June 1 [Monday]
Some businesses in California are allowed to reopen today! Not all of them, and the open allowances are with restrictions [capacity numbers, masks, social distancing]. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Los Angeles is operating with those restrictions. Neighboring San Bernardino County is not. [Wife Klem] and [my daughter] were at a restaurant, tasty grub this Butter Cafe in Upland, San Bernardino County, and noted feelings of apprehension seeing patrons without masks. The battle for the new normal commences. Anyway, the openings, even if in stages, is a super step in the right direction. If the economy is on the mend I will gladly continue as long as needed ‘strictly virtual’ in my own work capacity. The cure [Shelter In Place], I’m hoping, will not kill more lives than the illness [COVID].
June 2 [Tuesday]
I’m fed up and came to an important decision today. First, the ‘What’s going on’ followed by the decision. Well, COVID for one, second, the protesting, rioting and looting scrolling across the country sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white police officer. Tragic, to be sure, the death. The rioting and looting is deeply upsetting and contrary to constructive corrective measures. I found myself getting mentally mired in this unproductive mind set. But this is not intended to be a race-based monologue. That is a discussion far too nuanced to be conducted without any unintended foulings or misconstruings. So what is the decision, you press?
I decided I would pardon myself of a self-imposed obligation to read daily of the recently subscribed New York Times and Washington Post. The two papers run afoul of my conservative leanings which actually served as a catalyst for me wanting to subscribe. I know what my positions are on certain topics, the readings would be a good opportunity to challenge these standings by drinking deeply of an intelligent countervail. The offerings, so far though, have proven less than intellectually inspired. I amended the plans to read of the Business sections of those two newspapers. Those articles are generally very good. But now, too much death and gloom rather than fact-based journalism. But wait, please, this has unintentionally become a ranting diatribe. Not my intent. Please, allow me to step back from the impending self-immolation and get to the point in this next paragraph.
My decision is to tilt myself toward constructive behavior and modes of thought. So, I choose to be more deliberate in where and how I will consume my time. My time. It is but one of the few things a person actually controls. Writing this silly COVID chronicle is one of several such constructive outlets where I choose to expend myself. There it is. I know, lots of build up and that’s the delivery? Yes.
June 5 [Friday]
There is an overabundance of bad news out there, if one is willing to let it in. Protests, new Covid cases still rising, businesses closed, unemployment is the highest since the Great Depression. But I will say this, in appropriately hushed tones, I’m enjoying the significant reduction in human interaction wrought by this. Also, my personal existence has slowed down and become more peaceful. There’s no place to go, hardly ever, and I like staying at home. I find myself with more time on my hands and, after my daily post-supper walk, feeling almost totally relaxed. The evenings have been nicely warm and I spend the bulk of it on the patio. I’m out there emailing, reading and listening to music. This is a particular aspect of Shelter In Place I’d like to incorporate into my post-Covid existence. Its feasibility will have to be vetted in the coming months when ‘normal’ returns someday. Despite the news reports emanating from beyond our premises, life is good.
June 6 [Saturday]
Anti-police protests in the name of George Floyd have been going on for two weeks now. Pictures and videos of large crowds of people, sometimes masked, but rarely socially distanced. This is really making a mockery of the Covid precautions. Heck, why am I abiding when that’s going on? I’m hoping this blatant ignoring of protocol will lead to a reopening of businesses. People can decide for themselves if they want to go out, plus masks and distancing can remain in effect, unless protesting [in jest, this last bit].
June 7 [Sunday]
Birthday weekend for [the boy]! My guy turns 19 today. I walked down the street to Vons yesterday and picked up a large chocolate brownie ice cream cake! We’ll be eating off this thing for a few days. The day’s culmination was a viewing of 1917, a World War I movie, his choice. We watched as a team, the four of us.
With all the hardships and tragedy wrought by COVID, a positive element, if I may be allowed to speak as such, in appropriately hushed tones of course, is the drastically reduced contact with humans! Look, sure, there are a certain number of humans I enjoy, then there’s a second-tier qualifying under the ‘Tolerates’ column, but the vast bulk fit cleanly under ‘No Thanks.’ OK, I’ve spoken my piece.
Speaking of reduced contact with humans, I gave myself a haircut this afternoon! [Truth is it’s been years since I’ve commissioned the services of a professional hair curator.] Is a tricky task, trimming one’s own locks, but I’ve come to manage it to a functional extent. From the patio using the reflection in the window, I employed the 3/8-inch buzzers to handsome effect on the sides and rear. I also had the good judgment to leave the front a floppy 5/8-inch, you know to give my balding skull a chance to have a little cover with what’s left up there.
June 8 [Monday]
Mom and dad’s 58th wedding anniversary! Whoa, that is very long and they’ve done a good job showing how to get it done. But during Shelter In Place and government-invoked five-person capacities they’ll hopefully be OK receiving a card advising of those sentiments rather than a get-together. Feels like I’m taking the easy way out, but I will assuage those sentiments justifying that orders are orders. So, the card was written, signed by the team and sent. Happy Anniversary!
Oh yes, and meanwhile, there remain numerous protests ongoing throughout the country in the name of George Floyd. This is the African-American man who died at the hands of the police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Protests with large numbers of people have made a mockery of the social distancing and ‘no gatherings of more than five people’ protocols. Still, we abide and do not gather. Hoping my parents feel no slight.
June 10 [Wednesday]
There’ve been calls to defund the police! Let me be clear, I’m not on board with that incantation. Sure, I know, ‘defund’ is not supposed to mean take all their money away, so say many of its advocates. It does, however, mean less money in their budget. To which I ask, which government program or agency has ever seen enhanced performance by less money? You may offer up Obamacare. Well, President Trump’s effort to defund Obamacare was not under the guise of improving it, but rather to make it toothless.
If you want to cut the police budget there is one circumstance in which my vote swings in favor. If the entire spectrum of government agencies, departments and branches are all going to be retooled for a budget cut of equal proportions. If the police departments are merely a single spoke in the entire wheel where everyone’s losing money, let’s talk. But, please pardon if I cut this discussion short. I do not intend for this to become a dissertation, just a narrative by which I document the ‘call to action’ that has arisen during Shelter In Place.
June 12 [Friday]
We went to the Arboretum this morning as a family! Fun outing at the commercial garden in Arcadia. Patrons are required to wear masks at this outdoor venue, which certainly seems an overreach. I’ll gladly social distance, but I beef at the outdoor mask. Anyway, I took the day off from work and am enjoying my time away. This is my first vacation day since Shelter In Place commenced. It feels super getting a day during the week to not deal with work. And sure, work is manageable, the workload’s been lighter than pre-Covid, but an opportunity to rejuvenate is not to be wasted.
June 15 [Monday]
The newspapers have been consistently negative regarding the COVID outlook. Trump, meanwhile, had been encouraging states to reopen their businesses in hopes of getting the economy to start back up. There was a brief window of about two weeks where new cases seemed to have mostly leveled off in many areas, to the point where a call to open seemed to make sense. I was thinking, even if it becomes clearly time to reopen, no way the papers or TV news would echo that because they’re entrenched in their Trump hatred and anything for which he’s in favor. Anyway, it is currently a moot point because there are lately reports of an increase in new Covid cases. No word on whether or not this is from the protests or cities and counties having reopened in the past few weeks. Reports carry statistics with no denigrating remarks about the protests’ effect at having spread the virus amongst its participants. Anyway, reopening would not appear to be having a good start to the week. For myself, I’m starting to think I’m not getting back to work before the end of August.
-klem
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