Friday, December 4, 2020

The COVID Chronicle, November 16-31, 2020

 

November 16 [Monday]

Our venture to Arizona has become a casualty of Covid. Grandpa has had a pacemaker for many years. His doctor advised him its time to replace it. He’s gone through two or three replacements by now. We’re told it’s not an emergency, it’s just time. A precursor to his upcoming hospital appointment is to eliminate contact with people ‘outside his pod’ to reduce the Covid exposure which could lead to complications with the procedure. Understandable, but it’s a bummer. This was going to be our first visit to their home in Arizona, plus I was looking forward to drinking all of grampy’s beer, even if it was going to hurt me.

 

November 18 [Wednesday]

Governor Newsom’s a bozo. Political critiques aside, that’s a commentary on his character. Certainly governing during a pandemic is not a cinch. Here’s my gripe. He and his ilk had been laying down Covid safety rules for the citizens while they themselves do not abide. He’d recently been outed as a participant in a dinner or some kind of festive event at a northern California restaurant, French Laundry in Napa Valley. The party exceeded the number of people allowed in a get-together, a limit that he set. Look, I’m not surprised, politicians have always set rules for the people that they themselves do not expect to comply with. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, both teams carry out this grating hypocrisy with equal aplomb. The mood is getting testy with the citizens. People are fed up with the restrictions and this blatant boner may be a start to the unraveling with the holidays on the horizon. 

 

November 20 [Friday]

Los Angeles County imposed further restrictive Covid safety precautions on businesses effective today. Restaurants and bars must close by 10:00 pm until 5 am due to a spike in Covid cases. This includes outdoor dining. The number of Covid afflicted has increased lately, ill, not dead. This won’t touch us as we haven’t eaten at a restaurant since before Covid. Our predominant interaction with restaurants, even pre-Covid, has been to order online or phone, I pick it up and we eat at home.

 

November 22 [Sunday]

We’ve staggered Thanksgiving with our parents. Team San Dimas had our pre-Thanksgiving Café Bravo Thanksgiving lunch today, just us with the parents plus Uncle Joe. We maintained our part to promote safety by dining outside. We brought Mediterranean-cuisine, everyone had their own platter to minimize contact and the sharing exposure. [My brother]’s family is hosting dinner for them on Thanksgiving at their home. They’ll have separate tables each equipped with their own bins of food to also minimize the cross-pollination exposure.

 

November 23 [Monday]

I’m worried about my parents and their risky behavior. I know, total role reversal of my parents’ concern for me 35 years ago when I was in my teen driving years and going out late with my friends on the weekends. They went to Costco when it was crowded, the parking lot was full and they circled around until they got a parking spot. They went to fulfill a medical prescription, then walked the aisles shopping. I know my parents don’t like the Covid restrictions or being told by Governor Newsom what they can and cannot do. I suggested that victory over the politicians comes with outlasting the virus. If they get taken down then they simply reinforce those same messages causing the displeasure. Plus, of course, death by Costco would make for a disappointing epitaph.

 

November 24 [Tuesday]

Steffi and I needed supplies and placed an online Target order. After so many months of shelter-in-place the idea of bumping around a big store like that is unappealing. We preferred a delivery, but many desired items were not available for home delivery for some reason, so we placed the online order for in-store pick-up. I went to Target this morning for its retrieval. It was a really smooth and easy process. I dropped by the store at 8 am, the store opens at 7 am, but that early hour is for high-target Covid risks, oldsters. At 8 am I entered the store and their pick up station was right there by the front door. The barcode was scanned from my phone’s Target App. Boom, our order was brought right out, no lines and I was out of there in five minutes!

 

November 25 [Wednesday]

Well, that escalated quickly. Further California restrictions put a three-week ban on indoor dining, also no outdoor dining, either. Only take out or delivery. This is a bummer. Sure, I know, this’ll allow for people to mitigate Covid exposures after a few days of Thanksgiving with family, then cool off for three weeks before also inflicting more people leading to a super spreader event before then giving to more family during Christmas. The bummer is for the restaurants that have spent money to comply with the outdoor dining prerequisites now to find that also shut off. With the weather turning cold, or already too cold pending where you live, the ban will sunset when it’s too cold for restaurants to reopen outdoor dining.

 

November 26 [Thursday]

Happy Covid-Thanksgiving! For the first time ever in my memory, we’re having a Thanksgiving without seeing any family outside of our pod. We spent the morning taking an urban walk through downtown San Dimas with Ghost Dog, culminating at Starbucks for a fancy coffee and hot chocolate.

 

November 27 [Friday]

[Wife Klem] been getting into painting stones. There are a few people locally who have been painting images on stones then placing them throughout the neighborhood for fellow walkers to find and admire. I’ve found a few of them, stones not the people. Her artistic interest has been piqued, she’s acquired a few smooth stones, and has commenced the painting of images or clever verbiage. After painting, the stones are lacquered to better endure the rigors of outside. Then for her triumphant walking about and placement. She’s a fun monkey, and a pretty mommy!

 

November 28 [Saturday]

I visited [my brother’s family] briefly this morning to drop off birthday gifts for [my niece]. I was speaking with [my sister-in-law] on the porch when [my brother] came home with groceries. Before departing I gladly offered Covid-distancing as a reason why I was not going to help carry in bags. I felt no guilt and smiled at my devilry.

         I was three blocks from the Safehouse so I called mom, then dropped by to see her and dad. A brief ten minute visit talking in the driveway while distancing. I’m eager to hug these people when Covid wraps up. I also mentioned the coming vaccine. Mom doesn’t want it, and I feel the need to start talking it up to try to persuade her. The battle of wills commences.

 

November 29 [Sunday]

There has been vaccine talk over the last few weeks. There are as many as four U.S. companies each with their own vaccine approaching the final stages of success, plus other international pharmaceutical companies. I’m not one for getting an annual flu shot, but this vaccine may be the route we need to get back to vestiges of pre-Covid existence. I’ll do it when it comes available. Mom, though, is adamantly against her vaccination. With her regular ventures out into the public I’ve come to the realization that this is a race against time. She won’t stop shopping, so will the vaccine come available before she gets Covid? The next step in the equation will be how to induce her to get vaccinated? We’ll see how this plays out, but step one is getting the vaccine available.

 

[Sunday]

Here’s a fun Covid note. The Denver Broncos have three quarterbacks on their team and all three were ruled ineligible to play today due to Covid precautions. One tested positive and the other two were required to sit out due to proximity with the afflicted QB. They instead played the game with no ‘real’ quarterback and soundly lost 31-3 to the Saints. Kendall Hinton, a wide receiver from the practice squad, filled in at quarterback. He last played the position in college in 2017. He threw nine passes, completed only one, plus two interceptions. Rough day, but amusing if you’re an impartial fan.

 

November 30 [Monday]

Governor Newsom kindly waited until after Thanksgiving week before delivering an enhanced Covid safety precaution. No getting together with people outside your immediate pod for the next three weeks! I understand the reasoning, people got together over Thanksgiving, maybe spreading around some Covid, now impose the three week break to keep the afflicted to their own family and hope to heal up before super spreading again for Christmas. Family get togethers, we’ve been told, have recurred in past months as ‘super spreader events,’ to document the term.

 

 

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