Social Distancing

I am sitting here thinking about how sick the world has become. Both physically & emotionally. Though I want to stay updated, the news is terrifying to watch. There is a cruise ship out there that cannot dock due to people having the COVID-19 virus on it. I read about a police officer going to the grocery store to buy food for an elderly woman who had none. People are trying to stock up on back ordered seeds, in hopes they can grow food to eat. I bet the majority of those people never thought about gardening in their life. Many, in their own way, are trying to save themselves.

Meanwhile, the rest of the population is finding it sensible to stand in long lines to get into stores. Jeremy and I tried to go to Home Depot the other day just to look at the flowers. We quickly realized the crowd of people out front was the actual line for the store. I told Jeremy no way so we turned around and went back home. I see very few people wearing protective gear. I found this to be absolutely crazy. I can be fast to judge at times. I was reminded by someone on Instagram that they actually could not find the protective gear. Sometimes I think judging helps me stay in control of my world. If I assume I understand people, then I know who the players are. I find safety in a false sense of security you could say.

My cat, Snuggs, is currently in my lap as I write this. I put him down for a minute but when he saw I had broken out the soft blanket, all bets were off. He is now horizontal on the blanket with no plans to move. Snuggs is quite comforting & warm I must say. He is one of those cats that knows what is going on. If he doesn’t, he makes it his mission to find out. As I rock my overly nosy cat, I will continue on…

It just seems like (me included) no one has any idea what to do right now. All advice is very contradictory. America has been hearing from the news that we should not hoard food. Now they are saying to stay in your homes. Home food delivery services are going on strike due to lack of protective gear & pay during this time. I would put money on it that sooner or later Walmart’s and grocery stores will also experience this problem. Seeds can only grow so fast. How is it again that we are supposed to eat?

The one piece of advice that seems to be spreading like wildfire is to wash your hands. However, if there is no soap or hand sanitizer, how does this get done? I had these grand plans of sanitizing the house daily. Now, instead, I am rationing my Clorox wipes to about 1 a day. Oh and you know those DIY’s on Pinterest for hand sanitizer? I read on the CDC website that it is not recommended to make your own hand sanitizer because there needs to be a proper amount of alcohol in it to be effective. Fuck.

I’m seeing people sewing masks for hospital workers due to the shortage. I know COVID-19 can be spread by just droplets of spit from a cough being inhaled by a person. Masks make sense right? Also found on the CDC website is the advice to not wear masks unless you have this virus. In order to find out if you have this virus, one must potentially expose themselves to it by going to the ER or Doctor to get the test. How exactly do we correctly save ourselves again?

Having to stay inside is really the least of my own personal worries. I’ve been struggling to get over the flu for what I believe is over 4 weeks now. Yesterday, my fever was 99.4. Today, it was 99.8. I’m taking vitamins, ordered more vitamins, drinking water, and trying extremely hard to not contact this virus. It is like I am in a horror movie and the monster is coming for me. I need my immune system to kick in NOW. ASAP. PRONTO. I’m afraid to go outside, talk to the neighbor, or even open the windows for too long. There are all of these un disinfected surfaces in our home that are driving me crazy. Trying to conserve cleaning products though while not physically over doing it.

My other two cats now are having issues in the house. While Snuggs looks on from his blanket, Bella is hissing her throat out at our other cat Grizzly. They are having territorial issues at almost 3 AM. I’m stressed about surviving, meanwhile they are trying to decide what portion of the house they can claim. Fun Times. I guess we can all agree that we are feeling upset. Other than Snuggs.

I’m going to end here even though I have no idea what to do other than sit and rock Snuggs. I feel like crap. I wish I could take care of others. I want to sleep. I need more water. I’m wondering if I will ever stop coughing. I have no idea why Grizzly is running through the house screeching. I’m over this. So over it. Update: Going to bed NOW. Two stink bugs decided to join me on my overhead kitchen light. One keeps buzzing around my head as if he has now claimed the computer as his territory. He can have it. Fuck.

If you asked me this question a week ago, I would say that hoarding is definitely not a good idea. As time goes on though, I’m noticing that this virus is spreading at a very fast rate. Turn on any news channel discussing this pandemic and you will be advised to stay HOME. Social distancing has become a thing. I believe I heard today that New York just went on lock down. Something I wish I did not hear is that Italy is bringing in military vehicles to cart off victims bodies. It’s terrifying. I’m finding that either people are ignorant about the reality of this virus or they are terrified of getting exposure to it. I am the latter.

My immune system is incredibly week & I’m still recovering from the flu. (I caught it about 4 weeks ago) My goal is to keep my husband & I in the house as much as absolutely possible. In order to do this though, we do need food. How is it possible to stock up on food without being considered a hoarder at this point? When this pandemic first reared its ugly head, I feel the “stocking up” consisted of binge buying sanitization items with the intention to sell them. Now that Poshmark, Mercari, and Ebay have cracked down on those trying to make a profit off these things, I believe mass survival shopping is continuing for a different reason. People are fucking afraid to leave their houses. At this point, I truly do not think it is a good idea to go to Walmart every week for groceries. The less exposure the better. So when my husband went to the store today, I texted him a list of items to get with less guilt.

We will use everything that we buy. Now is not the time to stock up on items that you plan to sit on your shelf & not use, unless starvation starts happening. I believe that people should get and use what they NEED. Meaning, if you need to stay inside the house for 3 weeks, get enough to live during those 3 weeks. My husband picked up over the counter medications, frozen foods, 1 milk, fruit, bottled water, and some other items. He lucked out and was able to purchase 1 Windex multi surface cleaning spray. I spray the house down daily to insure I’m keeping often occupied areas free of germs.

Bless my husband. He got me 2 packs of tampons. He even asked me over the phone if I needed any, as I did not have that on the list. I married a good man. He was so funny saying, you need the pink box right? The above picture is the one I texted him that I needed.

While my husband was out searching for supplies, I was at home making him a mini desk area. Due to the Corona Virus, he is working from home. I’m extremely thankful that he has a job that allows him to do that. I made sure I put plants by & on his desk because he loves gardening. I also gave him my keyboard pen holder to use & my office desk chair. The most exhausting thing about this project was trying to fit a 6 foot fold out table into this space. Let me just tell you, it did not work. I then decided to use my desk in the office that is 4 feet. This required me putting the computer on the ground to get access to the table. Then, once I had the table, I had to figure out how to get it into the living room. It would not collapse all the way for me so I had to move a shelf & the trash can to fit it through the door way. Fun times. I think it turned out quite nice. He seemed to really like it too.

When we went to run over to CVS, I realized 4 of our tulips had bloomed. It was nice to see a pop of color during this incredibly dark time. The tulips looked like they were appearing to bring peace. A reminder that the earth will go on. That all of this sadness, fear, and sickness will pass. I dedicate these tulips to the people that had their lives unfairly stolen from this devil of a disease. I have no doubt you fought hard. I truly hope you will be remembered for your beautiful life as opposed to what ended it. If you have lost a loved one, my heart completely goes out to you. There is no pain in this world greater than losing someone you held dear.

It’s very important to me to also say thank you to the grocery workers that show up, handle peoples items, and stock the shelves. You are making a huge difference to all of us. Also, a ginormous thank you to the doctors, nurses, CNAs, and other hospital employees that brave this illness in the name of caring for others. Thank you, to each person that is donating medical supplies, their time, and their prayers in order to give relief to those suffering. I’m not a political person nor do I feel that it’s essential to like the president right now. I completely acknowledge that there are a lot of things that could have been done differently. It’s important during a time of crisis though, to come together as humans. To be thankful to all those going live on social media to inform us of updates & what is being done to help the United States survive this virus. Looking at it from that angle, I thank the president, vice president, doctors, reporters, and many others that are consistently trying to inform the public about how to prepare for the Corona Virus (aka hell). I can appreciate that they are trying to bring us hope. The only way to overcome this sickness is to love & support each other through it. Period. Stay well out there!