Quarantine

Here we are a day behind again.  The key news is that all of the Las Vegas casinos have closed down and the beaches of south Florida have been closed down by the authorities.  All of those college students won't be able to "congragate" or shack up on the beaches or in public gathering places.  They don't even want you hiking on a trail if it's two crowded.  I guess you can still go on a run if you do it alone.  Is it OK for you to be close with your wife and kids?  Just how far is one to take this "social distancing".   The Dow Jones Industrials are down into the ninetten thousands for the first time since President Trump's inaugural.   You already knew that.  Even if the economy went entirely back to normal tomorrow the damage to this economy would be imense.   Like I say, I'm thinking maybe it would be better to let the virus run its course and prevent this recession which is now going to occur.  I can't help think this whole virus from China thing is part of some gigantic social experiment to see how we'd all react.  The whole thing has an unnatural feel to it.  Since we are a day behind now here is some stuff from Tuesday you may want to know- or not.  

This is Wednesday morning March 18, 2020.   Yesterday morning I went out back just after six thirty and the sky was almost completely clear and it was starting to get light.  I saw the half moon out for the first time in a long time.  The sun was shining on the post when I was in the dining room at a quarter after seven and the sun was shining in the dining room two minutes later.  We had cream of wheat for cereal.  This was followed by a square Spanish omelet if you want to call it that and triangular toast and butter and jelly.  I went back for a second cup of coffee.   We covered stuff on the previous file.  I had Thom Hartman on.  

I shaved after ten and eventually got in line for Money Draw, which they were still having.  I heard that Chris wasn’t allowed to travel out in his car and I wondered what was going on.  I heard rumors we couldn’t even go out to the liquor store.   I got in money draw line at twenty to eleven and it was a long, slow line.   I heard more rumblings of a general quarantine.  Well I finally got in the office and Jennifer was wearing a mask.   I got my remaining fifteen dollars though there is a question when I get to spend it.   I was late coming down to lunch and Glen was doing another one of his lectures.   People will have their temperatures taken regularly.  There will be no going out even to church and the Catholics can’t have church here.  The store is off limits.  I heard rumors Joselyn would  go out and buy people things on request.  But trying to get her in a free moment is problematical.   The biggest change among others is that they would split up meal sessions so that people eat at least six feet apart.  This would be the last lunch together.  In New York they are thinking of doing a general sheltering in place phase.   We had corned beef and sliced carrots and wedge cut potatoes.  We had a green Rice Krispies shamrock cookie thing for dessert.  I had the Gary and Shannon show on.   Two people have admitted to me they went to the store violating the ban.   They were vague about whether a relative can come here if their temperature is taken.   Chris implied that his brother could no longer do Bible studies here.   I watched Days of our Lives.  Christian Maddox is Orphius’s son. 

The governor of Ohio changed his mind and canceled the Ohio primary at the last minute.  I checked the results of the other three states this morning.  Joe Biden won in Arizona,  Florida and Illinois.  They had maps county by county in each state and Sanders did a little better in Arizona.  I haven’t heard any speeches.   In terms of stores they have issued warnings against hoarding.   The supply chain is intact.  They are talking about food and other supplies now on the Stephanie Miller show with Bob Seska.   Earlier I had something on about the structural weaknesses in this economy that’s going to make it worse when the recession really hits.  Now they are talking about giving checks to every American for a thousand dollars and very soon.

I had a three-pack of lemon cookies and an iced tea for snacks.  The line to see Dr Saran was really long and I went back to watch Kelly Clarkson.   Later after two thirty I went out for a cigarette and I also had a cup of instant coffee and then I got in line behind Chris to see Dr Saran.  The line was shorter then.  Dr Saran still doesn’t have my blood tests from a month ago, and I overheard him telling others he didn’t have their blood tests either.   My temperature was 98.6 but that was with a forehead thermometer that usually gives me 97 degrees.   My blood pressure was high due to anxiety at 140 over 80.   Dr Saran told me to stop smoking.   I complained of renewed coughing and I got a prescription for cough medicine.   After this it was the last few moments of General Hospital and then it was Eye Witness news and the ABC network news.  

I called Paul and I guess it was after three.  (?)  Judy answered and said Paul call me back and a couple minutes later he called back.   Paul is on paid sick leave because he is 65 and considered a high risk person for his job so gets paid leave.  He couldn’t go swimming at his favorite pool because it was closed down.  He said Irvine Park was still open.  I told him about all of the stuff going on here.   Paul said, “Then it’s a quarantine”.   I told him I was uncertain as to whether he could visit here.  First they need accurate thermometers.   The first floor eats at four or maybe earlier.  They told us on the second floor that we would eat at five but then they were knocking on doors to eat at four thirty.  They have long tables in the lobby and hall with a chair at each end.  The other seating in the dining room is one person to a table.  We had macaroni and cheese and some fritter type thing I didn’t know if it was dessert or now.  But we also got vanilla pudding and grape juice.  I didn’t see Patty in there.   Then there was an extended speech by Governor Newsen on that had begun at four thirty but was still going on at five.  After this Major Garsetti spoke.  Both tried to put a little of a positive spin on things.