Seniors- Stay Home

        So, here I am again trying to figure out what to post on the blog, something that keeps me up many nights. Especially after Sharon has posted and made me feel like I'm not holding up my end,

         

click on any picture to enlarge

The quarantine for most of Ecuador has moved from Red light to Yellow Light which, as Sharon noted, means a lot more stuff is open and a lot more movement is happening. But in all the notices from the Government here it is specified that people over 70 should remain at home. On reading that my first thought was "oh, too bad for them” and then I realized, "wait a minute, that’s me”. If you are not my age (OLD) l will let you in on a little secret. When you get to this age (OLD) you can’t figure out how it happened. Just yesterday I was 25. And if you are in good health you look in the mirror in the morning and go "Holy Crap! Who's the old fart?”.  It's gotten so bad I no longer look up while I brushing my teeth. I FEEL 40...(well maybe 50 if I’m being honest), but the powers that be, and the virus, have decided I am frail and about to drop dead any minute. Something that I personally do not intend to do anytime soon.

Always waiting

Now, I go out and walk the dog for an hour early in the morning when no one except me is up and about. And then I go out again around 2pm for 20-30 minutes, again with the dog, and then I go out for a final time just before the curfew at 9pm to have a last pee before bed.  The dog, the dog! Pay attention! And remember, we are on the third floor with no elevator which means a lot of stairs, every day. So, I get enough exercise I think. But I talk to no one, and I am beginning to feel a bit like The Man in the Iron Mask, or the Prisoner of Zenda or something. And the problem is I know the regulations regarding Geezers is not going to change until a vaccine is found. And you know that’s not going to be until this time next year, at the earliest. So, I am thinking of letting the beard grow, and the hair, and the eyebrows, and the nose hair. Then in a years' time I could emerge like one of those guys that has been imprisoned in the tower for years, blinking in the blinding light, squinting at all the fuss, my clothes in rags, and having trouble speaking after all this time. Sharon would lead me to a giant table where a huge feast would be laid out and I would gorge myself on my favorite food, all the while wiping my greasy hands on my beard. Newspapers and TV would try to interview me about how it feels to finally be released. And I would ask only one question, “Who’s the US president?”. If the answer was “Donald Trump”, I would turn and go back to my room saying, “Call me in four years!” as I close the door.

Anyway, that’s how I imagine all this ending, as I daydream while trying to find something new to watch on Netflix or start my next online book. How will it really end? I have no idea, but mine is as good a guess as anyone's, and I am glad we are here in Loja during all this. The weather is consistently lovely, the people I have met are friendly and helpful, and I look forward to getting out and exploring more. Luckily, we have a perfect view across the valley which changes by the hour so as I sit here trying to be slightly creative I am constantly reminded that, aside from a slight case of ennui, things could be a lot worse. And are, for millions of people around the world, and even next door. So as things open up and you go out to your socially distant restaurants and your walks in the park in the sunlight, spare a small thought for us feeble old nitwits who gaze longingly at you through the bars of the castle tower. AND, if you don’t, remember the Monty Python skit about the “Raging Grannies”. Coming soon to an alley near you!