What are you doing today? If you’re anything like us, you’re probably doing pretty much the same today as you did yesterday. Well, not me. I’m rebelling. I’m going to take up a new language or learn how to play guitar much better than I do now. I think I’ll dig out our fly fishing gear too so that when the snow that comes tomorrow melts, we can go. We’ve seen lots of people on the rivers. What about you? Anyone read any good books lately? How about a good movie? We watched Jexi on a recommendation from Ali, thanks, it was funny. With no movie theaters open, On Demand is getting no new movies. WTF?
I read where AMC Theaters which owns and operates 1100 movie theaters worldwide is just about to go bankrupt. Makes sense. Sometimes I wonder how much higher the infection and death rate would be if things were opened back up. Soon we’ll all find out as this can’t go on forever. People are getting desperate and in some places the deaths from suicide are higher than those from the virus. Hopefully in a few weeks, around the first of May, this will be fading. We received and email saying school starts up again May 4th. Not sure how they know this or what they’re thinking so we’ll see.
Today we have more sun before 2 inches of snow tomorrow. Guess the big thing is the cold temperatures coming with it, yawn. Then it gradually warms up over the next 3 or 4 days until we’re back to the 50’s. Looks like that’ll be the normal then until about April 25th. As long as we’re stuck at home, some warmer weather would be nice. Oh well, cooler wet weather will keep people from going to the parks.
Dixie is doing well. Lori does so much for her Mom behind the scenes to make sure she’s ok every day. Her caregiver Michelle is a godsend too. I haven’t met her but she definitely has been there for Dixie. When this thing is over, we’re all jumping in the car and driving to California to see Dix. That’s it, have a good day. Who’s dying Easter eggs today? We are! Pictures tomorrow.
Today is Good Friday, the day of the death of Jesus and soon it will be Easter and we will celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. The bible is a remarkable story and I would encourage everyone to read it. Try getting one called The Living Bible. I read it in High School and it’s much easier to comprehend. We need God now more than ever and he is there for each and everyone of us. All you need to do is reach out to him!
At 5 this morning, after not much sleep, I headed downstairs to go to the gym. When I came down I found that Mojo had peed so that slowed me down a bit. He’s old so you can’t get too mad at him. I had to be gone from the gym by 6:45 at the latest so I had to be fast. I am the only one there so no worries about coming in to contact with anyone. I haven’t been in over a week and it was much needed for my head and my body. Snow is coming Saturday night with temperatures in the single digits up here for Easter. I’m ok with this as the horse flys came out last week and this will pretty much get rid of them.
We’re still on lock down, all of us. I know I went to the gym but as I said, I was the only one there and it was at 5 in the morning. It’s better than going out to the park in the middle of the day with lots of people.
Work is going well considering everything. We’re all adjusting to the new normal. Dr. C. is doing virtual appointments and I overheard Lori scheduling a call with someone in Ukraine for this morning. She’s the glue that keeps things going. It seems every hour she’s putting out some fire or fixing some emergency. She’s worth every penny she gets paid as she works much harder than most people I know, including me.
It’s strange not going out to restaurants, the movies, or over to friends houses. There are so many things we miss. Hopefully all this social distancing we’re all doing will pay off and things can get back to normal. I think we might go buy donuts or some food for hospital workers today to help out. We’ll see, I need to check with the doctor in the house meaning Lori.
Guess I’ll go, they say we won’t peak until May here in Colorado which is good news. The daily numbers are misleading as some counties take days to report cases or deaths. Here in Eagle County we only had two new cases yesterday and we know one of the people as it is Lori’s nurse. Hope everyone is well, if anyone wants a copy of The Living Bible let me know and I’ll have one sent to you as I get a deal through my men’s group. Be safe, keep the faith and remember to have patience with everything as we’re all a little stressed out these days. God Bless.
That’s where we’re at, arrggggh. This shit is getting old, let’s cure this thing now. Yesterday was ok. Ty rode his bike, solo, to Vail and back and Jag took a long walk with Lexi as both our families have been nowhere for like 20 something days. Lori’s nurse who they called 2 days ago to tell her she was negative, received a phone call yesterday afternoon saying “whoops, we made a mistake, you’re positive”! I made it through the day eating little and no sugar and basically no carbs. I’m down a pound and a half. The body is pretty amazing. I had a headache most of the day and still have a lingering one this morning. Sort of feel like I ate something bad, although I can’t figure out what.
This morning, in hopefully 30 minutes, I’m off to the warehouse. 6.6 million people have filed for unemployment and things will get worse. There has to be a balance between people being able to work and not spreading this thing. Otherwise things will get much worse. Need to get moving. Dixie had a good birthday. We’re glad for her. Hope you all are well. Be well, be safe and God Bless.
Oh, Andrea Bocelli is singing from the Duomo in Milan Italy, with no one there, on Easter. You should stream it!
Today Dixie is 89 years old, whoo hoo! What an accomplishment. Think of all the things she’s lived through. Pretty hard to imagine. She was born in Shattuck Oklahoma in the height of the Great Depression, April 8th, 1931. Some of the stories she’s shared tell of hard times like those seen only in movies. When you hear about those times, no matter what you’re told, you can’t really understand it unless you were there. Then came World War II as she was a little girl and more. She was the youngest of 8 and life wasn’t easy back then. Think of all the advances and inventions in her life. She’s made it through a lot. Getting a loan and heading to California by herself, she’s a self made woman. Always thinking of others before herself, she influenced, took care of and literally saved countless numbers of people throughout her life. The best thing she ever did was to adopt a little girl she named Lori after a favorite student and give her a home. From me, thank you Dix. So, have a great day, you’re one of those people who have made the World a better place with your presence. Not all can say that! As Lori said yesterday, we’ll have a big party next year when you turn 90!
Today it’s more of the same here. The days are running together. Yesterday felt like a Sunday to me. We did finalize the paint color for the house as they start painting Monday. Things are coming along. Both boys had their virtual parent teacher conferences yesterday and are doing really well. We feel so bad for them as life in Springtime shouldn’t be like this for 16 and 18 year old boys. Frankly it shouldn’t be like this for any of us, right? We’ll do what we need to do as we’re resilient and will adapt but that doesn’t mean we have to like it!
Lori and the boys took a bike ride yesterday after we ran down to the house. That’s ok up here according to the authorities as long as you stay away from everyone else. In fact they encourage exercise up here which is good.
Another nice day up here but some rain and wet snow arrives tonight. Not much, just enough to annoy us. Pray every day this ends soon. As I said a few days ago, no need to go into what can happen next if this gets worse but rest assured, we’re prepared for all scenarios I can fathom. Lori used to give me a hard time for “preparing” but not any more.
Have a great day and again Happy Birthday Dixie! We all love you and wish we could celebrate with you in person, May God Bless you and us all.
I don’t think we made it but we were close. The wind kept us a few degrees short. Maybe today! At 11:20 and 12:30 we have parent teacher conferences. Both boys are doing well as we received their 3rd Quarter Report Cards yesterday.
They say this is the week to stay home. I do need a few things from the grocery store and was going to go early this morning but overslept. I might run down later today or wait until the morning. The boys had pizza for dinner last night as we still have take out available.
We had 16 new cases up here but much more in other parts of State. Hopefully we’re turning the corner. The news is on with newscasters trying to play gotcha with whoever they have on. This morning they asked the Surgeon General if he missed warning signs in January. Let me tell you something, the World missed warning signs in December, January and February! At least Trump stopped all flights from China in late January as these same newscasters called him a racist. Bill Gates warned in 2015 of a coming worldwide pandemic and again, everyone missed it, or rather chose to ignore him. You see that’s how people are, until something hits you personally, you basically ignore it. Guess that’s why I and maybe a few others (who I don’t know) are the only ones in the valley with masks. This is a good spot for a hmm, right!
I talked with cousin Chris in Vermont yesterday. She’s a pastor at her new church and doing well. Julie is still in New York saving lives. It was good to talk to her for a bit as we don’t speak that often. Lori and I are working away. I want her to continue to work remotely even though she might soon be able to go back to work. No point risking it.
Andrea (Bocelli) is singing from the Duomo in Milan on Easter with it totally empty. Italy has turned the corner, they say, let’s hope so as they’ve had a tough time. New York might be too. If we all do our part, maybe we all will. There are still some unknowns associated with this virus such as people being reinfected while others develop antibodies that make them immune. Scary times.
Last, people are starting to lose it. With so many out of work and out of money, food bank lines are miles long and people are losing their cool. There are incidents of shoppers going off on people for meaningless reasons as the lock down and new normal are getting to people. If money doesn’t get in people’s hands soon, there will be more crime and social unrest. If this goes on for months, things could get really tense but we’ll save that “what if” for another time. Hopefully things won’t get that bad. Time to go, be safe, be well and God Bless.
The people in charge say this is the week. The bad week. The week to stay at home and not even go to the grocery store! We’ll comply but not go to the grocery store? That’s a new one. We can do it except for maybe half and half for our coffee. It’s so strange this new normal. On the news it has mom’s teaching their kids how to make a mask. Just 2 or 3 weeks ago they were telling us we didn’t need them and not to wear masks, hmm. Over a month ago the girl at Steadman told Lori and her team, they didn’t need masks, hmm. Now it seems we’re all supposed to wear them every time we go out, hmm. Well I don’t know about you but this doesn’t surprise me.
Masks are a hot commodity. One of Lori’s former nurses posted a thread last night to about 20 people from the clinic begging for a mask for her brother who is an emergency surgery doctor in Minnesota. I think I’m down to a handful but will share one with her to Fed Ex to him. I should probably be saving them but that’s not who we are. We’ll help someone if we can. If things go really south and it’s my family or someone else I might have to reexamine that policy.
Melanie has it bad. Her lungs feel like they’re on fire and it hurts to breathe. They still want her to stay home though until she can’t breathe, hmm. Lot’s of hmm’s these days. That signify’s the people that are technically in charge not really knowing what they’re talking about. In Eagle County we have some good news. We have the lowest incidence of expanding cases out there. Thursday we had 314 cases. That went to 333 on Friday and stayed there on Saturday and then climbed to 339 on Sunday. Hopefully that trend will continue. It’s sort of misleading though as they’re not testing people unless they go to the hospital for the most part. Still a stable number means less people are going to the hospital. We’re also pretty sure Diana from Lori’s office has it. I told Lori no way she’s going in to work. I played the “I’m high risk because I’m over 60” card.
They say this week is a big week because they think we’re nearing the top of the curve. We’ll see. Time for another hmm. Going to be warm today, really warm, nice. I’m also dropping two masks to Dr. C today as they only have one. Hard to believe so many people were caught unprepared, especially hospitals, hmm. Ok, ok, I’ll stop with the “hmm’s” but it is sort of funny. Lori says one thing’s for sure, no one can say I wasn’t prepared, hmm. Last one, I promise.
That’s it. It’s somewhere around April 6th or 7th. I lose track of the days. I’m also tired of watching the people from the news broadcasting from their homes. I’m pretty much tired of them all. Denver has a stay at home order but just closed some streets to cars so people can go walking. Did I miss something here? Wait for it……hmm, bwaaaaaaaaaah.
Last thing. It’s Holy Week. Yesterday was Passover and next Sunday is Easter. Doesn’t seem like it, right? We’re going to have to figure out how to color eggs without going and buying the egg coloring kit. If you’re not familiar with Passover and the Holy Week, find a bible, I know you have the time.
Ok, it might not be 70 up here but if it is in Denver, we’ll be 65, whoo hoo! Before I go any further, up here, outdoor activity is approved by the authorities as long as people stay 6 feet apart. This includes sledding, hiking, and other outdoor activities. I think people in Denver can go for walks too as long as they follow the social distancing rules. I can’t imagine they expect everyone to not go outside. Sledding by the way, is essentially in our back yard. Also it looks like from Friday to Saturday we had zero new cases in Eagle! I triple checked this but the number seems correct. If so, that’s great news for us. Also when the kids we’re sledding, Zoe’s mom was there making sure all the kids were six feet apart at all times.
I do agree this will probably now come back every year but it will go away during the year. What won’t go away is all the freedom we’re giving up. There’s talk and concern worldwide about the restrictions governments are installing. It’s not too bad here but some countries and even States are using this to do things like putting ankle monitors on people or tracking them by drones and by the way, every single place you’ve gone for years has been tracked if you have and take your cell phone. There’s even talk of putting a designation on passports or drivers licenses if you’ve had, not have but had, the virus. Rhode Island police are pulling over anyone with an out of State license plate! This is a real slippery slope. Some of you might not be concerned and even think this is good but what if in the future you can’t get into your favorite restaurant or store if you’ve ever tested positive for the virus. What if your hair salon or nail salon won’t see you anymore. What if some of your close friends now shun you out of fear you’re still carrying the virus? Or worse, what if you’re denied medical care in a few years because you’ve had this? Already we’re told we can’t go visit our loved ones in the hospital or nursing home. In the bible they call it the mark of the beast. Here’s the biblical meaning just to be clear,
The Mark of the Beast Passage. Revelation 13:16-18 (HCSB) — 16 And he [the False Prophet] requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.
This is where we’re headed people, don’t let it happen. You are a free person. I’m not saying go out in groups, all I’m saying is don’t give up your rights as a free individual. People throughout history typically lose their rights when they give them up due to some tragedy or emergency as they think it’s in their best interest.
Robi, wish you lived closer as Tom and I could take you shooting! We’re excited and happy for you. Tom said, about time, when we heard you bought a firearm and I agree. Good for you sister! You should have bought two! His and hers! That’s it, hope everyone is well, as I said before, everyone up here is doing well. Some neighborhoods have taken down the basketball hoops at the parks as that is not social distancing. We’ll take the dogs up the hill behind our house again today as they cannot just stay in the home all day, especially Harley, ha. God Bless.
Here’s some food for thought, NY is the blue line at top.
I imagine there are some people who love New York City more than I do, but I do love it. I love it with fervor of the convert. A Philadelphian by birth, for 20 years I have now walked the storied steel canyons of the world’s current capital.
There’s a reason the United Nations meets here, why artists and would-be stock barons alike come here. Now we are in the grip of the coronavirus, locked down. But our peril must not mean that the nation we represent must be destroyed.
I had occasion this week, as the virus ground us all to a stop, to talk to a friend in Indiana. I asked, “Is this the greatest crisis the country has ever faced?†We haven’t been invaded since 1812, I pointed out, and have never been occupied. Her reply, “What crisis?†She was in her backyard, her children playing. My life was at a bizarre standstill, death all around, hers was not. Yet all across the nation I don’t have time to think about lives are being destroyed, not by virus, but by an economic disaster unknown in a century.
The entire country, experts I trust tell us, must be shut down. Businesses shuttered, many with little hope of opening again. Ten million people unemployed in two weeks. Ten million. In that world beyond that Hudson River, an economic hammer is falling faster than the virus can spread. Who can think of money at a time like this? we are told. How callous. But it’s not just money. In its own way it’s lives, it is a way of life.
Jack Kerouac — who danced and played and was educated in New York City but found his literary and intellectual fortune in the forgotten America — once said he didn’t want a living, he wanted a life. But where is the difference? What is life if not the ability to sustain it? We are embarking upon the devastation of an entire nation when it is becoming clearer and clearer that the gravest threat lies in megacities. And no city is more mega than Gotham.
The counter point is that the virus will eventually spread from New York and inevitably infect the suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas. But in Europe and here at home that isn’t what has happened. In Washington state, where the first-recorded American cases occurred in Seattle, the number of cases has flattened. Why? Well, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pointed out, the population density and public transit usage in New York City makes us violently susceptible to this plague.
New York City is the center of the universe; by definition the center of the universe is an anomaly. We cannot base an entire national policy on an anomaly. Err on the side of caution, many say, but is it cautious to destroy entire communities through economic collapse that may not recover for a generation?
“If we can save one life then it’s worth it.†Is it? David Mamet in the movie “Wag the Dog†asked why nations go to war. The answer was to defend our way of life. Four hundred thousand Americans died in World War Two to defend the American way of life. Should we have handed the world to the Nazis to save American lives? Although far from perfect, the point of this analogy is that we cannot base public policy on the basis of total fear of death. We never have, and we never should.
Let’s be clear: what we are sacrificing by a policy of total lockdown for God knows how long is the livelihoods, dignity, and yes, in many cases lives of hundreds of millions of Americans. Platitudes don’t cut it. A crisis is a crisis specifically because it is a situation with no good answers. If there were an easy answer it wouldn’t be a crisis.
I’m scared. I open the door to my bodega in Brooklyn with my elbow, not my hand; I wash my hands like my life depends upon it because it might. But I also chose to live here and I’m not leaving. New York City will get through this. I hope I do too. But being the symbol and signal of America does not mean the rest of the nation must be crushed under the weight of economic collapse. We need to make some hard choices, and we need to make them now.
It’s the weekend, not that it is much different from any other day. They all kind of run together these days. There is some good news on the vaccine front. Lots of companies are supposedly close to developing one and going into human trials. Let’s hope so, right?
Last night we went down to the house. The drywall guys were taping away. I gave each of the three guys working there $20 for cerveza (beer in Spanish) while Lori walked around. Our builder bought two fiberglass doors for the garage side and rear entrances which we don’t like. He’s going to paint them black but might have to throw them away. We never gave our ok on them.
We’re still all working on getting along well in our new “in your face” living arrangement. We’re just not used to being so cooped up with each other 24/7. We’re getting there though. Jag went to Madi’s (her family has been in total lock down like us) for the weekend. Lori and Shelly (Madi’s mom) are in constant communication and she’s a dentist so she’s taking this seriously too.
Diana, one of Lori’s nurses, left work yesterday not feeling well so she went and was tested. No results yet. New cases are coming down on a daily rate up here so this distancing thing is working. Lori and I are going to the park to work out this morning. Then not sure what we’re doing. We might go back down to the house. Lori said let’s take a table and two chairs and go sit down there for the sunset. Maybe have a picnic.
I was in and out of Denver and home by 10. Retail has to be dying as nothing is open except gun shops, liquor and grocery stores. Personally for Tom and I, we don’t need much else except some restaurants, ha. Wonder if Robin and Robert have made it to the range yet. If so, give us a report.
Dogs are well, so is Ty. I think he’s going sledding with Zoe and Chloe today at Meadow Mountain. Couldn’t do that in Denver! Time to run. Hope you all are well, be safe and God Bless.
I’m off to the big city today. Leaving early to get in and get out before the hoards are up and moving. I need to pick up some wine and drop some masks at Tommy’s before heading back up. Everyone is still sleeping. Looks like a little snow in Denver, more than up here.
It was a good day yesterday. We dropped Jag’s car by 9 in Glenwood and then stopped at the house on the way home. We’re all working away at work and school. Money is tight with less income coming in but we’re adjusting. Time to move so I can get on the road. Oh, good news is I think only about 20 new cases up here compared to about 70 the day before. That could be just a lag in testing or good news, who knows. It’s still surreal like a movie. God Bless.
Last night for dinner we had elk tenderloin on the bbq. I gave our neighbor some and he grilled it up for both of us. The boys and I ate it up but Lori doesn’t like it. Don’t know why as it tastes just like beef. I shouldn’t have told her and she would have ate it.
This morning we need to take Jag’s car down to Glenwood to drop it off to get fixed from when our neighbor backed into it plowing snow. I was going to have Jag drive his car down but think I’ll see if Lori wants to go so we can stop at the house on the way home.
We’re still social distancing. No where to go anyhow. They say we’re getting a little snow today. Doesn’t seem like it outside right now. Maybe this is just in Denver. Boys are doing well and had a good day yesterday.
We’re getting tired of this whole thing. I’m sure you all are too. Could be another month or two, who really knows. I told Lori, we can do this. Things could be much worse. No one likes it but it is what it is. Get outside and go for a hike, that’s ok. Lot’s of people fishing up here. I heard birds chirping this morning for the first time. Spring is here. Be safe, God Bless.
