Well, the self-isolation has certainly taken away my need to think of catchy titles. Wish it could do the same for photos – I got nothing that relates to anything except life here.
Today, I typed in some DogStar. Supposed to be doing two chapters a day, so far it’s only one. At that rate, it takes us 15 days (we each have 16 chapters) but we really want it typed in by a week from now. Man, is there ever stuff to update. The biggest thing so far is his watch. It’s important – it sets stuff up and helps explain things. No more watches, smartphones tell the time. I haven’t worn a watch myself in 20 years. Well, I guess a smartwatch takes care of that. Wouldn’t that be a sweet fix. I need to do a bit of research though. As I don’t have one.
The new cover (still roughed in on the back)
Working on the new cover with the graphic artist (online, we always work online, he’s in the UK). I like working with George, he’s fun. I do like making books (probably better than writing them, truth be told). I got up today and did the same thing. Morning pills for PJ and food for both of the dogs. An hour online with news, then a long dog walk. Another hour online – starting to get ready to do some work (either DogStar, or bill paying or something on the list). By now I’ve moved from the office to the bar so I can hang with PJ (remember, he and Rosie are separated). An hour later, another dog walk and then he’s usually ready for a nap.
And that’s when I seem to screw around the most. By now it’s 9am and everybody’s online and I spend another hour answering people on Facebook and email. Emptying the dishwasher (oh yeah, my side of the house with PJ also has the kitchen). Tomorrow, I have another grocery order coming, so I’ll wipe those all down when they get here. Anything to avoid typing that damn story in it seems 🙂
Jacaranda carpet
It’s now after 7pm and I’m back in the office. It’s just getting dark (our daylight savings activates April 5) and PJ is down for the night. So this is another quiet time. This and my first hour or so in the morning. When I leave the computer, I’ll probably go to bed and read. Maybe by 7:30. Ah, what a life. Not that much different than normal except we’d be showing the house and always having people over for food and drinks.
And staff. This is the second week our staff will stay home (with pay). They only come on Fridays. Which means I’d better wash my own damn floors. They are looking pretty bad.
La Paz boat art – will we get there?
In another month, the rainy season could be here and that will be good too. Everything gets so green. I’m getting calm enough to wonder when we’ll sell the house – it’s possible that we could be on our way this fall. I guess on our way to La Paz. Then, next spring head up to Canada. Things have been certainly rendered uncertain, let’s put it that way.
Day 13: Had our 7am walk, had my hour to read the news in the office and have a shower. Now we’re at the bar in the kitchen (we = me and PJ), facing the view, getting ready to type in some goddamn chapters before the 8:30am walk. He’s got his rubber tire toy in the meantime. Man, he’s a handful sometimes. Lots of energy. Coming up to three years old (September 3 or 4, I can’t recall).
I just posted a summary of a 57-minute video done by a doctor on the front lines of the Coronavirus outbreak in New York City. I’m going to post it here now – it’s very encouraging.
It’s 57 minutes and most of you won’t watch that long, so here are some key points – please read. He knows of what he speaks and has been treating Covid-19 cases in NYC (Dr. Dave Price, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, NYC, Pulmonary and Critical Care).
Here is the link to the video HERE – can’t for the life of me embed it.
Be a hand nazi – wash your hands, constantly. DO NOT touch your face.
Sanitize your hands constantly when outside your home, whenever you touch anything. As he says “Disinfectant KILLS this virus – it is a wimp in that sense.” One drop is enough.
More hand washing and don’t touch your face. If you don’t have a homemade mask, anything will do. A bandana is good.
MASKS HELP PREVENT YOU FROM TOUCHING YOUR FACE – the disease is not Airborne. You only get this disease from sustained contact (10 minutes +) with an infected person. People are infectious 1-2 days before showing symptoms – fever is usually the first symptom.
Keep your social circle very small – immediate family or people you share a house with. Stop touching your face.
Don’t be afraid of your neighbour or delivery man. Say hi but stay 6 feet away. Wash your hands after any contact with delivery parcels. DO NOT shake hands or touch anyone outside, including neighbours or delivery people. Wash your hands. Delivery people are heroes. They will help us sustain our systems.
This social distancing – wiping down cart handles, door handles, pushing doors open with your shoulders, using your elbow for elevator buttons if you don’t have sanitizer, not touching your face!! and not touching other people!!! – WILL CONTINUE FOR UP TO A YEAR. It’s the new normal for 6, 9, or 12 months.
It’s not a mystery disease and it doesn’t violate the rules. If YOU obey the rules (no extended contact, no touching, wash your hands, DON’T touch your face) – you will be fine. We will all be fine.
Do not go to the hospital UNLESS you are short of breath. The hospital is not a death sentence and often you will only be kept for a day or two. It’s a safe place.
If you become infected, you will likely first notice fever (coughing, sore throat). Fever will last 3-5 days before you start to feel better. Self-isolate in another room but if everyone FOLLOWS THE RULES – sanitize everything in sight, wash your hands, DON’T touch your face – the sick may come out of their room for limited social time, such as a meal. Follow the rules. They are simple. Ideally, the sick have their own bedroom and bathroom.
Many of the doctors who are sick are primarily GPs who spent extended time with infected patients in consultation and close contact before they realized what the rules were. Once we followed the rules, we are not getting sick. You do not need medical masks. We need N95s only when in extended contact with aspirating patients, we wear regular hospital masks otherwise. This is not an airborne disease.
We see this disease in all ages. While the elderly and previously compromised patients have less resistance, there is no age barrier, we see this disease in 35-year-olds and not just one or two.
Learn the rules. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Sanitize when outside your walls. Do not touch people – maintain your distance. This disease is already mutating and once it mutates, it grows weaker and weaker. In five years, Coronavirus will exist, but it will be more akin to the common cold.
Follow the rules and we will all be fine.
Ok, now on to typing in some chapters. A friend demanded I listen to that video so I did – and it was useful. But I think it was about 5 minutes useful, not 57 minutes, which is why I summarized for everyone else 🙂
Day 14: Here we are, two weeks of complete isolation with no symptoms now so highly likely we have no virus (not that I expected it). Today feels like Groundhog Day again. Not sure how I am going to get this house tidy (housekeeper off now for two weeks – we don’t want him coming on the bus and exposing himself).
Still avoiding typing in chapters. I hate it but should just do it solidly for a week and I’d be done. But all I did on Day 14 was dick around. But it’s pretty much over. One more day and I’ll publish. Manana, folks.
Day 15: Rearranged furniture.
Day 16: Oy. Here we are, another Sunday. Two dogs walks done and Maple Baked Beans with Shredded Chicken in the slow cooker and it smells much like smoky beans without the smokey.
And a great link for everyone: 5 Thought Experiments to Upgrade Your Thinking. Highly recommended (very quick read).
Things are going to get very real, very quickly out there, no denying that. The numbers dead will be larger than the flu in the US this year – by two to four times according to estimates. Again, it’s the spread that is one of the biggest problems. The virus does not move. People move. Stay home and the virus will die.
Canada is hopefully getting a bit of a handle on it. Mexico, not so much but we will self-isolate until it’s safe to go out again with physical distancing and limited contact. Don’t despair, smart minds are working on it. Do watch the video above if you can spare the time (Dr. Dave).
What are you working on? Is it a good time to clean out your closet, clean out some drawers, write that opinion piece you’ve been trying to find time to write? Let me know what you’re doing. I’ll close with that radio commercial quote and then I’m going to go find a song to post and hit the publish button. We will be okay.
“Stay safe, stay informed and stay kind.” (And write to your friendly blogger, she needs to hear how you are doing.)