living arrangements

This is why I call it "my soap opera life".

So before the pandemic I was living with my 88-year-old mother and my three sisters.  I haven't been home since March.  Well, I have socially distanced visits with the family  on the porch and driveway, but I don't go inside the house.  We want to protect my mother from the virus.

Before the pandemic I'd spend my weekends at Drew's house.  I've been Drew's houseguest since March.  Aside from protecting my mother, I began to work "from home", I needed  to set up an office.  Drew's den was the obvious choice.  Drew was home, too, because the school where he teaches went to "distance learning".

We thought we'd quarantine together for a few weeks and then things would go back to normal.  Little did we know.  Eight months later, with no end in sight...

It would have been fine....except that Drew has two housemates.

Marc and Drew have been living together for decades, and have been friends for much longer than that.  Marc was briefly furloughed from his job last spring, but before he even had a chance to apply for unemployment, his company decided he is "essential" and summoned him back.

The third man is "S".  He is divorced.  His ex wife "B" lives nearby, and they share custody of an 11-year-old daughter, "D".  S was furloughed from his job last spring due to the lockdown,  around the same time D's school went to distance learning, so D was here most of the time, and B started hanging out at the house when she was not at work.

Things got better over the summer, S went back to work.  And when schools reopened in September, well, I had the house to myself during business hours.

Ten days ago...Marc came home in the middle of the day.  He'd taken a cab home from the ER.  He had been in an accident.  He'd been on his way to work when he'd been hit by a car.  At first he thought he was just a bit banged up and would be back at work in a week or so, but now we found out he's seriously injured and  it looks like he'll be home through the month  of December.

There were a couple of cases of Covid at Drew's school this week, so the school went to remote learning yesterday and today.  Drew thinks it is likely that the school district may go to all-remote learning within the next few weeks.

It's scary....

But dare I say that this house is starting to feel like Grand Central Station?