Update: Roommate rented a car for a week. I drove her to get it. Back home, she packed her belongings and dog, and left about 2:45.

I'm puttering, doing some little odds and ends tasks. Then I'll have my prayer time. May sew my 2 masks that I cut out last night. Both are bunny print fabrics.

It occurred to me that if I will have an extended time here I could do some sorting and decluttering of stuff that needs to get gone from my bedroom, by setting up a card table in the living room for staging. Only a few items at a time of course, lest I get frazzled and indecisive, compounding the problem.

And at the very least I can catch up on laundry. Today, though, I'm just going to take it easy a bit, since this has all been a whirlwind.

The decluttering idea and plans will depend on several things: 1) The timing of when her mom passes, and if the funeral will be held soon; if not, she will possibly come home then go back. 2) My religious observances over the next four days - I want to relax and enter into them with a clear head. 3) My energy level, but I think I'll do okay on that, and staying busy reduces anxiety, and tires me out so I can sleep.

We have yet another cold front and possibly rain to come - on Easter Sunday! But different forecasts say different things. We'll see.

I guess nobody likes the new thread (phase 14) that I started for us.

Good Morning Everyone.

Hi Subclinical
Hope you are having a better weather day today.

Read online that many children are not participating in the online schooling.
They just don't want to.

Your Mom should be alright after all this time but I really do worry about your Uncle. (((HUG)))

So happy to "see" you Tatoulia
Yes, the weather report is for some serious weather back East of me.

You work for such a wonderful humane company.
Wish all companies would take a lesson.

Such a sweetheart you are helping your neighbors (((HUG)))

Hi CriticalMass
Remember that Sunday school lesson about how god only dumps on you what he thinks you can handle?
Personally I think that is BS.

So sorry things are still so stressful and sad for you and Roommate. (((((HUGS)))))

I too get overly upset with people who can't or won't handle their dogs.
Your reaction was understandable even if the people were just innocent bystanders at the time.

Been doing household tasks since I got up, kinda sorta anyways.

Rant coming so look away...
At the end of my rope.
Not eating properly, not sleeping well.
Decided that I would not could not ever live in a world without and cats, large or small.

I want this all to end now! Right now!
My Spirit is so weary.
I want to enact revenge on so many guilty parties.

OK, rant over...

Cloudy and might drizzle today.
The mountain ranges have been getting lots of Spring snow, YEA!

The senior center sent another automated message this morning.
They will not be there manning the phones due to the holiday but gave a number to call should we need any help or TP, Kleenex, food, dog or cat food or whatever.

Hi

Having more intense things to reckon with. My roommate's mother has had end stage Alzheimer's for about three years. She is now in the dying process. Roommate's car has needed work and we are no longer sure we can count on our mechanic and handyman guy - long sad story there, don't want to elaborate at this time.

But she needs a safe working car. The scary things though are that she might rent one, who knows if it will be free of virus, and she will be traveling to a big city and in surrounding counties where the outbreak has been worse for several weeks already. And risk catching it, and bringing it back. We don't know exactly when or how things will unfold. After Easter would be easier to deal with, but I don't want her mom to suffer longer than necessary, of course.

Meanwhile, whenever she goes, I will be at home taking care of cats, bunnies, etc. The isolation could be challenging. My emotions are on edge. It's supposed to be a big spiritual time of grace. Today is Holy Thursday. Also Passover for our Jewish friends. I would like to be able to enter I into it with a clear head and ready heart.

But now there are all these additional emotional things to process. I've noticed people in general are getting edgy, online and elsewhere. I'm making a point to avoid it, like don't go on Facebook groups where current events are discussed. I was dismayed by a thing the state legislature did and that's all I'm going to say on that either, but I am frustrated.

Last night right after my roommate got the call about her mom, I agreed to go with her to walk her dog since I didn't want her to be alone and thought it'd be a good opportunity for her to talk and I'd just listen.

Barely a block from home, two big dogs rushed toward us. A melee ensued, and I lost my temper with a young couple who were actually trying to help but everything was happening so fast and I was confused and upset. I apologized for my outburst, and tried to smooth things over. Don't know if I succeeded.

By that time I was so done with everything, especially dogs; I just wanted nothing more than Scotty to beam me directly home. Once again my emotions were shattered and I was no good to my roommate when I had really wanted to be.

I have an explanation for some of this known as spiritual warfare. No one has to agree with me but I just want to explain it so you know my perspective. Basically, I believe that some of this crappy stuff of late is the devil trying to yank my chain. Because right before, I had been praying and getting in a good spiritual space. So old stupid Satan just couldn't stand that. This pattern has been happening for the last couple of weeks. Some may say that's "just life," and that's okay if it sounds more believable; I'm not going to argue the point. Mainly, whatever it is, I simply want it to STOP.

More later. Trying to hope it will be calmer, happier news.

I'm here! Coffee clinks!

Ooooh Tillie I love the true crime story. That stuff fascinated me.

SubC you are doing a great job with school! And I love your mother's prediction on video phones! I'm sorry about your husband's situation. My depression has actually improved a bit. CM I'm glad you got your phone replaced!

The big doings here are that it's garbage night and we are expecting torrential rain.

It's hard to sleep. But all I want to do is be in bed. I'm still taking yoga and I did walk Tuesday night. But we are supposed to be home by 8 and actually even that was a bit creepy because of the quiet of the city.

Mom's been doing well but is starting to struggle.

I'm not eating right and my nutritionist is being flakey.

My company is strong and good and is doing a bunch of stuff for us and the medical community. I wish I could sew. They will pay us if we want to sew masks. They'll reimburse the fabric and we can take one day a week to do so and they'll pay us. Also we can do other things to help right now and we can spend one day a week.

I'm doing errands for my upstairs neighbors who are doctors and working around the clock.

Okay back to work. Coffee clinks!!

Tillie yikes!

We had a big storm here last night power went out for a while.

Today it is very windy - I can hear my chimes singing and singing.

The online teaching is still taking extra time and energy and wearing me out. I am also starting to panic a little because I still have no idea what I'm going to do for class tomorrow.

Yesterday I emailed the families of kids that had missed class two weeks in a row without explanation. I was pleasantly surprised that there were only four (there may be more to do after tomorrow) one is dropping the class - which is fine, I've been talking him into "one more week" since November. I call that a success! And I have to be honest that I am fine if a second one drops. I don't think they were really getting much out if the class anyway (just not very into the subject), and it is a fun elective. We were asked to copy the administration on the emails, and I got a note back on a third child that the household is suffering electronic resource demand overload with both parents working at home.

School is still only officially closed until May 1, but I jokingly told Dh "Sunday is Easter. That's the day when the governor comes out of his hole and if he sees his shadow we get six more weeks of online school." I do think he will announce it on Monday if not before.

My parents got a note in the church bulletin that someone who works in one of the church buildings tested positive. It is not the sanctuary, but a separate building. My mom was last there three weeks ago packing up and handing out supply backpacks for kids, so I hope she is ok, but my uncle goes there a lot and is still not taking this seriously, so I worry.

CM, I worry about you going in church buildings too.

Tatoulia, is everything ok?

Hello Subclinical

Have a great school day today!

I believe it has gone so quiet here is because the people are hiding indoors overcome with depression and worry.

Tell your DH to be the trend setter and be the first one to wear a mask.
Bet some others would follow his example.

Around here it's common for people to work their fields at night too.
They have to make hay whenever they get the time.
One night though the man next door was not planting/harvesting.
He was burying his wife's car.
Her body was in the grain silo.
He was planning to say she'd run off.
In the jail cell he took the plastic bag lining his trash can and committed suicide to save us the bother of his trial.

Happy your veggies got a nice drink of rain. 🙂

The rain came back last night, so the moon was not so pushy.

I planted parsnips and kohlrabi and shallots yesterday, so the rain was good for them. The spinach and beets are just starting to come up.

My neighbor was out working his field with the lights on his tractor last night trying to beat the rain. I don't know if he was planting or just plowing. Life being normal.

It's funny, when you read about the stay at home orders, people talk about how quiet everything is - but here, it is noisy. Chainsaws taking down the dead ash trees, lawnmowers and tractors, music and voices carrying down the creek bed and bouncing off the hills as people who would normally be at work take advantage of the good weather...

Yesterday went much better than last Tuesday. I found out that one of my teens is taking care of his 5 y.o. brother while his healthcare worker parents are at work. There are not many cases here yet - my county is in the 20s, his is in the 50s, but that has to be stressful!

Dh was tired when he got home last night, but I think spending the day outside and getting to actually see his equipment helped him. Everything went well and he doesn't have to go back. I was a little annoyed at him because he said they were taking everyone's temperature on arrival, but it was so windy that he thinks the 6 ft rule was a joke. Also, he did not wear his mask. Because "no one was wearing one." Men! But, there are only 6 confirmed cases in that county, so I will hope for the best.

Teaching again today 9:30-4:30 with a break where my cancelled class was. I can do this....

Hi Subclinical

The moonlight here was filtered through the clouds so it didn't disturb the cats too much.

It is heartbreaking when we can pass infection onto our animals.
With so much heartbreak and disruption in daily life, I would tell the boy that only he should be exposed to his pet at this time.
And to wash his hands before caring for it.

Wonderful to know the baby goats are thriving.
Guess the teat on the left side tastes better? 😀

SO very sorry your DH is emotionally suffering.
The fear and anxiety of all that is going on there is a heavy weight on him.
Plus grieving everything that has been or will be lost.
All anyone can do is just be there for him. (((HUG)))

Glad you have been planting your garden and wishing you many days down on your knees with your hands in the soil. (((((HUGS)))))

Good morning.

I do not swim at all any more, so I am glad scooter's mousie is keeping up with things for me.

CM,

I am glad you have a working phone. Your updates are welcome! It is good to know what is going on with you.

I have been reading more about the animals. One of my students has a ferret. I am wondering if I should warn him that he should social distance the ferret. He wears it over his shoulder and handles it a lot, and what I am reading says that ferrets get sick like we do. When I was in jr. high I had the flu, and I was miserable and cuddled my guinea pig for comfort, and the guinea pig caught the flu and died. it was truly awful and I never wanted another guinea pig.

The moon is very bright. It kept me from going to sleep last night and woke me early today. Mr. kitty is enjoying the couch time though.

Tillie,

I'm sorry about your peach trees. The raccoons always eat all my peaches.

The baby goats are doing well - strong and healthy. One set of twins is very stubborn and insists on both only eating on the left side, so their mother has mastitis and I have to give her antibiotics and milk out the right side twice a day. But they seem to be getting enough to eat. And I have the antibiotics in my "medicine chest".

I talked to mom for a long time yesterday. She is sorting and organizing old photos. She found a project she did in jr. high about the future. She said some day we would be able to see each other when we talk on the phone!

The wild turkeys have been out wandering around. The male is very busy showing off.

Dh has to drive far away to a testing site to watch in person today. I told him to be very careful.

He is a little bit depressed, and I am worried about him. I don't know anything to do to help. He worries about his job and his team and I think he misses people. He has stopped cooking and last night he just ate canned soup for dinner.

I have another day of online teaching today.

Everybody take care!

Tatoulia, how are you doing?

Good Evening Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
Good you got a replacement phone so you can stay connected.
Of course the data transfer would be a pain, it always is.

Bad news is it is not just the big cats, it is ALL cats.
Humans can infect them but they do NOT infect us in return, or so the reports are saying at this time.
So far the infected big cats seem to only have a mild case and are recovering.

Hope you are able to settle down and clear your mind and nerves now that you have no errands or outside obligations to meet.

Today I "baked" a few small potatoes in the microwave for supper.
Was too cold to go outside.
Did a little spot cleaning & tidying.
Cleaned kitchen.
I have not murdered anyone, yet. 😛
Scooter's mousie swims every day.

Hi, just wanted to say I think I'm settling down with my emotions and stuff. So hopefully I can be productive again. May still need to rest here and there but the worst of the storm seems past.

I did have to actually buy a new phone but it was on clearance, very cheap. One just like what I had. The one I had still sort of works but I don't trust it because that glass could go at anytime. I don't think you can get them repaired with the pandemic. Or it would take a long, long time. It was easier to buy a replacement.

Getting my information transferred would be easy, said the Best Buy guy. It wasn't. At one point I thought I deleted everything including the software on the new phone. I was ready to be checked into the nut ward so I wouldn't do something rash. But I went outside and sat for a minute and then came back in, and figured it out. Sometimes it feels like tech may someday be the death of me. And yet I am also a geek. Figure that one out.

When this is all over, I can have it repaired - even the casing was warped, I hit that door so hard - but it may be able to be bent back. Or something. It can be the spare in case of emergency.

I apologize for my recent posts being so me, me, me. But I do read everyone's so I know what's all going on and I will get back to responding rather than just a monologue soon.

That's freaky about the big cats catching Covid... 🙁

Good Morning Everybody

It gently rained off and on here over night. 😀

My plan for today is to wash dishes and wash my broom.

I need my broom clean so I can fasten a towel around the bristles.
Then I sweep the ceiling and walls.
That is the very first step of my deep Spring cleaning routine.
It's amazing just how much dust falls down, have to watch it doesn't all fall into my eyes.
That will be for tomorrow's plans.

Well, he's back to not believing in the pandemic.
Said not many people have gotten it and nobody has died, people died because they just die anyways.
Wish he would not get his information from idiot conspiracy nuts.
There are a plethora of intelligent educated professional epidemiologist's posts on all forms of media.
But he doesn't bother to listen to them. 🙁

The mountain ranges are getting lots of Spring snow, YEA!
This is the weather pattern that snowbound the Donner party in the nearby Sierras.

My little walk in pantry and fridge/freezer are really annoying me.

I think there is a good 6 weeks/month & a half of food stored in them.

These last few weeks I have been being conservative with my food supplies and today I replenished them plus even more.

Also have a whole lot of cat cereal and cat cans and cat snacks in the pantry.

So every shelf for food storage is FULL.
Some things are even on the pantry floor.

I like having enough to let me shelter at home for such a long time, I am not worrying.
But I am not used to having every nook and cranny stuffed to capacity, no room for anything else in there.

I don't like this new normal.
It's annoying.

Pecan, rhubarb, cherry

When I am eating one of them that's what my favorite is too.
😀

And I do like peach.
I like anything with peaches.

One year we had a late Spring deep freeze that killed my two peach trees and they were good producers too.

On my home page is an article but I didn't read it.
The title is "Texans are hoarding chickens during the coronavirus"
Might explain why there are no eggs in stores here any more. ;p

How are the baby kids doing?
Bet they are so sweet and cute and frolicky. 🙂

Pecan pie. It's Dh favorite (which is kind of a joke, because when I make rhubarb, that's his favorite, and when I make cherry, that's his favorite.) but too early for rhubarb or cherries right now.

He likes Apple and pumpkin, but they are not his "favorite"

What kind of pie?

YEA! that the grocery had everything you needed!

Cats already have it hard enough without giving evil humans an "excuse" to further abuse them.

Lettuce carrots & beets. 😀
My favorite thing to do with the fresh beets is pickle them in vinegar and sugar.
Then if you put hard boiled eggs in the bowl with them the eggs turn purple.
The longer the eggs pickle the deeper into them the purple goes.
Fun and edible science experiment. 😉

I am very afraid that my neighbors will now start shooting stray cats.. 🙁

I hope new black kitty sticks close to "home"

Today I planted lettuce, carrots, and beets.

I also made pie.

And Dh picked up our groceries. They had everything we ordered.

bronx.news12.com/story/41974657/tiger-at-bronx-zoo-tests-positive-for-covid19-zoo-says

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/tiger-at-bronx-zoo-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/2360876/

Oh crap. It was the USDA.

Tillie,
Source please?

I am so glad you got your m&ms.

There are verified reports that tigers and lions cared for by an infected zoo keeper have come down with a cough, lack of appetite, etc. so they tested them and they are positive for covid19.

This is so not good.
Cats getting infected from humans is not good.

Good Morning Again

Hi CriticalMass
Hope you get the chance to rest up and catch your breath.
Good luck with the shopping. Your precautions are very good. 😀

Hi Subclinical
Of course you are so busy.
You are still teaching and that's a whole new experience teaching by internet.

Ordering take out from a favorite restaurant/café keeps the people working.
Ordering items online keeps the merchants in business.
I worry about the USPS, UPS, FedEx people who I have seen "HAND" parcels to people. >:(
I had them place my packages down on the truck hood while I stood 8 feet away.

I was not talking about any public/national parks, beaches or camp grounds.
There are thousands of miles of totally undeveloped BLM land in Nevada where you can walk for days and never see a human.
But the orders are we are not allowed to walk out into the desert any more. "?"

I have been following trends and keeping up with what's the latest "new" thing.
Read about WallyWorld's new policies.

Did the math as to when the store would be least busy and most stocked up.
So got up early today and took my grocery list and coupons and went to restock up so I can shelter another month.

So few people that they allowed us ALL to come in at opening up.
No one way aisles.
It was just as it has always been inside.
I was able to get EVERYTHING on my list.
I was doing OK with TP but since they had it I bought a 4 pack, for Justin Case.
They even had jugs of bleach.
Best of all I was able to get the big bag of peanut M&Ms.
Right now this area is not an infection hot spot.
Friday they tested 48 people at the hospital and 48 people tested negative.

With most people sheltering in home, social distancing, the number of new infections will go down/slow greatly.
But it looks like things will come to an ugly head this month in localities where the virus has a great hold already.
Wish there was a more optimistic outlook for April but I can't find one.

I am optimistic about May.
If we all continue to isolate, wash our hands, wash things and do whatever necessary to stay healthy.

By May we could start to see The United States Of America turn the corner and begin to heal.
But it all depends on every one of us to do our part.
(((((HUGS)))))

Welp. The reality show continued this morning when I had a brain fart and forgot when livestream Mass started. Knew the time for days, for the last two weeks even, because I've done this before - and then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, brain decides to make it 9:30 instead of 9:00. I was VERY upset.

I will be able to watch the recording, but the live live has a different "feel." Sigh.

Roommate and I will head to Best Buy soon. I want to get that over with. We take masks and a tub of antiseptic wipes when we go places. And then sanitize the outer packaging, doorknobs back at home, etc. We have a pretty good routine going.

I agree with you all that sometimes it's hard to figure out the variances in how things are being done. In my town people are getting more serious though not all of them.

I'm glad right now I can't think of any reason to need to go to Walmart becauase they've started that one-way flow through the aisles thing. That would drive me stir crazy because I'm a meandery shopper. I go back and forth, am indecisive, forgetful and need to retrace my steps to get an item I almost forgot, etc. Just don't think I'm cut out for the new routine; would rather order curbside pickup or shipped if it is necessary.

Bunny boy is still needing to be watched a bit to make sure he eats, and roommate's small girl bunny too - she is not having a tummy ache I don't think though. The poor dears are probably picking up on our stress. I sure hope our stress lessens soon.

When I feel more rested and in a better frame of mind I must do something about my room; it is not very liveable. Including, sadly, my bed, which has accreted more stuff on it in the confusion of trying to keep up with projects and life and so on.

So much... going back to when I had the tooth pulled and before, hurrying around, and was also at that time still going to sit with my elderly lady - preparations to go places for me tend to result in a scramble with things I take or don't take getting shuffled between tote bags or tossed aside. It's madness, and I am at a loss how to deal with such things especially in a small space.

Later hope to get a little time to rest. And hug bunnies.

CM, I would not watch the show because I would feel bad for the characters. I'm glad you escaped from the bathroom. I worry about all the things that are breaking your quarantine.

Tillie, I also wonder about the variations in what is allowed. I'm still not sure Dh should have been allowed to play golf. I don't like having to order my groceries, but I understand it. All I can figure about the driving out is they don't trust people to stay apart, and not leave germs where other people can pick them up? Here dd went to a state park with an open beach all alone yesterday. But if you drive much, you have to pump gas, and then people are touching the gas pump.... I don't think the decisions are totally science based.

Why was I able to mail order clothes? Somebody had to go to a warehouse and pack those. Somebody else delivered them yesterday. (They are sitting in the porch) I probably should not have done that. But people are also suffering because the economy is bad.

The guy who owns the clay studio is going to start doing deliveries to your driveway or porch (not mine, but I could use dd's address and go get my stuff.) is that ok? He's a small business. He is struggling.

I'm glad current circumstances have improved Steven somewhat.

My "social distancing" experiment is not at all filled with increased time. Since I am still using the time I would be in class to live stream, and the time I would use preparing for class to prepare for class, all I got back was time I would spend cleaning up my classroom (my in-house classroom is a wreck) and driving. Plus a few errands because I already try to do as few errands as possible. The time it takes to handle the extra e-mail, rewrite my curriculum, and try to learn new skills is much greater that the time I got. Also, the time I used to spend swimming is now spent sitting on my butt doing teaching online things, and I don't move around the classroom, so I am gaining weight and I now need to shoehorn exercise into this.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks it will be easier.

Good Morning Everybody

Hi CriticalMass
Got locked in the bathroom!?

Yeah, I would watch that reality show.

Hope you can get the phone fixed without too much hassle.

Relieved bunny boy feels better without any doctor care.

Social distancing is not supposed to be this way.
Should be a time when you have so many fewer distractions and demands on your time.
Time enough at last to get projects done and read books.
Wishing you the rest of this month without any more new adventures. (((HUG)))

THIS. WEEK. Has been NUTS.

But it will work out. Just draining mostly.

Thursday of course was the funeral. Friday was trash day and payday errands. Which were more tiring because normally I would've had the dumpster out the night before, and some of the trash at least. I was tired and everything took longer.

Then the 14 hour ordeal with little bunny boy. But it ended well. The vet, though, never called or texted. Hope she isn't sick. I was listening to gospel songs on YouTube and bunny seemed to also find it relaxing. Then he got up and started being a normal bunny again.

We went to the shelter house to pick up some hay we'd ordered through them. By grocery on the way home for bunny lettuce. So far so good. Ate, watched an episode of Blake's 7. Took the girl kitty into the bathroom to give her her meds.

Aaaand... I pushed a little too hard on the bathroom door and it clicked shut all the way. The knob has been broken for awhile, and the door itself sticks badly. There ensued a long ordeal in which we had to basically chip our way out with scissors, toenail clippers, whatever "tools" we could find. Honestly. They could put body cams on us and voilà, instant reality TV show.

In the process of body slamming the door I cracked my phone screen because I didn't think to take the phone out of my pocket. That upset me. Hope to get it taken care of tomorrow, and roommate may want to go to Lowe's re the door. I don't like how every time I think we're set to do the quarantine right, we end up on extra errands.

It's been an emotional rollercoaster and physically like a beating. I pray, no more crazy happenings...

WAY TO GO! Birdie! 😀

So happy the ground was dry enough for the bunnies to frolic.

Sounds like you had a very relaxing pleasant day. 🙂

Steven brought me a quart of almond milk and a nice ginger root.

Did some stuff today, watched some Netflix and generally hung out inside since the wind started up.

Strange happening here today too...
Steven had conversations with me in a civil way.
Discussing current events and trying to decipher the reasonings/logic/prejudice behind some of the new rules.
Like why can't people just head out into the middle of nowhere, many miles away from civilization and humans?
It would be/is the ultimate in social distancing.
Why won't they allow people to exercise by playing a round of golf outside in the fresh air?
Why are some cities only allowing people to walk/exercise around the streets/sidewalks if they have a dog who needs to poop?
And so on...
We're just trying to find some logic in seemingly illogical rules made by leaders who all have agendas. ;p

Yay for the bunny feeling better!

The ground was finally dry enough here that my bunnies got some outside time in the bunny run. They took turns getting groomed.

Birdie is doing a good job with her babies. I'm very relieved.

I didn't make ice cream today. I spent a lot of time talking with my cousin.

And just generally relaxing.

Yay also for Tillie's sprinkles and groceries.

Tatoulia, I hope you and BF had a good day.

Happy little hoppy is feeling better!!! 😀

Hope he stays well.

I got SPRINKLES! 😀
Just enough to mess up the windows
but still, I got Sprinkles!

Steven actually asked me if he could look for anything for me when he went to the grocery store today.
He called from the store to ask me if I wanted plain or chocolate almond milk.
It is mainly for my tea and oatmeal so of course I need the plain.
He also said he was able to find a nice big piece of ginger root for me. 🙂