Shelter in Place
I mentioned yesterday the fluidity of this situation, right? How changes keep coming more quickly than anyone can possibly manage. One minute you're of one understanding for something uniquely new and important, the next they've taken it one step further and life is just a little more miserable.
Yesterday we received word that all of California was basically "on lockdown." Only essential businesses are allowed to continue operating. Grocery stores, restaurants that serve take-out, the post office, hospitals.. To be honest the list is quite long, but it is still prohibitive of multiple industries that are now decimated by this pandemic.
The president gave a press conference yesterday morning and another one today. He is optimistic about potential treatments that are being evaluated and that were previously used for Malaria, but health experts are urging people not to get too excited. The U.S is still three weeks behind Italy on the contagion timeline and today Italy saw almost 700 deaths. Prorate the population accordingly - or better yet, don't.
I went into the office today for only a couple of hours. It's Friday so this was important before the weekend. I am trying to limit my time at the office to items like a quick one-on-one meeting with a client, printing/scanning/mailing, and enjoying the presence of humans other than my immediate family. I tried not to touch anything, covered my hand with my long sleeve when opening doors, and sanitized after using the touch screen on the copier. It's pretty incredible how mindful I've become of my daily touchstones and habits, and yet I know I am still risking a lot by simply leaving the house.
My favorite blogger, Heather ("Dooce") Armstrong, posted in the last few days about how her partner has the coronavirus. She too believes she had it and already recovered, although her test result was negative. Her partner is about the same age as Steve and is on day 15 fighting it off. She stated the virus was affecting him differently than it did her but didn't go into too much detail which tells me she is probably deeply worried about him. It's alarming to me because now I feel like I actually know someone who is a verified patient of this contagion. There are more than 1,000 diagnoses just in California alone, and the numbers will grow exponentially in the days and weeks ahead. The jarring realization hitting so many of us right now is that this has only just begun.
I took the boys to the park this morning so we could all get some exercise (Steve went quickly to a client's office to drop off a phone). On the way we contemplated whether we would be asked to leave by anyone once we got there. Fortunately we enjoyed a quick cardio session on the grass and threw the baseball to each other without incident, until Matthew hurled a fastball at me that I could not catch. The ball escaped down a hill into a woody ravine, and despite our best efforts, was not recovered. I shuddered to think of it as foreshadowing; a grim warning to us not to tempt fate, and to take shelter at home as we had already been told.
I read Charlotte's Web with Matthew after that and made him some lunch, and we FaceTimed with Melody briefly. I'm trying to schedule FaceTime dates with loved ones at a distance, as we all have a hunger for connection right now. I am hoping to reach Amy this weekend, but she text me that she is buried trying to come up with online curriculum for her students while keeping her own boys busy at home. I sympathize with and admire all the teachers who are tasked with this challenge that was placed before them with little warning. They are feeling the pressure from multiple sources in their lives right now.
Tonight I think I'm making vegetable korma with cauliflower, rice and naan bread. Tomorrow Steve wants to take advantage of "Corn Dog Day!" at Weinerschnizel and get five for $5. It seems right now food is a big priority, as we are all bored, under-stimulated and stressed to some degree. Today I was envisioning the excitement of the gym when it eventually reopens; I imagine it will be like New Year's Day, with everyone anxious to make a fresh start and get their health routines back on track. A packed room for Body Pump. Right now I am looking forward to that most of all.