Plague 2020#3

[geowench]

Time got away from me - I meant to post every few days.  But I've been journaling every morning before starting work (from home) and so I have been chronicling what is going on, just not here.  So I am weirdly fine.  The month of April has been spent completely at home except for going to PT and hte occasional grocery store, and one trip to Lowe's for plants.  Occasionally (usually on the weekend) E and I will take a drive for an hour or so just for a change of scenery.

Oklahomans are not taking this whole pandemic thing nearly seriously enough, probably b/c this is a conservative Trump-loving state.  When I go grocery shopping usually there are only a few other people wearing masks.  When we went to Lowe's last week, we were the only ones wearing a mask.  There is still not a state-wide Stay at Home order, just one for elderly and at risk.  Gatherings are still permitted of fewer than 10 people.  Our closest neighbor had a party last weekend, and judging by the number of cars, there were way more than 10 people there.  OTOH, most businesses *are* shut down.  The town of Stillwater (where the U is) does have a Stay at Home Order, and the university has already decided that summer classes will be only online.  And my PT place is being extremely cautious/careful.  So it's a mixed bag.  I feel pretty safe because I am very very careful.  I worry about the people I see working the cash registers with no mask.  I worry about all the Okies that no longer have jobs.  I just worry.  Although weirdly enough, my anxiety, because it is so clearly appropriate at this time, is not overwhelming me.  It's there in the background, but I go about my day surprisingly OK for the most part.

I'm enjoying being at home.  I've done some sewing.  I take multiple short walks a day.  I water the plants.  I do my PT exercises.  I cook nice meals.  I'm aware that I'm living in a bubble of privilege.  I feel quite a bit of guilt about that, but the best way I can help others is to stay at home and not become part of the problem, yeah?

Comments

[old_black]

Here in Sydney we've probably had less COVID-19 cases and less deaths than you (OK 170 deaths, my state 33 deaths) but we're taking it very seriously - as mandated by the state government. Like you, I feel somewhat guilty that I am one of the lucky ones who can work from home. Many people here will be suffering financial hardship,although, to their credit, the Federal Government is providing a certain amount of financial support to people and businesses. Donald J Trump has a useful role for us in providing a constant source of 'amusement' and reason to exclaim "How can Americans take him seriously? How can they stand living under his regime?"
The sight of Americans gathering, with their guns, to demand to be allowed to do whatever they like is just jaw-dropping, but I guess that 'spirit' is what America was built on and people like us who were apparently happy to be under the thumb of the British for almost our whole modern history are equally laughable to you!

I like working from home, but I am basically misanthropic so that's not surprising. My manager, however, insists on regular (3 times per week!) video meetings of our small admin team. I think there are many people (my manager being one of them) who love face-to-face meetings at any time and they find any excuse for a Zoom or Teams meeting when a simple 1 paragraph email would work just as well.

THe Business School, of which I am a part, has been told by the university that due to a loss of students that we have to save $7.7 million in the remainder of 2020. We have been told to take leave to help with that $7.7M and so I am taking one day per week leave now. I guess that garden is going to be getting some more attention, and a bit of long-overdue cleaning up junk could be on my agenda.

That you didn't mention your spider bite must be a good sign!

[geowench]

OMG almost immediately after I posted this, the governor announced he will begin reopening the state on Friday! Unfreakingbelievable. So Oklahoma.

The spider bites left some weird pigmented places - not quite scars, but you can definitely see something wonky happened there. Plus the last day of the antbiotics, I got a lovely full body rash. Looked like I had measles for about a week. But that's gone now, and the cellulitis fully resolved and my arm didn't fall off. Unfortunately, I never did develop any super powers, which seems quite unfair.

We have way too many meetings also - 3 this week so far. Sheesh. I didn't even want to look at your face when we were in teh same building, I certainly don't want to see your smug mug in my home!

[fineplan]

Colorado is opening tomorrow too... Still some rules in place, but people will be getting their hair cuts and stuff. (my hair dresser friends are pretty conflicted on this -- yay work, but on the other hand way more contact than is supposed to be safe... also why has the haircut thing become such a big deal anyway? Like, sure, I'm a little uncomfortable because my hair is longer than I've been used to for some years... but it's not hugely so and I get used to it... maybe I'm just don't worry about being so cute usually or whatever) It just seems like we're going to be letting everyone out into public too early. (my nursing and epidemiology friends are all very concerned) I do have a friend in Korea, where things have mostly been going really well and they have few deaths. He says they limited gatherings, but never had a stay at home order. However, they treat everything differently and most people behave in safer ways (masks are readily available, everyone can get tests easily, anyone who seems sick can stay at home for two weeks and not lose pay AND the government delivers food and toiletries to them, etc)... Whereas I don't think a majority of the Colorado folk even behaved well with the stay at home. Like fewer than half the people wore masks at the grocery store, obviously tons of people were just out and about because they wanted to be, etc. Ugh.

[mrs_redboots]

Here in the UK we are still under lockdown and will be for the foreseeable future. As we are retired, we are not impacted financially, but it is horrible not being able to see my grandsons each week, and not being able to go to my mother. I am in touch with the whole family, of course... but there is a new great-nephew we can't cuddle, and they say that we will not be back to normal much before this time next year.