Notes on being COVID afflicted, days 3 and 4:
October 31
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I hate having to miss it due to a very non-fantastic, all too mundane bit of horror.
Today my symptoms are better. No head pain. Throat soreness is down. Swallowing isn't a problem. There are fewer hot flashes. I'm generating less in the way of entertaining mucus. Best of all, my attention is more focused and sustained. Few brainfog instances.
I'm sleeping better, but not getting enough, at least for what my body wants. I woke up groggily, having to help family (see below). I feel the pull to nap like a gentle tide, but I resist that, since naps usually leave me more tired, sadly. Maybe I should give in.
On the downside, my adult son just joined me in quarantine. Owain's not sure if I gave the bastard virus to him or if he picked it up at a medical appointment. So we are commiserating and comparing notes. Father-son bonding, sharing a single room in joint misery.
November 1
Woke up tired. In the morning I sat in a chair and in bed, mostly doing emails, but also doing a 10 minute tech check with a Future Trends Forum guest. My work habits are strong.
I tried to relax in the afternoon, playing Civilization (V; for some reason I can't get into VI) with Owain. But my evening class loomed, so I ate lunch (crafted per Gchatted instructions to my un-sick family, desposited outside our door) and did class prep.
My Georgetown seminar on technology and innovation runs 6-8:30 pm, and I raised the possibility of ending it early if my energy flagged. Students were very kind and supporting. I started things off with a student writing exercise. This involved a Google Doc hosting technology and innovation keywords we've monitored since the start of term. They worked from their memories and notes, developing definitions and examples. I gave them some feedback, pointing where they can go next, commending their work. Next up was a student's presentation (on the XBox), which didn't require me to be on the hot seat. (Throughout the semester each student gives a 25-minute interactive presentation on a tech topic of their choice, with my approval and within a framework we've developed. Delightful to see the students learn and also to see their presentational creativity.
Then we shifted to Ruja Benjamin's powerful Race Against Technology for our theme of technology, politics, and justice. The discussion was powerful, as each student explored different parts of the argument, trying out questions and formulations. Emotions built up. International students asked good questions and offered their perspectives. We were also going to address Jill Lepore's critique of disruption, but by 8:20 I was quite drained and drew things together, pointed to next week, and bowed out.
Right after I took a COVID test. Maybe it'll be negative...
Damn it.
At least the second line was faint and slower to appear than last time.
I wanted to relax after class with a movie, yet I couldn't stop my brain from working. I emailed several students to follow up. Fixed up class notes. Did some updating in the Canvas instance. Then it was natural to check Twitter and Mastodon, plus doing more emails and... I don't relax well. I can't switch off the desire to get things done.
Fell asleep after 11 pm.
My days now occur in a few square yards: bedroom, primarily, plus a few feet of hallway and the adjacent bathroom.
I can't relax enough. I keep thinking of housework I need to do, and above all of my professional work. My mind leaps to various engagements and appointments for the next few months, various clients, the new book, the new podcast, the Forum, continuous research (new FTTE due out!), and looming over all a terrifying pile of emails.
I know this is dumb, medically.
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