Still Worried

On April 19 my daughter Mary had symptoms. Sounded like it might be Covid-19. She felt awful but got to feeling better in a few days. Her daughter Nelly was mildly sick and then her husband Phil spent a day or so in bed. Whatever she had appears to be contagious. Last night it flared up again in Mary: high fever, lack of smell, bad headache, bad backache. By this morning she felt somewhat better and went off to get a test. Again, the tests were gone by the time she got there. She is going to try again tomorrow morning. 

The story is the same everywhere. The tests are hard to get. So many people are not getting them. I am also reading that in New York the number of deaths in general is far higher over the past month or so than normal, beyond those officially counted as Covid-19 deaths. This suggests that a great many deaths are not being recorded as Covid, probably because they were never diagnosed. It's obvious that the total number of cases must also be much higher than the official numbers, both because tests are not available and because many people are likely getting mild cases and are not even seeking tests. 

3,110,696 confirmed cases worldwide

215,231 deaths worldwide

1,022,259 confirmed cases US

57,862 deaths US

4,805 confirmed cases Nevada

219 deaths Nevada

Breaking Out

Today I went into two stores. I had not been inside a store since March 18, when Nevada shut down. 

My first foray was to the FedEx store. My printer broke and Canon sent me a new one, but wants the old one back. So I had to pack it in the box that contained the new one and put the label on it and drop it off at a certified FedEx place. They don't pick up packages curbside there so I had to go in. Fortunately, I was the only customer and the transaction was quick. I didn't have to touch anything in there. Still, it made me nervous.

My second trip was to a 99 cent store.

I have put up with the difficulties in ordering online and picking up or having stuff delivered. It has been frustrating to me to know that I can request an item on Monday and when my pickup time finally arrives three or four days later there are no more of those items available. I am assuming that the people who walked into the store bought them. Even though I called dibs days ago my place in line doesn't count. I do not know how many times I have placed an order that contained toilet paper and was unable to get it. As I mentioned in my last post, I am getting close to desperate and I am now armed with TP Finder, the website that tracks toilet paper near me! It told me about the 99 cent store so that is where I went. Wearing a mask, of course.

And there it was. A large pile of 12-packs of puny rolls. I bought two. I do not want to be piggy, even though I don't know if my next order will be filled or if I will have to make another trip to 99 cent or some other store where they don't do curbside deliveries.  Almost all of the stores on that list at TP Finder are not delivery-friendly. They are gas stations, 7-11s, that sort of place. 

When I got back in my car I wiped my hands and the steering wheel with disinfecting wipes. I drove home, left my shoes outside, and immediately put my clothes in the laundry and took a shower.  Turns out I didn't have anything to put on until a load of clothes was finished drying, so I did my regular exercises in bra and undies.  Not something you want to see, but you didn't, did you?

2,915,600 confirmed cases worldwide

203,042 deaths worldwide

957,505 confirmed cases US

54,160 deaths US

4,539 confirmed cases Nevada

204 deaths Nevada

Missing

The pool at our apartment complex. For the last few weeks, a crew worked on this pool off and on. They emptied it, took out their jackhammers and removed all of the surface material, then replaced it and filled it with water again. So it is renewed and looks beautiful. But because our maintenance people are not working on anything that is not an emergency now, we can't use it.

The gates to the pool area, which contains tables and chairs, a spa, a barbecue, and a soft drink machine, are blocked. We can't go in there. That is also the way to the complex's workout room, which we cannot use. And needless to say, the inside group area, with soft seating, free coffee and tea, and games is also off-limits. 

That pool looks so inviting. I miss being able to use it.

I also miss a few other things. I am ever grateful for the fact that I get a regular check every month, that I do not have to go out there and find work. So I am left at home, missing things. Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I thought about the number of rolls of toilet paper that are in my house. I usually order bulk supplies of TP and paper towels and cat food, but I am not sure I will get my regular order this coming month. Amazon says it is "trying" to fill that order. Honestly, I am sick of the TP jokes and would rather not talk about this, but fact is I am getting close to desperate. I have ordered it from different places several times and it has not been in stock. One order is out there on a delivery truck and has been for two weeks now, and the expected delivery date is anywhere from May 6 to the end of May. That does not give me confidence. 

I have learned, too, to avoid the noname companies selling on Amazon. Their TP may look normal but reviews suggest it is not. Some of them made me laugh: the rolls were doll-size. Or the paper was like sandpaper. I am sticking to known brands and known sellers. Although I have been staying out of stores altogether, I am getting close to going inside one or two to take care of this need. And just today I learned about a way to make almost sure that I will be successful in landing my prey. A website named TP Finder is out there, checking the stocks near me. Actually, it is helpful citizens who enter the information, so we can't be sure there will be any when we get there, but it's better than just wildly going into every store that might have some.

Something else I'd like to have now and then is a glass of wine. There are no laws against getting it, but getting it without contact is a little trickier. Total Wine Co. has a way. You just flash your ID, at least that's the case in some states. I don't know about Nevada. It can be delivered or picked up. I am guessing that pickups require going inside the store. I may find out soon, depending on how much I want that glass. What I miss a lot is being able to go out to a nice place and have a glass of wine. Instead of wine I whine. 

2,774,766 confirmed cases worldwide
194,434 deaths worldwide

894,034 confirmed cases US
50,919 deaths US

4,208 confirmed cases Nevada
195 deaths Nevada

Cruising

A few weeks ago a video made the rounds of geese and goslings walking down Las Vegas Blvd, passing casinos on the strip. A few cars were on the road but they stopped to let the geese move along. That's because, generally speaking, the people in those cars were not on the way anywhere. They were cruising the strip, pandemic style. Nevada has been shut down since March 18.

It's a strange world there now.  Empty casinos, fountains turned off, a few street construction projects (why not?). It has a science fiction feel to it. So the strip is still attracting visitors. Only now it's mostly residents. 

Police car keeping an eye out

I drove down it today, hoping to be able to park somewhere and take some pictures. But parking is a problem. The garages are blocked off and there are police cars stationed along the strip, lights flashing. I suppose many of us would be parking wherever we could if it weren't for them. It is also relatively safe to walk on the strip. No crowds. Or ride a bike. It is still possible to park in the little parking area next to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. I saw several cars there, and I saw a small group of people posing in front of the sign. Good time to get that photo if you haven't already. No lines.  I think, though, that mostly people parked there so they could take a walk. 

This popular corner usually has hundreds of visitors on that bridge.

A bicyclist passes by Caesar's Palace.

The MGM signs were all over the strip, because MGM owns about half of the casinos.

It's not a bad destination for locals now. A place to take a walk, watch the ducks and geese invade the pools, ride a bike, contemplate what has become of us.

Parking for the Welcome sign or just to take a walk.

In other news: it appears that Nevada may be seeing the tip of its curve! I certainly hope so! We have weathered this first month and I know we can do another and another if needed.  It's far from over.

2,559,979 confirmed cases worldwide

176,686 deaths worldwide

830,544 confirmed cases US

45,340 deaths US

3,937 confirmed cases Nevada

163 deaths Nevada

The Worrying

The question of whether daughter Mary has the virus is still not answered. She says she can get tested but she has not done so. This third day she feels like crap. Her daughter Nelly had a fever yesterday. I don't yet know about today. So I continue to worry.

Doesn't stop me from trying to get some things done. I made a commitment to myself the other day that I would at least clean the living room. It is a combo living-exercise-sewing room right now, and I am not in the habit of putting stuff away when I am not using it. I have also dropped many little pieces of fabric on the floor, along with thread (which is not good for cats, by the way). When I pile up books and papers the cats lie on them and inevitably knock them to the floor. If ever there was a time for someone like me, this is the time. Nobody dares to come inside.

Yes, I make light of some aspects of my present life. While still worrying. I worry about Mary and her family, I worry about Elaine's family, I worry about me. I worry about my cats. 

And I fret. My sewing machine is jamming again. I get it cleared and then it starts out okay but soon jams. I have watched countless youtube videos on the subject of clearing jams, including several that feature machines very similar to mine. I committed to making fifteen masks for my grandson Joey (for his friends) and have managed to send ten of them. The other five wait until I have a working machine. Yesterday I brought my ailing printer into a repair shop and the woman behind the counter said she needs masks. She is caring for her 92-year-old mother. I immediately said I'll bring you some! I want to so badly but I can't get them made yet. Because the machine was just serviced, I can't help but think there is something really simple here.

The printer? She could not fix it. Actually maybe a good thing because I looked in my records and discovered that it is still under warranty. I need to contact Canon. Maybe they will make it easy and just send me a new one? Probably not, but these days it may make sense.

2,512,988 confirmed cases worldwide

172,279 deaths worldwide

794,330 confirmed cases US

42,634 deaths US

3,830 confirmed cases Nevada

159 deaths Nevada

Too Close

Last night my daughter Mary texted that she had a fever of over 101 degrees, and "the shits". She thought maybe food poison. I thought maybe Covid-19. Not long after, the fever was over 102, and then 103. She called a nurse, who advised her to take Tylenol, separate herself from her family, rest, and wait until she has gone three days without a fever before returning to her family (and work, I presume).  I am so afraid for her and her family. 

Mary and daughter Nelly on Christmas 2019

2,431,324 confirmed cases worldwide

166,628 deaths worldwide

765, 914 confirmed cases US

41,124 deaths US

3,728 confirmed cases Nevada

158 deaths Nevada

The State of the Nation and of Me

In six states many citizens protested stay-at-home orders by their governors. Hundreds blocked access to a hospital in Michigan, others either kept their distances in their protest or walked side by side, endangering themselves and others. Meanwhile, Trump is saying the tide has turned, the curve is flattening, and he will be outlining a plan to return to normal today. The curve has not flattened. We are not even close.

I would not believe these protests if I saw them in a movie about a pandemic. I don't think any of those disaster movies included anything like this. 

From MSN: Michigan protest

I belong to a few Facebook Groups that focus on making cloth masks. Some of the members are making hundreds of them. They donate them to various locations. I finished my modest ten yesterday and delivered them to Animal Foundation. It took two sewing machines but done they got, and I felt good about them. I will now be making more masks for the family. My sewing machine is back home. The repair person found that thread had wound around the little thread cutter inside. He replaced the blade. And cleaned everything up, said it's in great shape.

Yesterday I got another delivery from Amazon Fresh that included a small package of toilet paper. The first order of TP that I have gotten. It will give me a few more days to find more. 

I have physical therapy today. Because I am dutifully doing PT exercises at home between appointments, I feel ready for these appointments. Today they said they will be giving me a whole hour. I don't know why an hour when forty minutes is usually good. Honestly, these are not fun appointments. But last Monday the therapist took measurements and found that I am stronger and more flexible. So it is working.

2,107,450 confirmed cases worldwide

136,988 deaths worldwide

644,823 confirmed cases US

28,580 deaths US

3,211 confirmed cases Nevada

136 deaths Nevada

Struggles

Wednesday. I will get an Amazon Fresh delivery today, between 11am and 1pm. Unfortunately, it will not contain any toilet paper. Also: I get the order delivered for free if I order above a certain amount. But when I order above that amount some items may not be in stock and I will be charged a delivery fee. Lesson to be learned: order a lot more. And of course I do tip, regardless.

Yesterday my sewing machine jammed for the third time in a row. I did not seem to be able to resolve what was going on there, so I took to Google. Found a sewing machine repair person who comes to your home to pick up and deliver. I contacted him and he said he was in Henderson and would come by to get my machine, which he did! Seems like a really nice guy. He said he'd have it back in two days at most. If that happens it will be fantastic!

Masks made for Animal Foundation so far

It isn't cheap. It's $129. But this includes everything. Full workup, ready to go, cleaned and oiled and whatever else is recommended. My machine was not super-expensive but still well over the bargain price because I wanted something that would last. If you have a $200 machine it may not seem worth it to spend $129. I don't know. But mine was over $600 so it seems like a good idea for me, and the service is everything I could hope for, assuming it comes back today or tomorrow and works beautifully.

Meanwhile, daughter Elaine loaned me hers. And I promptly messed it up, broke the needle. I think I didn't quite thread it right, because it ran well when there was no thread through the needle. I printed out the threading instructions and will have another go at it today. I hope to finish the ten face masks for the Animal Foundation today.  Then I will be on to making more for the family.

Elaine's machine waiting to be rethreaded

I took another little plunge today. I signed up for an online art class by Art Tutor. One of the instructors there started the Isolation Art Challenge on facebook, which is free and which has gotten me drawing again. But I have become super aware of my lack of skill. I do have some native talent but that does not do the job alone. So I am taking the basic Drawing Essentials class. Never mind that I took a basic drawing class at Cuesta College a few years ago. This one focuses more on getting on paper what you see, while that one was an intro to many different media. 

2,035,299 confirmed cases worldwide

130,712 deaths worldwide

618,813 confirmed cases US

27, 086 deaths US

3,211 confirmed cases Nevada

130 deaths Nevada

Staying Awake

I don't sleep well. In the best of times my nights are iffy. But usually after a day or two of little sleep I get a good one. Lately that hasn't been true. At least I haven't been having nights of no sleep too often, just many interruptions. 

I read. When I wake and can't get back to sleep I pull on the chain to my bedside light and grab my latest book. I'm going through them like crazy. Most of the books I am reading now belonged to my co-grandmother, Mimi, my son-in-law's mother. She died in February and I am finding new homes for her books. In many cases that means I read them first.  Many are mysteries set in other countries. I shared that preference with Mimi and I'm indulging big time. Others are historical novels, many of which are also mysteries. I am not a historical novel fan as a rule but some do catch my attention. The ones that try too hard to have characters speak as the author thinks people did back then tend to annoy me. Those move on. These days they move to Little Free Libraries because the regular libraries are not open. I list some on paperbackswap.com or bookmooch.com but not many. It feels wrong to earn credits from her books. At the same time, though, I offer to find books for others on these sites and have them sent to them. Is there a book you've been wanting? Let me know. If it isn't too popular I might find it.

I also dwell on my life now. I am not particularly productive. I am not doing a good job keeping the apartment clean. I set and read or watch television for hours at a time, trying not to eat too much because I do have that tendency.

I've been reorganizing my cupboards.

Yesterday I picked up food from a market and then last evening received a delivery of food from Amazon Fresh. I don't have a place to let things sit outside, and most of what I order is fresh or frozen so that method does not work.  I take the food out and put it away, then wash my hands thoroughly. The bags go into a bag where they can sit for days, until there is no chance a virus will survive there.

Today's goals: finish the ten masks I am making for Animal Foundation. Take out the trash and recyclables. Bring Easter Basket (bag) to grandson's house (to be left outside). Clean clean clean! This place is such a mess! Oh, and do physical therapy exercises.

But for now, it's back to bed.

1,795,978 confirmed worldwide

109,906 deaths worldwide

533,502 confirmed US

20,580 deaths US

2,700 confirmed Nevada

112 deaths Nevada

Placing Orders

I had a craving for a Subway salad the other day. Decided to have one delivered. When making the order I didn't understand the directions completely so ended up not getting as many vegs on that salad as I wanted. I will know next time.

The salad wasn't all I wanted it to be.

Learning the different ordering applications has been one of the least fun things I do these days. For example, I can't figure out how best to order from Target. I know from daughter Elaine that I need to use the app on my phone because the web doesn't have the pickup option. But I have failed to figure out a smooth way to order anything at all from there. I have ordered from Smith's three times now, so I know how to get there. But it's a pain. Each time I search for a product I have to reset the filters afterward. It's a good thing we can keep lists on there, because it will be easier along the way to simply repeat ordering those lists. 

For all of them there is the matter of timing. Orders from a restaurant happen that day, of course, usually in less than an hour. But orders from grocery stores rely on finding an open window for pickup or delivery. These stores only offer a few days ahead so I sometimes have to go back more than once in hopes of finding a new window open. Smith's has started to show several days ahead now, which is how I managed to order on Monday for a pickup Saturday (tomorrow). That was the soonest I could get it. In the case of Smith's, though, I don't know if they will have everything I ordered until about an hour before I pick it up. This sucks when I really want a specific product and it gets deleted. 

I hate to say it but I am getting low on toilet paper. I usually order in bulk from Amazon but I thought I had enough and so skipped one of my regular deliveries. Now that the number of rolls is getting dangerously low I am depending on Smiths to provide just that one pack.  Daughter Mary got a portable bidet-type thing but I do not yet know if it is working for her. 

As more people start to order pickup and delivery I hope the stores will start to shift staff to those areas and even hire more. It is a new world for them, although many of them have offered these options for some time. It was a small part of the business that has become much larger.  I also hope that grocery workers will be able to protect themselves more, that there will be protective equipment they can use. There is still a shortage.

1,634,650 cases worldwide
97,728 deaths worldwide

475,237 cases US
17,055 deaths US

2,456 cases Nevada
86 deaths Nevada

Face Masking Trends

Cloth masks are trending now. There are videos and instruction sheets on making them everywhere we look. Everything from using those blue shop towels to the vacuum bag variety, but it looks like most of us are making the cotton masks.  Today I watched a video on how to care for your cloth mask. Here's what you do:

• Take it off as soon as you get home.
• Wash it with soap, any soap, for at least 20 seconds.
• Rinse and hang to dry. You'll want some sort of hook for hanging. (My daughter hangs hers from shower curtain hooks)
• Then wash the sink and wash your hands again.

When wearing, do not touch it. If you do, wash your hands.

I volunteer for animal services here in Las Vegas. The day before yesterday I got a request to make ten cloth masks, using a specific pattern shown on JoAnn's site. I signed up. So now I am committed to making these within the next two weeks. They will arrange a no-contact pick up or delivery. 

I also made some for my younger daughter, who does not sew, and have sent her five for her gang (one didn't have the right length elastic so I made another). My other daughter, Elaine, has made several of her own, using a different pattern. She likes the ones I have been making and asks that I make her some of those too. So I have plenty to do! Especially considering that I am also doing a "challenge" - Isolation Art Challenge. Create art each day, following that day's theme. I have gotten behind in doing it every day but that's okay. I think only a few are sticking to doing it every day on the day.

Today I tried to order some "crafting wire" from Michaels, to pick up at curbside. All over the page were the curbside instructions but they did not work. I had to have it shipped or nothing. So I walked away from that order and will try at JoAnn's next. The wire is for the nose of the face masks. My pattern has a channel for a wire but so far I have not had wire to fill it. It also has a pocket for a filter. I haven't chosen what to use as filters, either.

1,455,525 cases worldwide
83,656 deaths worldwide

402, 471 cases US
12,914 deaths US

2, 102 cases Nevada
71 deaths Nevada

Posting

The other day I posted my experiences with the blender - and one more with pasta. I suggested that I might be feeling stress. That post is below. (For some reason I can't write more after the image without the paragraph being misaligned.) As you can see, I got 49 comments on that post. It struck a chord and it left me feeling like part of a bigger community, which is good.  

Today: 1,364,781 confirmed cases worldwide

70, 729 deaths

338, 999 US confirmed cases

9, 687 deaths

1,836 Nevada confirmed cases

46 deaths

Blender Woes

Some people have been posting about how this lockdown is affecting their mental health. In general, I think I am doing all right. But there are signs that maybe not.

A couple of days ago I made a smoothie. I wanted something sweet and I had ingredients for a peanut butter and jam smoothie. Sort of. Peanut butter and blueberries, actually. I added a little agave syrup to sweeten it. And I added ice to make it cold. After I tried it, I felt it needed more peanut butter, so I took off the top to add it. At that point the speed was dialed up but the machine was off. After adding more peanut butter I turned it on without putting the top back on and without dialing it back to "low". This is something I don't do, had never done before. The liquid exploded out of the jar and onto the counter, the floors, the wall and cupboards, and a book I was reading. 

Of course I shut it off right away and cleaned up.  That book is now miserably stained but still readable. 

Then yesterday, having yet another craving, I decided to make peanut butter pudding. It's simple: silken tofu, peanut butter, and confectioner's sugar. I guess in these desperate times sugar seems okay. I got it going and it was humming along, but then stopped. It was too heavy near the blades. I needed to use the tamper to push the mixture around. I don't know what I was thinking. I took off the top and put the tamper in there and turned it on again. Lordy! The tamper got caught in the blades. I had to pull to get it off. The blades made a hole in it, but I think the blades are okay, I didn't bend them. I think. 

These are the kinds of things I do when I feel stressed. I act without thinking. 

The News

I write now to remember later. Nobody reading this now will think anything in this post is a surprise.

The coronavirus is all over the news. There is no way to avoid it. The articles are about the number who have it, the number who have died, the number who have recovered. They are about possible cures, and about vaccines in the works. Currently there is a lot of excitement about a combination of drugs that appears to have the effect of reducing the length of time one has Covid-19, and may save lives. There is not enough evidence yet to prove the claims, yet many are touting this drug combo as a cure and people are buying the drugs where they can.

The drugs are hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Hydroxychloroquine is a malaria drug and azithromycin is an antibiotic. I don't understand how an antibiotic would be effective against a virus, but neither can I figure the malaria connection. Apparently these drugs have been used in China and France especially, so the news of their effectiveness comes from those countries. 

Also flooding the news is the lack of safety equipment for healthcare workers. Story after story points out the dangers these workers face every day. Administrators are forcing nurses to wear one mask all day, and in some cases don't allow masks to be used at all. Many doctors and nurses have died from the infection. They are more likely to die than the rest of us because they are exposed frequently, and more frequent exposures lead to deadlier cases of the disease. 

More states are shutting down every day. In Nevada the prohibition against going outside (except out of necessity) is voluntary right now. There is not much to go outside for, frankly, with all entertainment closed, restaurants only offering drive-through and delivery options, and all non-essential businesses closed. I can't get a pedicure. That may not seem a big deal, and it isn't really, but unfortunately for me I can't get to my toes. My legs don't bend enough. This could get tricky. 

At this point there are more than one million confirmed cases worldwide and over 50 thousand deaths. The curves keep heading upward in the U.S. Predictions are, honestly, hard for me to imagine. The models predict some kind of peak somewhere between April 15 and 30, the last I heard. Of course peak does not mean it's over, just that the number of cases won't keep rising exponentially. 

I am fortunate. I have a regular income. I'm safe, relatively safe. Many are facing job losses - over 6 million filed for unemployment this week. There are some job openings, including delivery services, tech companies (video games are selling like crazy), manufacturing of safety equipment. My grandson lost his job and filed for unemployment. He tends to live on little generally but I doubt unemployment will pay all the bills.  I heard today of a person who lost his job and asked for time to delay his mortgage payments for three months. It was granted but with the provision that he pay all three months when the time is up. That's just crazy. 

I check the numbers too frequently.  A high school student developed an algorithm to gather the stats and present them in a dashboard. I look at that thing all the time. Right now there are 1,022,152 cases worldwide. 245,066 in the US. Every country in the world is infected.

And there are still people out there denying the seriousness of the virus. Today I read a post by one who said she was glad she didn't pay attention to the mainstream news. She watches a channel that features an antivaxx announcer who is known for distorting the facts. And she pointed out, based on his show, that there is a difference between people dying with covid-19 and those dying from covid-19.  Does it matter, really? She thinks it does.

One more thing we see now: everyone is now urged to wear cloth masks when they go outside. I have two masks so far. I have been too lazy to make more, but I will! I do need to get my energy level up. Thing is, the virus can stay in the air for three hours, maybe longer. So we don't know if someone just walked by and left us a gift. 

Is Starbucks going to hang on? I hope so. It is a little bright spot when I go there. Cheery voices responding to mine at the drive-through. It takes so little! Really. But there are, of course, fewer and fewer customers. Which is good, but still. I want them to stay open for our occasional needs.