Month: April 2020

Monday seemed extra tough. It was as if I’m living in two worlds; the world of normalcy that is my work and this dystopian pandemic world. R and I went out for an allowed health and well being walk. But it was stressful because too many people out running who didn’t stick to the 6′ rule. I went home and went to sleep early. But did make a fantastic salmon with spiced crust. So good!

I meant to do things today and I kind of did. But mostly I just read a book. Oddly I felt guilty doing it. Like I should be out doing something useful. Or in as the case may be these days. But I did manage to do a few small chores. And got up to 50 seconds on my plank challenge.

The best part of the day was getting on Zoom with my family and having a nice gathering. Everyone made it this time and it was great to connect for a while.

I think day 14 was actually Saturday. If this is going to be good log I need to keep documenting the days. I lazed around on Saturday. But I did make a nice lemon syrup that I then used to make Jelly Shots. This time it was an Aviation. And it was beautiful. But I did learn that even if it gels up quickly, you still need to give it overnight to get the right texture to remove from the pan and make nice blocks.

It’s getting harder and harder to keep track of the days. One blurs into another and the only difference is whether I have meetings or not. Friends and family cycle in and out of despair. Even the most even-keeled people such as A find themselves being a bit “off”. I think we figured out that so far we both have angst but not yet full blown despair. Though it does seem relatively worse because we are normally the optimistic cheerful ones in the crowd.

I cope by doing and arranging and planning. That allows me to feel some control. I went to Costco yesterday and now my freezer is full. Costco is doing a fantastic job managing people flow. Although I think that to get TP one has to get there early because by 11 there was none to be had.

As you arrive you must take a sanitized cart. That is your social distancing measure. Then you get in line and remain properly spaced. It’s was good to see that 2 out of 3 people were wearing masks and/or gloves. As you reach the entrance there is an aisle created using stacked pallets that opens up into three aisles. It’s like you are boarding the ferry. You are told which aisle to get into. Then all three groups are read a set of instructions – keep away from people, follow the posted maximums, here’s the list of things they are out of, get your Costco card ready to show etc…. Then one aisle at a time is released to walk past the speaker while showing the card – keeping 6 feet away. At checkout, one person at a time is allowed to unload on the conveyor. There are newly installed plastic “sneeze guards” between you and the cashiers. You can’t bring your own bags. They tape the receipt to the front of the cart so you don’t have to hand it to the door checker. Overall I give them an A for making shopping logistics functional.

p.s. I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of emergency prep’ing and I’m realizing that I will need to do more research and summarize it for you. In the meantime to carry you over – find an old back pack, put a change of clothes in it. Some snacks that keep for a long time, a flashlight, a pocket knife or multi tool, and a first aid kit. Keep it in your hall closet by the front door. It’s not even close to everything you need. But it’s better than nothing.

I’ve been feeling like a spring day in Seattle. Where in an hour we can cycle from sunshine, to wind, to hail, to snow, to rain, and back to sunshine. My emotions have been the same way. I started off cheery and optimistic, did some meditation, ready to face the day and be amazing. Then I got sad. Then determined to do things (that didn’t last long). Then discouraged. Then ate a bag of Dark Chocolate Milanos and made Whiskey Sours. So no, I didn’t get the list of emergency preparedness resources ready for you.

I think that many of us have been conditioned through various books, movies and reality shows to think of emergency preparedness as some kind of fringy cult thing. Or we blissfully ignore it as something that is needed in other places but not here. No matter where here is. Or like me as something I’ll eventually get around to … until it is too late. After my apartment management had a great session by a representative of the city who is trying to get everyone to. build up their preparedness, I was inspired to put her brochures and check lists into my someday-maybe pile. And there they sat for two years until I filed them away because someday never came.

But now that I’m stuck at home, with shortages of masks and TP, I realize how important it is for everyone to be prepared. I live in earthquake country. It’s not a matter of if but rather when. Utah had an earthquake recently, then Idaho yesterday. It’s coming closer and we have bigger faults. On sunny days I look up at a volcano and realize the valleys between here and there are massive mud slide funnels. If something were to happen now, during this crisis, who would be there to help? They are stretched thin now. We are the ones who have to help ourselves, our families and our neighbors, not “They”. If a natural disaster were to hit now – COVID-19 would surge.

Over the next few posts I’ll write about how I’m preparing to be self sufficient and prepared for at least a few days.