What Our Year of Remote School Looked Like.
We kept up that paper chain, adding one link at a time every day. We kept trying to find good things to report, remember, write down. We had to buy more and more tissue paper, more and more scotch tape. Eventually we had to walk sideways along that wall, to not snag our shoulders on the links, then not to snag our elbows, and then not to snag our wrists. Then we stopped walking along that wall entirely, because it was too easy to trip.
We stopped adding links at exactly the one-year mark. Truth be told, we had actually been back at school part time for a few days by then, but 51 weeks of tissue paper chain felt unbalanced, we might as well go for the full year, we thought. Plus, I wasn’t really sure the whole back-to-school thing would stick.
And then, even though we weren’t adding to it, the links stayed on the wall, mostly because I didn’t know what to do with them. I still don’t. I ended up buying a clear rubbermaid container. In the garage, through the plastic, the multi-colored links look like a remnant from a very big party.
As an exercise, as I boxed them up I decided to type out the whole list, (almost) every day from March 17, 2020 to March 16, 2021. I opened a bottle of wine and went for it. It was surprising how much I had already forgotten, how long my optimism lasted, how vague I was (“8/25/2020 They’ve all just gone insane.” Who? That could mean literally anyone!), and really, how we managed at all.
3/17/2020: Grandpa brought donuts and carrots.
3/18/2020: It was fun to stay home with the cats.
3/19/2020: Parking lot tennis.
3/20/2020: Tennis court tennis.
3/21/2020: WEEKEND.
3/22/2020: Sunday and beautiful rain.
3/23/2020: Donald Trump made me so angry that I started sewing face masks.
3/24/2020: Shoulder yoga made a huge difference today.
3/25/2020: “Math was fun today.”
3/26/2020: We sat in the sun and read.
3/27/2020: Took a much needed nap.
3/28/2020: Arlo built a super rad cat fort.
3/29/2020: Finished a bunch of masks.
3/30/2020: Delivered masks to Dad and Uncle John.
3/31/2020: Only one more day.
4/1/2020: It’s finally not March anymore.
4/2/2020: Karate in the living room and Sensei called Rose a tiger.
4/3/2020: Computer games with Vikram.
4/4/2020: We found the pig.
4/5/2020: We have systems now!
4/6/2020: Rose made an appearance during my staff meeting.
4/7/2020: Nothing good happened today and John Prine died.
4/8/2020: We caved and went to McDonalds. They have Guava Pie?
4/9/2020: “Spanish was fun and the worry dolls were fun.”
4/10/2020: Made more worry dolls.
4/11/2020: Took a long nap.
4/12/2020: It was Easter and I cleaned the whole house.
4/13/2020: Difficult email written. Now what?
4/14/2020: Ms. Melendez was in the news.
4/15/2020: Easter Bunny was late.
4/16/2020: Arlo basically built Falling Water in Minecraft.
4/17/2020: There was a power outage and then it ended (but not before I figured out how to open the garage door without electricity).
4/18/2020: Bruce and Rose crashed karate zoom.
4/19/2020: After almost a year of living here, we found the recycling room!
4/20/2020: Mom’s Night Zoom call.
4/21/2020: Earthquake!
4/22/2020: Bruce loves Arlo.
4/23/2020: “Math was fun.”
4/24/2020: Beastie Boys documentary. Twice.
4/25/2020: Ten years ago tonight, I stayed up all night, wishing I’d go into labor.
4/26/2020: Arlo’s QuarenTEN drive by birthday party.
4/27/2020: Arlo’s 10th birthday!
4/28/2020: “Apple Arcade has a video game about Assemble With Care.”
4/29/2020: Birthday balloons from Grandpa.
4/30/2020: Shared the birthday drive-by party video to friends (also: April is finally over).
5/1/2020: May Day. We went outside and read.
5/2/2020: Red plankton = luminescent blue waves, and seeing people in the world was kind of lovely and kind of scary.
5/3/2020: Auntie Nono’s birthday!
5/4/2020: Arlo got to see Mr. Zakaria.
5/5/2020: Teacher Appreciation Day.
5/6/2020: I’m really enjoying Normal People.
5/7/2020: “Story Finite!”
5/8/2020: NOT a good day (Worse than John Prine).
5/9/2020: I finally got to sleep.
5/10/2020: Mother’s Day.
5/11/2020: Satiya is a good friend.
5/12/2020: Pirate costume.
5/13/2020: Pirate walk through the neighborhood.
5/14/2020: Pirate school drive-by.
5/15/2020: Arlo’s glasses came.
5/16/2020: Kitchen haircuts. Pandemic blue mohawk for the kidlet.
5/17/2020: Woke up with the double decker bus toy in my bed.
5/18/2020: Called in “power outage” and slept all day.
5/19/2020: Started a new Arlo Finch book.
5/20/2020: Arlo stayed in his bathrobe all day long.
5/21/2020: “Made an army man movie”
5/22/2020: “It would be nice to have a yacht.”
5/23/2020: Downton Abbey marathon.
5/24/2020: Watched all of Run. Merritt Wever is amazing.
5/25/2020: Joseph Frankl quote from Sue.
5/26/2020: Pizza taste test.
5/27/2020: We sat outside and read and saw the hawk.
5/28/2020: $100,000 donation at work.
5/29/2020: Tennis.
5/30/2020: SPACE LAUNCH!
5/31/2020: No good news.
6/1/2020: With June came the explosion of so many years (and so many days) tight with anger
6/2/2020: Bruce was so glad to see Arlo.
6/3/2020: Arlo’s “How to Eat Fried Worms” book report presentation.
6/4/2020: Arlo’s letter to the principal.
6/5/2020: Tested the escape room with Alicia and Alex and I laughed until I cried.
6/6/2020: Put everything Winter away.
6/7/2020: The house is so clean.
6/8/2020: Grandpa’s 76th birthday and Alumni Day at work.
6/9/2020: It’s hot. Does that mean it’s summer?
6/10/2020: “The last day of 4th Grade!”
6/11/2020: Arlo stayed in his pajamas all day long.
6/12/2020: Arlo successfully defended his Minecraft village via cacti.
6/13/2020: 1st beach day!
6/14/2020: The yearly Big Cleanup of the Kid Room.
6/15/2020: I love phone calls with Jenn.
6/16/2020: Finished Downton Abbey
6/17/2020: Vovo and Auntie Amy’s birthdays!
6/18/2020: Anderson .Paak’s “Lockdown”
6/19/2020: Juneteenth and driveway visits with Grandpa.
6/20/2020: Netflix has a show called Floor is Lava.
6/21/2020: Summer Solstice.
6/22/2020: Monday night Mom’s Night Zoom call.
6/23/2020: 100 Days. That’s all.
6/24/2020: Arlo’s impression of Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is remarkable.
6/25/2020: Arlo’s Stapler Plant improv was so good.
6/26/2020: [No link]
6/27/2020: We built a stop motion theater out of cardboard for the neighborhood art show.
6/28/2020: International premiere of Cops and Robbers. Written, produced, and directed by Arlo.
6/29/2020: An independent bookstore is opening downtown!
6/30/2020: Reorganized the bookshelves.
7/1/2020: No good news, save for it’s finally July now. Things are closing down again. There was a case at work.
7/2/2020: Rode in one of the condo golf carts.
7/3/2020: “Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton.”
7/4/2020: Read 1776 chapter of A People’s History of the US.
7/5/2020: A strange sense of well-being.
7/7/2020 [sic]: Matilda painted her face like a cat.
7/7/2020: Traggy slept with Arlo.
7/8/2020: No idea of what was good. Had to go into work for a little bit and sat in my office for an hour.
7/9/2020: Nothing will be very good for a little bit: Traggy is very sick.
7/10/2020: ❤️ TRAGGY ❤️
7/11/2020: Free Slurpee Day was cancelled.
7/12/2020: Beach Day (stop crying).
7/13/2020: LAUSD won’t be opening in the fall. That was brave.
7/14/2020: Bought a monstera plant at Trader Joe’s.
7/15/2020: Arlo built a Shanty Town in Computer Cardboard Camp
7/16/2020: iPad playdate with Levi.
7/17/2020: Badminton and Pizza outside with Grandpa and it felt almost normal. Or at least not bad.
7/18/2020: Watched the whole last season of Big Little Lies.
7/19/2020: Finally got the cats collars and tags.
7/20/2020: Bruce can take his collar off. That was fun.
7/21/2020: A good Parents’ Association meeting. Fingers crossed.
7/22/2020: Arlo took over a corner of the living room and named it ARLOLANDIA.
7/23/2020: New sheets and kitchen haircuts.
7/24/2020: Phone call with Matilda and Auntie Amy.
7/25/2020: A new work chair for home.
7/26/2020: We found brand new nerf guns in the recycling room.
7/27/2020: Monday night Mom’s Zoom call.
7/28/2020: A much needed long walk.
7/29/2020: Picked up the yearbooks.
7/30/2020: Earthquake!
7/31/2020: Muppet Show on Disney.
8/1/2020: Well, it’s August. There’s that.
8/2/2020: Listened to Concrete Blonde and made masks all day.
8/3/2020: It’s August. What’s next?
8/4/2020: Twenty weeks.
8/5/2020: Arlo bought a toy chicken at target.
8/6/2020: Auntie Amy asked what the chicken’s name was and Arlo said, “Dang it, I forgot!” But Amy thought he said, “Danny Apricot.” So that’s the chicken’s name now.
8/7/2020: Last day of improv camp. That got rough.
8/8/2020: We built the exercise bike and Arlo rode 2 miles.
8/9/2020: Arlo cleaned and mopped his room.
8/10/2020: The fake bike ride inspired a real one.
8/11/2020: Kamala Harris!
8/12/2020: Finally renewed my Driver’s License.
8/13/2020: [No link]
8/14/2020: Arlo and the polaroid camera
8/15/2020: Middle School online open houses (and it’s so hot!)
8/16/2020: Another beach day.
8/17/2020: Impromptu Department meeting in the middle of Planning Week?
8/18/2020: All the parents are in the same boat: Printed lists.
8/19/2020: Barack Obama, Liz Warren, HRC, & Kamala Harris at the DNC Convention.
8/20/2020: Pizza night.
8/21/2020: Well we all rolled our eyes at that department meeting.
8/22/2020: Arlo finished building a minecraft world for his dad’s birthday.
8/23/2020: Got his school area set up.
8/24/2020: Andy’s birthday.
8/25/2020: They’ve all just gone insane.
8/26/2020 [No link]
8/27/2020: 5th grade car parade.
8/28/2020: Nothing good.
8/29/2020: Saturday sleep-in with Arlo.
8/30/2020: Ready to go back to the office part-time? (No.)
8/31/2020: I love this apartment.
9/1/2020: First Day of 5th Grade!
9/2/2020: Best day on a bike so far!
9/3/2020: The beginnings of a new cardboard house for Bruce.
9/4/2020: Risking our lives for a hotel stay just because of air conditioning.
9/5/2020: And we brought the cats.
9/6/2020: This was the worst idea ever and we’re all going to get covid. But at least we have air conditioning.
9/7/2020: Home.
9/8/2020: I swear to God, I feel sick.
9/9/2020: So much smoke in the air, the sky looks like Tatooine.
9/10/2020: Taco Thursday.
9/11/2020: Picked up school materials. Let’s go fifth grade.
9/12/2020: Well, at least Fun Day is over.
9/13/2020: A new blue desk.
9/14/2020: Drove to see Sue before she left for PA.
9/15/2020: A text from an old friend.
9/16/2020: Arlo interviewed Auntie Nono about Portland.
9/17/2020: Arlo got Minecraft working on the old ipad
9/18/2020: Today was the worst day and RBG died.
9/19/2020: Arlo was brave at karate.
9/20/2020: Arlo’s written interview with Auntie Nono was great.
9/21/2020: First day of Fall, and we’re three seasons in.
9/22/2020: But really, TODAY was the first day of Fall.
9/23/2020: Arlo’s bike scab fell off; he can heal!
9/24/2020: Back to School Night, as it was.
9/25/2020: Driveway visit with Grandpa.
9/26/2020: An afternoon nap.
9/27/2020: Entire house is clean and I love it here.
9/29/2020 [sic]: A much needed extra day off.
9/29/2020: “Will you just shut up, man?” — Joe Biden
10/1/2020: Arlo drew Van Gogh’s room.
10/2/2020: Trump has…COVID?
10/3/2020: A new friend.
10/4/2020: A clean house again.
10/5/2020: Just a new book.
10/6/2020: Steven Miller has COVID.
10/7/2020: Arlo’s poem about the fly on Mike Pence’s head.
10/8/2020: A very thoughtful meeting
10/9/2020: A four hour drive to what felt like the top of the world but what was just actually Mulhollland.
10/10/2020: [No link]
10/11/2020: Made RBG masks.
10/12/2020: Took the afternoon off.
10/13/2020: Regarding work: when you count the numbers, I did all right.
10/14/2020: Arlo loves VR (great).
10/15/2020: WE VOTED!
10/16/2020: Arlo worked on his Radium Man movie.
10/17/2020: Outdoor playdate with Matteo.
10/18/2020: Breakfast at Cafe Laurent. Out, finally?
10/19/2020: Finally got sleep last night.
10/20/2020: Lunch outside with Angie and the new puppy, Tigerlily.
10/21/2020: Sherif said a very sweet thing at work.
10/22/2020: We made up a superfun game about the Electoral College. Really.
10/23/2020: More work stuff, but I finished the damn letters.
10/24/2020: Sorkin’s Chicago 7 is amazing.
10/25/2020: [no link]
10/26/2020: Despite feeling like I got nothing done, I did all right.
10/27/2020: DODGERS WIN THE WORLD SERIES!
10/28/2020: Arlo got to see ALL the grandparents.
10/29/2020: New phone!
10/30/2020: Halloween car parade and then drive-in movie at the zoo. Invisible Men costumes won the backpack full of candy.
10/31/2020: Neighborhood halloween parade. This feels both sad and super cute.
11/1/2020: It’s finally not October.
11/2/2020: I took vacation this week. And then I cried all day today.
11/3/2020: We do, at least in theory, have free and fair elections. And of course we know nothing. Fingers crossed.
11/4/2020: Still don’t know.
11/5/2020: STILL WAITING. And we are subsisting on a diet of Chris Cuomo, Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, Jacob Soboroff and, of course, Steve Kornacki.
11/6/2020: Oh my god, WE STILL DON’T KNOW..
11/7/2020: JOE BIDEN! KAMALA HARRIS!
11/8/2020: Spent all day cleaning any dirt that may have accumulated during the previous presidential administration out of my house.
11/9/2020: It’s COLD. Which means we’ve spun back around to winter time.
11/10/2020: The cats are afraid of the heater.
11/11/2020: Update: Bruce is not afraid of the heater if Arlo is here.
11/12/2020: Arlo is a terrible liar.
11/13/2020: As it turns out, Biden won PA, MI, WI, AZ, GA, AND NV.
11/14/2020: Arlo interviewed Uncle John for a school project.
11/15/2020: Some families just don’t get this.
11/16/2020: Well, thank god for The Crown.
11/17/2020: Good friends like Jeena.
11/18/2020: [No link]
11/19/2020: I love working with Alicia.
11/20/2020: Walked across the new pedestrian bridge to the park.
11/21/2020: Went through Grandma’s things.
11/22/2020: Almost finished with these damn application essays.
11/23/2020: Things are really not looking good.
11/24/2020: Grateful for good friends and good tv and thanksgiving break and computers.
11/25/2020: Among Us is fun.
11/26/2020: THANKSGIVING
11/27/2020: We had pie for breakfast and stayed in bed all day.
11/28/2020: Well, we at least tried to take a walk.
11/29/2020: The day I tried to make homemade chicken soup and drained the broth down the sink by accident.
11/30/2020: I was brave and drove to Topanga.
12/1/2020: Giving Tuesday was a success and at least I’m not as dumb as some people.
12/2/2020: No one is doing ok through all of this.
12/3/2020: It’s Jonathan’s 35th birthday and I’m super grateful for him, even though he is a giant dumbass.
12/4/2020: Holiday card photo TAKEN.
12/5/2020: House clean.
12/6/2020: Made the living room look so pretty.
12/7/2020: Literally no one is doing ok.
12/8/2020: 98% to the funding goal at work.
12/9/2020: Middle school open classroom meeting and these teachers are super cool.
12/10/2020: Computer lady date with Nicole.
12/11/2020: Christmas tree!
12/12/2020: Arlo got two stripes on his purple belt and Sensei called him a Samurai.
12/13/2020: Slow Sunday. Though I’d doubt I’d recognize a fast one.
12/14/2020: [No link]
12/15/2020: A good day at work.
12/16/2020: I made Sherif’s Day.
12/17/2020: Satiya is a good friend.
12/18/2020: Luke and R2D2 on the Mandalorian.
12/19/2020: Thank goodness for Grandpa.
12/20/2020: Good news for good friends!
12/21/2020: On the darkest day, here’s hoping things start to get lighter.
12/22/2020: A lovely conversation with the operator at See’s Candies.
12/23/2020: It’s kind of ok if the day before Christmas Eve is just ok.
12/24/2020: Grandpa made our entire Christmas dinner in to-go containers (including Arlo’s Shirley Temple) and we opened presents by zoom.
12/25/2020: Christmas Day and a LEGO play date and Andrew Bird and Baby Yoda.
12/26/2020: Boxing Day and Arlo played until after dark.
12/27/2020: Quiet Sunday at home.
12/28/2020: Bridgerton was a trip.
12/29/2020: Christmas cards (ha!) addressed though not yet sent.
12/30/2020: Sand sledding with friends.
12/31/2020: Arlo made it til midnight!
1/1/2021: It is finally NOT 2020.
1/2/2021: A dawdle-full Saturday.
1/3/2021: Woke up early. Stayed in bed. Worked, researched, paid bills, and I’m ready for January.
1/4/2021: Arlo was a brave little COVID test taker.
1/5/2021: I’m killing it at work.
1/6/2021: Nazi terrorists attacked the Capitol. Shut it down. Erected a gallows. Spread literal shit on the walls. One of them was wearing horns.
1/7/2021: Someone came to their senses and we’re working from home again until 2/1.
1/8/2021: Three hours on the phone with the washing machine company.
1/9/2021: Searched far and wide for quarters.
1/10/2021: Finally clean laundry.
1/11/2021: Really glad school is still closed.
1/12/2021: Went to sleep at 9:30pm
1/13/2021: One year later and another impeachment.
1/14/2021: Late evening play dates with Mateo.
1/15/2021: Friday afternoon six feet away neighborhood hangout in lawn chairs with cocktails in travel cups.
1/16/2021: [No link}
1/17/2021: House is clean.
1/18/2021 House is clean [Did I not remember yesterday?]
1/19/2021: One day more.
1/20/2021: Inauguration Day. I thought we’d never make it.
1/21/2021: For the first time in four years the only news was not much news.
1/22/2021: I love my colleagues.
1/23/2021: A rainy night.
1/24/2021: Got Dad and Debbie their vaccine appointments.
1/25/2021: Braved the eye doctor.
1/26/2021: I can’t believe I waited this long to get a new therapist.
1/27/2021: [No link]
1/28/2021: [No link]
1/29/2021: [No link]
1/30/2021: New glasses!
1/31/2021: Sundays are for napping.
2/1/2021: January went on forever.
2/2/2021: Two hour long webinars have turned into a gift.
2/3/2021: Oh my god, work set me free.
2/4/2021: Satiya is a really good friend.
2/5/2021: Everything feels weird and jangly.
2/6/2021: Arlo and Mateo spend a lot of time staring at the sky.
2/7/2021: [No link]
2/8/2021: Caught up with an old friend.
2/9/2021: Possibilities…
2/10/2021: I’m doing it.
2/11/2021: Last year this weekend, Nicole came down from Portland and we spent the weekend doing things that we may never do ever again.
2/12/2021: Birthday eve with Arlo.
2/13/2021: My birthday and I cannot believe my friends, especially Julie and Tina.
2/14/2021: SLEEP.
2/15/2021: Even more weekend.
2/16/2021: EVEN MORE WEEKEND.
2/17/2021: [No link]
2/18/2021: Arlo and Mateo played all day. Apparently they spend a lot of time laying in the grass six feet away from each other and looking at the sky.
2/19/2021: Skateboarding.
2/20/2021: [No link]
2/21/2021 Cleaning.
2/22/2021: Half the kids at school are back at school and my god this feels dumb.
2/23/2021: Lawrence Ferlinghetti died, and I once read Anne Sexton while he napped in the same room.
2/24/2021: Lunch with third graders is actually kind of funny.
2/25/2021: Writing group and I got to see Laurie’s face!
2/26/2021: Took two days off and gave myself a five-day weekend, and let’s go (do nothing)!
2/27/2021: As it turns out, “do nothing” means watch Timothée Chalamet movies all weekend.
2/28/2021: All the other months took so long but February went so fast.
3/1/2021: Broke the Vacay Chalamet marathon for an interview.
3/2/2021: Mom’s vaccination!
3/3/2021: About three years late to Boy Genius, but I listened to “Bite the Hand” about three thousand times today.
3/4/2021: Holy crap, I got a vaccination appointment.
3/5/2021: Moderna Shot #1 in the books. My fingers are numb, but there seems to be a light at the end of this tunnel.
3/6/2021: They should have listed “cranky as fuck” as a possible side effect.
3/7/2021: I still can’t lift my arm.
3/8/2021: Arlo started school part-time. This week last year was the week everything happened.
3/9/2021: I forgot how noisy the world is.
3/10/2021: Arlo is super into Dungeons and Dragons.
3/11/2021: Last year, this morning, Arlo and his class left for Astrocamp for three days, and then the pandemic was declared in the afternoon.
3/12/2021: This was a hard Friday. It’s been a year. It’s overwhelming.
3/13/2021: Did lots of work from bed, mostly because I couldn’t get out of bed.
3/14/2021: [No link]
3/15/2021: So much rain.
3/16/2021: It’s been a year. It’s still happening. I said it would be two weeks. We’re both pretty done with this project. But to return to good things: we’re all here. And this year, that’s something.
