I Gots The Covid!!

Bittersweet weekend for me. And before we get to the weekend that just passed, I have a family member in isolation under my roof. They tested positive for COVID-19 while away on their vacation trip. It’s Russian Roulette. They’ve been in isolation for a week and a half.

So this past weekend I woke up feeling a little under the weather as they say. Major allergies are what I’m thinking. And with reason, the past 48 hours have been non-stop 70mph gusts of sand here in the valley. And it’s still blowing on writing this. I wasn’t feeling it, going to class. but when I used to ride, road cycling, I remembered some of my best rides starting with me feeling like crap. So I went to class.

Class is my escape from everyday bullshit, I just love going. I get to talk shit to the young guys and they give it back too…lol. I joke on how they tie their belts so neatly and what not. I got a rare roll with the professor, I rolled as long as I could with a razor sharp focus…but that lasted 2 minutes…until I got folded in half. What fun!! I noticed he had pulled 4 stripes of tape and had them hanging on the wall. I thought to myself, nice, four of us are getting a stripe! And I had a very strong suspicion that one of those was mine. Been two years since my first stripe as a purple belt. It’s been a rough 2 years for me though with many of a blue belt days in between, I read about it but understand it now. You’ll have some blue belt days. And I’ve had some very good rolls the same. Maybe I’m just playing catch up to where I should be, God knows I wish I could be that gym rat again.

Professor calls out the blue belt and tapes on his belt his first stripe as a blue belt. He was called first ..I thought right then and there… nope..not my day. And to be honest I would have been fine with not getting a stripe that day. After all, I only show up once a week and I’m an old fart now, I feel lucky where I’m at anyways. Sometimes I don’t, Purple Belts and up seem to be major targets! My name gets called…and he’s applying the last three tapes to my belt…I think I asked him…”are you sure?” He replies, “They’re gonna come after you now” I’ll be ready.

4 striped purple belt .. I’m knee deep in it now. Talk about pressure, I’m already planning mid week runs to get my stamina up. Then comes Sunday. I feel worse than I did the day before. Severe allergies! What else could it be! My wife encouraged me (at gun point) to take the Covid test. We have half a dozen of them quick tests here at our house. I tested twice that morning and both said I was positive for COVID-19. Fuck me.

So after informing the professor and my boss, I get tested again at the urgent care facility, and yup, I’m positive. I’ve been in isolation for 2 days so far. Been dealing with small fevers, congestion and cough. The new 2020-22.. se la vi..

A minor setback, I’ve had worse setbacks. Life, what can you do, just keep going. Can’t wait to get back on the mats!!