I believe that with the low traffic levels and the fact that this exists, it's not a bad thing to have one continuous place to talk given that the majority of this place is populated by people who actually are journeying somewhere along the route through alzheimerspouse. I won't be putting up long posts here.
The Inn was somewhere. Everybody knew that. It was near the woods by the bridge. It was an odd kind of bridge that seemed a little different to everyone who saw it or walked over it. The Inn was obviously put together over time in parts where nobody cared whether this part fit exactly with any other parts. And you know what? Nobody did.
Wolf. I like this idea. The bridge is “... different to everyone who saw it or walked over it” I feel like I’m standing at the edge of the bridge, my right foot is raised, just about to take a step, onto the bridge.
The Santa Ana winds are blowing here. They are said to cause anxiety. No one knows why. I’ve been working outside clearing brush in case of wildfires. But come inside and I feel so horrible. Like something is drastically wrong. I think with me. No one can help. I’m either not answering phone and email or lying. I think I’m going to put my right foot down on that bridge. Any minute now I might find the courage. . .
Just a guess Bonnie, but part of 'what is drastically wrong' is walking into an empty house. You were so used to working outside then going it to see what he had gotten into. Yes, you are on a new bridge.
Hi Wolf, Yes, traffic levels are low. Does that mean that there are few survivors, and we are among them, or that the survivors have gone on to new lives elsewhere? I'm not among the first group, although I have made some progress. Like you, I wore a uniform from Land's End for the duration of my Alz service. Having completed my tour of duty, I've started to buy clothing from other merchants.
Myrtle, good question. I suspect the answer is both although most people go on to their new lives elsewhere. Happy, sad, or indifferent - no clue. I do have a uniform. It's a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers not to mention unmentionables. In the winter I wear socks. In the other three seasons I don't. Nobody asks "who dresses you?" because I'm an old guy, and so I get away with everything. I don't even have to shave regularly because the new look for men is four days unshaven.
So I will join in talking about old friends. My senior year in high school our foreign exchange student was from Yap. For some reason the popular kids did not go for him so my group did. We had a lot of fun. I took him roller skating one time - he could surf so thought it would be easy! Wrong!!. After I took him home I went to the restaurant where my mom worked the night shift. I asked her why people were staring at us. She said it was because of his skin color. That is how naive I was - never thought about it. Sure his skin was dark (he was from the tropics) and he had curly black hair but so what! I have searching on the internet the last few years finding out what I could about him. He went to college and got into politics eventually becoming the governor of Yap. He currently is the Micronesia diplomat to Fuji. I found him on Facebook although he only had picture of him but I sent a message anyway. He answered back. We have spent the last couple hours chatting. And - he never has learned to roller skate!! We have our 50th class reunion next year and he would love to come.
Finding him made my day! Oh, he said I don't have to call him his official name - I can call him by his first name. Good - I am not good at formality!
I am in that 'somewhere Inn' I think. About a week ago I was talking to the director of the facility after not being there for a week that I guess I need to not come as often so Art depends on them more. She told me I need to go have a life, that they will take care of him. But what life can I have? I am in limbo. I was sitting here last night looking at the clutter in the motorhome knowing I need to get busy but I have no desire to do anything. Then I thought back over the last 12 years how slowly our world got smaller including me doing less and less. The last few years I mostly sat at my computer playing games, coming here, FB or surfing the web. I know I am getting tired of all that but I really have no 'energy or desire' to go out to find a life. I reckon one calls it depression, lack of motivation, lost in the 'Somewhere Inn'. All I can get done is laundry, groceries, etc - it is even hard to get motivated to care for the dog like bathing her which she needs every couple weeks due to the skin condition she has.
So here I am 'lost in the Somewhere Inn' and no desire to find my way out.
I think what is adding to my depression was the realization, after just spending $800 on the car, of how hard it might be to maintain a car and motorhome since both are older and things mechanical will start going wrong. Especially after hb dies and I loose over half of my income.
Well I finally got around to watching that. They are not only playing a duet with Peter but also dancing and bobbing along. Very cool. I had to send the link to my music theorist niece who did a mission trip to Africa. I think she’ll love it.
Two weeks before spring and even though the sun is up there is no hint where it is because the sky is so uniformly grey. Snow is piled on every wire, branch, and twig so high that you can hardly see through the trees despite there not being a single leaf. And it's still snowing.
The son of the nurse I hired to watch Dianne has a snow and lawn service. I got their email sent before daylight that they would be here before 10 am to shovel out the driveway and the sidewalk. I remember him coming to the door a few years ago telling me what his service entailed and cost. I asked him if his mother's name was Olga and to say hi for me.
That's one of the things I experienced out here. The garage fixing your car knows your neighbour. The checkout lady at the grocery store walks her dogs past your house. It's some 350 thousand people in the twin cities but stuff like going to a plaza and waving at someone you know happens all the time. Never happened in Toronto.
Anyways, my plans have changed from possibly going to get some carrots for my soup to definitely not needing carrots in my soup. Those are major changes but I can handle them. We also got our first case of COVID19. Some lady coming back from Italy drove directly from the airport in Toronto to the hospital here. Good thinking. The best part of Olga's son is that I don't have to go down to the curb and find where my newspaper is buried under the snow.
We have really gotten a free pass on snow this winter. It has been unusually precipitation-free. Cold, but very little snow or ice. I don't really trust it--we'll probably get three bad late-season nor'easters...lol...but it sure makes for pleasant dog-walking outside.
Caregivers have enough on their plates without this virus being added. I hope everyone will be fine. If anyone feels the need to talk during these times of extra stress, I'll be monitoring the board and I'm sure others do too.
It's a picture in a nutshell when you see that with 5 cases in this city of about 400,000 (all explained by travel), the shelves are emptying of toilet paper and other products. The CEO of Kruger just yesterday said publicly they have no end of supply for the many brands they make such as Scottowels, Charmin, and others.
It's difficult not to feel the stress as these events unfold around us. The only small silver lining is that caregivers tend to be already trapped in a smaller world and have less contact already. I feel for the people who have to go to work and the people who are on the front lines of this because they're nurses or ambulance drivers or GP doctors.
It may also be worthwhile to remind ourselves that essential services are likely to run normally aside from healthcare. Municipal water and hydro and internets are all quite automated and labor unintensive. That's true of trucking and warehousing and distribution where virtually the entire supply chain is worked by individuals often working a forklift or backing up into the delivery bay, or stocking the shelves by themselves.
Another consideration is, if you find city supermarkets packed, find some smaller town nearby and check on Google maps to see what stores are where. The larger cities are most likely to be subject to product runs. Convenince stores are also an option where the prices tend to be high but some have decent essentials.
Consider dry pasta and bottled or canned sauce. Frozen bread and tuna or salmon type tins. Canned pork and beans and veg and soups. In other words a variety of back up in case you hit a spot where it's harder to get supplies. Also, consider looking into any form of local grocery deliver available. And finally, consider having take out delivered if possible as a means of supplementing your pantry.
From what I read, both Canada and the USA are finally in high gear. What I mean by that is costs and politics are secondary in a national emergency. I expect to see the number of tests being conducted to rise sharply, and the establishment of emergency actions like in-home testing, triage sites, and pressed-into-service pubic workers. My understanding is that the FDA and CDC have just taken extraordinary steps to spike test production. The same wartime outlook should be applied to making masks and other essential gear. The same with expanding the labs that can process the tests given.
China was able to dictate the closing of Wuhan and enforce that. Taking those steps has contained the spread into the rest of China. Most of China is returning to work where even Apple's factories there are coming back on line. The number of resolved cases there is beginning to outpace the number of new cases. Singapore has contained it. Korea is showing the world what serious looks like. Even Italy has closed it's borders.
The cancellation of sports, entertainment, business, education, and other events is unprecedented. Travel and tourism have dropped off the cliff. Even TV shows are either cancelling or not allowing live audiences to gather. That is unnerving but it's going to help immeasurably.
The financial markets are reacting to something different. From tourism, through airlines, and many other industries, this pandemic is going to have a large impact this year. The markets are reacting to reduced earnings expectations, the drop in oil prices, and the high valuations they were at. There is also the risk of this slowdown causing a recession.
My final point is trying not to let fear and worry rule. This is very likely starting to pass in China and is just as likely to pass in it's wave here too. That will likely take a few months. Right now it's fully sinking in as the waves hit the beach and what that means is that even though up here the Ontario Food Terminals who distribute most of the goods and produce in southern Ontario are saying they're stocked in everything, and in a city of 400,000 there are 5 people in isolation who have it right now - the lineups are out the door and the one thing they all run out of is toilet paper. Life, as always, is as much funny in bizarre ways, as it is anything else. Toilet paper in my world didn't make the top ten in my list of things I wanted to make sure I had stock of. Neither did bottled water - the second most sought after product. Plumbing and electricity have worked in Wuhan all this time.
Following sports has been one my main pleasures these last years. I'm going to have to find other things to do. Like find a book to read or pull out my stamp collection. This is a time for us all to pull together and get through this. In the long run, we're going to become better at facing new viruses which always come. It might even be a positive thing for the world to fight something real for a change.
I hope nobody here gets this and, as always, other opinions are always welcome. They're just as valid as mine are.
IF i may suggest a book Wolf, try Killing Jesus by Bill O'Rielly and another man whose name I don't recall right now. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially all the history included. It's not a book to read every word start to finish, or at least I didn't. Some of the passages were so graphic I couldn't read them.
There are some crazy numbers being thrown around out there. I was just told that someone in Ohio expects 100,000 cases there. That's certainly wrong. Korea with 51 million people right on the border with China and with tons of interaction on it's borders - is in the same boat as China in that their new cases are continuing to drop off.
Korea has had slightly over 8,000 cases and have 81 deaths including today. Ohio has 12 million people and somehow imagines getting the same virus 50 times worse than anyone else. I'm going to predict that the US in total doesn't meet the Ohio number.
The US is 7 times the population of Korea and while Korea is highly efficient, the US can focus more serious resources. Both advanced countries are taking this very seriously, and that's all the data we have, but they are reasonably comparable in capability. Multiply Korea's 8,000 cases times 7 for population difference and that is 56,000 cases in the US to reach the same wave point Korea is now in. They were the second country to get this so are ahead of everyone else except China in the same experience we're having - getting China's outbreak.
Other numbers being thrown around by the NY TImes no less, guesstimate 5% of the population getting this. That's ludicrous and can't be based on any information except pure fantasy - not to mention fear. If 5% of the population gets this, then Korea for one would have had 2.6 million cases. They're largely through this with 8,100 so far. China would have had 70 million cases. They've had 80,000 and new cases are few now. No data anywhere supports the fear that is rampant in reporting right now.
Because Europe is still just getting this where North America is just starting, and because Iran and Italy are so different from what I would call well run countries, there is no data to use except the countries that have largely gone through this. Korea and China suggest an experience of roughly some 70,000 total cases in the US and 4,500 in Canada. This data also suggests some 17% who get this require hospitalization. That's a high ratio. That's some 10,000 hospitalizations in the US and 750 in Canada. We'll all know within 4 months.
We are all in the high risk categories. That's why I'm doing this. I have three jobs. Get enough provisions that I can go two weeks for sure, stay away from people as much as I can and don't shake hands instead wash them, and finally monitor daily what's going on in my immediate surroundings. When there is communal spread then it's maximum risk. When the number of known cases is a fraction of one percent of the population in your immediate surroundings, the odds of you being in the same place at the same time with one is exceedingly low. That's when you do your chores, get your supplies, and whatever else you want.
For example, we have a dozen known cases in our city, all in isolation. Even if the unknown cases are several times that, the odds of me running into one of them at the supermarket tomorrow are less than catching a cold or ordinary flu from someone there. I'm stocking up though because we don't know where it will concentrate. We can look to New Rochelle to get a sense of that.
The odds of us getting this are far lower than we might imagine, but the risk profile in our age group means we have to be very serious about it. The single best thing you can do to stay informed is connect to one or two very local news sources and monitor that daily now.
Along with the other data is the profile that this wave is hitting the North American beach now. Expect the numbers to rise sharply this week and for about a month. The relevance is in your local area only. If that information is local community spread, it should be bunker mentality. Kraft dinner anyone?
I agree Wolf. Out of 39,000,000+ (39 million) residents in the US, 3,500 known cases with 68 deaths. 48 were here in Washington state - 42 in King County most being the residents of the same nursing home. If someone had not entered the nursing home with the disease, the death count would be much lower. All deaths in Washington are on the west side and were either fragile seniors or those with other medical issues. Of the 904+ cases confirmed in the state all but 7 are on the west side of the state yet our governor has shut the whole state down. We won't know all the number of cases because many will have just a mild case - not bad enough to call the doctor about.
I personally think for the majority of the country this almost total shut down is going to hurt people more than help. All schools, in restaurant dining, bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys, gyms, etc have all been ordered shut down for the next two weeks. The government says for people not to worry about lost wages, but they don't say how they will be made up before people get behind on bills. This is when I am glad I have Social Security instead of working. I feel for those who are under so much stress from being out of work and so much unknown. Here California, Oregon and Washington seem to be in a competition to see who can announce the next step first to put the screws to the citizens. Now I now a little what living under socialism is like. Went to the store today - empty shelves of fresh veggies, canned, frozen, baking, pasta, etc. all gone. Thankfully what I went for was still there - guess I like things others don't.
Will be interesting to see if there is a spike in suicides as things get worse due to the isolation. And how many people 62 or older decide to file for SS now instead of waiting until 66.
North Korea is on the Chinese board, not South Korea. From what we can tell COVID-19 is spreading widely by the Chinese boarder. But not into N Korea so much but this reflects the isolation of much of the country.
South Korea has a handle on it because they are dealing with it smartly. The Chinese only got a hold on it by massive quarantines after ignoring COVID-19 for too long. It has succeeded in containing it but at a high costs. Massive quarantines often don't work because you keep the sick with the well together and often don't provide supplies, resulting in people sneaking out.
South Korea is handling it differently. They are doing massive testing. They are quarantining people who have been identified to have COVID-19 in place. They are not confining their entire population. We have seen in South Korea how much a single person can spread the infection when they refuse to obey the quarantine.
In the US there is almost no testing. We don't know how bad it is because we refuse to test. We ignored warnings from 3 months ago. I know we all like to think we are smarter than people who have been studying pandemics their entire lives.
Consider Los Vegas Casinos. They are shutting down. These people do not shut down unless they find evidence of a threat.
Of course if our actions are successful in holding back COVID-19 many people will insist there was no threat, just like many people believe that Y2K was just overhyped instead of looking at how disaster was prevented by many people working hard to fix code in so many computers and software packages.
I'm with Paul on this. I believe the people who have been studying epidemics all their lives. They say the reason for social isolation is not just to prevent deaths, but to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed. We do not have enough hospital beds or medical equipment to accommodate the people who are expected to need urgent care. What Italy is experiencing now is what we are trying to avoid here: people suffering and dying without medical care and doctors having to decide who will get life-saving care (ICU beds and equipment) and who will not.
As for the statistics, we do not have an accurate idea of the death rate in the USA because we have no idea of how many people have the disease, due to lack of tests. I go around saying that I'm not in a high risk category, but that's a lie. Being over 60 and having a serious health condition are independent risks. I am over 60, as are most of us on this site.
Speaking of this site, I'll notify Joan about the increasing spam. Since she's not feeling well, we may have to live with it for a while.
I totally understand the rationale behind the shutdowns, but do wonder if collateral death has also been taken into account (suicides, spousal abuse and homocide, deaths from people not able to get their medicines for chronic illnesses, other illnesses (cancer, autoimmune, MERSA, D-diff), accidents from children left at home while parents work, to mention just a few).
I have two children in the frontlines of health care and I am very worried for their safety, partly because some patients don't care about infecting other people and also because there appear to be many none-sick carriers of the disease.
That said, I am in quarentine having developed an atypical upper respiratory infection the end of last week. There are no test kits available, so I don't know what I really have, I have projects to do, books on tape, and TV, but it is an odd feeling to be under house-arrest, even for an introvert. If I were to become sick enough to die, my family couldn't come see me, there would be no bedside vigil, no last good-byes - I think it would be a very lonely death.
Mother Nature always has the last word, and just when we think we are so smart she pulls another rabbit out of her hat. . . and here we are. I am awed by natural world and hope that to always maintain that reverence for the design and magnificence of the true forces of our world.
I do agree with most of you, the actions are to prevent and/or contain the virus - so hopefully our death toll will be lower. Two of my children believe it's a total hoax by the Democrats to get rid of Trump. There is a concern about lost income, got a request from my cosmetologist to sign a petition to include beauty shop operators in the federal bill being processed. Currently they are excluded. My niece who is an RN, has worked 5 straight shifts - not sure of the specific reason - and a woman we know who is having a baby today, by cesarean, is'nt allowed any visitors. I guess her husband called and said the hospital is virtually on lockdown. The local news said if you have a dr appt, do not go, just call. But don't see any way I could get X-rays by phone - and not sure how long they would wait. I cannot proceed to strengthen my wrist - or using it - until he knows the surgery was successful and can't tell that without X-rays.
My granddaughter picked up a few supplies for us yesterday, she is law enforcement so must work no matter what. But we don't hug nor stand close. She told me this morning the dollar general store, several miles from us, has said they are reserving the first hour they are open each day for elderly, handicapped etc. since they sanitize overnight, they say these people could come pick up supplies and feel relatively safe.
Not sure there's going to be answers for quite awhile. Marche*, sure hope you take care of yourself and don't have anything serious! Are you simply dealing by phone, home nurse? How will anyone know if you get worse?
I went to the supermarket this morning and even though the crowd was normal sized and behaved, the beef, hamburger, dry pasta, pasta sauce, and canned veg aisles were empty. Lots of bread and chicken and produce, but some completely empty shelves.
People get paid good money to project accurately the buying patterns of different regions, different cities, and down to the individual stores. When there are runs on products of any kind that are multiples of normal usage - you get empty shelves. That looks like food is running out but it's really a seismic shift in buying patterns. When the same products run out everywhere, it takes time to get more volume through the system and onto shelves. When people buy normally there's plenty; when they don't there isn't.
I'm reading some of the reactions to being in isolation for 14 days. As others here have said, walk a mile in our shoes where isolation is normal. I won't be going anywhere for a month. I'm taking one for the team. No fresh produce after this runs out, but I've got everything else. My plan is to not give this virus to anybody by not getting it.
I know. I know. It's a tough assignment, but I volunteered because that's the kind of person I am. I'm looking out for the public interest by giving up interest in the public. It sounds nuts but that's the job description. Stay in and play, or quake in fear, I don't get paid either way. The government is backing up the Brinks truck though and maybe a few of those shekels will find their way to my door. I'm not holding my breath.
I may start learning how to talk like Captain Kirk - where practically every word is it's own sentence. "I...may...have some...milk left! I....have to...open... the fridge...and take that one in a thousand chance!" It needs work. No sports either. None. Have I mentioned that?
I used to do this for a living, you know. Sit here and do nothing year in and year out. Read my thread to view every boring detail. I was nuts then, though, and time wasn't a thing. Now every day is an entire day long, except now I'm afraid to go out for a reason. I didn't need one back then. Not exactly as rewarding as I'd hoped.
This reminds me of what my mom used to say. "Go out and play, try not to die, and be home when the street lights come on." Or something like that. I've got a better idea. I'll be playing in my room and we'll see if this here virus can ring doorbells. Now where is that batman costume I used to have?
Our lousy weather right now is helping keep people home and indoors. As I've said, they have posted on the local news, do not attend any dr appt. either cancel or use the e-visits. Did send a note to my ortho surgeon, they said since they have no options for online visits, for now they are still seeing patients in the office. DH is having a fit every few minutes, when he hears something. However, it's a huge facility, only ortho, and the ortho hospital is across the street. You could fit 100 people in the main lobby and not be close enough to touch so I'm not too worried. My appt isn't till the 23rd so can re-evaluate later. I may cancel therapy appts for a few weeks.
It is spreading here though not like other places. We have 4 confirmed cases in town but 93 presumtive. From what I hear they are all from someone returning from overseas, then those whom they have come into contact with. But the advice is if you get sick, contact your dr but just stay home :)
I doubt there is a snowballs chance in hell of the gov issuing any checks but it's a nice dream. I am scanning my tax papers into the computer and the accountant will handle everything that way. We did that last year due to my medical problems. One advantage of having the same guy handle them for 23 years:) we've become good friends. DH heard that they are issuing a 3 month extension on paying taxes, and asked if that applied to us. Probably does but makes no sense for us, I paid in extra this year so the additional money shouldn't be too much, but somehow it's always more than I expect. DH hears something and confuses it with something else he heard so is afraid we won't get our retirement checks...so many people taking a hit in the stock market. But they have already assured us they are well diversified and have plenty of reserves so while this won't be good, neither will it affect anyone's retirement. We have direct deposit so I'm not worried but I wonder how long we will keep getting mail delivery. Those people have no choice but to work close together.
They haven't closed the bars and restaurants here, but the limit of ten people will surely hurt. I heard last night business was still brisk, just not as good. News is asking people to order takeout etc.....but people still have to handle the food. The worst flu I ever had was from a KFC, one employee had the flu and came to work.
After all that, I forgot to tell you why DH doesn't want me to go see the dr. It's a plot for me to catch the virus, bring it home to him and he will die. A convenient way to get rid of him, lol.
When this started and they were allowing us to visit, I told the aide it would not be the worst thing for Art to get it and die - would be better than the life he has now. I know to many they would not understand even if not approve but that is how I feel.
oakridge - keep up your exercises at home. Plan to keep your doctor appt. They all have mask in their lobbies - use them. When you leave make sure you take it off then use the sanitize wash. When you get home change your clothes if you are that worried. A couple days ago the news was saying to change clothes when you get home then wash your hands good. Wash coats every couple days, etc. That is great if you have your own w/d but what about those that don't and even have to go out to do laundry?
I don't want to jump the gun, but I feel much better, mostly normal. No, I haven't gotten tested; kids tell me there still aren't many test kits here. I am quarantined. If this was Covid 19, it was mild, but I am mindful of all of the other respiratory viruses that make the rounds this time of year.
Being isolated is much harder than I anticipated. It is going to cause a lot of crazy to erupt, especially now that the projected timeline is 18 months.
To those of you still in the trenches, I cannot imagine your anxiety and exhaustion in trying to deal with this too. I wish I knew what to do to help you. Your plight makes me sad.
I'm so glad you're feeling better. But not glad that you're still in jail. Are you allowed to go out in your yard or sidewalk? How would they even know if you did?
Good morning, I just read RSA*s post and was so sweet and touching I just couldn't post this on the same thread. Although he was here before I was, my heart went out to him at this time. But so glad he had some good memories to last him. Praying for the comfort of God during this time, you have been a good soldier, staying the battle to the end.
I did want to lighten things up on this frosty morning, something to think about other than AD.
First, my granddaughter went grocery shopping yesterday for her and us. Walmart was bare, SAMS had a fair supply, no TP or much in the way of cleaning supplies but she was able to get some fresh stuff - then when she got to the checkout, she was only allowed to buy one item of each. She explained she was buying for two families but without having my membership card they said no exceptions. One item, per card, per day. She ended up giving most of it to us as she said she had to be out anyway to work, so can stop by another day.
Second, she and her spouse, also law enforcement, are right now attending the funeral of a young officer who was killed in the line of duty this week. Such a sad time for all of them. Unfortunately, while people will still be allowed to line the road where they will travel, the funeral service and burial will be closed to only family and law enforcement family. Someone had called the PD and said they had tested positive for Covid 19, planned to attend all the services and try to infect as many cops as possible. Probably just a jerk prank but made it hard for friends and family. He left a wife and young child.
Just heard on the news the PD stations are now closed to the public. As the virus is spreading here, only essential personnel will be allowed in. Also heard Amazon will put on 100,000 new employees to try and handle their increased business. I had heard earlier they were only delivering medical and cleaning supplies but sounds like the plan has changed. Everything is changing faster than we can keep up. The recent deaths have been attributed to the original woman who had vacationed in Italy and returned with the virus, she was the first death.
I still plan on going in to get my x-rays Monday, if dh goes he will have to wait in the car. Earlier I told you he thought I was going to bring the virus home to him, and he would die, easy way to get rid of him. He's forgotten that now and says I'm going so I get the virus and die myself so I don't have to take care of him anymore. He gets so confused and I get so frustrated.
On a lighter note a local woman gave birth in walmart in town. Her water broke in the TP aisle (of course) and she advised the manager she had very short labor with her other two children. Fortunately there was a nurse in the store, took over, the employees held sheets around her, 3 fireman from the local station arrived, and 45 minutes later it was all over. As they wheeled her and her baby girl out to the ambulance, the customers clapped and cheered, LOL.
We've had a stray cat taking shelter behind the barn for a few days. He was hungry and had obviously been in a bad fight. Finally brought him in and treated him, very friendly - also very male. Dh's cat died a few months ago and this cat will lay in his lap for hours. I really don't want another cat - tried all the local places and no one posted a lost cat that matched him. Hate to spend the money to have him altered and get shots - but also want to make dh happy. But we'll wait a few days and see before I make a decision. He's fine in the crate, meows when he wants to get out and be held. Can't imagine anyone kept an unaltered male in the house but he is definitely used to people - but also looks like he's been out for awhile. Ate like he was starved. Possibly he lost his territory to another male. Who knows. Hoping everyone a wonderful day, there is a little weak sunshine out this morning, but it is the sun!!
Funerals are becoming a big problem. Virtual funerals and weddings are becoming the norm now. One woman I know whose husband died can't have the funeral until July. Not sure what she is going to do but I think for those who insist it will have to be burial now and a memorial service later.
Cats - you never know. Glad he found a loving home. I had the door open yesterday when I looked down and a cat was coming in. In the a cat that belongs to a couple at the other end of the park.
Since I can't see Art until at least April 9th would be a good time to take a vacation since the weather is no longer freezing. Problem is: with social isolation where could I go? Would love to head to the Oregon Coast to visit my childhood friend who lives there. I need to call her and see if we can figure something out.
I just heard we will soon be on lockdown like CA. Only permitted to go to work, groceries and dr appts. Already they want us not to cross county lines. If this continues 6-8 weeks before it peaks I might start to worry. We got dog food and grain then heard from a neighbor who has a farm and 7 dogs that she was limited to one sack of dog food at a time. I went ahead and ordered some things from Amazon, cat food, litter etc. they had lots of TP but looked like it all came from China and the virus would probably would be over before it got here :)
Whatever you do, take care. A vacation right now sounds wonderful, would love to be on the beach but my sister who lives in Florida most of the time came here to get away from the virus.
I think all the talk of covid-19 is causing my husband confusion. He doesn't understand and has a way of confusing different things he hears. Then either rants about everything or withdraws and doesn't talk. Guess I'd best stick to Gunsmoke.
I would have the news on as little as possible to cut down on the exposure to it.
Oregon Coast is out - the cities are shutting down: only residents or long term which means no tourist in the hotels. Spring break - it is going to really hurt the small towns - of course that is happening all over the country.
Tell her to check out Chewy for dog food. They ship them in the big bags.
I have been using Cheney for cat food and litter for a few years. I have a repeating order every 4 weeks that cuts the price more and I can change the contents of the order at any time. However, they are having problems, they charged my card a few days ago but have not yet shipped my order and have sent an email to all customers that orders will be late due to COVID-19. Another week and I’ll have to go to PetSmart.
The food I use is more expensive on Chewey or was last time I looked. Our local feed store sells it for a couple dollars less than Amazon - but I went ahead and ordered some from Amazon since we won't be going out. They did say there may be a delay of 1 or 2 days on some items but most of what I ordered was normal delivery.
Since I have been out of commission for a few weeks now, dh thinks he will take over all the driving again. Drove over to my GD to pick up some items she had for us and he told me to get in the passenger seat because he was driving. Then cussed and complained the seat was to close, too high etc, and told him because he wasn't supposed to be driving this car. It's only a few miles over there but he fought with me all the way that he could drive anyplace he wants to and that @#$% doctor - or any doctor isn't going to stop him. Of course we were only gone maybe 15 minutes and he has already forgotten about it but think it's time to keep the extra key put of his sight.
I suspect he's had a bladder infection but couldn't get into the dr and I wasn't able to take in a sample for them. He is getting worse - partly because of the infection and partly I think just the progression of the disease. It's a situation where I feel damned if I do and damned if I don't. He is passive aggressive, and can get really mean.
I'm already feeling the results of being "quarantined" with him for almost 6 weeks, and if have to go much longer I'm not sure what I'll do. He is mad at me all the time for one thing or another, he forgets quickly, but then finds something else and if I refuse to engage with him that makes it worse. I hate AD, what it is doing to him and to me. I know that's selfish but I feel like my life is ending faster than his is because I have all the responsibility. Sorry for whining again. If we could just get some sun, stop all the rain and dry up the mud, I might be able to get out and feel normal again.
I sympathize with you as we all do because we have all been there and many still there. I was so glad when I placed my hb because he was getting more 'stubborn' which I could not deal with. As for the UTI call in maybe you can get the medication delivered. If not, if you have cranberry juice try that may help some.
As for sun - praying you get it. I think the whole country needs sun so people can at least go outside in their yards to soak up some Vit D which will also help their immunity.
oakridge, I don't remember if your DH is on an anti-depressant, but that might help with his moods. If he is not, do call the doctor and give it a try. There are no guarentees, but these drugs have helped some patients with mood.
Your fierce writing was some of the most memorable I've read, and it's one of the reasons I've come back to these boards, at least for a visit.
I like the metaphor of the Inn. I'll add that the Inn is a stopping place for travelers at different points in their journey. Some find the Inn close to their final destination, and it's somewhere they can review the places they've visited along the way with sympathetic fellow travelers, to gain perspective on their travels and strength for the last stretch. Others stop at the Inn somewhere in the middle. They've come such a long way! Like many others. But they may, depending on their resources and temperament, push on further into parts unknown.
Over the past weekend I've been going through packing boxes of my wife's things: clothes, hats and scarves, craft books and supplies, etc. She was a craftsperson, and I saved too much, but how can you know? It was worthwhile. I figured out what should go to whom (people who would/should care) and my mind was more settled.
Yes,marche* DH is on anti depressments, for several years now and dr has changed once.
I did get to the surgeon today. Long tables and staff at the doors preventing anyone without a necessary appt, like mine, from being admitted. Big signs outside, if you do not have authorized appt, do not come in. I did get my X-rays and they look good. Still more swelling than he liked but I am a very slow healer with anything. 2.5hrs later I got back to the car where DH was waiting, I texted my gd and had her call him to be sure he was ok. He doesn't understand text.
Surgeon said we are going to let you continue your therapy at home so you don't have to come back in. Me: so I need to cancel my appt for Thursday? No, we're doing it for you....take this # to the therapy dept and we will teach you everything today. So ended up learning each progressive step through May and came home with a bag of "tools" and pages of pictures. Both surgeon and therapist gave me phone# and email to call if I needed anything during this time. I can begin removing my brace when I'm just in the house, then can take out the piece that keeps it from bending. At some point I can stop wearing it unless I'm gardening or a similar type of work.
Finally got back to the car, asked DH if he knew why I was so long? Yes, gd called, but he thought maybe I'd just gone out the back door and kept going, lol.
Another big storm tonight and tomorrow - but, since this looks like it will continue a few more weeks, or even months I heard tonight......I think I will start something new tomorrow. Not sure what but can't just sit here and eat. Thanks for all the support.
The only bright spot I can see is that I don't have to listen to twiddle-dee-dum and twiddle-dee-dee. Instead I get to listen to our prime minister, the handsome ski instructor, tell me over and over how much he cares about me. Uh-huh.
This must have been what the bubonic plague was like, except we don't think it's the devil and we have photographs of it to look at. It jumped species from an animal at a market in Wuhan where everybody knows that if you eat ground up Unicorn horn, it increases your sex drive. Listen. I don't care if sex can drive. I would never loan it my car.
The stuff people believe. You can get it through your eyes. No. You can't. It has to get into your lungs to infect you. It's hard sometimes to tell whether it's the micro brain or the micro attention span that is the cause. The only thing certain is that if people don't know, they make stuff up. That's just as true in Hoboken as it is in Zimbabwe.
Earth is flat. No it isn't. Earth is the center of the universe. No it isn't. The sun moves across the sky. No it doesn't. Sacrificing the virgin will appease the volcano god. No it won't. And so on until your eyes roll so hard they fall out. We all go to heaven when we die. That's great because my calendar is wide open then.
Economics experts are forecasting a recession this year. You think?? The economic world has shut down almost completely. Those professors are right. Closing your business down completely in a state of emergency is going to hurt sales in the same way that shutting down all sports is going to hurt your odds of winning the championship that doesn't exist.
We should all go on lecture tours. We're experts and can explain to the spastic how you self isolate and get through it. We have honorary doctorates in living in tiny little spaces normal people don't even consider spaces. My fee would be exceedingly high because I'm not going out there running the approximately 10% risk that I'm going to die to teach the zen and art of not leaping out of windows because life becomes scary for a few months. This summer will be the scariest thing many people have encountered. That's almost funny. Almost.
The first country is through the first wave. If you're a totalitarian regime it takes 3 1/2 months. If you're a democracy it will take longer. We can forget being up and running again by easter. A better estimate is probably July with June showing reductions.
The US and Canada appear to be different here. The US has half it's cases in the state of New York. I can't tell why yet. Let's hope Elizabeth is ok. Italy has almost twice as many cases as Germany, but it has almost forty times more deaths. Over 10% of cases in Italy are dying. Canada is tracking like Germany - less than 1/10th of 1 percent who have gotten it have died so far.
This isn't the most deadly virus in the last hundred years. It is, however, the most seriously the world has ever responded to a new virus outbreak. Whole countries are now virtually shut down trying to catch up with this. Canada's first case was on January 25. We are now over two months into this. China's experience at the moment suggests we might start seeing it drop off in May. It will probably be in June.
I've been tracking this daily and it's not a runaway train. The daily increase since March 18 worldwide has hovered around 40,000 new cases daily. Yesterday was 58,000 and today is also likely to be in the 50,000 plus range. The US needs a New York state specific strategy and everybody needs more ventilators and tests, but this bull is still in the china shop and it's too early to predict the extent of damage.
Some of my friends are going buggy being cooped up indoors. I went to school for years learning that and I had no idea that would come in handy. Stay safe everyone.
good news - the new cases in Washington state is leveling off. We were the first state to have it and they say we are about 2 weeks ahead of the rest of the country.
I doubt it. We have a democratic governor (he tried for president but got no where) who wants nothing more than to control the citizens of the state. He will probably not lift restrictions until his governor buddies - Oregon and California - do it.
Watched Bill Gates on this subject. Very informative, since he's had lots of experience dealing with epidemics and other population disasters. It looks like hunkering down is our only realistic option. Our Gov. was CEO of a large private healthcare system for years and he has imposed social distancing rules in order to "flatten the curve" and prevent a crash of our state's healthcare systems, which are already overloaded.
Historical analysis one the Spanish Flu* is that places that had taken quick action recovered faster medically and economically. The "economics vs. health" argument is false.
The Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain. During WWI Spain was neutral so its newspapers weren't censored and it was the only country reporting on the flu outbreak. We are not sure of the origins of the Spanish Flu but probably started in France, China, Britain, or the United States. So it could have been called The American Flu.