What We Are UP To: The Reentry Edition

Thank you so much for being patient the past few weeks. Like many people, we’ve been busy with vaccinations and thinking about reentry! While we’ve been waiting for this moment for a while, it’s possible that on some level, reentry could actually be more challenging that sheltering. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Watching | Falcon and the Winter Soldier

> Regular readers of Unretirement Project know we’re Marvel fans. We finished watching WandaVision recently and just started on this new show. However, we do have a tough decision to make with our reentry: when will we feel comfortable going to a movie theater? There are lots of exciting movies coming out in the months to come.

Reading | The Stand

> I’m not a big horror fan, but I do love Stephen King’s writing. Since the pandemic started, people have been talking about “The Stand” and I had never read it. Finally got my hands on a copy. It’s the “uncut” version – 1308 pages! So far, it’s off to a good start but I have a lot more pages to go. Something tells me that I’ll be well into reentry before I finish this one.

Remembering | The “next normal” is what we make it

> I keep reminding myself that returning to normal doesn’t necessarily mean a return to everything we used to do. We’ve developed some good habits over the past year that we want to keep. And we’ve gotten rid of some old habits that we don’t want to start again.

Working On | Vacation plans

> Like many of you, we’ve had several vacations cancelled over the past year. I’m not sure if we will get a lengthy vacation in this year but we are finding that travel accommodations are in demand. We’ve looked at a few trips over the past few weeks that are marked “sold out”. It’s clear that we’re not the only ones missing travel.

Feeling | Good

> While we’re certainly not done with COVID-19, things seem to be moving in a positive direction. Vaccinations are up and cases and deaths are down in many places. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are offering more guidance on the things we are able to do as part of our safe reentry and return to society. It’s great to be able to do more activities, but we’re playing it cautious.

Planning | A day trip

> As part of our reentry, we’re planning a few day trips. Gainesville is a small city, so we’ve decided to drive to a larger city (like Orlando or Tampa) to run some errands. It’s a good way to get our car on the open highway and when we’re ready to come home…we can. There’s also a terrific barbecue place right outside the city, so we can stop for some takeout on the way back home.

Loving | Nail Oil Pens

> One of the habits that I started during the pandemic was using a nail oil pen on my cuticles. I haven’t been going for manicures and my nails were quite a mess. I read somewhere about a writer who kept a nail oil pen on their desk and used it every morning. So, I decided to give it a try. Very easy habit to develop and it really makes a difference! While I’m looking forward to manicures as part of my reentry, I will not be abandoning this new habit.

Geeking | Spaceship Earth speaker holder

> If you have an Amazon Echo dot or a Google Mini Nest, this holder is so cool! It’s a 3D printed copy of Disney’s Spaceship Earth, the iconic ride at the entrance to EPCOT. The dot/Nest sits on top, and it has a port for the cords to come out the back. Fun for kids and adult kids alike. 

What’s UP with you? Let us know what you have planned for your reentry!