Today, I woke up earlier than I needed to. It was just a little after 7 am, but I got up anyway. I made breakfast, and Liz and I did the crossword puzzle together. Then I sat down with my computer, read the comics, and looked at Facebook and a couple of other things. I am wondering if I will stay at home all day. It will be the first time.
We have been under restrictions for a week. Last Sunday, I held Open Lab for my students, and had a pretty good turnout. I have not heard of any infections among them. By the end of Sunday, plans had changed. Finals were not held on campus, and two of my three Practicals were cancelled. We all got screened every day when we arrived at work. Everyone was advised to stay home as much as possible, but I walked to Whole Foods once to see if they had eggs, which they didn't. The next day, I think, I stopped off at Giant Eagle at 7:30 am, and found eggs, cough medicine, a box of lettuce. I also bought stamps. Thursday, I think, I went to a shipping place to mail a couple of packages Liz wanted sent, one to a friend of hers who was planning a trip to Scotland later this year. The package contained a brooch chosen for the trip. The friend lost her job while the package was en route, and I hear its arrival cheered her up.
Next day, I walked back to Whole foods to buy wine. Then I went to Giant Eagle to buy cranberry juice, and took the last bottle. Yesterday, I made a larger shopping trip, buying chicken breasts and thighs, ham, ground turkey, and ground beef, along with a bunch of other items. I didn't find any tissues. That whole paper products aisle was picked clean. And there were no black beans, so I got mild chili beans instead. Today, I am trying not to leave. I might go for a walk, but not engage with anyone or any business. I went to the corn field yesterday, and saw the expanding pond on the east side by the trees, with ducks and geese swimming in it. It rained a lot on Friday, I think, or maybe it was Thursday. There were floods in some places in Ohio, but we're pretty far from the rivers.
I found today that we're almost out of allergy medicine, which I take every day. Sharon is trying to order supplies to be delivered, and added allergy medicine to the list. We may get a delivery tomorrow. I may not have to go out shopping for a few days, anyway.
By noon today, I had about 300 steps, according to the health app on my phone. I went out and raked the sweet gum out of the lawn, which raised my total to over 2000. I do laundry on Sunday, so I will be going up and down stairs a few times a little later this afternoon. Yesterday, Liz and I walked around the short block. Liz wanted some exercise, as she has spent most of the last two weeks sitting on the couch, but didn't want to be too ambitious on her first outing. We nodded politely to a couple of people. It was rather cold, so I was glad we didn't stay out long.
I have mixed feelings about all my trips out. I go because we need things, and I don't want anyone else to have to go out. I feel useful, and somewhat in control. I minimize my contact with people and things, and I wash carefully as soon as I get back. But I feel a little bad for having so many trips out. I want to comply with the recommendations, because I understand how they are supposed to work. I hope that all these restrictions will help with the crisis, and that the rate of infection will slow enough that our hospitals will not be overwhelmed. I actually hope that we will be so successful at social distancing that we will stop the pandemic well short of the potential for destruction is seems to have, giving critics of the restrictions fodder for tall tales forever. We will all be much better off for it. I don't expect that, but it would be nice.
I expect that reported cases will continue to rise, even though widespread testing is not being pursued for lack of resources and a sense of the inevitability of near saturation exposure. I read that some places are only testing the sick and health care workers as needed because hope is lost for containment. Still, the numbers will rise. People are getting sick and dying, and that is now expected to continue for weeks or months. Unless it all happens faster, and a lot more people die.
So I will stay home as long as I can.
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