Virus Blog

5/19/20

Super Bowl XXI. In 1987 we were living in LA and the Super Bowl was held at Pasadena's Rose Bowl. Somehow Eve's Dad was able to score two tickets. And by "score" that meant he both procured and paid for the tickets. While I was not particularly interested in either the Denver Broncos or the New York Giants, going to a Super Bowl was the ultimate in sports excitement. Eve was only mildly interested. After parking a million miles away Eve was struck by how many people were "buying tickets" as we got closer to the stadium. She looked the ticket closely for the first time and saw that the price printed on the ticket was a significant portion of our monthly rent. "Let's sell them"..."we won't tell my Dad"..."you don't like these teams anyway." I looked at her like she was a pinko commie with disgust in my voice that left no room for negotiations. The Rose Bowl is a beautiful setting dropped in the middle of a golf course but parking is always a little extra challenging. But with a long walk comes a chance for the excitement to build. As we approached the stadium and we saw the portable lights because the stadium's weren't sufficient for the requirements of a global broadcast. There was truck after CBS truck there to support this massive television event. Our seats were about 20 rows up in a corner of the end zone and I couldn't have been happier. Before the game started I bumped into a pre-felon version of OJ Simpson (came within feet of him) and was amazed at the power and strength he exuded and wondered if I could take him before quickly refocusing on my mission to get snacks. As the skies darkened and the pre-game ceremony began I realized that I was sitting with 100,000 of my closest friends and for the next three hours we were sitting at the center of the world. The power of hearing 100,000 voices roar and knowing that millions if not billions more had their eyes trained on this one small pitch, somehow created an energy inside me that I've only rarely experienced since. Sports doesn't need a crowd. We don't need stadiums full of people. And yet there is a certain energy that can only be captured when 100,000 voices speak in unison with full their full emotion exposed. Today, I would settle for a Little League game, but I'm looking forward to the time when humans can come together, play together and speak with one roar.

A Speck in Time. I spent my 18th birthday in Amsterdam. It was a great place to officially become an adult. It was near the end of my "back packing through Europe" adventure that lasted about 5 weeks and covered ground from the UK to France to Italy and Germany before arriving in Amsterdam. I remember feeling a touch homesick by that time and walking to the post office in order to make an international call to my father. It was his first proof of life in some time and I remember the conversation as both remarkable and unfulfilling. Remarkable in the sense that I was able to connect with a single human half way across the world. That ability continues to amaze me and if you take that for granted, just imagine explaining this capability to our forefathers. It was unfulfilling in the sense that my father was too busy to chat beyond wishing me a happy birthday. I walked away from that trip thankful for the timing of my birth. I was able to travel the globe and experience the life and culture that were very different than where I grew up. The ability to travel faster than one can walk is a huge benefit of the century I was born in and I'm starting to wonder if international travel becomes much more difficult and something that becomes rare. I suspect that my concerns are clouded by the lack of a vaccine and that I'll look back on this two years from now wondering what I was worried about. Today, however, I'm thinking warm thoughts about the ability to travel the globe and thankful that I've been fortunate to see so many different countries during my life.

5/20/20

Open for Business. We are crawling back. As of today all 50 states report at least some relaxing of the shut down orders. In California we can have maids in our house, although I'm not sure we're ready for that. We can have curbside pick up at any business, but those two accommodations feel small. There are other new allowances but without a direct impact on us but hopefully that will have a significant impact on the economy. There are plenty of concerns about whether we have the tools to reopen AND keep everyone safe. Business after business are demonstrating their renewed commitment to cleanliness but it feels like these are small adjustments relative to the size of the problem designed to make us feel more comfortable more than they will protect our health. The airline guidelines are playing out in real time. Delta affirms that they will keep all middle seats empty. But American says they will "try" and United makes no such attempt and instead say, "we'll give you your money back if it's too crowded on the plane." No national guidelines. We are also seeing that airlines are reluctant to fly more planes right now so the planes that are flying are increasingly crowded. This feels like we'll achieve one standard in the next few weeks. We'll see. In the meantime, it seems obvious that masks should be required. In most places they are suggested. And it appears most people are not taking the suggestion.

Quick Takes

Killing Eve. No, not my wife. The show. Started watching season 3. Love the Villanelle character! My favorite assassin!

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