March 31st, standing in a long line, the last time we went to Costco.

Once upon a time is a classic fairy tale opening.  I’m afraid that’s exactly what my last post was; a fairy tale.  In the not so distant future the world will not resemble the one from the not so distant past.  There will be a new normal, and it’ll be quite a bit different from the old normal. How different and what it looks like no one really knows, but I’m guessing face masks will be common place and shaking hands won’t be.

In my life there’s been three events that have altered “normal.”  The HIV/Aids crisis, September 11th, and now the Covid-19 pandemic.  We’ve been “staying at home” since March 14th, thirty-three days and counting, with no end in sight.  San Diego and California’s early adoption of staying at home, social distancing, and face masks while in public seems to be working to flatten the curve and slowing down and reducing death. But people are getting antsy.

We feel safe at home, walking around the block, and riding our bikes, but it’s terrifying to go into a crowded store to buy groceries. In our county, you cannot enter a store unless you are wearing a mask.  And all the employees are wearing them too.  It’s jarring to see everyone in masks. Amelia said it best, “You can’t see anyone smile.”  That’s sad, because a warm smile goes a long way in this environment. All non-essential stores are closed, and unfortunately many of them will never reopen. They can’t hold on, their businesses will be lost.

At the beginning of stay at home, there was a lot of stress, anxiety, and fear. And a lot of alcohol consumption in the evenings, but that is not sustainable nor conducive to quality sleep. When we did sleep the dreams were crazy, vivid, and intense. Now over thirty days into it we’ve adapted and have throttled back some.

Humor has always been a coping mechanism. The darker the times, the darker the humor. Right now there is some hilarious stuff rattling around in cyberspace. Is everyone over Zoom happy hours and meetings? The novelty has definitely worn off for us.  Zoom rhymes with gloom and doom. Is your neighborhood like ours? Everyday there’s a parade of people walking around the block. And everyone is friendly.

The news and images coming out of New York are horrifying, a complete nightmare.  And this is the United States of America? You would think that would wake people up to reality.  How horrible to die alone, and how horrible for the families that can’t be with their loved ones. I heard someone say, “In America, even our pets don’t die alone.”

There’s been a complete failure of leadership at the national level.  It has exasperated the situation.  Our death count could’ve been lower if swift and decisive action were taken earlier.  Instead, what occurred has been well documented.

I’d like to leave you with a rhetorical question. Why is Dr. Fauci receiving death threats?

I’ve heard availability of these items has now improved.

Long lines at Costco because every other register is closed for social distancing.

Early on this was typical at the grocery stores. We just went shopping this week and the shelves were almost completely stocked now.

San Diego’s beaches, bays, boardwalks, and even the ocean are closed.

All of the open space parks and trails are closed.

And of course neighborhood parks are closed.

The first responders, medical professionals, and essential workers are all heroes. They risk their lives daily.

There’s a lot of chalk art in our neighborhood.

Hope

As a distraction to this current nightmare we are all in, I’ve been giving a daily tour of our yard on Instagram.  If you love plants and flowers check it out!  gregharris395

Stay healthy!