July 1 [Wednesday]
Did the protests from weeks ago not result in a spike of Covid cases? There has certainly been a recent spike, as convincingly noted by the numbers, and the newspapers have been pushing the narrative that this is not from the protests. I’m skeptical they had no impact because it doesn’t pass the logic test. If people can meet in crowds of thousands without adverse effect it would seem counterintuitive that citizens cannot also meet in small groups or church gatherings at outdoor venues. All Southern California beaches are off limits for 4thof July weekend due to risk of spreading the virus, yet protesters receive no such cautionary restrictions. The pushback by law abiding citizens is understandable and maintaining the present levels of quarantine will be in jeopardy in the face of such hypocrisy.
July 3 [Friday]
We went to the Safehouse [my parents’ house] for lunch to see [my sister] and her beasts, her son and Ellie the dog. Governor Newsom would have smiled upon us with the acquiescence to his recommended safety precautions; outdoor engagement, social distance, masks and eating off separate pizza pies to avoid the virus cross pollination possibility. Fun visit with swimming, [my nephew], [my daughter] and the dog, plus a Snickers Bar cheesecake made by my sister! It was a good day. And I hope to have clearance to hug my people again at some approaching future date.
July 4 [Saturday]
[morning]
I got to thinking this morning on our family walk, a thought that occurred yesterday. When do I get to hug my people again? Am I waiting for a state sanction that it’s OK to hug family with whom one is not cohabitating? I already haven’t touched my parents since March. At this rate do I get to touch before the end of the year? Maybe it’s a different issue if we’re far away, beyond any reasonable expectation of a social visit, but I’m a 30-minute drive and I plan to visit and socially distance at least on a monthly basis. This is going to take some pondering.
[evening]
Our family tradition of root beer floats for 4thof July held true. At least for me and [the boy], we scooped out some ice cream, topped them each with root beer and enjoyed. No crummy virus was going to stop this.
And hey, how about the fireworks tonight! Not that I saw any, but my evening on the patio reading and emailing had a continuous aural backdrop like the fusillade of a distant, approaching assault. Really, I was outside for an hour and a half and there wasn’t ever a moment’s peace and quiet. I didn’t mind, I enjoyed the novelty. Seemed to be a lot more fireworks action than in prior years.
July 10 [Friday]
[morning]
[the boy] finally got a haircut, his first of the Covid era. [Wife Klem] cut him down in the backyard. I have mixed feelings, having enjoyed the shaggying up of my shaggy guy, but he’s gotta feel a few pounds lighter and much cooler. I also gave myself a haircut this weekend, but he’s more fun to talk about than I am. [Wife Klem] did a better job on the back of his neck than I did on my own. I’m OK cutting my hair, but the back of my neck is difficult.
[evening]
During Shelter In Place I’ve spent much time thinking of the Dead Time versus Alive Time challenge. Meaning, when Covid eventually concludes and life opens back up in some capacity, what constructive activity will I have to show for these passing months other than a calendar that moved ahead? I must disallow these months from being lost as Dead Time. So, as a head nod to the constructive, I decided to learn more about my people, my predecessors. I must improve upon the notes and their anecdotes documented to date. It’s important their details be preserved and passed forward to the next generation. The youngsters need to know how special their people are. Not to sound morbid, but without proper details their memories may become dilute with the passage of time.
July 11 [Saturday]
[My daughter] went to Dive practice today! This was a big deal, fun for her. [This is a recurring private lesson shared with other divers, not a school-sanctioned practice.] She enjoys diving, but maybe even more enjoys the camaraderie of her dive teammates and Coach Olivia. She wants and deserves more live social interaction than can be accomplished with online video gaming and being holed up with her parents [regardless of how awesome we are]. This is one throwback to our pre-Covid existence and it has served as a mood booster.
July 12 [Sunday]
We took a family drive to the cemetery in Newport to visit opa. We recounted a few opa stories and talked about family. He used to eat donuts with a knife, no touching. Cut a piece, poke it with the knife, eat it off the end of the knife, cut the next chunk, repeat process. The kids were young when he passed away in 2009, eight and five. After the ceremony those years ago we went home and watched a movie [Monsters versus Aliens], ate donuts [with a knife], candy and drank soda. Deliberate food choices in memory of a guy with minimal appetite for entrees due to stomach issues. Having a child say they can’t eat any more candy has a strangely fulfilling and joyful effect.
July 13 [Monday]
Well, shoot, so California is back under more restrictive lock-down protocols for Covid. The number of new cases had been increasing so this is not a surprise, but it is a bummer. Restaurants are again reduced to take-out only, other business types [beauty salons, bars, movie theaters, gyms] are closed effective today. Restaurants and beauty salons, at least locally here in Los Angeles County, are allowed the option of installing outdoor business areas. It won’t have any major effect on us because we’re already interacting minimally with other humans, but is not encouraging in the hopes of resolution.
It would be helpful if President Trump would wear a mask. In truth, I don’t think anyone should look to the president for hygiene guidance any more than we should for personal investment advice or betting input for sporting events, but wearing a mask on TV would help nudge the dolts in the right direction trying to hold out going mask-less like it’s a badge of courage. More like a badge of ignorance. I want out of this Shelter In Place and if masks are a helpful tool in attaining that end then I’d prefer people comply. In the spirit of full disclosure, I don’t don a mask when taking my evening walks but I do social distance with other pedestrians.
July 14 [Tuesday]
“You want a glove, you never know who handled these things?” This is the new chivalry offered to me by an older gentleman this morning, a patron at the gas station [Costco] at the neighboring pump offering me a disposable glove. I politely declined, but I did apply hand sanitizer afterwards before driving away. [Note: my displeasure with handling such things as a gas pump handle pre-dates Covid, as does the post-usage hand sanitizer application.]
July 15 [Wednesday]
My first dental appointment of the Covid era occurred today. It had originally been scheduled for May but I rescheduled to July hoping Covid would blow through by then. Nope, but I was now in overtime so I kept this appointment. At check-in a receptionist took my temperature by means of a hand-held non-contact device held to my forehead. [I passed.] The hygienist did the cleaning only, not the polishing due to the potential for effusive and minute spray from this procedure.
-klem
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