Cafe Hitch-hike

2020-03-27

Life during the plague

So how is everyone feeling and doing? Hit me up in the notes. I'd love to hear from you and maybe we can brighten each other's worlds, wherever in it we may be.

The Bleh:

I've been sending special thoughts for my mother because she is a healthcare worker. Specifically, she cleans hospitals. She is also 66 years old and in good health, but I'm hoping for the best. The lack of support to healthcare workers is atrocious and they are overwhelmed. Mom works for a subcontractor who provides sanitation services, and I have even less faith in them (and especially some of her co-workers who do the least amount of work possible). She called me the other day to set me up as having permission to access her bank account in case anything happens to her. Mom also started collecting Social Security and is working 32 hours a week which she likes. But, I'm saying a special prayer, especially for her protection, every day.

My region was denied federal-level disaster aid to set up testing clinics. I find it ironic because we have lots of one-percenters who live here (including our awful head of state), but then again, they don't need these clinics. They can get what they need while the rest of us suffer.

I live in a region with a lot of elderly, and New Yorkers are coming here because they don't want to be in lockdown up there. At least 3 people who tested positive for the virus are within a 4 mile radius of me, and that makes me feel wonderful. We've been keeping distance, but my concern is what they touch, cough, and sneeze on. The northeasterners generally do poorly at being perfect strangers (I mean, since their disposable and retirement income is part of what keeps this Banana Republic of a state afloat, I guess they feel entitled). A lot of people are pissed about that.

The region also had a very uneven and lopsided response. We're supposed to have a centralized emergency response on county levels, but cities and other local municipalities went rogue. Some enforced curfews and closures, while others did not. When some places enacted closures, the people migrated to where things weren't closed for business and pleasure. My community got an onslaught of spring breakers because 2 nearby destination counties finally closed their beaches, and it took a while for closures to happen here. A lot of locals were pissed because they felt the city was more interested in the revenue than preventing the spread.

The OK: I wanted things to slow down for quite a while, and my wish was granted. However, I have a backlog of plenty to do around the house and for work. On Monday, I had 4 tasks going on at once and I felt so frazzled! On Wednesday, I got my state-issued medical cannabis permit and I stocked up. I don't feel frazzled and can usually do one thing at at time, but cannabis physically weakens me nowadays. I don't like feeling that way, but the rest I like.

In a way, I've been able to tap into my previous experiences with instability to go with the flow. It's not quite like the poster 'Keep Calm and Carry On.' It's more like my choices are limited in what I can and cannot do, so I respect those and function within them. Although a lot of things were closed, I was able to go to a beach that didn't have public access. Rafa and I had 2 picnics in the past week by ordering take-out and eat it outside with a view. There's no ordinance against those, and cops actually just waved, nodded, or ignored us when they had seen us.

I'm still able to take Puppy Dog for our usual walks in our community easement, and she likes saying 'hi' to the horses in a nearby community when they feel like interacting with us. I also have plenty, plenty, plenty to do in mi casa, so that will keep me afloat.

Oh, yeah, and my spare room also doubles as a gym now because I purchased a used climber machine from a colleague. It goes with my weights and exercise ball. I found those to be essential when working long stretches. I actually have the need to burn off some of that energy (that wasn't sapped by smoking the previous night).

I do miss the hell out of talking to people, but thank God for internet and mobile! The thing is people are stressed and kinda zonked out (wow, kind of like me after Uncle and my niece died, right?), so the interacting isn't quite the same...

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