Day #101 of Self-Isolation...

After feeling a bit down in the dumps, I took a CBD happy pill (I'd gotten it on sale for $35). It helped, except also gave me a craving for chocolate.

I don't think I need to explain why I was down in the dumps.

Anyhow, it motivated me to do laundry - not like anything was going on work-wise, nor would anyone notice that I was doing laundry at 3:15pm as opposed to working on a change order. Note laundry isn't really that involved. I don't sit with it. I take it down, throw it into the machine, and go back up again. It's only problematic if anyone is down there or I have to wait for a machine.

(Workplace didn't notice or even miss me. Working remotely from home, rocks. I'm so much more productive in some respects, less so in others.) And no one was in the laundry room or the basement for once. ( Read more... )

While cases are increasing elsewhere in the US, they are decreasing in New York City and New York. New York has decided to regard this development with a growing sense of cautious optimism. We finally got below 1,000 hospitalizations today. And 0 deaths in Brooklyn. People will probably set off more fireworks tonight as a cause for celebrations. I told a lawyer on Facebook that I thought it was a thoughtless act done out of boredom.

Lawyer: So something has to be thoughtless and out of boredom at the same time?
Me: Well, boredom and thoughtlessness kind of go hand in hand.

Yes, this is the same lawyer that a friend from church (who is also a lawyer) got into it with...on the same post. Our esteemed Mayor refuses to take it lying down - he's is damned if he's not going to stop it on his watch. So he announced that he's forming a TASK FORCE TO AFTER THE SUPPLIERS OF THE FIREWORKS IN A HUGE STING OPERATION.
(How it is going to be a sting operation after he announced it to the media, I don't know. You'd think that alone would have alerted the sellers of the fireworks, unless of course they are idiots? Also, I'm convinced people are just driving to another state such as New Jersey or Pennsylvania to get them and coming back with them. So technically legally purchased in Pennsylvania to be set off in New York.) It's become a problem - but hey it gives the police something positive to do.

My mother likes to tell me stories about the horrible deaths of plants.Last week it was about a pine tree that the maintenance crew was chopping down to ensure it didn't fall on a house - it was too close to the house. Frak the house, I want the tree to live.
( Read more... )

What has Crazy Workplace done to combat the coronavirus and make it safe for employees to return to work? They sent us a video on how to safely return to the workplace, and how to safely check ourselves every day for COVID-19 before we come to work. MTA's NY Transit's Guide to Safely Returning to Work which is basically the same guide as Crazy Workplace's. We also get two industrial strength high-end cloth masks that will last for up to six months. And they will be cleaning around the clock.

Sounds great right? The only problem with this plan? ( stupid people who can't be bothered to follow the guidelines )

It was a lovely if somewhat overcast day today, with storm clouds rolling in and out again, but no precipitation or storm. And it's quiet at the moment.
Nice. I like the quiet.

Didn't take the walk - due to doing laundry and picking up the food order downstairs.

I need to stop ordering stuff, getting tired of receiving packages. Although, I did cave and buy a wireless keyboard for Macbook Air, and a lap-top lift that will go up a bit higher - for ergonomic reasons. It's my on-going battle against the 2020 shoulders, neck, and carpal tunnel syndrome. So far I've avoided - I hope to continue. That and more CBD gummies.

Hope all is well in your world. All is well here ...as far I can tell. It's really hard to be certain about anything at the moment.


I leave you with...my shadow's reflection in grass.

Covid-19

Okay, I just read another post from a friend, last two had been from family members - describing the COVID-19 symptoms, and getting a negative test result. Each person described slightly similar symptoms. Severe muscle aches, headaches, rash, fatigue, fever, chills. The nasal swab came back negative for every one. They had the SAME symptoms.

Of the three, only one knows how they may have gotten it.

So I did a little checking. And I discovered four separate articles on false negatives in the testing from medical journals and science/medical related sites that were accurate.

1. From the Geisel School of Medicine in Dartmouth - New Report Challenges and Implications of False Negative-COVID-19 Tests

( excerpt )

2. Beware False Negatives as a Diagnostic

( excerpt )

My Aunt was tested on Day 30 and got a false negative. It took her three months to get past the worst of it, she's still recovering.

3. From Healthline - If You Have Symptoms Assume You HAVE COVID

4. Science Daily - False Negative Test Results if Too Early via John Hopkins University Study

In short, if you have the symptoms for COVID-19 and get tested, assume you have it regardless of the result. The tests are highly inaccurate. I was skeptical at first - but I've had too many people who are not associated with each other, and reliable, tell me their symptoms and that they got a negative test result. On top of this, a college friend related a story about a friend of theirs who had COVID and discovered that the accuracy of the tests was maybe 85% or less. It's not 100%.

This means, we don't really know the true infection rate. We just know how many are being hospitalized, released from hospitals, tested, how many positive tests there have been, died in the hospital. What we do not know is: how many actually have had it, how many had false negatives, how many died at home with it never hospitalized, and how many recovered from it without being tested (I know quite a few people who had it and weren't tested and recovered).

That means - social distance, wear masks, and handwash. It also means to be careful.

I do know from family members that sunshine and outdoors helps counteract the virus. They felt better when they were in the sunshine.