Autumn by the Creek

 

Pandemic Journal - Day 215

Two of my relatives have Covid. I love them both in my own way and I'm quite concerned for them, especially the older one. I won't name them out of respect for their privacy, but they are what I consider "immediate family."

Everyday I watch the numbers in my county climb. We're up to 357 cases here, with 12 confirmed deaths. That means 1.1 percent of the population has have Covid, which is a very long way from any sort of herd immunity.

We only had 43 cases in June.

Still people do not wear masks. My brother said, "You can't force people to do things." Well, we "force" them to wear a shirt and shoes. No shirt, no shoes, no service, the signs used to say. We force them to get a new plate when they eat at the buffet line. The signs say that: New Plate for Each Visit, or something similar. We force people to use seatbelts, stop at stoplights and stop signs, follow a speed limit, not drink and drive. We keep them from using marijuana for medicinal purposes.

They're called laws. Sometimes they're rules. Sometimes they're social norms. We don't run around naked in parking lots and if we do, someone hauls us away in a paddy wagon. Sometimes things have to be done for the public good. To promote the general welfare, to quote a revered document called the U.S. Constitution.

I am all for a mask mandate until we have a vaccine in order to promote the public health and general welfare. Note I am not in favor of one forever, just until we get a handle on this thing. If people hadn't been such jerks about it to begin with, we wouldn't be where we are now (and this is worldwide - apparently 50% of the population of the entire world are selfish, except in New Zealand). 

Even my father, an ardent Republican, believes in mask wearing. He told me yesterday when we were talking about my staying out of the stores because so many people go unmasked that those people are being disrespectful to me and everyone else (his words). We both turn and go the other way if we start down an aisle and see an unmasked person.

"Stay home if you're scared," they (mostly conservatives) say on Facebook and elsewhere. That works both ways. If you won't wear a mask, then you stay home.

Why can't we create a new set of Mask Marshalls - we have loads of unemployed people now - and let them stand in front of each necessary business (grocery stores in particular) and hand out a ticket if people do not have on a mask? If people want to ball the ticket up and throw it at somebody, let them. That's why we have duplicates. Eventually it will catch up to them.

In other news, I am sick of politics but I am going to talk politics here. I will be glad when the election is over, however it unfolds, and if people begin shooting each other, well, then I guess that is the way it has to be now. We have devolved into a third-world shithole nation, so we may as well act like one. Although frankly, some of the third-world nations have done a better job with their coronavirus efforts than we have. So maybe we're like a fifth-world shithole nation now.

Someone (I think it was my brother, but I'm not positive) posted a meme on Facebook that said something like "voting is not a Valentine to the candidate, it's a move on the chessboard in the direction you want to go."

That's a great analogy, except for the fact that nobody is playing on the same chess board. We aren't playing conventional chess. We're playing something made up, like Star Trek chess or Dragons and Dungeons chess. Maybe it's a combination of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, and Harry Potter chess. Something with no stable rules, anyway.

So my "chess move" is a desire to bring about certain things. What do I want to bring about?

• Accessible, affordable health care (I don't care if it's public or private, just there and available)
• Equality for all (don't care what sex, gender, color, etc., you are, everyone should have equal rights, no one is "less than" anybody else. I don't care who marries whom or what happens in anybody's house, so long as they aren't harming one another.)
• People working 40 hours a week should not have to live in poverty.
• CEOs shouldn't receive 3,000 times the wages of their workers
• Children shouldn't have to worry about being shot at school.
• No corporate welfare (subsidies)
• No government interference in healthcare decisions for anybody, especially women.
• Everyone should have access to higher education if they want it.
• Clean air, clean water, clean world.
• Equal pay.
• No lobbyists.
• Term limits for all politicians and the Supreme Court.
• Homes and jobs for veterans. (Nobody should be homeless unless it is by choice.)
• Better funding for child welfare services, national parks, the space program, etc., and less funding for military.
• Regulations on television and radio, similar to what it was in the 1970s, for example.

That's where my chess move would take me.

As best I can tell, a Republican's chess move is: no regulations, no taxes, and control over women. I'm sure that's not correct, but that is what it looks like from my side of the very confused chess board.

Why anyone thinks they should get a free pass and not pay taxes to live in this country, or anywhere there is a government, is beyond me. We all use the roads, we all use the public schools, the police forces, fire departments, ambulances, public parks, water and sewer, etc., paid for by united funds from all who pay taxes. We wouldn't have this stuff if we didn't pay taxes. Corporations couldn't move their goods without public infrastructure. Barrack Obama was right when he said, "No one does it alone," because despite the hardest working efforts of every self-made business person, there was somebody, somewhere, helping him along, either because of his or her education in the public school system, the use of public roads and other infrastructure, or the fact that a fire department is available to keep the building from burning down and that lowers the cost of the company's insurance.

The lowering of taxes is why much of our infrastructure is collapsing and needing repair. The money is being diverted inappropriately to corporations that don't do anything, not to needed infrastructure spending.

I wonder how many people know that the top federal income tax rate was 91 percent in 1950 and 1951, and between 1954 and 1959. In 1952 and 1953, the top federal income tax rate was 92 percent. This applied to income over $200,000 (or about $2 million in today's dollars).The tax rates of the top 0.1 and 0.01 percent of taxpayers have dropped substantially since the 1950s. The average tax rate on the 0.1 percent highest-income Americans was 50.6 percent in the 1950s, compared to 39.8 percent today. The average tax rate on the top 0.01 percent was 55.3 percent in the 1950s, compared to 40.8 percent today.

But enough about that. As things stand today, the current unemployment rate is officially 7.9%, although I think it is higher because people who became unemployed in March and have stopped looking for work aren't on the rolls anymore. I'm unemployed and not on the rolls, for example. I wouldn't mind a part-time job, but I'm not looking for one during a pandemic.

Personally, I do not think the economy ever fully recovered from the recession in 2007. I know it didn't here. New housing construction, for instance, has not returned to anywhere near the highs of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The county's efforts to court new corporations usually turn into corporate welfare schemes where the public loses in the end. Not always, but frequently enough to make anyone who thinks about it consider the notion that luring corporations in with financial incentives may not a good idea in the long run.

The federal government's response to the pandemic has been anemic, at best, and continues to be among the worst in the world. Apparently listening to the scientists is now a bad thing. I listen to my doctor and she reads the journals. She tells me that if I get Covid, I will likely die. I believe her.

So, I am staying home, mostly. We've taken a few drives, but not gone where there are people. I am doing grocery store pickups, with infrequent masked run-ins to pick up medicines and things the grocery pickup people can't locate (the items are in the store, the people apparently don't know where to look for them). I talk on the phone with friends. My husband and I have started walking in the evenings when he comes home from whatever he has been doing, and we both enjoy that even though all we are doing is walking in a circle around the house.

I've weeded the flowerbed and readied it for winter, for the most part. My roses are over 30 years old and I think they need to be dug up and replaced with something else. I just don't know what. Bushes of some kind, maybe. I am looking into that.

My birdfeeder is attracting loads of birds - some not so welcome. Yesterday I watched a big black bird land on the feeder and proceed to throw the food all over the ground. Then his friends swooped in and ate the seed off the ground. It was actually quite clever, but after I felt like they'd had enough to eat, I went outside and shooed the birds away. The starlings also have found the feeder and I shoo them off after a while, as well. I don't mind them eating the birdseed, just not all of it at once.

Yesterday, as I headed to pick up my groceries, a cardinal flew into the car. I felt very bad about killing a bird as I hate to kill anything. It couldn't be helped, as the bird hit the car and not the other way around, but I still felt badly about it. Here I am feeding hundreds of birds only to have Virginia's state bird fly into the side of the car and commit suicide.

One thing I have noticed about this strange year is that my focus is unclear. This post, for example, seems to me to be all over the place, because my thoughts are all over the place. Many of my friends are noticing the same problem. Inability to concentrate, sadness, feeling overwhelmed. 

When utter chaos surrounds you, I suspect that's a normal response.

A Little Autumn Color

 

A Little Unknown Bird

Here are some bird pictures. The last two are of a chickadee, I think, but I don't know what the bluish colored bird is. I can't find a photo in my birding book. The birds have found the feeder and I'm seeing lots of birds now. It is especially nice to go outside and hear them calling.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What kinds of things do you like to write?

A. I like to write poetry, blog entries, creative nonfiction, nonfiction articles, fiction . . . pretty much anything.

2. What is your favorite genre of movie?

A. Fantasy.

3. What is your favorite song?

A. I don't know that I have a favorite, as I love music. I tend to lean towards the music of the 1970s and 1980s - my growing up years, more or less.

4. During what situation do your eyes shine the brightest?

A. I don't know. I can't see my eyes because I am looking out from them. My husband says they shine the brightest when I am happy and not worried about "400 gazillion" things.

5. Which do you prefer: Summer or Winter?

A. Summer, but I'd rather have Spring or Fall.

6. What do you do when you are angry?

A. Sometimes I write. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I play really loud rock on my guitar. Sometimes I yell at my husband, but not often.

7. Do you sleep with lights on or off?

A. I sleep with the lights off, but we have motion lights that turn on if one of us gets out of bed.

8. Are you ok with eating alone in a restaurant?

A. Yes.

9. Do you prefer texting or calling?

A. I prefer a telephone call, but texts have their place.

10. What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

A. I have a sharp mind. Well, most of the time. Sometimes I can be rather dense.

11. How do you act when you’re scared?

A. I hold my husband's hand, or grip the steering wheel if I'm driving, or hold my breath until I remember that breathing helps.

12. When you look at the sky do you first look at the moon, or the stars?

A. I look for the moon, but it is not always visible.

13. Do you approach strangers when you are lost?

A. I do. My husband does not. I also ask strangers to reach items on high shelves, because I am short and can't reach things on the top shelves in the grocery store.

14. Do you prefer tea or coffee?

A. I drink decaffeinated English Breakfast Tea.

15. With sugar? Milk? Lemon? Anything else?

A. I drink it either unsweetened or with a spoonful of sugar. When I have a cold, I may substitute honey for the sugar.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Vision of Love

Saturday 9: Vision of Love (1990)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The lyrics refer to "sweet destiny." Do you believe in destiny?

A. Not really. I think some people are born into families that lead them into certain directions - father to son trades, for example, or the woman who becomes a lawyer like her mother. But that's not destiny, those are environmental forces placed upon a person.

2) This week's artist, Mariah Carey, has something to fall back on. She studied cosmetology and worked as a hair sweeper in a salon. When you get your hair cut, do you socialize with the stylist?

A. My stylist is new, so I have asked her a few questions, like where she's from, etc., but mostly not. Especially in these days of Covid, the less said, the better.

 

3) She isn't likely to turn to cosmetology any time soon. Mariah is currently on the best seller list with her autobiography, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Was the last book you finished fiction or non-fiction?

A. The last nonfiction book I finished was called The True Secret of Writing by Natalie Goldberg. I am currently reading All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, which is fiction.

4) So far, more than 800 people have reviewed Mariah's book on Amazon. Do you review products/services online?

A. Sometimes. It's not a habit.

5) When she was a high school student, she was nicknamed "Mirage" because she skipped class so often. Did you ever play hooky?

A. Yes. Once several of my friends and I slipped off after lunch and went to the movies. We went to see The Rose.

6) Mariah doesn't apologize for spoiling her dogs, who have been known to travel by limo. Do you know anyone who treats their pets like people?

A. Everyone I know who has a pet treats their pet better than they do other people.

7) In 1990, the year this song was popular, Martina Navratilova won the Wimbledon Women's Singles Tournament. How's your tennis game?

A. I do not play tennis.

8) Also in 1990, Pope John Paul II toured Mexico. Have you ever visited our neighbor south of the border?

A. I have not. However, there used to be a carnival like thing called South of the Border in South Carolina that we would stop at when we went to the beach. I am not sure it still exists.

9) Random question(s): There are Gofundme campaigns for many purposes. Have you ever solicited funds online? Would you?

A. I have never solicited funds online, although I have been paid for work through Paypal. I do not think I would solicit funds online, but maybe if I had a project I believed in and no money to follow it through, I would consider it. It's hard to say.

Here's a question for my readers: what do you think is a fair price to pay for a print edition of a 24-page daily newspaper?

______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday 13

 Words I miss . . .

1. Kind                                                                        2. Moral

3. Decent                                                                    4. Honest

5. Good                                                                        6. Compassionate

7. Compromise                                                           8. Nice

9. Considerate                                                           10. Courtesy

11. Gentle                                                                    12. Principled

13. Just

Plus these words:

Modest, Laudable, Truth (I really miss that one), Conscientious, Cordial, Friendly, Benevolent

. . . and many others that mean virtuous and good.

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 678th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Ready for Winter

 

Thistle

 

The Benefit Concert

Last night, I watched and listened live to Melissa Etheridge's online benefit concert.

The cost of the concert went toward the Etheridge Foundation, a nonprofit she established to research opioid addiction following the death of her son, Beckett, earlier in the year, due to the drugs.

The concert was supposed to be two hours, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

She stopped playing about 8:50 p.m. Almost three hours.

At 59, she was rocking it out like she was 27 years old. She is an amazing guitarist and I admire her for continuing her career, and doing life like she wants to do it.

I also am in love with her Gibson Les Paul Guitar. I believe that is a 1982 Custom. She's a beauty.

She played many of her hits, including Bring Me Some Water, If I Only Wanted To, Come To My Window, You Can Sleep While I Drive, and Like the Way I Do, which she ends her shows with.

Her dog Biscuit made an appearance about halfway through the show, curling up near her feet while she played. I think the little pup plopped down on a cord and she had to work around him.

She is one of the most underrated guitar players in the world, I think. She needs to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As Melissa says, speak true, choose only love, it's a choice.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Can you cry under water?

A. I have never tried. I have cried in the shower. That's sort of under water.

2. What is the fattest thing you’ve ever done?

A. I am afraid I don't understand the question. You mean like eat two candy bars in a row?

3. If you’re going to be arrested what do you want your crime to be?

A. Murder in the first degree. If I'm going to go, may as well go all in.

4. When they say dog food is “new and improved” who tastes it?

A. I imagine they try it on dogs.

5. What’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen?

A. Snot.

6. Why doesn’t glue stick to its bottle?

A. I have no idea. I suspect it has something to do with the lack of air in the bottle, because if you leave a bottle open long enough, it will dry up and one could consider it to be stuck to the bottle.

7. What historical event do you wish you’d witnessed?

A. The inauguration of the first woman president of the United States of America. Oh wait. That hasn't happened yet.

8. Who has had the best influence on your life?

A. My husband, followed by books.

9. Would you rather go into space or to Antarctica?

A. Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship: Enterprise. Her five year mission to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!

10. Would you rather sleep with no pillow or no blankets?

A. No pillow. I can always wad a blanket up into a pillow.

11. What's your favorite rain memory?

A. One day a very long time ago (1990), I walked through the city in the rain. It smelled of dampness and piss - the homeless population in the city has always been awful - and wet concrete, tires, and car exhaust. It was summer, and the grayness matched my mood. I wandered into Woolworth's where I became caught up in the sight of so much stuff - just everywhere, stuff - that I forgot what I was doing and was two hours late going back to work from lunch.

12. If you were elected president, what is the first thing you would do?

A. Such a loaded question in these perilous times. But I would ask Congress to make it so that the Equal Rights Amendment, which has now been passed by the appropriate amount of states but not within the required timeframe, became an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Then I would create a commission to study the U.S. Constitution, because frankly, I think it needs an update. It may have been a masterpiece in its time, but times change. Simply changing "men" to "humanity" would be an improvement.

13. If you had $3 to spend in the dollar store, what would you buy?

A. Chocolate.

14. What’s the most annoying sound in the world?

A. A loud cricket in the house.

15. What natural disaster scares you the most?

A. I have been in floods and they are terrifying. I am also not a fan of high winds, so hurricanes and tornadoes rank up there as well.

________________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: One Night Standards

Saturday 9: One Night Standards (2019)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The video for this song takes place in a motel and the story is told from the point of view of the desk clerk. Have you ever worked in a hotel, motel, or bed-and-breakfast?

A. I have not.

2) Ashley McBryde sings that she's not Cinderella, a reference to the fairy-tale heroine warned to return from the ball before midnight. When did you recently stay up until the wee small hours of the morning?

A. We stayed up until 11 p.m. a while back when we watched Bill Maher. That's about as late as it gets for us.

3) Ashley had been working hard as a singer/songwriter for eleven years before she was discovered and proclaimed one of County's best new artists. What was your life like 11 years ago?

A. Eleven years ago. That would have been 2009. I was writing full blast for the newspaper up until I wasn't because they ran out of money. I was healthier and I still had my gallbladder. According to my blog, I taught a successful writing workshop called "The Business of Freelancing," I went on blood pressure meds, we had a fairly lovely Autumn, I did some work with the local government.

 

4) Ashley is from Mammoth Springs, AR. One of the most popular stops on Main Street -- for locals and tourists alike -- is Spring Dipper Ice Cream. More than 20 flavors are made right there on the premises, from Jamoca Almond Fudge to French Vanilla. When confronted with such a wide selection, do you tend to order your familiar favorite or try something new?

A. I tend to stick with the tried and true.

5) In 2007, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. Have you ever relocated for a job?

A. No.

6) Whenever Ashley hears a Carpenters song, she thinks of her mother, who loved Karen Carpenter's voice. Tell us a song that reminds you a loved one.

A. My husband and I had Dan Folgerberg's Longer played at our wedding, so I always think of him when I hear that song.

7) In 2019, the year this song was recorded, Notre Dame Cathedral was damaged in a fire. Have you ever visited Paris?

A. Yes. I went when I was in high school.

8) Also in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (aka Harry and Meghan) had a baby boy. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?

A. Not that I am aware of.

9) Random question: Do you always want to hear the truth about yourself?

A. I think it depends on the truth. There is no point in telling me I'm fat because I already know that and telling me isn't going to help any. Telling me I have spinach in my teeth is helpful. Telling me I am talking too much is helpful. Telling me I am not listening can be helpful. Telling me I am wrong because I'm a "stupid Democrat" is not helpful, as that is opinion and not truth.

______________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

Today, I thought I'd write about mindfulness.

This is a thing that has been around a while, and I do not take it to the extremes that some folks do. I don't sit and meditate often, (so I do not consider myself good at it) but I do find the concept of mindfulness helpful. Basically, to be mindful is to be aware of the here and now, not worrying about tomorrow or thinking about yesterday. It is being present and acknowledging whatever is going on at that time. It is not about being happy, although it can help one to be happy. 

And it can be really hard to do, especially if the present is fraught with scary and unpredictable things.

Anyway, here are a few take-aways for mindfulness that are easy.

1. Use something you do all the time to remind you to be mindful. For example, every morning when you make your bed, stop and be aware of what is going on around you. How do you feel at that moment? What do you hear or smell? How does the bedding feel under your hands? Take a few deep breaths and then go back to your chore.

2. Walking. Being mindful doesn't mean being still. Taking a walk and noticing everything about the experience can be exhilarating, even if you are in your own home. How does the floor feel on your feet? Do you feel a current of air as the heat or air conditioner turns on? If you are outside, what do you see? Do you feel the wind? Is it warm or chilly? How does your body feel as it moves?

3. Watch your words. Especially in today's world, it is helpful to think before speaking. To be mindful when you speak means to be aware of what you're saying and when and why you're saying it. As yourself if the words are appropriate. Are they hurtful? Do they need to be said? What happens if you pause to think about what you're saying? Does that break via silence create a change in the conversation?

4. Listen mindfully. To do this, one must blot out personal thoughts and key in on what the speaker is really saying. This means hearing not only words, but also watching body language. Try to listen without worrying about what your response is. If someone is talking it makes you nervous or angry, why? Explore that thought (maybe later with a journal entry if necessary.)

5. Simplicity. Do one thing at a time. I am bad at this one - I multitask a lot. Some things can be done rather mindlessly - I can empty the dishwasher while I'm on the phone with a friend. But many things require absolute attention. I read sometimes with the TV on, but I prefer to read in silence. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

6. Put technology to use. Set reminders to be mindful! Or find a good guided meditation app and use it to help destress. Listen to calming music. Pay attention to it when you're listening. Why does it calm you?

7. Breathe. This is central to meditation, but it helps to tune in to it. I have discovered (with practice) that I can make myself breathe in and out of my nostrils separately! Who knew? Time your breaths. Do different rhythms. Hold, hold, breathe. Or breathe, breathe, hold. What feels right to you? Do you feel it all the way into your belly? Can you visualize the oxygen flowing to your fingertips?

8. Use it for sleep. I do this every night. I check in with myself, using mindfulness at bedtime to fall asleep. I think about how my body feels against the bed. Then I focus on my toes and tell them to relax, and slowly move on up. All the while I am breathing as slowly as I can. 

9. Pay attention to what you eat. This has been hard during 2020! But eating mindlessly adds pounds and calories. I try not to eat in front of the computer or the TV. I do read while I eat and I need to stop this, because I am not paying attention to my food. I am reading and I look up and my plate is empty. What did I eat? I need to pay attention to each bite. How does it feel, taste, smell? What am I experiencing when I eat and pay attention?

10. Take a mindful shower. I do this frequently, feeling how the water feels on my skin, how it feels on my hair, its temperature and how hard or soft it feels against my skin. I also like to do an aura cleanse when I'm in the shower, allowing the water to clear the air around my body.

11. Take a break. Sometimes when the stress has me by the throat, I need to simply stop. Then I focus on my breathe, or watch the deer outside the window, or anything to change the thought patterns that have stressed me. It's a quick reset.

12. Be creative. Losing myself in playing the guitar, writing, coloring, gardening, or any other intense activity is a great way to be totally mindful and keep the spirit happy. If I am playing the guitar and 45 minutes have gone by without my noticing, then I have been having a great time!

13. Be mindful of others. I've already mentioned speaking and listening, but there are other ways to appreciate the humanity of those around you. Look in someone's eyes, for example. Watch the person. Wish them well in your mind. (I frequently ask my own guardian angel to go look after someone else for a while, if I know of someone in need.) Light a candle for someone and stare in the flames while thinking of the person. Remember that everyone has good times and bad. We are all human, we are all a part of this earth, we are each other's keepers. Connecting with another person, even if that person is far away and has no clue you're thinking of him or her, can be a wonderful experience.

I am no expert in mindfulness, but I use these to help me try to stay focused on the present and combat bad thoughts. Maybe some of these can help you, too.

_____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 677th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

By the Pond

 

Birdwatching

My husband built me a birdhouse so I could watch the little birdies during our pandemic lockdown.

The deer are lovely, but I would like to watch the birds, and see if I can get photos of them.

They took a few days to find the birdfeeder, but a few small birds are showing up.

I think they are Carolina Chickadees, but I'm not sure. I will be learning more about birds.

And Just Like That . . .

Whatever goodwill I was feeling towards #45 has vanished.

I'm glad he didn't die, but he is a monster.

He cannot acknowledge the 200,000+ people who have died.

He can't protect his Secret Service or the White House staff.

He lies every time he opens his mouth.

I want him out of the people's house.

VOTE BLUE.

Pandemic Journal Day - Day 199

Nearly 200 days into the economic shut-down created by the global pandemic that is known as Covid-19, the President of the United States has come down with the virus.

He was diagnosed on Thursday after a positive test and on Friday he was flown by helicopter to Walter Reed Hospital. As far as I know, he remains there, although I haven't checked the news in a few hours.

As my president - yes, he is my president - I am concerned and I hope that he recovers. I do not wish illness on anyone, regardless of my personal animosity towards him or her. I have asthma and trouble breathing sometimes. I know how awful it can feel to have oxygen levels drop. Mine have at times tumbled into the high 70s during an asthma attack, and it is scary and fatiguing.

It's not something I wish upon anybody.

This event has made me sad and confused. I am sad because I don't want to see anyone sick, and I am sorry that the president is now one of the more than 4,296,000 active Covid-19 cases in the United States. I do not wish him to have an early death because of this virus. 

I did not wish it upon the 209,721 people who have died from it, either.

I am confused because I have a Facebook news feed full of really strange conspiracy theories, from all quarters. People I know on either side of the political aisle do not believe he is ill. They think it is some kind of election hoax. If the people who support him do not believe him, how can they continue to support him? 

Some think he's put out coded messages in his videos and (very minimal) tweets. Apparently this is some kind of election ploy, they say. If they don't believe him, how do they expect those who oppose him to believe him? I find it bewildering.

If people (especially those who are Republicans) think the White House puts out fake news, whoever do these people trust with any news at all? No one?

So I am sad that we have apparently reached such a state of mistrust that even supporters mistrust their own candidate. Obviously, this kind of thing means the office of the president, which should be the most honored, trusted, and classiest office in existence, has reached a new low, one that even I did not predict. I thought surely his supporters would rally around him, and some have, of course. But so many are sure he isn't sick - it's a bit maddening.

Additionally, those who support the president are upset because many who do not are not openly praying for his recovery. I don't believe in the thoughts and prayers thing, so I won't be doing that, but I wish him well. However, it is hypocritical to expect the people who oppose the president to be woeful about his illness, especially since he has dismissed science and created much chaos by lack of leadership during this pandemic.

One only had to watch his actions to know that eventually he would become ill. Flouting the known science and advice from the people who have studied viruses all their lives did no one any good, especially not himself.

Personally, I think he is sick. I am concerned because I've not heard a single mention of how his wife is doing, as she also has the virus. She is 50 years old and as far as I know is being treated at the White House, so perhaps she is ok. But I would like an update on her condition, too.

I have not forgotten that this man didn't hesitate to make fun of Hillary Clinton when she was campaigning with pneumonia. I suspect many people have not forgotten that.

I want this man out of office because he has corrupted it and he has demolished the role of the federal government to the point where it cannot respond as it needs to (see pandemic response, hurricane response, wildfire response, etc.). 

But that doesn't mean I want him to die.

In other news -

We continue to practice physical distancing. I saw my dentist and my doctor last week, and both were nerve-wracking but I managed and so far (knock wood), I am fine. My doctor is not seeing sick people, only people who are asymptomatic. If I get sick I will get a teledoc visit - or she said if she thought she had to see me, she would come out to my car! I thought that was amazing.

The dental visit was a bit frustrating because the hygienist needs a few days off. She complained about not being able to use certain tools to clean teeth the entire time she was working on me, and that grew wearisome after about the eighth time of hearing it. I couldn't do a thing about it.

I am going adventure shopping in a bit - a Kroger pickup. The cases locally keep slipping up. We now have 315 cases in my county. We have nearly 1% of the population now the virus. Twenty-four residents are in the hospital right now and 10 have died.

These are strange and scary times. 

 

Sunday Stealing #355

Sunday Stealing

1. If you could use a time machine to go back in time to fix one thing or go to the future to see what it would be like, which would you do?

A. I would go to the future. Fixing things in another time can have unintentional and unforeseen consequences. Best to leave that alone, even if things are chaotic at the moment.

2. If suddenly there was a Depression or there were no stores to buy food, clothing, etc., how would you manage?

A. Aren't we living that now? I live on a farm. I would use the clothing I already own, have a vegetable garden (did that this summer), and we have wild animals we can kill if we need to. (I'm assuming the Internet is unavailable, too. If it's not, then hey, there's always Amazon.)

3. Are you concerned with what other people think about you?

A. Obviously I am, because these capital letters in the statements as originally put out are driving me nuts and I don't want that kind of grammatical funk in my blog. So I am rewriting every single question.

4. How do you handle people you don't like?

A. Avoidance.

5. What do you think of garden gnomes?

A. I have two in my garden, but I don't think about them often.

6. You’ve been given an elephant. You can't give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?

A. Put it out to pasture with the cows.

7. How would you design a spice rack for the blind?

A. I wouldn't. I am not into woodworking.

8. How lucky are you and why?

A. I am fortunate, which is not the same as lucky. I am fortunate in that I made a good marriage and we have enough, which is all I've ever asked for. Luck is something else entirely - that's winning the lottery or finding cash in a box by the side of the road. Those types of things seldom happen to me.

9. What’s your biggest kitchen fail?

A. I recently have been undercooking meat, but we determined that the stove isn't heating properly. We have ordered a new thermostat for it. If that ever arrives, then perhaps my "fail" will resolve itself.

10. What’s the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in school?

A. I threw my retainer in the trash can. I went dumpster diving to fish it out, which was quite gross.

11. If you could kill off any character from a current television show, who would it be?

A. No clue.

12. If you could make a rule for a day and everyone had to follow it, what would it be?

A. For 24 hours, everyone would have to be polite and could not be mean and nasty.

13. Would you rather be a hobbit or an elf for 24 hours?

A. I'd rather be an elf. They are skinny, for one thing, and quick on their feet, with keen hearing. Apparently they can also drink all the alcohol they want and never get a buzz.

14. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

A. That's probably a tie between going up in a hot air balloon and taking a single-engine plane ride around the county with a known drunk.

15. Would your rather shoot spaghetti out of your fingers or sneeze meatballs?

A. Shoot spaghetti out of my fingers. I'd just as soon not sneeze anything.

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Saturday 9: What's Love Got to Do with It?

Saturday 9: What's Love Got to Do with It? (1984)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 
What's Love Got to Do with It is also the title of Tina Turner's film biography, which tells of Tina's escape from her abusive, controlling husband, Ike. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Spread the word that help is available.
 
1) The video was shot around New York City in spring. Kids are seen jumping rope. Were you good at jump rope? Has it ever been part of your workout routine as an adult?

A. I was never good at it as a child and I haven't done it as an adult in decades. I'm rather klutzy.

2) In real life, Tina Turner played basketball for her school. Were you good at team sports?

A. No.

3) In the video, Tina Turner wears a little black dress topped with a denim jacket. That jacket is a fashion staple 36 years later. Do you own a denim jacket?

A. Not any more.

3)* This song was first offered to Cliff Richard, a major pop star in England who never enjoyed gained superstar status in the US. Perhaps, if he had recorded "What's Love Got to Do with It?," he would have been better known on this side of the ocean. Tell us about a time when you said "no" when "yes" might have been the better answer.

A. Back in 2000, just after my mother had passed away, I was offered a full-time position at the local newspaper where I'd freelanced for many years. Because I was dealing with grief from my mother's death, I passed and continued to freelance. In hindsight, if I had taken the job, perhaps I'd still be there.

4) Tina's first marriage, to Ike Turner, was a painful one. Her second marriage, to German music executive Erwin Bach has been far more supportive. This has been a blessing, since Tina has had serious health problems in recent years. Do you have any medical/dental appointments scheduled?

A. I had my dental check up this past Wednesday and a doctor check up Thursday. So nothing now for four months, unless I get sick.

5) Tina met Erwin at Heathrow Airport in 1986. He was there to help her prepare for her London performances. They immediately liked one another, but didn't become romantically involved until months later and were surprised to find themselves falling in love. Have you ever had a romantic relationship that crept on you?

A. No. I knew within a few meetings that I would marry my husband.

6) The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards referred to Tina as his "favorite aunt." Is there anyone who isn't a relative of yours by blood but you refer to as aunt, uncle, brother, sister, etc.?

A. Yes.

7) Former President George W. Bush is also a big Tina Turner fan, and has praised her for having "the most famous legs in show business." What do you believe is your best physical feature?

A. I have often been told I have nice skin.

8) At home, Tina often doesn't always play music or TV because she appreciates quiet as much as music. What about you? Do you enjoy quiet?

A. I do. I either listen to music or I listen to nothing. I generally do not have the TV on for background noise.

9) Random question: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being "very lazy" and 10 being "very productive," what number are you?

A. I say a 7.5. Even if I don't feel well, I still do my chores every day.

*We got an extra question this week!

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