I took a personal day. I'm basically burning off the personal days and vacation days - ironically, I make more money during them then during the days I'm working remotely. It's ...absurd. Everything is absurd. 2020 - proof that the Universe has a wickedly absurd sense of humor - in case we needed any.
And the human race needs to figure out how to stop being selfish assholes.
Seriously, I passed two young "white" women with mid-western accents, in their twenties in the grocery store, and one of them was wearing her mask around her neck. They said excuse me, politely when they kind of walked around and next to my back as I was trying to grab something - and I said thank you, no problem, but could you please put on the mask.
People are fatigued. I get it. But our area has a 5% infection rate and climbing. People are dying. Stop being a selfish nitwit and wear the mask.
Saw a lot of people wandering about without them or with them hanging around their necks. I get it - they were outside, but other people are too, walking near them. It's not just the religious jews, it's across the board. I saw representatives from every nationality, race, religion, demographic, gender not wearing the masks.
It's aggravating.
I've started reading Romans 12 each morning - it's simple really. It says love people. Be kind. And love your enemies. Don't see vengeance - leave that to the universe, instead heap kindness on them like coals burning on their heads. I'm meditating on that at the moment.
Went on a walk through Greenwood Cemetery - and worried that my legs ached. I figured I was probably just a tad dehydrated. I was very thirsty and forgot to bring my water bottle, and possibly the potato chips, and chocolate today didn't help. Some water retention in there.
Every day I go through this little chat - "no, you don't have COVID, you idiot. You have allergies, and leg cramps, and sinus/tension headaches. This is normal. You had this crap last year."
New York vs. the Corona VirusWell...they've gone nuts on the testing again.
From day one, testing has been among the most vital tools we have to accurately assess — and slow — COVID-19's spread in New York. Today, we are building on our nation-leading testing program by deploying an initial 400,000 rapid result test kits in every corner of the state. These rapid test kits — that take 15 minutes to get a result and do not require sending a specimen to a lab — will be available to every county in New York State, including to local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies and other health care providers.
The rapid tests can be used to control new outbreaks, conduct surveillance testing and help schools in "yellow zones" test students and staff, one of the new requirements of the Cluster Action Initiative to monitor COVID-19 spread. These rapid test kids will assist health care institutions throughout the state to quickly spot outbreaks and keep families and communities safe. Rapid testing is one tool in our battle with this virus. As always it must be used in combination with mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing. Together, using all tools, we can stop the spread. Unfortunately it also has a 1-2% chance of false negatives and false positives. But whatever, we have progress.
Oh, they have an interactive map to see if you are in Cluster Hot Spot. I put in my address and received the following result:
This address is in a Red Zone - cluster itself. All businesses located in a Yellow, Orange, or Red Zone must consult this page to determine whether any additional restrictions, including a potential 100% in-person workforce reduction, may be in effect in their Zone. It's not all that bad or any different than what I've been doing since March 18, so...
Cluster Guidance Information.
You really can't tell we're in a hot zone if you wander about outside. Or go anywhere. Again, it's not like I do go anywhere but the grocery store, the cemetery, the pharmacy...that's about it.
Oh well, NY is trying - I'll give them that.
FamilyBrother got his power back around 4pm yesterday. And father has been released from the rehab facility to the care of my mother, and rotating home health care aids. They come in shifts. One comes from 8-4pm, and one from 4pm to 8 am.
They bring their own food, and assist where needed. They don't sleep over - they are on-call. Kind of like a night nurse.
My parents have them - because mother can't lift father in and out of the bed, or wheel chair. He's over 200 pounds, taller than she is, and she's not that strong. He's not heavy really - I mean - he's tall and about 200 pounds. We're a tall family.
Father is hard to talk to on the phone - he can barely put a sentence together have the time. And is easily confused. But he's still there - and it's still him, and he still has his sense of humor. In an odd way - I think the Universe has put him on the opposite side of an argument - over the years he lost patience with my mother and me for not using the right word, or misstating things - and he'd correct us. Now, he's in that situation.
Actually this happened today.
I was trying to tell him about the book that I'm listening to on audio.
Father: I haven't read a book in 16 months. (He actually has kept track, the poor man.)
Me: Investigate audio books. I've not been able to read either - eye strain.
So doing the audio books. I'm reading Zealot. (I pronounce it Zeel - Lot)
Father: You mean Zeal-ot.
Me: Yeah, that, I can't pronounce it.
Father: Ah. I did it. I am still able to correct my daughter's speech. I'm rather proud of that accomplishment.
Me: Yes, I live for you to correct my speech.
Otherwise they appear to be doing okay. Mother sounded a bit frenetic. She has a lot to adjust to. This has not been easy for her at all. Either of them.
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