Virus Blog

6/15/20

30 Million Tests a Day. I heard about an old report that supports my thinking (but said better). An NYU economist, Michael Pellini, calculated that if we did 30 million tests a day we could fully return back to normal. He also estimated that that would cost $100 billion a week which is a lot of money. But, he counters, the economy is losing $300 to $400 million a day. See, just leave it to economists and we can make every decision an easy decision.

Young and the Restless. The Young and the Restless used to be a TV show and now it's the reason we see people pretending that there isn't a problem. Cases and hospitalizations are up in pockets. California is no longer a model for success. San Mateo County is only as good as the nation's average. Italy's efforts are impressive.

Air Circulation. Yes, wash your hand. Yes, wear a mask. Yes, stay apart. But the single biggest contributor to safety may well be air circulation. Look at all our buildings that are definitely not designed for air circulation. We need to break some windows and let the fresh air in!

Plastic bags while shopping. Grocery stores are going to have to invest more in their plastic bags. Cheap plastic bags are thin. Cheap plastic bags are harder to open. Many of us lick our fingers to get a little friction. Now with masks over our faces, this doesn't happen. I struggled. I saw another lady struggling as well. With only our eyes visible we exchanged guilty looks before walking to the produce misters to get that needed wetness. Not sure if that's the healthiest approach. Still learning.
Facebook Post. Ever since I’ve been wearing a mask, I’ve learned a lot about my breath.
Painting. After two painting classes during the quarantine period, I thought it would be fun to see if I could paint on my own. Below is my fourth canvas (not willing to share the first three). I started with black and white because that simplifies it in my brain a bit. Still looks very amateurish but who cares because it's fun to do. Interestingly Eve was insistent that I hang her paintings in the garage yesterday. She complimented the one below but of course it wasn't appropriate for the garage gallery.

6/16/20

Rule Following. My brother was in the neighborhood and wondered if we should get together. While I'm confident his family and mine have both done a good job of distancing and in all likelihood we are virus free, it seemed reasonable to continue to follow the social distancing rules. We proposed an "alternative" event but at the end of the day it felt like too much hassle for too little benefit. My younger son is the biggest rule follower in the family. He works inside a medical research hospital which, one would think, is teeming with the virus. While I'm confident his safety precautions are excellent he hasn't been "home" or seen his dog since this started. We've laid eyes on him when we have dropped off food and other goodies, but only for a few curb-side moments. We've suggested that maybe it's "ok" to come home on the weekend to visit but he is insistent that we need to follow the rules. I've known all of this for weeks, but it only just dawned on me that it could be a year before we see him again if we continue to follow the letter of the guidelines.

Quick Takes

Off to Work. I saw a neighbor getting into his car to go off to work. My first thought was "no fair" and my second thought was "who needs that."
The Wind. I don't like the wind. It's windy today. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a breeze. And I appreciate what wind does for clean air and great views, but I don't like the wind. Never have. I remember the Santa Ana winds of my youth in LA and they brought chapped lips and fire. Today it's a cool wind. Been blowing for two days. Lacking a level of energy and motivation today. Could it be the wind?

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