Week #5 – or is it #6?

Hard to believe it has been another week. Seems like only yesterday was just like the day before and the day before that.

Tired of watching old movies and eating junk food? Don’t know what your kids are talking about properties of derivatives and integrals of functions, by methods originally based on the summation of infinitesimal differences. Your cat won’t sit on your lap because you’ve been wearing the same underwear for a week.

When jigsaw puzzles become the NEW NORMAL, debasing to hunter/gatherers is not far away. Toilet paper has become the new white gold.

The delivery trucks still bring cardboard boxes to porches but not nearly as frequently as before. A few grub delivery folks show up but haven’t seen a pizza delivery in weeks. Are people cooking at home or just living off pb&j sandwiches?

Haven’t smelt the backyard barbecues or even heard the kids in the backyards.

Speaking of quiet, no traffic or airplanes or lawnmowers or tree cutters or roof replacements, this place is as quiet as a deserted island.

Not complaining about the lack of traffic. For a two-wheeler it is an adventure into fantasyland of wonder. Instead of being alert of possible elimination, can ride at ease and enjoy the sites and smells and sounds.

Still aware that anyone and everyone is the enemy, dress like a cowboy and keep a safe distance of personal space, then venture into humanity is only for refreshments and observation.

The immediate neighbors only want space and shelter and some kindness. A meal or two of antioxidants seem to please them and myself. At this time, it is good to have this space for all to enjoy the garden that was given to us.

The only real conversation with another humanoid was a cycling prophet who exchanged some weird speculations of the situation until I said, “I’ve made my amends with my maker” to which he said, “Amen Brother” and left happy.

Tomorrow (they say) will be rainy. It may keep me in or I can attempt to ride between the drops. Stocked up on the blueberries as they are going through two batches everyday.

With all this time on our hands, we should be doing something other than wasting time between when we wake up and when we go to sleep.

We never did before.

We had our day planned for when we ate, got the kids off to school, dress appropriately for viewing, got to work on time, messed around with senseless meetings and email until lunch to return to rinse and repeat then returned home exhausted to plop down on the sofa and watch mindless television until the wine ran out.

Every evening we hear our leaders tote their achievements with numbers so grand it is beyond comprehension. What is the cost? These things aren’t free! Charts and graphs and numbers trying to describe the ‘invisible enemy’ but it only make sense when they drag your neighbor away. Did you just cough?

That check you received might not cover your college debt and your mortgage and your doctor’s bill (yes, they bill you too) and the plumber’s fee for that clogged toilet, but it is better than nothing. This money is your money. This is not coming out your congressman’s pocket as good will. This is your tax money given back to you (instead of buying another tank or section of wall) and come next tax season, it will be included as ‘capital gains’. You will just be taxed on money you were already taxed on.

And the ‘interest free’ loans for businesses? The key word is loan. It is not a hand-me-down grant but a loan that needs to be paid back. Check the details with your accountant (if you can afford one).

It is interesting to listen to opponents’ state their terms and studies and reports and opinions while the common man wonders what happened when the bottom fell out. Where is the bread line?

This ‘new normal’ might go beyond the 15 days or 30 days or 60 days. Even when a vaccine is created and tested and proven in a control environment, it will have to be manufactured in large quantities and distributed to every Tom, Dick and Mary (with documented verification). Only then may we take a sigh of relief, but wait. What about the rest of the world?

Have you thought about redecorating? This is a good time to do it. Learning to sew new clothing for your kids? Now is the perfect time. There is no need to worry about auto repair training for your car isn’t going anywhere. It is a good time to start a ‘Victory Garden’ for sooner or later the food chain will break down with the lack of detained migrants and sick truck drivers. This is a good time to check your first aid supplies and your scouting medical knowledge because hospital beds will be hard to get.

Next week will bring more good news of how China planned the pandemic and the Democrats are holding up giving away another gazillon bucks with no oversight and while you can still escape into “Harry Potter and the Cookie Monster”, J.K. Rowling can’t write fast enough for another adventure.

There are lots of entrepreneurs and established scientific research centers working hard to find a solution for governmental funding. What better incentive than money? Just name your price if it works.

There will still disability. There will be mental illness. There will be domestic violence. There will be suicides. There will be murders. There will be bored people looking for more adventure than Pac-Man. People will continue to get old and die. Babies will be born. Fires will burn. Tornadoes will ravish the landscape and life will go on.

We can shelter in place scared of the unknown flooded with information (some true and some false) while checking out calendar for the date when the alarm clock will ring and we can all go back to Neverland.

See you next week.

(Lord willing and the creek don’t rise)