The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 23 - Whoops

 It's been a long time since I've added a post to this series -- almost as long as it's been since the CDC last reported statistics.

(Source)

So you can probably guess why I'm posting again after so long a hiatus. 

Four years, four months. Four vaccines/boosters. But it finally caught up to me. Yes... recently I got the faint double line on my Covid test. 

It started out as a fever/body ache thing, progressed to chest congestion/cough, and then seemed to get better... and then got worse... and then better! And then worse. You see where this is going.

I know I was not as careful as I could have been. I should have worn masks more. Used more hand sanitizer. Avoided indoor spaces when I could. But I didn't. I got lazy. 

So that's that. It's going around again. Take care.

* * *

I've been thinking about all the things that have changed, for better or for worse, since the pandemic began. 

Things That Have Gotten Better Since 2020 and Have Stayed (Arguably) Better:

*Some of our schools got air filters.

*Options for legit online education have expanded, allowing kids who aren't thriving in a traditional classroom to try another method.

*Food delivery options have expanded.

*Mobile ordering is now widely available.

*So many new options for streaming content.

*Churches now doing streaming services.

*Credit cards/Paypal/Venmo/Cashapp etc. being accepted in more places.

*Doctors now offering virtual visits.

*You can now pump your own gas in Oregon, should you wish to.

Things That Got Better For a While, Then Went Back to Blahsville:

*People keeping their distance in public.

*Stores limiting the number of people that can be in the space at one time.

*Hand sanitizer stations, or bottles, being available in public spaces (at least after the initial shortage).

*Distance learning. Okay, I'm not on the popular side of this argument. Most people didn't like this, but I did! The ability to MUTE THE CHILDREN, my goodness!

*Virtual work meetings. The number of times this past year when we had an in-face meeting where all they did was tell us something that could've been handled by email... I get grumpy just thinking about it.

Things That Got Really Annoying For a While, But Are Better Now:

*Trying to follow one-way arrows taped to the floor of store aisles. I'm all for not crashing into other customers, but the pieces of tape were NOT doing the trick.

*Libraries being closed.

*Doctor's offices having no chairs in the waiting rooms.

*Having to stay away from all your loved ones.

*Not being able to travel.

*Toilet paper, Lysol, and hand sanitizer shortages.

Things I Thought Would Get Better, But Have Gotten Weirdly Worse:

*The kids I work with, despite having spent one-half to one-third of their lives in a pandemic, don't seem to give a flying fudgesicle about keeping their germs to themselves at school. In the past year I've witnessed biting, spitting, kissing, candy sharing, lip gloss/makeup sharing, and food sharing (one incident in particular sent a kid to the hospital.) The safety pendulum really did a wild swing there.

Things I Miss About the Pre-Pandemic World:

. . .

Okay, maybe the naive, careless bliss some of us lived in to certain degrees.

At one point I would have said "buffets," but I've decided I don't miss them that much after all.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 22 - The Pres Says It's Over -- Everybody To The Waterpark!

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Cases are down, deaths are down, hospitalizations are... whoops, wrong direction!

I got my 2nd booster a few weeks (four shots in total, now) ago. Side effects included a headache and fever, but definitely a milder one than I had with my first booster in 2021.

* * *

So the 2022-23 school year began a while back, and aside from a few scraps of evidence from last year's social distancing attempts still sticking to the hallway floors, there is very little to suggest that we're still in a pandemic.

We're back to packing the kids onto benches in the cafeteria. Last year we put six to a table. Now, it's at least 24.

Masks are optional -- and hardly anyone wears one. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it's about 7%.

Last year, the district provided us with boxes of tissues. This year they were like "nah, you're on your own."

Hand sanitizer bottles are there, but we don't have to worry about running out of the stuff, because the bottles largely get ignored.

When a kid has a cough, we don't test them or call home anymore. We just check for a fever using the forehead scanner... and if it doesn't indicate that the kid's a walking space heater, we send them back to class.

It feels like we've just thrown out all precautions.

It really feels like we're asking for disaster.

Meanwhile, these kids... it's awful. I'm working a lot with fourth graders this year. They went to Kindergarten. Their first grade year got cut short. Their second grade year was spent mostly online. Their third grade year was in-person, but socially distanced. And now they're in fourth grade and all packed in, and teachers are like, "No talking!" "Sit up straight!" "Stop fidgeting!" and IT MAKES ME SO ANGRY. There are kids in these classes with both diagnosed and undiagnosed ADD who aren't "allowed" to fidget. There are neurodivergent kids who are stimming and self-soothing and being told off for doing it. 

I bet some of them miss being online. I know I do.

I changed schools this year because I needed a new environment, but I've been quickly reminded the grass is never greener... it's the exact same grass, just on somebody else's lawn.

I did stop doing the weekly (eventually every-other-week) covid testing thing. I don't remember if I mentioned it here, but there was this program where educators could be tested twice a month, at home, and mail in their samples. I didn't mind taking the tests, but it was a pain getting to a UPS store and mailing them every 1-2 weeks. For a while I dropped them off at this auto repair shop (UPS drop-off point), until one day they said they couldn't take "bodily fluid" packages anymore. After that I made twice-month trips to a nearby convenience store/pot shop. This year, I decided if I needed to, I could use at-home tests and get my own results... and if I do get really sick, I'll go to a testing site... if there are any left.

Shout out to all the people still wearing masks in public.

Shout out to the people who can't go out in public.

Shout out to anyone who's made it to the end of this rambling post.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 21 - The Queen's Got Covid, Long Live The Queen...

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So the big news this week (besides Queen Elizabeth II getting Covid) is that cases are going down in the U.S!

But then when I look back at my last post, from just under 40 days ago...

Then: "Over 841,000 people have died from Coronavirus in the US, and 63,292,000 cases have been reported."

Now: "Over 933,000 people have died from Coronavirus in the US, and 78,740,000 cases have been reported."

91,000 deaths and 15 million new cases in the last 40 days, but no big deal, because the numbers are trending downward!

* * *

For me, there's definite fatigue. I still mask up when I go anywhere. I still do takeout from restaurants rather than eat inside. I still avoid crowds.

But one thing that has worn thin lately is my energy for hyper-vigilance, especially regarding the safety of my family members. 

All along I've been trying to get them to see that they shouldn't be hanging out with different people every other day of the week. They shouldn't be attending indoor dinner parties or going around masklessly snuggling babies.

But I am so very tired of trying.

To make them listen. 

To keep them safe.

And now, when they don't listen, I'm just...

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 20 - The Floor Is Omicron - Everybody On The Couch!

 

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Since my last update -- back in October -- there have been over 100k deaths in the US. 

In October, I knew two people in my circle of acquaintances and friends who'd had Covid19.

As of today, I know 23, and that's not even counting all the kids at school who've either caught it or have had to quarantine because family members have tested positive.

I do weekly tests, and so far they've all been negative, but I've certainly been exposed.

I got my booster shot around Thanksgiving and the side effects were unpleasant. But they only lasted a day and a half, and weren't nearly as bad as having the actual flu, so: three stars; would do again.

Some schools have shut down. Ours might. They're still deciding. I honestly thought it would happen a lot sooner. This past week or so, there have been a ton of teachers and kids out. Our kindergarten class of 21 kiddos has been reduced to 9.

It seems useless and ridiculous to be planning a trip next summer, but the hope of being able to go somewhere distant is all that gets me out the door in the morning. 

So on I will plan, and hope things don't go awry.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 19 - Everything Is Not Awesome

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It's been 2 months since my last update, and there have been 112,000 reported Covid-related deaths in the time since. I am, however -- judging by my "ability" to create this blog post -- still kicking... but boy, has it been a couple of months. 

I've done the dreaded nasal swab dance five times, now, and all the tests have come back negative. Several kids I work with, though, have had it, or at least they've had family members with Covid.

So What About Kids & Masks?

In the kindergarten class where I currently work, we have 20 kids. Of those 20, 15 keep their mask on consistently, without needing reminders. Two have a tendency to let their mask slip down off their nose. Two sometimes completely lose their masks, or get them wet somehow. And one kid likes to pick their nose like no one's watching.

How About Hand Washing?

"Go wash your hands," is never any kind of deterrent for the kiddos when it comes to icky behaviors, because they love getting to use the sink! The soap is foamy and bubbly, the water spigot can move, puddles can be made, and the step stool makes a fun, loud noise when it gets moved around. Oh, and that paper towel dispenser is another fun gadget!

How's Social Distancing Going?

It's not.

Sure, in some places we pretend like we have it under control. The kids have assigned seats in most locations throughout the school, but in the hallways or at recess, forget it.

All About The Positives

On the upside, I can totally eat lunch alone, now, and not have to worry about offending anyone (well, someone always will be offended over something, but eh.) I've made a little comfort cave in the backseat of my car. I eat my lunch there and then read or play on my phone. I'll keep using my carcave till the weather gets really bad (read: cold) but for now, it's such a nice little haven. 

Annnd I'm planning a trip for next summer. I don't know if it will happen (Pandemic, year 3? No thank you!) but I in the meantime, planning keeps me from going bonkers.

Going Forward

I'm planning to get a booster shot in the next couple of weeks. And the masking and hand-sanitizing continues. I just hope it's enough.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 18: They're Trying To Kill Us, Aren't They?

 

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So our school district offered summer classes during July and early August. I helped out a few times. One day, during lunch (on a picnic blanket on the pavement under a basket-less hoop) a kiddo called me over and asked, "Ms. Patton? Is the Coronavirus over?"

"No," I told her.

"SEE?!" she cried, giving another kid a LOOK.

"It's still out there," I said. "But a lot of people are getting vaccinated, so we're... yeah...." I trailed off. 

What can I say?

Kids under 12 can't get the vaccine yet, but we're bringing them back to school....

Despite the fact that our schools are already crowded.

Despite the fact that cloth masks may be useless against the Delta variant.

Not long ago, the masks requirement was dropped here in Oregon. Then, last week, the governor mandated masks again. I, for one, am a fan of people wearing masks, but this did create a lot of confusion. No wonder kids thought "Coronavirus is over." No more masks indoors = No more virus, right? 

We've been back in the school buildings in some form or another since April, and the following things are abundantly clear:

*Kids don't know how to/don't like to socially distance. Six feet? Never. Three feet? Unlikely. One foot? Maybe. One millimeter? THERE it is.

*Kids can't keep the darn masks over their noses.

*Kids don't have to wear the masks outdoors. Meanwhile, they lose them.

*Kids still bring toys & fidgets to school and pass them around. Everyone touches everything.

*We still don't have consistent warm water in our sinks, so whatever to handwashing.

*Desks spread apart? That's nice. Because students always stay in their seats HAHAHA.

*Kids still share food, despite this being against the rules since forever.

...

There are certain things I think we'll not see again for a long time, such as...

*Quiet lines in the hallway. (Nope. What's the point? I do know ONE teacher who will protest this, but she's on her own.)

*Assemblies (Sorry, Captain YoYo, I hope your Youtube channel is bringing you an income.)

*Door-to-Door Fundraisers (online all the way... as it should be.)

*Field Trips (though at best, kids got to go on 1-2 a year as it was, THANKS EMBEZZLING PTA MOM, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.)

...

Is Coronavirus over?

It is not.

But judging by the maskless faces around town....

The push to return to normalcy....

The banshee-esque screams of the mask-haters and Covid-deniers and anti-vaxxers...

Sometimes it seems like it is. It must be. It can't STILL be going. It can't STILL be so serious.

We go back in three weeks.

If this is my last update, it's been nice knowing y'all.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 17

Written May 15. Just a little late posting it... 

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We've been doing hybrid school for a little over a month, and so far -- it's not as bad as I was fearing. We do in-person in the mornings. We have two in-person cohorts. One comes on Mondays and Wednesdays, the other on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also have a third cohort of kids who stay at home. In the afternoons, we still do virtual learning for everyone.

The mornings go quickly. Sure, the in-person kids totally ignore the whole "give each other space" thing... no matter how many times you remind them... but so far the behaviors have been okay. Perhaps it's just because there are fewer kids to be behavioresque. I haven't heard any kids running around slamming doors so far, but maybe they're still warming up. The only tears I've really noticed are from the preschoolers who miss their parents.

Even though I'm in the building in the mornings, I have little physical contact with students. I greet some of them arriving, and I help walk some of them to their buses, but the rest of the time, I'm doing online groups. Since I share my workspace (another teacher has a desk on the other side of the classroom), they still want me to wear a mask while teaching online. I'm trying to teach some of these kids how to pronounce certain letter sounds -- but with facial coverings, that's tricky. The admins gave me a face shield and a beekeeper-type shield, too, but those just fog up and then the kids can't see my lips anyway.

On the bright side, doing small groups online has been a real treat. Maybe because I was given some really sweet kiddos this year, or maybe it's the environment, but I've really been able to get to know these kids better this year. I'm really going to miss some of them.

Working with kids online has other pros and cons. One pro is: if they are being noisy -- you can mute 'em! Of course, they can unmute themselves right back, but overall the whole environment is a lot quieter. Another pro: if they need a snack, or the bathroom, they can just go -- I mean, sure, they'll miss part of the lesson, but that's not something I can control, so I let it go. Another pro is that some of the kids who are handfuls in real life are actually quite composed when at home online. 

Cons: Some of the kids show way more than they should. It was a joke in the beginning of the pandemic, you may recall, that you might be video calling someone and see someone walking around without clothes in the background or something. At this point, though, the kids and their families seem to be settled enough that we don't see a lot of background distractions. We do, however, see kids trying to hold their computers/laptops with their feet. We still see kids putting their eyeballs or mouths up to the camera. Kids still like to show off their toys. Little brothers and sisters still wander into view. The more attention-starved kids know that they can "accidentally" unmute, or raise or lower their little "hand" and force everyone to listen to the incessant beeping. They know how to enter a meeting twice, which at the least makes everyone distracted, and at worst provides some alarming, noisy feedback. In short, if a kid is determined to be annoying, literally sitting two miles away from their teacher isn't going to stop them from succeeding.

I don't miss recess duty -- much. It could be fun when I could get all the kids involved in a game of "shark tag," but less fun when I was breaking up fights and trying to get the kids to stop throwing rotten apples at the neighbors' house. 

I don't miss cafeteria duty, and I doubt I ever will.

I don't miss having to haul myself from classroom to classroom to teach small groups.

I don't miss in-person staff meetings.

* * *

Kids 12+ in the U.S. can now be vaccinated, and that's great news except I don't think any of our students are old enough yet. Yay for the middle and high schools, though!

India has recently had a huge surge of Covid cases and deaths. :(

Canada's border with the U.S. is still closed. 

And so it goes.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 16

 

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I'm tired. I'm tired of seeing people on the news partying on beaches, maskless and carefree. I'm tired of hearing about people going on vacations. (I get it -- if you really must travel afar for your own sanity, go, but... maybe don't mention it?)

I'm tired of the CDC continually changing their tune. I'm tired of our governor handing down orders about things she knows little about. I'm tired of our school board & admins changing their mind all the time. I'm tired of being told This is just how it is. Or my personal least favorite, We're all in this together -- which, by the way, is a phrase that our admin has been using for the past three years, long before Covid began. Hearing it makes me think of passengers singing kumbaya while the Titanic's band plays a last forlorn melody.

So they're sending us back to the classrooms in less than a week. They've promised to provide us with face shields. I'm picturing saran wrap on a stick. What else should I expect from a school district that supplies us with facial tissues that may actually be made from tree bark?

On the bright side, the latest is that we have to work in the school building in the mornings, and then we can work at home in the afternoons. I'm expecting this to change, though, so I'm not letting myself be too happy about it. 

Anyway, so where are we now?

 In some states, restrictions are being lifted... perhaps a bit too soon. At the beginning of March, Texas threw off all its chains, essentially saying "screw it" to one & all. I'm glad I don't live there -- not that Oregon has been a shining example of wisdom and judiciousness in every respect. 

And then there are the vaccines. In the U.S., there are two different brands available, with more on the horizon.They say everyone in Oregon will be eligible to get their vaccine by May 1st. First responders, teachers, and people over 65 are already eligible. A "glitch" in the vaccine scheduling system sent out a bunch of invites to people who weren't supposed to be eligible yet -- whoops! I actually got an email inviting my mom to schedule her first appointment -- even though she got her first vaccine a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile, I'm fully vaxxed. Yeah Phffhfizer!

Up in Canada, they're having a harder time getting vaccines, it seems, and it looks as though the Canadian border is going to remain closed to travel traffic for the foreseeable future. Woe. I miss you, land of Tim Horton's and friendly wildlife!

Until we meet again... stay safe!

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 15: AUGHHHH!

 

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How is it almost a year later? How are we still in this crazy mess?

Last February, we were listening to whispers about this weird new disease overseas.

Last February, we were eating at buffets.

Last February, we were planning trips.

This February, we're learning that things aren't going to be "normal" again anytime soon.

That the travel bans and weirdness might last another year complete.

And the numbers of cases, and deaths, just keep climbing.

There are vaccines, but the distributions have been a mess. Each state, each county, handles the rollout differently. There's been anger and friction over who gets it first, who gets it second, who has to wait. It's never going to be "fair". If you give it to the elderly people, great... they're more susceptible... but will they then start going out more? Expecting to be served at restaurants (by underpaid, un-vaccinated workers?) Will they be more likely to walk around stores without masks, because they think they're protected through the vaccine?

In Oregon, they're giving vaccines to teachers. I am a teacher, and even I think it's a bit silly to be ahead of... well, other groups. Yeah, yeah... they want us to return to the classrooms. We know it. But our students won't be vaccinated. Their families won't be vaccinated. The people I live with won't be vaccinated. So, poke or no poke, life will go on in the same manner it has already been going. Except now maybe I'll be less likely to drop dead on a Tuesday and force the admins to scramble to find a new person to cover Recess Duty on a Wednesday. So that's nice for everyone, I guess.

Lord, I don't want to go back to the classroom.

I've said it before, but it remains true... I like distance learning. It's been a long time since teaching has been this enjoyable. Despite the technology snafus and the mixed messages and the general weirdness of it all. Despite not being able to receive hugs and pass out stickers and all that. I LIKE IT, DARNIT. And I know it won't last. So I'm enjoying it while it does.

That said, in other ways, I'm definitely in funktown. I miss traveling so much. I miss spending time with my nieces. I miss just going to the zoo on a whim. Now I have to buy a timed ticket days in advance. And the paths are one-way. And the train is shut down. Not that I regularly rode the zoo train. It's kind of a letdown. But at least I could...

Sure, apes. Sure.

So I've been watching a lot of shows: Good Bones, Star Trek: TNG, Murphy Brown, Wandavision. 

I've been reading a lot of books: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Bridge To Terabithia, Smile, The Fellowship Of The Ring.

I've been watching a lot of movies: Emma (2020), The Beautician and the Beast, The Wedding Singer, Where The Heart Is.

I've been enjoying the antics of two very rambunctious kittycats.

Where will I be a year from now?

I wonder.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 14 (Let's See How Far We've Come)

 

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Yeah. It ain't good.

But... there's a vaccine out there! An end is in sight! Except it'll take several months (or more) for everyone to get it, and in the meantime, people might let their guards down. 

And can you believe there are still Covid deniers out there? A certain elderly relative of mine might be among the first to get the vaccine (if he wants it) because he lives in an assisted living facility... though why would he need a vaccine, anyway? According to him, he's never been sick a day in his life! (Cancer doesn't count!) Of course, he swore that Covid would suddenly end after the election, because it was all a conspiracy anyway. AUGHHHHH.

I've had several friends who've had it. None ended up in the hospital, thank goodness, but the lasting effects are scary to think about.

I've been thinking about how things have changed between March and now, December. We've come a long way and learned a lot. We're a little less afraid of touching things. I remember people were sanitizing their mail in those first couple months. 

Someday we won't wear masks anymore. Count me among one of the weirdos who actually doesn't mind wearing one, except when my glasses fog up. What can I say?

Also, count me among one of the teachers who doesn't mind distance learning. It's not perfect, but neither was in-person learning. If your school had perfect in-person learning in the "before" times, I guess you would miss that. However, ours was a clusterfudget, and I don't. 

Meeeeanwhile...

It's the holiday season! But I haven't watched a single holiday special yet. I've been too busy rewatching The Queen's Gambit, now with obligatory pauses every 10-15 minutes to break open Chess Titans and play against a very sneaky computer. And no matter how many green apple Jelly Bellies I consume, no pawns are appearing on my ceiling. Drat.

Speaking of holiday specials, they've taught me (and all of us?) some very important lessons that are suddenly more relevant in 2020 than ever before.

These lessons include:

It's okay to go minimalist on the decor. -- A Charlie Brown Christmas

No matter how miserable you've been lately, you can make things brighter for someone else tomorrow. -- A Christmas Carol

Distanced from your family? You can have a grand old time all by yourself! EAT ALL THE ICE CREAM AND SLED DOWN THE STAIRS! -- Home Alone

If your social gathering goes awry this year, there's always next year! -- Die Hard

If you have no money to buy presents, make 'em (or find 'em in the barn!) -- A Garfield Christmas

If someone steals all your presents and decorations, SING YOUR HEART OUT ANYWAY. -- How The Grinch Stole Christmas

If you've offended Santa to the point where he won't visit your town this year? Fix that dang town clock and summon him back, darnit! - Twas The Night Before Christmas (1974)

Didn't get that ONE present you really wanted? It's fine; you might've shot your eye out with it anyway. - A Christmas Story

 

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 13

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Previously...

9/18/20: 198,000

9/7/20: 185,000

7/26/20: 143,000

6/19/20: 117,000

5/25/20: 97,000

5/13/20: 82,556

* * *

Assuming I survive the pandemic, I've made a list of things I want to do when things return to some semblance of "normal." (Optimistically breezing past the question, will they ever?)

Things I Want To Do When

Things Go Back To Normal

I want to hug and kiss my nieces.

I want to visit Rome.

I want to go on another cruise. Because of course I do.

I want to forget the way my glasses fogged up when I wore a mask.

I want to throw a party. It likely won't be a big party. But there will be cake.

I want to go out to eat at a restaurant and take my time. I want to order dessert without second-guessing myself. I want to order that drink with the little umbrella in it.

I want to go to Disneyland at least every three years. Unless I find something even more fun to do.

I want to go to LEGO conventions I've never been to before. 

I want to take another train trip. Probably not a long one. Maybe just an overnight. I will get that sleeper car.

I want to spend hours at the library. Or a bookstore. Or really anywhere.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 12

 Back so soon? I am indeed.

(Source)

As you may recall, I began my last Corona-related post by saying "It's been another month and a half of little to say."

I know better than to say that again.

The last 10 days have been insane.

It started with a post going around Facebook among my local friends. We were told to be aware of an impending "wind event" on Monday the 7th, which may cause downed power lines, which may cause fires. This turned out to be accurate. Our power went out for about 5 hours Monday evening, an event which not only triggered the emergency lights I got on Amazon six years ago and have rarely been able to utilize ("yay, they work!") but also panic ("The freezer's off! Save the ice cream!") 

The winds continued for several days, and the news came that wildfires were starting to pop up everywhere. Usually I don't think much about wildfires. I live in the suburbs. The forests are all over... thatway. But now they felt substantially closer. Like the ominous lights of the intruding City in The Little House. 

News buzzed about evacuation zones. Several of my co-workers and relatives were in Zone 2, meaning "be ready to get the hell outta there."

On Wednesday it was still dry, warm, and windy. We have a group of people living across the street who smoke out on their driveway day and night. On Wednesday someone didn't put out their cigarette properly when they threw it in the coffee can with the 100 butts already in there. They'd gone back inside when I saw the smoke billowing toward our house. I admit to panicking a little. I kept remembering something about how you're not supposed to douse campfires with water. Not that a can full of burning cigarettes = a campfire, but wasn't there something about water scattering burning ash everywhere? Anyway, I'd just watered one of our bushes, so I grabbed a handful of wet dirt, sprinkled it into the can, and that seemed to do the trick. Of course, for days afterward, I was peeking through the window, making sure their cigarette can was behaving itself.

By Thursday night, some of my relatives from Zone 2, who had been experiencing awful air for days, came to stay with us. At that point, our air was still okay, and since we were in Zone Nada, it seemed like the best option. My relatives brought a carload of stuff. I began thinking about what things I would take if I had to evacuate. It came down to my baby blanket, my journals, and a photo album. If the rest got burned I'd still miss it, but at least I'd have something. These thoughts, man...

The relatives were with us for a week. The smoke here got worse, but we kept it mostly at bay via towels under the doors, an air filter, and a pot of boiling water on the stove. Being trapped indoors? Ah, memories of mid-March, 2020! So long ago, and yet such a familiar time...

We (the Pacific Northwest being "we") kept waiting and hoping for rain. First it was supposed to come on Tuesday the 15th. But it didn't. Then we heard Thursday, maybe Friday.

Today, Friday morning, it came. It came in with a literal bang -- thunder. I don't often wake to noises, but I woke to that. Under the pretense of making sure the cat, who spends most nights in his cat cave in the basement bathroom, was okay (but really, I wanted him to comfort me), at 4am I got up, went downstairs, opened the bathroom door, and stepped in something wet. 

The bathroom was flooding. Because of course it was.

We have a back stairwell, and the drain had apparently gotten clogged. I hurried outside and bailed out several buckets of water, cleared the drain of dead leaves, and then helped my mom towel off the bathroom floor for the next 20 minutes. (The cat ran upstairs without offering any help whatsoever.)

After the bathroom was dry, I asked my mom if she thought the storm drain out on the street might need attention. She said it had been clear the day before. But then she looked out the window and saw a lake forming in the street. So I put on long rubber gloves, plunged my arms into the rushing, freezing cold water, and tried to clear the clog. During the storm, all the debris from the entire street -- pine needles, leaves, dirt -- had flowed down toward us and gotten trapped. As I worked, there was still thunder and lightning happening (though the storm itself seemed to have moved a few miles away), so I had visions of being electrocuted with my hands in the gutter. That would be one helluva way to go.

But I lived. And the rain did cleanse the air a bit, though overall it's still awful and the whole world is a mess. The wildfires continue to burn, though most evacuees who didn't lose their homes have been able to return, I've heard. Still, many did lose their homes.

Distance learning was supposed to begin this Monday in our school district. It didn't. We couldn't get computers or supplies distributed to kids' families due to the air quality, so we couldn't start classes.

We're supposed to start next week, now.

As one of my coworkers has said, next week we're due for zombies.

If this ends up being my last update, you can safely assume they ate my brain.

The Corona Chronicles: Chapter 11

Source

It's been another month and a half of little to say.

We've been given more guidance for what the new school year will look like. It's going to be online... they're saying until at least January. We're going to be doing prep for a couple of weeks, and then the kids will begin coming to online sessions.

I keep having nightmares about being at school, though... trying to herd kids. Running through the halls of schools, trying to help students who are having meltdowns. 

Dear brain -- please cut it out.

I'm still staying away from people, mostly. I probably stay at home six out of seven days a week, not including a daily short walk around the neighborhood.

I've been listening to a lot of podcasts: The Blume Saloon, First Impressions, Klickitcast....

I've been playing a lot of Sims 4, which, if you follow this blog, you've no doubt noticed.

I've read a couple of books.

The #BlackLivesMatter protests continue, though some have been infiltrated by people with bad intentions. It feels like there has been so little change. Sometimes it feels so hopeless. Our mayor, Ted Wheeler, has been the most useless sod of a mayor; so much so that when Tr*mp got on twitter and denounced TW, I found myself... I can't even believe it... agreeing with him?? There's a first time for everything. I feel so dirty, now.

Weird times, indeed.

In the middle of August my mom and I went up to Washington to socially-distant-visit with my grandpa. We stayed at my aunt & uncle's house, as they were out of town. I was able to visit some of the local beaches and parks. I used my metal detector and found some rusty, barnacled pieces of metal.

That land you see across the water? That's Canada, the land from which we are all currently barred. 

Though, apparently their phone service signals are really strong!

And here are a few more photos of things that just seem to encapsulate these weird times...

My doctor's office's waiting room, which previously held hard chairs and boring magazines...

And waiting in line outside of Trader Joe's...