There was a small window in time at some point in July of 2021 where life was beginning to feel a little normal, albeit, the “new normal,” as masks were flung off, dressy outfits were put back on and baseball caps were sent back to the ball field.
Then along came Delta, it sounds like a movie title but instead it’s the name of the new variant that is quickly turning our everyday lives into a mini nightmare. The medical doctor on the last WTNH News 8 segment I watched explained that even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still catch and/or transmit the COVID virus – Yikes! It’s no wonder that it’s spreading like wildfire.
And now the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that all state residents go back to wearing masks inside public buildings.
Yes. Again…Wait, Really?!?
So as of today, me and my fellow News 8 Account Executives continue to work (masked up outside our cubicles) in the same hybrid fashion we started about 14 months ago. Call me crazy but I happen to like working 50 percent from home and 50 percent from the office. I have even created a cozy home office in one corner of my dining room that easily fits my desk, office supplies, desktop computer, office chair, printer and work files. I can’t lie: I’m not looking forward to going back to work in the office 100 percent of the time. Especially since I’ll have to face those crazy, unhinged drivers everyday as opposed to just half the week.
Being the Optimist that I am though, I take a deep breath and remember what I am truly grateful for: I am truly grateful that me, my family and my loved ones are all healthy, fully vaccinated and presently living Covid- free lives.
And I certainly hope and pray the same for all of my TVFL readers.
I am writing this blog post on a semi-wet and blustery Sunday afternoon in the month of May. We are having a true Spring this year and it’s not easy getting used to. Also it’s been 14 months since the pandemic officially started in Connecticut and although some things have changed, others have not…
This is the 7th installment of a (hopefully) limited series of blog posts related to my Covid 19 experience – but 7 is my lucky number so I’m going to go with that (smile).
But first things first, I am still working hybrid — one day operating from home, the next day from my News 8 local sales office — which I absolutely love doing but I fear the end is near…
…the state of Connecticut is fully opening up on May 19th which is a pretty good sign that things are moving towards what is being deemed, the “new normal.”
I can’t lie, I want the “old normal” back and I promise not to complain about anything anymore (double smile).
I’m also still attending my church home, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, via Facebook live. There’s something to be said about hearing and learning about “The Word” virtually from the safety and comfort of your own home…
And I still work out 5 days a week at I Love Kickboxing in North Haven, CT. What has recently changed at ILKB is this: there are no more mask optional classes (just mask-mandatory) nor are there any more limits to class sizes. So with the arrival of earlier sunrises in Connecticut, these early bird class sizes will sometimes swell to capacity.
I’m also super excited to announce that I am now fully vaccinated so a simple mask is my new entry point to getting some of my life back, Yay!
I’m not going crazy though. I am slowly easing myself back into my new life. Pre-Pandemic I was Go-Go-Go, trying to cram everything in all at one time without once stopping to take a break.
Nowadays I’m learning to appreciate the simple things in life. Things that bring me love, peace and joy. I’m also planning for my retirement over the next 4 or 5 years where I will look forward to enjoying a much slower and leisurely pace.
We are now entering the 6th month of living in a pandemic and needless to say, things have changed for me in Connecticut… here’s what I’m noticing:
Masks are still required when you walk into any workplace/school/retail store/restaurant/bank etc. (which, by the way, is not a problem to me…)
Gyms continue to operate at 50% capacity which forces me to work out from home on an online app 3 days out of the 5…and go to my gym I Love Kickboxing (at 5am) the other 2 days..
We Local Account Executives at News 8 continue to work from home every other day in a team hybrid fashion and to be honest, I’m not mad about it (smile).
Zoom calls (the way we now converse with each other and with our clients) are beginning to feel “natural” and “the norm.”
And I just returned from an actual vacay in Delaware where we drove to visit family and because I brought my latop with me, I did not miss a beat on my work load…
Virtual church is becoming “a thing” now, I can hear ‘The Word” from Pastor King at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church right from the safety of my living room…
As far as golf goes, social distancing was already in place so other than having an electric cart all to myself, not much has changed there…
Self Care is becoming extremely important during this anxiety-ridden time…I am not feeling guilt at all about taking out quality time for myself as often as I need it…
And finally, my father and sibs mean the world to me so catching up with them via consistent family Facetime chats has become the best part of my week (smile).
We were desperately in need of a vacation – the goal was somewhere warm, beachy and fun – so the Sunshine state immediately came to mind (with the help of Karen, our travel agent).
We couldn’t of timed it better – we departed from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT on a rainy, dreary Sunday morning in mid-May at 720am and arrived to sunny Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida less than 3 hours later.
Our destination was the Sirata Beach Resort in Clearwater, Florida a half hour from TIA airport (but it took our shuttle service over an hour and a half to get there due to heavy traffic and multiple drop-offs).
It was worth the long wait though once we saw that the resort (although not as new as the promotional video pictured it) was nonetheless cute and quaint (smile).
Sirata Beach Resort (a Marriott Hotel)
After we checked into our City View (as opposed to Ocean View) suite at Sirata Beach Resort, we headed out the door for some much needed grub and a walk on St. Pete’s Beach.
City view as opposed to Ocean view…
Our first stop at the resort for grub was Harry’s Beach Bar because we were starving and because it was literally right in front of us (smile). The food at Harry’s was okay, nothing to write home about, but the peek-a-boo views of the pool and the beach were inviting…
After lunch we went for a long walk on St. Pete’s Beach, touted as the number 1 beach in the U.S. The breathtaking beauty of this beach reminded me of vacationing in the Caribbean- – white sand, baby blue water and lots of big waves.
While walking the beach we could not help but notice how it was sectioned off by resorts in that each individual resort (over the 13 acres of premier beachfront!) had it’s own matching cabanas, beach loungers, chairs and umbrellas perfectly lined up on their own property. Sirata Beach Resort property provided 2 complimentary beach loungers per room per day to their guests. If you wanted front row access (prime real estate) you had to head to the beach by 8am and pay the the attendant $20 for a Sirata Beach umbrella. This reservation ensured that your beach loungers and umbrella would be placed in the front row and that no one could move into your spot for the entire day. Nor could anyone park in front of you. We made front row reservations every day over the next 4 days (smile).
Sirata Beach Resort is a lot of things but it is not all-inclusive. However there are a total of 4 restaurants at the resort which are all decent. One of our favorite casual dining restaurants on the resort was Rum Runners Bar and Grill which also featured live music in the evenings.
And since Sirata Beach Resort is situated on Gulf Boulevard, there are a ton of good restaurant choices – most within walking distance. We discovered a really good seafood restaurant called Crabby Bills 5 minutes from our resort a few days before we departed. It was sooooo good we ate there two days in a row (smile).
Loved Loved Loved Crabby Bills (smile)
As far as night life, we stumbled upon a beautiful hotel while walking along Gulf Boulevard during the day. It had a rooftop deck for drinks and apps and a fine dining restaurant below called Spinners (it literally spun while you dined). This hotel was called the Grand Plaza Hotel. We went there that same evening and sat outside on the rooftop deck for drinks and apps.
Grand Plaza Hotel
While reading about daily activities at the resort I saw that there was a free service called Beach Rides. These vans provide free local rides to resort guests but ask that you leave a tip since this is how they make their living. We called Beach Rides to take us to another local beach called Madeira Beach on our 3rd day. We chose Madeira as were interested in seeing the marina, stopping in the boardwalk shops and taking a dolphin watch tour.
Our Dolphin Watch Tour boat
Our dolphin watch tour was for 1.5 hours and we found it was a quick and easy way to learn about the residents who lived around the bay as well as information about dolphin life. There were a lot of dolphins out that afternoon and we even saw a baby dolphin that the Captain told us had just been born 24 hours ago!
Very active Dolphin tour which we learned that day is not always the case
Excited to see baby dolphins – a rare sight indeed!
Afterwards we ate outdoors at The Hut Bar and Grill while we watched lots of other tours and boat activity. Great day at Madeira Beach.
The following day we were back at our resort. Oh, I forgot to mention that every night during the week the resort offered free drinks at the tiki bar from 730pm to 8pm. You had your choice of beer, wine or rum punch. It was here that we met a nice couple that happened to be Clearwater locals. They were telling us where to go in the short time we had remaining on our trip.
The Tiki Bar party featured free drinks to resort residents every night!
What stuck in my mind was when this couple told us about going to downtown St. Petersburg at night. From the way they described it, it sounded like our kind of town so we took their advice and caught a Beach Rides van to St. Petersburg, FL (15 minutes from Clearwater). We paid a flat fee of $25.00 since it was out of the beach zone and enjoyed a nice stroll at the marina, sightseeing downtown St, Petersburg, a free movie night on the Green, late night snacks outdoors at a popular restaurant and live music session at Ruby’s.
Here we are on a rooftop lounge indulging in adult beverages
Late night snacks on the street (smile)
We loved our time in St. Petersburg and we plan on heading back when we have more time (smile).
Our final day at the resort was spent packing up, spending time on the beach for a last walk and eating out at Crabby Bills. Here is a picture of one of our last nights on the beach.
There’s something about the number 7 that is lucky for me. Here are a few reasons why:
I am one of 7 children
My birthdate2-14, with the single digits added together, equals 7
My actual birthday 14, divided by my birth month, 2 equals 7
My first name Lajeune has exactly 7 letters in it
The first letter of my first name L and all of the letters in my last name Hollis equal 7
And finally, the city I was born in Newport (RI) has 7 letters in it
Speaking of the number 7: 7 years ago, after experiencing excruciating stomach pains, I finally got a colonoscopy and was subseqently informed by my Gastrointestinal doctor that I had colon cancer – Check out my blog post: A Place ofDesert…(almost) 4 years cancerfree.
At my pre-surgery consultation I told my soon-to-be Yale New Haven Healthcare surgeon, Dr. Schlessel, that I had already planned a trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina the following month (July) to spend some quality time with my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from New Jersey. I also told Dr. Schlessel I had already rented the condo, the mini -van and even bought additional car insurance…
Incidentally, while this was all happening, I was getting some serious opposition from different people in my life who collectively felt that I was crazy to take the trip. They all pretty much said the same thing: ‘you have Cancer, what if something happens to you on that long road trip?!?’ I listened to everything these folks had to say and then asked my surgeon for his honest advice. He said (and I’ll never forget it) “Go! And when you return we head straight to surgery!” Here is a what I remember of that fateful trip:
The mini van
You should not take a long road trip involving children without the use of a mini-van (smile). I rented a Chrsyler Town Car Mini-Van for our 10 day vacation…I left New Haven, CT very early on a Friday morning in mid-July and approximately 2 1/2 hours later, picked up my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from their home in New Jersey.
The Chrysler minivan was equipped with all of the amenities for the kiddos (smile)
After about 4 or 5 food/gas/bathroom-breakstopsalong the way (each time resulting in a driving-duty swap with my niece Keedah) we made it (18 hours later!) to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Miraculously my stomach did not bother me at all the entire time and my energy level felt pretty normal…
Hilton Head, South Carolina
My first thought was: Hilton Head is lovely. This was my first time here and I was so impressed with the look of the town as well as the good vibes I felt in the air. The endless sunshine didn’t hurt either…But first things first, our ‘home away from home’ for the next 10 days:
The condo complex
We had a mini-nightmare when we arrived after 12 Midnight on Hilton Head Island. Our GPS took us to the wrong condominium complex! Apparently there are a ton of condominium complexes in Hilton Head plus the roundabouts throw the GPS’s off. Long story short, we almost thought we would be sleeping in our mini van the first night as my key would not work to what we thought was our unit. Thank God the realtor was up and returned my frantic call. He quickly re-directed us to the right complex and we were happy, tired campers. Whew, that was close (smile).
This is the condo complex which we called Home for the next 10 days – as it turns out, Hilton Head is chock full of condominium complexes hence the confusion at the very beginning of our trip
The grounds of our condo complex
The natural pond
The pool at the complex – thank God my sister Dana raised her children and grandchildren to be strong swimmers (smile)
We spent the first morning in town doing some heavy duty grocery shopping at at the Piggly Wiggly. Incidentally, I never worked so hard in my life while on vacation, I was the Driver, the Hostess, the Cook, the Waitress, the Bottle Washer and the Dirty Clothes Washer and Dryer (smile).
The kiddos at dinnertime – never a dull moment (smile) Here they are fighting over who gets control of the remote tonight.Here I am in my bedroom at the condo around 7pm where I would start losing energy and therefore get ready for bed…
The outdoor pool at the condo complex
It sure was nice to have a pool at the complex for those few occasions when we did not feel like packing up the car and heading to the beach…
Rambunctious Rasoul
Ready for the world Rashidah
Kuddle bug Kenyon
Coligny Beach Park
I was so impressed with the South Carolina beaches (they truly are beautiful). However, one of the nearby beaches – Coligny Beach – stood out! The sun, the sand, the surf was unbeatable! And all of that Vitamin D was good for my illness…
Me contemplating life I suppose…
Me soaking up the South Carolina sun
Kenyon building a sand castle
Kenyon, Rasoul, Ahmad and Aunt Keedah
Kenyon, Rasoul and Ahmad
Rashidah, Rasoul, Kenyon and Aunt Keedah with Rasould
My niece Dimitrica drove down from North Carolina to spend 4 days with us – we all had a blast
Savannah, GA
We decided to spend Day 5 of our 10th vacation day in this beautiful, cultural city which was less than an hour away.
I had heard nothing but good things about Savannah and I liked what I had watched on The Travel Channel. So it was a no-brainer to take a Day-cation there, especially since we were so close to the border.
Keedah and I drove the mini-van and once we arrived, the first thing we did was head to the free ferry to explore the 4 corners of the city…but not before feeding the meter…
Parking is no joke! We lucked out and found a good space close to everything!
Our free ferry boat
Dimitrica checking out the shops
Rashidah, Ahmad, Kenyon and Rasoul
Ahmad playing as usual
The kiddos around the wishing well
Rasoul inhaling his ice cream
Ahmad playing it cool as per usual
After our ferry ride we did some sightseeing and explored some African American historical exhibits, ate lunch and then headed back to Hilton Head.
Back in Hilton Head, SC
We spent the remaining days of our vacation ‘Beaching’ at Coligny or ‘Pooling’ at the condo complex. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner inmost days and truly enjoyed the lovely weather. I was starting to feel tired earlier in the day now so I was glad it was nearing time to head back.
And driving back was much easier as well because this time we left on a Saturday night (approximately 12Midnight to be exact) and drove straight through the night with only one or two stops – getting back in record time the following Sunday.
Can’t say I’ve driven so far since that time but it was most definitely an adventure to remember (smile).
And, as a bonus, I was not only tanned but refreshed. And as my surgeon would have noted, ‘ready for surgery.’
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