April 14

Marijke comes home today. Nothing is quite as special as being hugged by my daughter, social distancing be damned. After a week at her mom’s it’s nice to see her. I’m sure it will make things more interesting around our house.
My morning adventure started with a trip across town to the cell store to get my phone fixed. A trip, it turned out, I did not need to make. I had a new phone to use but it was password protected. I called Bell and they said I had to go to the Bell store to get into it. Accessing a store these days is like an interview to cross a border. The questions begin and I assured the guy that I have not left the country nor am I sick. He lets me in and informs me that he cannot unlock my phone. I try a random password again and it’s at this point the phone informs me it would do a master reset in 9 more failed password attempts. Master reset in place I shake my head and carry on.
Driving across town, traffic is moving and Kelowna feels more normal than it has in over a month. As long as I stay in my truck that is. Another stop and I am told to stand in the box taped on the floor; no wandering around the store. Back in my truck I feel a strong desire to go home and forget to stop and pick up Easter chocolates. It instinctively feels safe to get home again, anxiety lifts from my shoulders as I park the truck.
It’s time to change things up. I want to be the happy positive Dad and get my kid motivated. That’s when I realize I had forgotten the chocolate! Back out the door I go and run to Superstore. I brave the elements and practice the physical distance grocery dance. Grabbing the chocolate Easter eggs and bunny I escape with a few essentials and return home.
What better way to welcome my daughter home than to be the Easter Bunny. Hiding Easter eggs in the yard I laugh to myself. To find these eggs, Marijke will have to come outside. MMMM chocolate, I couldn’t help myself; Easter basket, chocolate eggs and Mr. Solid. Traditions sometimes just need to be kept. The funniest thing was I had to wave the basket in front of my darling daughter to get her to realize that the Easter Bunny had actually showed up.
Three weeks feels like three months in some ways. In other ways it feels like three minutes. Three weeks I have written this journal. Three weeks I have gone for a walk every day. It’s raining but we walk anyway. Every time we walk I have discovered something new. This time I meet the family from just down the hill.
Playing catch and kicking a ball all six of them are laughing and having fun in the rain. We stand across the street and introduce ourselves to Brayden and Nina and their four rambunctious children. They have lived on my street for two years. I really do like meeting all my neighbours. We agree that when this is all over we are going to have a great big block party. As I walk away I am buoyed by the optimistic feeling that the thought of a party brings. A big party, a block party, a social undistance party.