The last Friday the 13th was in March this year, it was the last time I was out in the world pre-pandemic. Woke up early and went to the gym, not knowing it would be my last time there, ever. For lunch, I met some friends at the Drake Commissary we dined inside. On my way home, I picked up a few beers from Henderson Brewery, mask free. The term ‘social distancing’ was all over the news the following day and Canadians were told to stay home. Sean and I watched Contagion and had no idea we’d still be in this global pandemic, 200+ days later. That week, I’d done a talk at my old high school to the graduating students, had a hair appointment, photoshoot, and wrote about going to the gym. On Monday, we made a decision to come to the cottage and packed up everything to stay up in the woods for a ‘little while’. It’s crazy to think back to the start of this pandemic and where we are today. Cases are on the rise and the modeling shows we might see 5,000+ cases a day come December. We could go into full lockdown mode again. I’m glad to have kept this diary, even for my own memory. I’d have no idea how I passed the days if I hadn’t documented what I’ve been doing or how I’m feeling. Who knows how long we’ll be in pandemic times but one day I’ll look back at this and how it changed the world. Maybe I’ll make it into a book! Sending love form the woods, hang in there, we’ll get through this. Here’s my first pandemic diary post back in March 2020:

It’s happening! We’re starting renovations on our house and I am so excited. This past summer a good friend reached out to me about her client to see if we had any plans to renovate our bathrooms at home or the cottage. After a few months of talking, making plans, and sign-off, we’re renovating both bathrooms at home with American Standard. I am 100% at the age where things like this give me great joy. I loved picking out fixtures, toilets, sinks, and faucets. For years, Sean and I have been thinking about doing renovations but it can be kinda overwhelming. We’re also planning to paint and make some changes to the kitchen. I’ve been building a Pinterest board with ideas and DIY tips for ages. All the current bathroom fixtures and accessories will be moved to the cottage to update that space and saved for our future shipping container project. During our staycation at Hotel X Toronto, I was admiring the nice toilet in our suite when I noticed the brand, American Standard. This is the Townsend Vormax toilet we are getting! Yes, I ‘m excited about a toilet, this is my life now. For the upstairs full bathroom, we’ve picked out matte black fixtures from the American Standard Studio S Collection. They’re modern and similar to the ones below. I can’t wait to paint, tile, and install everything. I’ve been looking up a nice radiator to keep it warm and found some good heating tips. We’re planning to do most of the work ourselves, both Sean and I are pretty handy. We’re starting with the downstairs bathroom in February and making our way to the second larger bathroom next. If you have any tips or thoughts to share about home renovations, I’m all ears! My goal is to…