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Friday, April 10, 2020

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday.  We were supposed to depart for San Diego this morning, and I won't be looking up the weather at every pace we were supposed to be next week but I do take a bit of comfort in that it's 57 and raining in San Diego today.

Having taken some time to think about it, my sabbatical will be postponed as well.  Probably next summer.  It super sucks to wait another year, but it's better to wait than to take the month off and do nothing.

I'm still going to take the first week in August as vacation and enjoy the week where Lucy is (hopefully)  in summer camp and I'll hang at Marty & Lynn's at Lake Roosevelt.

We'll see what next year brings.  Maybe a two-week European vacation.  Lucy would love to go to Paris and Jason wants to go to London.   I could get behind it. 

Monday, April 06, 2020

Covid Thoughts

April 4, 2020

Schools have been canceled and will not resume this year 2020. Lucy will finish third grade at home.
Cell phone companies are giving away months free so that people can stay connected. Internet data Gigs are being added so that people can stay in touch.
“Social Distancing” is the new norm and is expected to be happening long after this wave of COVID-19 is over...if ever!
Medicines are being fast-tracked to try and save lives. A vaccine is our priority!
Tape is on the floors at grocery stores and other locations to help shoppers remember to stay 6 feet apart.
Hugs are no longer felt but expressed!
We are lucky to be working from home. People deemed "essentials" have to go out and work, this is more than the police, fire department and hospitals. Grocery workers and delivery people are in an unfortunate situation where they have to be "out" in the word but are risking their lives each day.
Some stores are limiting the number of people allowed inside. Seniors are those most vulnerable to the virus and get their own private shopping times.
“Non-essential” stores and businesses are being mandated to close. Businesses that were thriving on the end of February of 2020 may never open again.
Unemployment is likely to exceed the Great Depression of the 1920s.
Parks and trails are closed you cannot camp, you cannot fish.
Entire sports seasons have been canceled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - canceled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - canceled.
No in-person church services. Sundays we tune into Facebook live and watch the pastor do her stuff.
It began as no gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, then 10 or more and now no more 3 people can be together if they stay 6 feet apart. At this point, it is regulated by information, but in places like New York the fine can be $1000.00
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
There is a shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line medical workers.
People are making masks to donate to others.
I made 7 masks for our family this weekend.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Healthcare workers are forced to make decisions about who lives, who dies. They are exhausted and broken!
Panic buying has taken place and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel, no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer, no meat, no dry beans or rice; grocery store shelves are empty. This is an area by area, day by day changing situation.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses are switching their lines to help make hand sanitizer and again PPE.
The government closed the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
All spring sports have canceled their season and winter sports their playoffs.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of COVID-19 patients.
Homeless people are sleeping in Las Vegas parking lots in painted spaces!
In Central Oregon, the homeless, the ignored, deposed and harassed are actually helping those that refuse to help them!
There are public service announcements telling people that when they see a tent pop up in a field, leave it alone because before this is over you may be there as well!
We are having daily press conferences from President Trump. He looks deflated, exhausted and not confident at all. He has been humbled in my opinion.
We are receiving daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
We are all being instructed to stay home. Some states are enforcing stay-at-home orders.
The roads are quiet.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
People are dying alone in facilities without their loved ones. Final goodbyes are said on Facetime.
The people who have "those: jobs", the ones that you wear a uniform of some sort have become essential and the ones that move food and freight in trucks to get the food and goods to the public cannot find a place to get a hot meal.
We may be getting close to one of two things: the virus might go away with the warming weather and it may not or we may be closing state borders, hot spots may be under the control of the National Guard who knows...BUT we are Americans! We will rise to the threat, the occasion, to our duty and for each other. We will fight to get back the ground we lost just like we have since the birth of our nation.
Children are painting windows and making hearts to show solidarity and love.
Shut-ins, elderly and disabled people are communicating to their neighbors that they need help by putting a green paper for "I am good" and red paper for "please help me" in their windows and we all help when green turns red.
People are remembering that ALL lives matter, all jobs matter and that when things get really rough, in the end, we only have each other!
This is the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.
We are all one!