

There are SO many other awesome things that came into my life thanks to the Zombie Apocalypse. Here’s just a few more:

• Extreme Netflix binge watching
• Enjoy Life handcrafted gluten free soft baked cookies (i buy a variety package of 6 boxes here – because i can eat an entire box in one sitting. NOT sorry.)
• Crocheting Afghans (I really CAN finish one!)
• Walking. Slowly.
• Regular meditation practice
• ZOOM (socializing for introverts!)
• Online board gaming, i.e: BoardGameArena and TableTopia (board games for introverts!)
• Naps. Many, many naps.
• Time. Time to think. Time to rest. Time to play. And to every season turn turn turn… (i couldn’t help myself)
• Pants-free existence
• Attempted home-grown tomatoes (we’ll see how that turns out)
• The realization that at my core, deep down under layers and layers of handcrafted gluten-free cookies, i KNOW there is humor in everything around me. And it is worth writing about. And i am one of those writers.

And that’s a fact, JACK!

Thank you for being a part of this incredible, unbelievable journey.