Day 4 of Self Exile

Posted on 19/03/2020 by Grumpa Joe

Today, I slept until 9:00 a.m. That is highly unusual for me, but I’ll take it. My body must need the rest. I chopped scallions, three kinds of pepper, red, yellow, and green to sauté. Then added garlic to some beaten eggs for a scramble. I needed a little bit more so I added a dollop of cottage cheese to the plate. While eating I watched the horrible news about corona virus. That blended into the “Stump Trump Hour.” All the while I wondered if there were less than ten reporters in the room. Certainly they were not six feet apart, and certainly they do not have brains. The questions were repetitious, and boring. Don’t these people listen to the answers? Some of them impressed me as attempts to stump Trump into changing his first response. When experts tell you that a vaccine is twelve to eighteen months away why is it necessary to ask if the system is fast tracking the process? When the Vice President reports that 3M is making 30 million face masks a month why is it necessary to push the answer toward why St. John Doe Hospital in Podunk is out of face masks?

Industrial grade face mask

 

 

Respirators that the press believes we should have millions on hand at each hospital

The whole thing could have been over in fifteen minutes, instead the President patiently answered the questions. The strangest I thought was why are you calling this the Chinese virus , isn’t that being racist? Duhh, lady where is your brain? It came from China and who care is the virus is racist? It will still kill you the first chance it gets even if you call it the honey coated-critter from space. The brains really stopped functioning when Dr. Deborah Birx reported that there has been a large increase in cases reported since last week, but that it is due to the fact that the backlog of tests has been corrected, and now reported. Then, the brains really began smoking when she reported that there are more positives now that all the test kits everyone complained about not having two days ago are now available. The dumbest question goes to the reporter who asked what the President is going to do for those in prisons? Isn’t a prison the ultimate form of quarantine? All the wardens have to do is to shut off visitors and check prison workers for the virus, end of calamity.

President Trump threw a fast one at them by reporting that several cruise lines offered to let the government use some of their empty cruise liners as hospital ships or quarantine centers. I gave one reporter credit for changing the subject by asking what the President was doing to rescue some 300 Americans stranded in Peru. If it were me answering that one, I would have told her “nothing, they got there on their own they can get home on their own.” President Trump, however, was again very calm and politely explained that he most likely would have to use military to bring them out. The reporter heard military and must have envisioned a war with Peru, because Trump had to correct his statement by adding “military aircraft” to the statement.

Throughout the conference I kept asking myself why are these people expecting the Federal Government to perform miracles and to take care of their every need, face masks, respirators, drugs, etc? Everyone of us lives in a State within the Union called the United States of America. Each of our States is an independent government with departments identical to those of the feds. State responsibility is first and foremost before the federal government should step in. If your state is not getting things done, you should be harassing the governor not the president. The problem is that the states are all broke because they have too many retirees to send pension checks to and not enough money to spend on disasters.

The President’s daily Task Force report via press conference to the American people was very informative and calming. He does not convey any sense of panic on any of the subjects and did not have to defer any questions to later or to someone else, he knew the answers. Twice, he told a reporter he would not answer the question.

After the conference I donned my rain gear and went for a 45 minute walk in the rain. It is the first day of Spring, and it was refreshing but cold. It is also the feast of Saint Joseph, my namesake, so it is special to me.  I can’t wait for tomorrow.

Filed under: Aging, family, Government, health care | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Days 2 & 3 Of My Quarantine

Posted on 18/03/2020 by Grumpa Joe

As luck has it something strange always happens when you schedule a large home improvement project. Making breakfast was an adventure because all the cabinets  were sealed off with plastic sheeting. I wound up poking holes through the sheeting in front of cabinet doors and drawers to get stuff I needed. I was stuck in my home quarantined by the floor refinishers. After a breakfast eaten in my bedroom I descended into my shop to get away from the noise and dust.

I was in my shop grinding on a piece of padauk wood forming a rose while the Rumanian floor refinisher was grinding the floors above me. I was attired in  face mask, heavy apron, and shop-hat turned backwards to protect me from the dangers of padauk-dust when I heard someone shouting at me. It was Johnny, the Rumanian. He told me I had until 12:30 p.m. to vacate the house, it was 11:30. He had begun to apply the stain on the floor where the refrigerator and stove sit. He would finish the final sanding while that stain set.

I hustled to pack a bag to get out and headed for a hotel. Thankfully, I thought about it for a few minutes when they first told me I would have to vacate for a day. I picked the hotel where Peggy and I spent our first nite of wedded bliss together. It is six miles from our house. Last night was not even close to that night.

Checking in was not a problem because they had many vacancies. In fact, I think I was one of a dozen people who stayed. The hotel bar and cafe were both closed by government edict which left me to fend for myself. Usually, when I check into a new hotel room, the first thing I check is the condiment bar for goodies. They had one of those new Keurig coffee machines. I followed the instructions and pushed “BREW” the light went on and I proceeded to check out the bathroom. Nice shower and lots of towels, I liked it. I expected a fresh cup of coffee but got nothing. I tried three more times to make it happen, but nothing. I left the room to buy some lunch. On the way out I stopped at the desk to report the Keurig wasn’t working and that someone should come up and check it out and/or teach me how to use it.

It is election day and I wanted to vote for someone who would not win so I drove to the high school which is where I voted the last time. It was a ghost town. I went to the library which is within sight of my house. It was the wrong place, but the nice ladies there looked up my precinct and found the church. Afterwards, I moved to the super-market next to the church and bought a pre-made sub-sandwich and a couple cans of soup. It was enough for lunch and supper. Back in the room a maintenance guy showed up to look at the coffee maker. He also had trouble, but solved the problem by unplugging the unit and replugging it into the adjacent outlet. After breaking my KETO diet with the sub-sandwich I spent a few hours reading until it was time for the soup.

I fully intended to write this diary every day, but I experienced too much trouble getting onto Word Press on my lap top last night. Its been five years since I used the laptop for posting. In those years the world has gone slap-happy with the need for user names and passwords. I tried my best to find the right combination but failed. I could have written a post in Word and then posted it today on my Mac, but I chose to play Solitaire instead. I used up my battery, and my charger was on my desk at home, so I was stuck watching TV. I spent the evening watching a new episode of Life Below Zero about a totally new region of Alaska. I will watch the program religiously again.

Day three(today) my internal clock got me up at seven and I sat on the bed watching the traffic move by. Normally, there are hundreds of cars speeding through that section, but this morning it was relatively empty. I dressed and went to the lobby hoping to find some food, but first I decided to use the Keurig again. It took me three tries, but I finally mastered the combination of latch closing, water addition, and proper button pushing before the damn thing started to drip coffee. The morning food service was suspended as advertised, but the manager left baggies with an orange, cupcake, and a granola bar for departing residents. They also had a pot of coffee available. I picked up the USA Today and the Wall Street Journal for the room.

I spent reading and watching President Trump’s press conference on Covid-19. I thought he is doing everything right and he reacts with new action as new facts emerge. He doesn’t wait to cogitate with his advisors before acting because they discuss and brainstorm together and decide on the next course of action. He doesn’t need any more thought about what to do. He reminds me of the man I worked for. When he wanted a problem solved he called his experts and we discussed and brainstormed together. We never left the room without a plan. His only course afterwards was to follow up on our actions. Many times he was following up and looking for results before I arrived back at my office.

Another can of soup and a coffee later I cleaned my debris and packed my pajamas to leave. On the way home I stopped at the bank to deposit a check and then went to Mickey’s for a hot dog to go. Mickey’s is allowed to stay open because it is mainly a carry-out place. The bank doors were locked, and I had to use the drive through window. Traffic seemed normal for the day.

By the time I arrived home there was not sign of Johnny or his partner. My plan was to enter the house through the garage into the laundry room where I would sit on the ceramic tile floor and watch the varnish dry while I ate my hot dog. I touched the floor, it was dry and not sticky, so I took off my shoes and said, “what the heck” go for it.

I stepped on the beautiful newly refinished floor, and was able to negotiate the house. Everything is white with dust. I thought the plastic covering everything and blocking doors would keep things clean, but it didn’t so I spent an hour doing my most favorite housecleaning chore, dusting. I couldn’t sit anywhere looking at all the dusty surfaces. I stopped after I hit all the spots I would be looking at today, and this computer desk was one of the targets. I went for a haircut and now I am at this moment in time thinking what adventure I will undertake next while I sit in isolation waiting for the Covid-19 bug to come out of somewhere to attack me. It is raining and cold, so I will avoid my daily walk to nowhere which usually lifts my spirits. I will restart my KETO diet with my next meal. Darn that sub-sandwich, muffin, and hot dog and tasted good.

 

 

Filed under: Aging, Biography, Election, family, Seniors | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Day One Of My Corona Quarantine

Posted on 16/03/2020 by Grumpa Joe

Never in my lifetime has the government been so worried about a virus threat. Today, begins a shutdown of many public spaces. My Lions Club activities are shut down, the library is closed, all bars and restaurants are closed, only drive through windows will be open. For the first time in my life I missed a Sunday mass because the church was closed. Food suppliers will remain open. Hopefully, they will have stock to sell. I’m not sure about banks.

Back in the nineteen forties during World War Two we experienced shortages, and blackouts, but I don’t recall shutdowns of any sort. My parents were issued a ration booklet with coupons. The coupons were for food items, gasoline, etc. I know my Mom used them to barter food with friends. Dad did the same with his gasoline coupons. Back then we were fighting Germans and Japanese not an invisible microscopic virus. The Civil Air Patrol watched the skies for enemy airplanes and the Coast Guard patrolled our shores to ward off enemy ships. I remember when we traveled by car to see my grandfather in Michigan we raced PT boats along Lake Michigan shores. Every car trip involved fixing flat tires on the roadside because tires were not available and our car had some pretty bald tires. When we reached the bridge over the St. Joe river there was always a huge navy ship tied up there.

In the nineteen fifties we did have a serious virus attack, Polio was the enemy. It was headlines everyday in all the newspapers, and on radio news. Because we didn’t have TV’s we didn’t have 24 hr news programs spreading panic all about the world. The pictures of people in iron lungs were enough to get our attention. The government recommendation was to stay away from crowded beaches and from mosquitoes. It was August, and I just turned fifteen, I was invincible. That morning I played golf at Jackson Park GC with my buddies, in the afternoon I delivered groceries for a grocery store that was several miles from home. I rode my bicycle to get there. After work, I hung out with the neighborhood gang until ten. The following morning I couldn’t wake up, I had a headache that felt like my skull would blow up, my throat was on fire, and my neck was so stiff I couldn’t bend my head. Mom took my temperature and called our family doctor. He came by at five o’clock after his office hours. An ambulance arrived within two hours to haul my sorry ass to the Contagious Disease Hospital on 26th and California. That is where I existed until October. It wasn’t fun, and I am one lucky man because I recovered with a minimum of paralysis. I thank God for that everyday. The vaccine for polio came a couple of years after I recovered from it. I still think about all the kids I met along the way that didn’t make it. I laugh when reporters question medical authorities for how quickly will a vaccine be available. During polio the vaccine took years to develop. In fact it didn’t happen until the electron microscope was invented and researchers could finally see the virus. President Roosevelt started a private enterprise called the March of Dimes to raise money for research and help for victims. He did that because he had first hand experience with the disease having been paralyzed from the waist down from polio.

At this moment I have two workers in my house sanding my wood floors to refinish them I am sealed off, and by myself in self quarantine. This time I believe the warnings are valid and pertain to me. I am in the primary age group for this bug. I must do everything in my power to stay healthy and away from contagion, or face the music. At the end of February, a close friend of mine died. I went into shock when I learned of it. She got sick suddenly with a lung infection that took her out.  Her family swears it wasn’t Corona, but in my heart I believe it was.

Pray, pray, pray that we will stop this virus in its tracks.

Filed under: Aging, Biography, family, Government, Seniors | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

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