You know me. I'm fond of writing about things after they happen. But I get the feeling this story is going to be rather lengthy. So I might as well begin.
It started with a whisper back in January. In February, it became a buzz. Something's going down in China. A virus. Don't go to China. Chinese people might be carrying something. No, shut up, don't be racist. Maybe they'll be able to contain it over there. Let's not worry about this thing yet.
Hey, did you hear? Now the news is saying it's starting to spread. It's time for some practical lessons on how to wash your hands effectively, everybody!
It's nothing. Surely it's nothing. That doctor on the news -- he says the Corona Virus is no worse than the common cold. And that expert over there -- she says the flu kills more people than the Corona Virus! So there's no need to panic.
...
It's here.
March 6: Emerald City ComicCon is cancelled.
Who's got Corona? No one knows. There are no testing kits. If you have symptoms, stay home. Or don't, and risk passing it to the elderly. Wait, what ARE the symptoms?
March 7-8: Costco parking lots bulge as people rush to buy "survival supplies." Hand sanitizer and toilet paper are hot commodities. There's talk of people hoarding.
March 9-11: Countries in Europe are closing their borders to curb the spread. Apparently Italy's got it bad.
March 11: Oregon's governor bans gatherings of more than 250 people for the next four weeks.
March 12: Businesses begin making reassuring posts and sending out emails saying how they're responding to the Corona threat. The gist of many of these is, We're carrying on as usual, but we're disinfecting stuff a lot more. The Oregon Zoo announces that all "indoor" areas of the zoo will be off-limits for the time being.
March 13: Just a few days before what would have been our Spring Break, schools close, and admins say schools will not open again until April 1st. The highschoolers in the spring play give two performances via Youtube streaming. The county libraries close. Don't bother returning your books. A con I was going to attend in May is cancelled.
March 15: Many churches offer a streaming service this morning. Some churches allow an audience, but encourage people over 60 (the most vulnerable?) to stay home. I watch the stream of my church's service and find... I could get used to this. *looks around shiftily*
March 16-18: "Social Distancing" is the buzzphrase du jour. Online, we get charts showing us how quickly the disease can spread. Here's what will happen if we carry on as normal. But here's what will happen if we physically isolate ourselves. The big issue isn't that people MIGHT get Corona -- it's likely that eventually most of us will -- what IS a problem is that it will be over a year before there's a vaccine available. A lot of people who get a bad case of it will need a ventilator at a hospital. And there aren't enough of either hospitals or ventilators to handle the potential numbers.
Everything is cancelled! Restaurants and bars: closed. Powell's books: closed. Oregon Zoo: completely closed. Malls: closed. Theaters: closed. U.S./Canada Border: closed.
Gatherings of 250 people? Ha! Now you can only have gatherings of 50! No, wait, 10!
The school closures are extended a month. April 28th, they say.
The whispers continue. It won't be over by April 28th. It might last through the summer. It might last eighteen months. School might never re-open. (You wished for this, kids. I know you did.)
On Facebook, parents of school-aged children are doing their best to home-school. They swap ideas. Ask for suggestions. Lament.
It seems like half my friends are out of work, with no hope of returning soon. (Granted, I am friends with many fellow teachers.)
I've been trying to practice social distancing, I really have. But I had to go to Fred Meyer on Wednesday to pick up prescriptions. Fred Meyer didn't really feel any different from usual, save for the various aisles that had been stripped bare. That toilet paper aisle is never going to recover, is it? Oddly, shoppers had also gone after the chili aisle, leaving only a few cans of the super-hot variety on the shelves. Hmmm.
I wore gloves to the store. Some people wore masks. A woman in her 50s or 60s stood in the central aisle, one hand stroking her cart, her other hand pressed to her ear. She was having a phone conversation about the virus, right there in Fred Meyer, just as calm as one could be.
Which leads me to another point. My mother, who is in her 60s, does not want to Social Distance. She just can't seem to do it. She invited a friend over on Monday to do a puzzle. On Tuesday, after much urging, she agreed not to have any more friends come to the house for a while. But then she told me she wants to go help some friends get their house ready to sell. No, mother!
Quite a few of my friends with parents in that age range have reported similar frustrations. A disturbing number of sixtysomethings all seem to think nothing can touch them.
Well, it's not just that age group. College-aged students reportedly are flocking to beaches to party for Spring Break. If alcohol kills viruses, I'm sure they'll be fine. (Sarcasm)
So. What now?
Well, I'm looking forward (ha) to the next few weeks (months?) of hanging out with my mom and hoping she (we both) remain(s) sensible and healthy for as long as possible.
It may be a long road ahead, and it's hard to plan, but here's what's on the agenda at the moment:
*Clean my LEGO workspace (hahaha, sure)
*Garden -- plant veggies, etc.
*Novel #4,283 ain't gonna write itself....
*Continue blogging. Post more vintage magazines. Maybe finally get around to posting some of my vintage scrapbooks.
*Keep doing LEGO vlogs. Maybe crack open one of my larger sets and build it.
*Read. Woe to the libraries being closed, but I really do have plenty of reading material, here.
*Sew something? I mean, I've only been collecting fabric for the past 5 years, might as well make something.
*Rewatch all those TV series I've been wanting to see again but thought I didn't have time for: The Pretender, Wonderfalls, L&C. Finally get around to watching S2 and S3 of Anne With An E?
*Clean the garage...? Hahahaha, no.
Well, until the next chapter... stay safe, all.
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