The COVID Chronicle, October 1-15, 2020

 

October 1 [Thursday]

President Trump tested positive for Covid! This would seem to prove that NOT wearing a mask is ineffective to combat the virus. Standing by while the media furnishes the country with updated tallies of infected White House staffers. Twitter is very active today, a good day to think twice before clicking ‘Tweet.’ 

 

October 2 [Friday]

I took a break from work this morning and walked to Vons. I passed an old guy walking in the opposite direction at the retail center and he took a tumble. I heard the fall and returned to see if he was OK. He had tripped on the curb of a wheelchair access ramp in front of the bakery. Me, two outdoor bakery diners and a car that was driving by came to the guy’s assistance. We came, looked and asked if he was all right, but nobody touched him. We’d been in Covid so long and have been conditioned to socially distance and avoid touching others. What’s the ‘good Samaritan’ protocol during Covid? He was prostrate on the ground lying on his belly, bleeding on his wrist and a few fingertips, “I could use a hand.” I assisted with a hand on his arm. He got up, insisted he was good, and I continued on my way. Continuing to Vons I used a dose of hand sanitizer carried in the backpack since Covid’s early days at the behest of Steffi.

 

October 4 [Sunday]

A Sunday morning visit with my pal Emmett and his momma. I brought a batch of IHOP pancakes. Covid precautions were in order. His momma is old and in declining health, plus maybe I’m a punk for doing so, but I requested we eat outside in the backyard as opposed to eating inside where it was cooler. This request was deemed agreeable, the gracious hosts, and a delightfully good gorging ensued.

         The breakfast playdate had two ulterior motives: persimmons and EBay. They’ve got a large persimmon tree in the backyard and I had advised months ago that I was going to climb the tree at harvest time and denude it of its delicious fruit. Turns out harvest time for this persimmon variety is a few weeks forthcoming, yet. Secondly, my pal furnished me with merchandise to hawk on EBay of which we’ll split the winnings; holsters and some coins. So, I’ll try my luck with numismatics and firearms accessories.

 

October 6 [Tuesday]

[My daughter]’s been in a deteriorating mood lately. Hoping it’s just temporary and can be fixed with a break from the routine monotony of Shelter In Place. So, she and I went test driving this evening at the parking lot of the local office complex in the Prius. She’ll be ready for her Learners permit soon, if this Covid-related disallowance of new Learners permits is lifted. Then, of course, a Drivers license follows.

I’ve mixed sentiments. The piglets must grow up, become independent adults and get on with their own lives. I don’t look forward to them leaving, but it is incumbent upon [Wife Klem] and I to improve their chances of a successful deliverance on this road to becoming fully functioning adults. Anyway, so Learners permits are not being issued during Covid, but this’ll all stop some day and driving exams will resume. I don’t look forward to our two monkeys growing up and leaving, though they must, but I do look forward to watching them make their own way in this world. So, the life learning goes on, even during this crummy pandemic.

 

October 7 [Wednesday]

Vice Presidential Debate was tonight between Senator Kamala Harris and VP Mike Pence. It was thankfully peaceful compared to last week’s nightmarish Presidential debate. Both candidates dodged the moderator’s questions instead offering their team’s predetermined talking points. This is, of course, mostly par for these debates. Await the question, ignore it, then say what you want. I can’t imagine anyone’s votes were changed because of this showing. Too polarized, the current political climate, to be swayed by discussion and conversation.

 

October 8 [Thursday]

I read a New York Times article recently about the use of technology to dissuade college students from cheating during exams. I asked [the boy] about his exam taking through Cal State Fullerton’s virtual schooling. Monitoring of students during online testing is being carried out inconsistently with professors having established their own exam protocols. Some professors require the use of software and a camera to view the students’ work areas during tests. Other professors are simply going with open book exams.

         In high school [my daughter] says her teachers are using software that let’s them know if a student is opening a new window during a test. She cannot confirm, it’s possible the software also makes known the website being visited. During one exam a teacher said, “Brooke, I see what you’re doing.” This was apparently enough to stop Brooke from whatever infraction was underway.

 

October 10 [Saturday]

A family of male nerds got together virtually for a game of Dungeons & Dragons tonight. Two of my brothers and I engaged this time-consuming and fun role-playing game in our teenage years. [The boy] has played with his friends. Tonight we played online, two generations, [the boy and my nephew], me, [and two brothers]. It’d been a few years since we played in person, and this online gaming opportunity was made necessary, or possible, by Covid. After initial familiarizing with the online controls the adventuring moved along at a good pace. Audio and video were in effect and we could see each other on screen for enhanced banter. Two and a half hours to complete the adventure victoriously. We’ll likely play again.

 

October 11 [Sunday]

A Safehouse visit this morning. [My daughter] and I met with [my brother and his daughter]. As a bonus [his wife] was also there, so was Uncle Joe. [My nephew] did not go because he was worried it wasn’t safe. We masked and socially distanced in the backyard. I did, however, at the conclusion, break protocol and hug my parents. My first time since March, the inception of Shelter In Place. I’m perfectly onboard with abstaining from the touching of others, to instead select precisely and carefully those whom I am willing to touch. 

 

October 12 [Monday]

The five Klem siblings opened an email discussion trying to figure out our first Covid Christmas. Precautions and protocols for Safehouse [our parents’ home] visitations. We will likely not have a big family get together, despite a few welcome out of town siblings. No big Christmas meal, even if separated out into different rooms. We anticipate visits in a staggered way so it can be done safely, but us locals do not expect elongated visits with family. [My sister]’s team is taking a fine safety precaution of a home Covid-test before visiting. We’ve got two months to figure it out and will see what develops before then. We’ll let the out-of-towners have precedent with the parents during Christmas. Us locals can continue our weekend visitations with strategic visits during Christmas.

 

October 15 [Wednesday]

[The boy]’s bedroom has been kind of stinky lately, like a hamster lives in there, I remarked to him the other day. He likes to stay in his room with the window closed and ceiling fan off. Maybe it’s just the smell of him going feral from too much Covid-induced seclusion.This morning I opened his window while he was downstairs eating breakfast standing over the sink, as do all practical bachelors. Anyway, he immediately closed the window when he came upstairs. All I can do is tease, really. At his age I certainly lived by my own rascally proclivities.