day 6

Living and learning in 2020

     I learned something about bleach.
     First thing I learned:  The splash-less bleach is not the same as regular bleach.  I don't know why.  But the splash-less bleach, and the scented bleaches, are not sanitizers.  They are whiteners and cleaners.  I you want to sanitize, use the regular.  I did not know that.
     And I use the wipes in the house.  I wipe a counter, then wipe it with a paper towel or old towel to dry it.  Mistake.  The bleach liquid needs to air dry, or stay on the surface something like four minutes to kill germs.  I did not know that either.
     Something else I learned:  Gas pump handles are easily contaminated.  Think about it.  You cough, grab the pump and start pumping.  It is recommended by some people to carry plastic gloves and after you are dune pumping, toss the gloves.  I wish there was a drawer or box to store gloves in a car.
There....PSAs from me to you.
Some pictures from my day.

My set up for working on my puzzle....with Beatles and tea

Progress for one day

Are these mosquitoes on my screen?

     Corki had a bad day.  She fell off the bed about 3 this morning.  Then I let her out into the back yard ...... and forgot to let her back in.  She was out there about 30 minutes before she started barking.  To make matters worst, I forgot she was out there a second time!  This was close to an hour...I ate lunch, read the paper, and when Jackie asked where she was, I remembered!  

     Corki got an extra treat today.

Peace and Love

day 5

It had to happen

     I started missing baseball today.
     The sports section is barren of information, excluding the Bears.  It seems everyone is ready to  send Mitch packing with the signing of Nick Foles, or whatever his name is.  Sportswriters and commentators seem to be heralding him as the Next Great Thing.
     This will be his fourth team in five years.  I'm thinking maybe he isn't as good as he was four years ago.  Or maybe he is, and he had just had a run of back luck.
Aside from the Bears signing a bunch of players,  the sports scene has been quiet.
     Where's Rizzo?  Where KB?  El Magico?  Was the video of Contreras hitting batting practice in his driveway by his brother shooting things at him enough?
     No.
     So imagine my good fortune when I round this beauty in my box of Rotary wines..

     I may not be at the ball park, but Clark and Sheffield is close enough!

     I managed to enjoy a glass or two with supper, which was curbside pickup from Alfano's.  Emily said that was allowed.

     I spent the part of the day organizing.

     I use a poster-board and tape to outline the size of the puzzle.

     Then I open it up and spread out the pieces, pulling out any pieces that have straight edges.

     I work from the sides in, using a hand lense to help me see the finer details of the pieces.

     I spent about 40 minutes on it and actually got the bottom row almost complete.  Almost.  Tomorrow I will find the missing two pieces.  

     Stay safe, my friends.

Peace and Love

day 4

I think I am in a rut

     I don't know where my day goes, it just goes and I don't have anything to show for it.
     I did discover that I may be going a little heavy with the coffee grounds when I brew coffee. 
     While talking to Bob and Anita yesterday, I had a cup of coffee.  Must have been around 4 or so.  I was thinking of that when the cuckoo hit 2 and I was still wide awake.
     At 5:30 I took out the recyclables.  I had set the alarm for 7 to get them out, but hell, I was already up.
     No caffeine this afternoon.  In fact,  one since breakfast, so let's see if I go to sleep tonight.
     We do have thunderstorms and the possibility of severe weather, so the weather alarm will go off every hour starting at 1.  Jackie sleeps through it, which I can't understand because even with my hearing loss that damn thing is loud!
     I did not go out except to go to the mailbox and found my census form.    Question:  What do we do about Julia?  She has a legal address here, but works out of country.  Maybe there is a box for that.  I guess I could read the directions.       Tomorrow.
     Echoes just started on WNIJ....I love the ambient soundscape that is presened at night.  I honestly think I could fall asleep to that.
     But the weather radio would probably wake me up.

Peace and Love

day 3

I just am not getting it done

     I figured with the lockdown, I would get some of my routine tasks done and still have a little fun time.
     I bought a 500 piece puzzle.  I have some evaluations to do.  I could work on my book.  I could practice my French.
     Nada.  Zilch.
     I did do a couple of crossword puzzles today.  And I played spider solitaire. And made supper then did dishes.  And played spider solitaire.  I also watched 3 episodes of Schitt'$ Creek, which I think is funny but Jackie does not like.
     I did put on my gloves, mask, hazmat suit and collect the mail, which turned out to be a shopper, advert from a cruise line and a huge sale on cars.  I did not even bring it in the house.
     After stripping off the hazmat suit and burning the mask and gloves in the new incinerator we recently installed, we Face-timed with Bob and Anita.  It takes us about 15 calls and four tries at the computer to put it where we can hear them, and see them and they can hear and see us.  Usually we have two of the four going prior to starting over, but today it worked on the first try.
     Speaking of crosswords, I spent a long time working on a clue.  It was Slow-----.
     The word started with "an"  and ended in L  I was perplexed.  Slow. an....sell? bell?  I worked around it, but had to come back to it because the connecting words made no sense. 
     I don't know when I realized it was SHOW, not slow, and the answer was show...and tell!
     And that folks was my day!
     Stay healthy
Peace and Love

day 2

Yes, that was me at the store

     I had to get a new antibiotic for Jackie.  Her infection has not disappeared, so we made a trip to the immediate care facility at our local hospital.
     Our normal PP was out today and I did not want to wait 24 hours.  This will be our third antibiotic....hopefully it will do the trick
     That was our afternoon, mostly.
     I did go vote, which does not take long out here.  Unlike big cities, which seem to discourage voting by not having enough machines or judges, it took me less than 5 minutes.  Of course, there were no contests except for president, which made it easier to vote.
     We did talk to Julia today.  Switzerland has imposed some pretty strict rules for the virus, and one of them is no crowds.  I think she said there is a maximum of 5 people allowed to gather in a home.
     Food providers and pharmacies are the only businesses open and schools are closed until the end of April.  Some hospitals over there are running out of space for COVID patients, so people are in hallways.
     The Swiss are pretty strict in her area.  If you violate one of the newly established rules, you could end up with a $20,000 fine and 3 years in prison.    Folks there are taking it pretty seriously.
     I read a post from a friend who hosted an Italian student a few years ago.  Hospitals there are also experiencing space shortages plus shortages of ventilators and other equipment needed to treat COVID 19 victims.  Folks there are basically on lockdown at home.
     When I went to pick up the prescription, the drive up lane was full so I went inside.  It looked pretty much lick a normal day at WM, people shopping as if there were no worries.
     Me?  I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer and use it often.
     I did overeat.  Plus I got a mint chocolate milkshake from Arby's.....I drank about a fourth then supplemented with Rum Chata.  So please, pardon my typing and sentence structure.
Peace and Love

day 1

Somehow, nothing seems different

     I did not go to the store, but that is not unusual one day a week.  We did not go to the eye doctor for our annual exam.  I guess we could have, but I seem to have a cold (I HOPE) complete with a scratchy throat and a slight cough.  No temperature.
     The office called to see if we were sure we wanted to come, but when I said I had a cough, they agreed I should stay home.
     Stay home, stay put.  My new motto.
     My bird feeder was filled and the other day Jackie spotted a cardinal in the redbud.  First cardinal we have had at this house.
     But the horde of grackles seemed to drive it out.  Those birds are like a gang....they devour the food an scare all the other birds off.  And there is always a lot of them. 
     Jackie's sore looks a lot better.  We are supposed to visit the wound specialist next Wednesday, but that remains to be seen.  I might just take a picture and e-mail her so she can keep updated on the progress.
     I guess today was just a normal day for two retired folk.  If it was sunny and warm, I may have worked in the yard.  I have some things to do, but I slept for a while this afternoon and just never got a round tuit.
     We talked to a couple of people on telephone, which helps with the isolation.  I think that is the worst part, just having Jackie to talk with.  After 50 years, there isn't a lot left to say.
Peace and Love

news from over there

Talked to our daughter in Switzerland

     She returned last week from time in Borneo and Thailand, I believe.  I actually had to look up Borneo on Google.  I had no idea where it was.
     On the flight home she said they were checked twice for COVID 19.  I believe she said at the first airport and again inAbu Dhabi when they landed there enroute.
     Of course, schools are closed, some of the minor border crossings  between Switzerland and Italy are closed, and people are being told to work from home.
     We also talked to my nephew and his wife, also in Switzerland.  She has a friend in a remote Italian village and residents there are instructed to stay inside.  She said police will stop you, even if taking a walk by yourself, and send you back home.
     Another niece and her family were visiting and came home today after their original flights were cancelled.
     The US has 18 airports that are accepting overseas flights.  If you saw the pictures at O'Hare today, you should have been shocked.  Thousands  of people, waiting hours in line shoulder to shoulder, because testing was being done.
     If you ask me I would have said if you only have 18 airports open and there are thousands of of citizens abroad who are coming home, then you better mobilize every person you can to make sure the testing is done quickly.  Having those people stand in line for hours is absolutely insane and could lead to a massive surge in the number of people infected.
     I just hope Laurie and Ron and the kids did not have to wait too long and that no-one sneezed or coughed on them.
     Meanwhile, I ventured to the local WM for some essentials...potato chips, cottage cheese, other stuff.  (The local pharmacist was incredulous tha I was at the store.)  The only chips left were way up on the top shelf, the one that says ask associate for help.  I found an associate, said I wanted one of the few regular chips left.  He got a ladder, climbed up....and brought down one bag.  The other 10 or so he left on the out of reach top shelf.
     Heaven help us.
Peace and Love ande I am not going out to another store for two weeks.