I made my two human connections yesterday, which the CDC says is the minimum daily requirement or THEY SHOULD. I feel as though my tank is full, if temporarily. This is another day.

I actually like my idea up there. I like the idea of getting close to the end of a day and realizing I haven't spoken to another person outside of this house. I like the idea of video chat trolling, desperately inviting people to Zoom or Facebook or Google Meet, just so I can check it off my list. Like exercise for my humanity. I may do this.

In a funny way, both of these hook-ups had glitches involved. I've begun to think of these things, which are probably just normal random events, as Covid Cognition, the fuzzy thinking so many of us seem to be experiencing. As I said last night, who among us hasn't recently put something totally inappropriate in the refrigerator? Like a flashlight or maybe pottery? Case rested.

So for my first conversation, the other person just forgot and had to reschedule for later in the day. On the second, just before I logged in to the Zoom meeting, I got an email telling me it had been canceled. It was a weird email, though, with wrong dates, and I eventually checked anyway and there they were, chatting away. Covid Cognition Disorder. We're all a little blurry right now.

We also squeezed Taco Tuesday in there, just in the nick of time. I've had to learn lessons about eating that took place long before our current situation. I started a business out of my basement in 1990, and by 1991 I'd put on maybe 50 pounds. There were more pounds, and a lot of years of frustration over this – and a fair amount of disordered eating and other behavior – to figure out what I needed to do about eating while working at home, and I'm still not there. I know what to do; I don't always do it.

My wife says she's gained 10 pounds, and even though my first reaction was to think, probably not really, my second reaction was to think, that makes sense. We're into our 11th week, and a pound every seven days isn't unreasonable. I'm just saying. It could happen.

I'm not having any weight issues, just hunger ones. I think I got used to having grocery stores within easy walking distance, and to having a handy excuse to get in a little exercise, so I'd be stopping by several times a week. Just to pick up produce, say, but also swing by the deli or the frozen food section or the energy bar aisle. I'm never far away from food, in other words.

And now things are different, that's all. If I'm hungry and there's nothing I want to eat, in most cases I won't eat. It doesn't happen a lot (I've adjusted) and it's not affecting my weight, but I was in one of those spots yesterday, just not in the mood to gnaw on one of those pork chops in the fridge, so I was grateful we had the taco option.

So. Fuzzy thinking and food issues. There must be more.

Well, mood. Sure. I should note that my wife and son take medications that affect their moods (in a good way). My wife seems to be very stable (and happy, at the moment), and my son takes such a tiny dose of these that it's easy to increase it a little bit – he's been doing the telemedicine thing with his doctor and they seem to be handling it just fine.

And I'm fine, you know? Lonely, a bit bored, dull and eager to be human again. I've spent 72 days twiddling my thumbs and by reasonable standards, I'm doing OK. I'm mostly not doing enough.

I'm not. I mean, the world isn't turning its lonely eyes toward me, but I'm not really contributing to anything. Words are the only thing I tend to have any skill with, and I haven't had much luck with the words. It doesn’t bother me, but I can't make anyone smile or distract them for a few minutes if I can't write.

I'm not beating myself up at all. I'm not going to save anyone in any case. I just see room for improvement.

I also see a lot of blackberry brambles in the backyard. I have options. Stay safe, my friends.