Deliver Me

The other day I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to a box on the mat and a UPS delivery person standing a decent distance away. This was my wine delivery! I asked if I had to sign something and she said no, she just had to see who answered the door, who picked up the package. I gratefully thanked her and took the box inside.

A few hours later there was another knock. This time it was an Amazon Fresh delivery of many foods as well as toothpaste. The delivery person had already left, as usual, but I called out "thank you!" in case he or she was still nearby. I scooped these bags up and put the food away.  I had a warm feeling inside. I love these deliveries. 

The delivery and pick-up options vary a lot. When I ordered a sheet set to pick up from Target I had to go inside the store. But there are ways to order it to be delivered to your car, and of course there are home deliveries. In Costco as well as many other stores, independent companies like InstaCart do the job. This is like Uber or Lyft: the InstaCart employee goes into the store to make the purchases and brings them to your home. I feel that the upcharges and the limitations on safety precautions make this option less desirable, but InstaCart also has a curbside delivery option. At Sprouts grocery store, Sprouts employees gather the groceries and bring them to your car. They use InstaCart software but not persons. 

Smiths grocery has two curbside pickup plans: one for prescriptions, the other for the rest of the store. When I order from them I do not know how many of the items I order I will actually receive until about an hour before the pickup time, which is often three or four days away. I have used this option three times so far because I can choose from the full store and prices are good, but not knowing what is available and having to wait several days has made me less excited about it.  For the most part, I now use Amazon Fresh. I know that Amazon is not in favor right now, but it looks like there have been improvements in employee safety and pay there - let's hope that continues. This option also has fewer options to choose from. And of course the prices are a bit high. But not seriously offputting, at least not to me. I am used to going to WinCo, where prices are amazing (and employees own the store) but that is not an option now. I am willing to pay the higher prices for the safety and convenience.

A few times I have indulged in delivery of restaurant food. It has been nice to have a meal fully prepared come to my house. I even ordered Starbucks once. These services tend to be very expensive, however, compared to a drive-through cost. Still, it's nice that once in a while, and, like now, when I am struggling with back pain and don't want to move. 

I'll be in the living room, eating my delivered dinner...

She has it

The other day my daughter Mary got the results of her Covid-19 test. Positive. The nurse said to wait until she had gone three days symptom-free and then she can go out. The nurse also said don't bother testing her daughter Nelly or husband Phil. Just wait until they too are symptom-free for three days. So what does this tell us? For one, it tells us that the confirmed numbers are far lower than the actual. Phil and Nelly will not be counted, although they undoubtedly have the virus.  

Mary says she is relieved. She has it so she doesn't have to worry about getting it. Further, the nurse told her that once she has achieved that symptom-free status she is good for three or four months. That is, she will not be spreading it nor will she be vulnerable to getting it. She is immune for that long. I know the reports have been conflicting on this status. Presumably the nurse is going with the best-guess on immunity. 

Of course I ask Mary every day how she is feeling. She is mostly being plagued by headaches at this point. The more days that pass, the better I feel. If she feels she must go out before she reaches that three-day point, she needs to wear a mask to protect others. Thus she asked me if I could make her another. Of course I could. I found yet another pattern that I think is easier than the other two I have been using. I chose the "ties" option because I did not have elastic ???

3,646,099 confirmed cases worldwide

252,406 deaths worldwide

1,212,835 confirmed cases US

69,921 deaths US

5,631 confirmed cases Nevada

266 deaths Nevada

The ordinary everyday stuff

The other day, daughter Mary and her husband were swinging their two-year-old. After they put her down, she cried out in pain and held her arm in a bend. She did not move that arm for many hours. Her night was miserable, and the following morning Mary brought her to a children's hospital.

She had dislocated a ligament. It is called "nursemaid's elbow" and is common for little ones. Their ligaments are like rubber bands that can get caught between bones. The physician pulled on her arm gently and relieved the pain. In ten minutes, Nelly was feeling great again.

The hospital, Mary said, was deserted. We are all so concerned about Covid-19 that most of us are avoiding the hospitals to avoid infection. Rightly so. This situation means that hospitals are not taking in their regular scheduled surgeries and therefore losing money, and many health care professionals are being laid off or given shortened hours. In places where the outbreak is severe, however, they can't keep up with the load. Many nurses and doctors are transferring from the lightly-infected areas to the heavily-infected areas to help out.

Personal protective equipment continues to be in short supply. I am working on a reusable isolation gown to give to Animal Foundation here in Vegas so that they can save the disposable gowns for use in people hospitals. Unfortunately, I have a back pain issue. When I cut out the pattern yesterday my back went into this pain and it stayed all day. It is impossible to do much when that comes along. Normally, sleep fixes that. It did, almost. I still feel a little hint of that pain. I am hoping that it does not increase as I sew that gown.

3,427,265 confirmed cases worldwide
240,513 deaths worldwide

1,134,084 confirmed cases US
65,888 deaths US

5,248 confirmed cases Nevada
254 deaths Nevada