But I am having a mild attack of pollyanism.
NYCity is not exactly lockeddown, but strong words from Governor (with Mayor mumbling after) about lie low, we're in this together.
But beautiful day, cold and sun shining. People trying for the six-foot spacer (except for people who behave like tourists; how did they get here?). Buses are free. Liquor stores have been deemed "essential service." Also grocery stores. Restaurants (take-out or delivery only). Bakery open. Book stores closed--not essential. Daffodils, Azaleas, Forsythia starting to bloom.
Went to my favorite West Side Market....owner in front of store monitoring the line-up.
Question: How long to get in?
Answer: When I feel there's too many people in the store, the line stops.
Question: waddaya mean, when you feel?
Answer: I have an instinctive sense of how much is too much.
Question: Well how long would you say this line will be?
Answer: About four minutes, maybe three-and-a-half; couples count for one person!
Checkers all wearing masks and gloves; ditto the deli and fish guys.
So far, so good. Of course, it helps that the sun is shining.
Sat on the patio finishing A Warming, by Anonymous and continuing Twain's last novels. I had planned to read only The Gilded Age (in the Library of America edition) but now I find the public library is closed and I don't have to return what I have until May Day. So I may read the rest, although Twain's last novels are hardly vintage.
ReplyDeleteEarlier I was involved in a multi-way exchange over whether it would be feasible to hold our Wednesday morning men's group on Zoom. I am skeptical. We used to hold board meetings of our community action group on Skype so members in the western part of the county could attend, but much of the time was spent re-connecting and recapping what was dropped and in general aggravating everyone involved. So, Meh. But, as our greatest president, who is doing things no one has ever done before, would say (because he thinks it sounds manly) what the hell do we have to lose?
Speaking of the white-eyed orange virus that is stuck in everybody's head, he did an hour today of fantastic assertions of things he might have done that no one else ever did and were unbelievable (he gets that right) and so far greater than any other country, and we may find a miracle cure; a lot of people don't think so but we will see. People charge with more important things to do had to stand behind him so it could be seen how many important and fantastic people show up when he calls. And I was thinking it would be fantastic and make this country come together as he says it is (i.e, more than ever before) if he would just shut up and let people who know what they are doing (Brain Dr. Carson, I am not looking at you) do it. About the only thing these daily verbal eruptions are good for is assuring us that Dr. Fauci hasn't been fired yet.
Yeah, Raber had this on in the kitchen and was making periodic sounds of outrage and coming out expletives. I am not watching any more of him. I hope Raber will desist.
DeleteI did see Trump's tweet claiming that hydroquinone and azithromycin was curing C19 patients in five days. What casual cruelty ignorance inflicts.
Tom, did you read the Joan of Arc novel by Twain? I have been reading Tolstoy's novellas and have found them spiritually salubrious.
DeleteWe are up to four reported cases in Lake County (pop 110,000). I assume that means that we have at least 44 cases but probably less than 400 cases. However I made my last trip to my large supermarket at a time when there were no lines. I used a self checkout lane. The grocery store has pick up which I will use from now on. So that was likely my last trip until sometime between July and September. I am well stocked with food and essentials.
ReplyDeleteTom,
Could your men's group use e-mail to continue their conversations. Or perhaps establish your own blog? You can have completely private blogs for members only. However if you start one without much publicity you will probably get few outsiders. Our blog has some people who read without commenting, but judging from the view counts it is not that many, so you might consider having an open blog.
Jack, The advantage of ZOOM is that we could all see each other. But the protocols are strange because two people can't talk at once or the screen gets angry, and you can't always tell from a face who is about to talk. A couple of parishioners are True Believers, and they have a bunch of people doing a daily rosary that way. Of course, with a rosary everybody is saying the same thing, not discussing. A semi-private blog might take too long. (Actually, no one has solved the real problem: How to get the coffee and Joe the Baker's inspiration for the week over broadband.) Zoom would let our wandering member who is in Paris for a year join in. That would be a plus.
DeleteWe took a drive this afternoon. Raber went in to get takeout coffee. Sunny and nice, but too cold to sit outdoors.
ReplyDeleteDiocese finally shut down all Masses, services, and gatherings until Holy Week when it will decide whether more shutdowns are needed. Not sure where AA will meet.
With the Virus situation, our local Giant Eagle has switched from 24 hr to 7 am a 10 p.m. operation. That allows their employees to stock and clean overnight. Probably a lot safer for their employees.
ReplyDeleteThey have also instituted an early hour at 6 am on Mondays through Wednesdays for seniors over sixty to make it a safer shopping situation for them (us). Staff will be available to help.
A lot of other grocery stores are making similar arrangements.
I understand the thinking behind early senior hour shopping. It makes sense to get us high risk people in while the store is cleaner and the crowds smaller. The problem is that sick older people cannot usually jump out of bed at 4 a.m., have pills with a meal, go through the slow.process of dressing, and drive to the store in the dark to be there at 6 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were curbside delivery.
We're supposed to get a regular time for geezer shopping, but I can pass for younger. I don't know when they will want me. I do know there will be no toilet paper. But we are good for a few more weeks. One of our local wags has been flying a roll of toilet paper on a drone over grocery shoppers just for fun.
DeleteHaha, maybe they will card you if you look too young! Not sure if the toilet paper on a drone is funny or just mean. I find myself ricocheting between terror for people I love and hilarity, sometimes several times a day.
DeleteI made it to one of our local grocery establishments a few minutes after 7 am opening this morning. Toilet paper aisle was completely empty. In the next aisle (salted snacks), I asked a stocker if there was any toilet paper in the back room to bring out. His command of English probably isn't perfect, but he understood "toilet paper", beckoned me to follow him, and pointed to a very meager stock sitting on the floor in the middle of the section that has refrigerated English muffins and pizza bites. I bought a package of six Charmin Ultra-Soft which, the package informs me, is the equivalent of 24 normal rolls. After getting home with the grocery haul for the week, my wife and I were feeling so bullish about toilet paper futures that we decided to donate the 12 pack I wrested from last Saturday's grocery shopping to the food pantry. When we got to the pantry this morning, we discovered it had more toilet paper in stock than any of the grocery stores or Targets I've been inside for the last couple of weeks.
DeleteFound everything else I needed this morning, except for corn dogs which, with the college kids home, are in high demand in our household (albeit not by me). I don't think there is a corn dog shortage; but it's a big store and I couldn't find the darn things. I should have hunted up my friend the stocker again.
Out here on the Left Coast, my local Safeway (Oakland, CA) has seniors and disabled only shopping, Tuesdays and Thursday, 7-9 am. 6:00? No way!!!! The only thing I do at that time is take obligatory walk down the hall to the Little Room.
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ReplyDeleteThe evening's entertainment is going to be a practice session on Zoom. This so that the WW1Etc! reading group can have its discussion next Thursday of Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler. I did a brief Zoom tutorial with our Aging in Place leader a couple of weeks ago. Not impressed. But a whole month without a book discussion has driven the eager beavers and techie confident to try this. And it appears that everyone has something to say about the book.
ReplyDeleteWash your hands! And brush your teeth....
Good luck with Zoom! Did you like Koestler? I could not get into "Darkness at Noon." Worth soldiering on?
DeleteWe are reading the recently discovered original German (and now translated into English--long story driven by WW2 and Koestler's escape from France and the Nazis).
DeleteI remember reading this in my yut...and was not engaged as I recall. Now I find it pretty absorbing.
Someone in our group did a comparison of the two versions and seemed to think this version is somewhat better. I think that in this day and age, there is something engaging about reading a novel that is politically serious along with the whole ends and means ruminations of Rubashov against the background of dealing with his interrogators.
Here's a rundown of the German text and of Koestler's adventures escaping Europe.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/the-desperate-plight-behind-darkness-at-noon