The Diary Project

Virus Watch: Week Six

How about a mini-vacation in pictures, as we go along?

John Muir Woods, who knows when, likely last year, or the year before, a wonderful day, a wonderful outing, it used to be one could get there early and that was the smart play, but now, they want one to reserve a spot in the parking lot, here we have a crumpled log filled opening in the forest, it looks sort of fort like, definitely a good place for a bear or cat to make their home in that hole in the tree, moss, sawdust, and soft looking ground abound, a good place for a picnic, if one wishes to get off the beaten path

Here we start.
Unable to see the forest for the trees.


2020-04-17
Friday
This Endless Slumber
It's Snowing!

A nice morning walk in the snow.

A nice evening walk with nary a trace of snow remaining.

Six Weeks In and I'm finally sitting on a park bench in the sun for the first time.

Angry Walk. I am bored... tired. Tired of being bored. Bored with being tired. They are just words. The spark, which set off my anger, was being in a park, an action which my paranoia feared would draw police attention. I was not in the part of the park that was closed. And nobody else was in the whole of the park. But to relieve stress I went to another park where other people were present.

There is safety in numbers.
There is danger in numbers.


2020-04-18
Saturday
Listless
I am unmotivated, between projects, and tired from working-out yesterday.

I'm looking forward to a long walk. It looks like a nice day to find a place in the sun and just sit.

I am hearing growing whispers regarding a generalized discontent with the Lock-Down. Generalized is the wrong word. I believe there is a Political Agenda linked to this mindset. {Of course, I say that, as I grow ever more discontent but do not believe I am Politically Motivated.}

Sounds like a Wedding... or a Funeral.

I'm in The Park, watching the Kites Fly.

Sitting on my bench, getting sun, and thinking about My Computer Game.

I really can't be bothered to think about The Vid. I've got other things to do... and pictures that need posting if I can't be bothered to find the words. {So, like, I have a preconceived notion as to the length of these Weekly Postings. And if that length cannot be achieved by words, I'll just include vacation pictures or something.}

Proning: Apparently, lying Face Down {moving about, rolling about, and lying this way and that} is better than lying on one's back, when dying of The Vid.


2020-04-19
Sunday
A Sunny Day
I've heard rumors of protesters, against The Lock-Down. But to what effect, I know not. I've not heard of any tickets or arrests.

Pleasant walk in the park.

Maybe, I should check to see if there are any new reports.

I got Report 15 from The Imperial College of London. I've read the other fourteen.

I got the new Weekly Update from the CDC. And then, promptly started looking for other random content to read: RPG Rules, in thus particular case.

And now, for a group chat. Let's listen in, shall we?

Second walk was nice enough. I'm slowly building up a new daydream.


2020-04-20
Monday
I Don't Like
Waking up tired, I don't feel like doing anything. My feet got rubbed the wrong way in the night, a sensation which released a cloud of negative energy; thus, keeping me awake. But that has passed. And now, I'm just tired.

The Market opened down. But overall, is doing much better than I would have predicted. {I don't care about The Market as much as these continual updates would suggest. Having decided to work this project, I'm looking for content.}

Oil is negative. Though, it's a very specific type of oil: Physical Delivery Today of Raw Crude. Essentially, the oil is worth less than the cost of storage. It's a momentary glitch.

Golf in the park. It's inappropriate, in my mind, to take up so much space with a hard ball. Of course, I've thought of getting a Bat & Ball. So, it's really more of someone else taking up space that I consider my own.

Sun & Wind. It is nice.

The Flag is at half mast. Has it been so for weeks?

Today is 420... time to get high... or not.

I saw a duck on my walk. I have a hunch her nest is going to be built in a less than ideal (very busy) spot. {I did not see her the next time I passed by the spot: a rainwater runoff pond turned to wetlands. Basically, it's a hole in the ground the exact size and shape of a suburban house-lot planted with native grasses. So, a pretty choice spot to raise a Brood of Young Ducklings. Only, Mrs Quacker was setting up shop (and/or sunning herself) mere feet from the sidewalk, which was a bit of a mistake.}

The Half Mast is by decree of The Governor, in remembrance of those who are no more.

13 in 100,000 have died from The Vid. {I'm guessing this was a Nationwide number. I don't remember, anymore.}

The Governor (same one) has announced Free Tele-Care and Health Kits for anyone with The Vid. I guess they don't want anyone holing-up and dying on their own, which would be my goto.


John Muir Woods wide path through the forest, dirt, bit enough for a truck, car, or jeep, a wood fence on the left is the major focus of the image, moss speckled, cutting into the distance, the lot is surrounded by forest, I doubt one gets the sense of a cool breeze from the photo, the day turning to hot, but then again, fog ready to roll in, the dust of the path, the sounds, the chirps, the birds in the air, no stinging insects, that is nice, and away from the entrace, a path to oneself

But surely, there must be a path, a way out.


2020-04-21
Tuesday
Anger Management
A good Workout Session and I am way less angry. It {the anger reduction} has a lot to do with the music I play, as well. I listened to RUSH, today. And now, I am tired. {Though, it's not so much which music I listen to. But rather, that I listen to music.}

Earlier, at the park, things were hopping. I had to pay attention to others to avoid them. Also, I'm getting into a habit and/or rhythm. Meaning, I have the spots I want to go. And I don't want others to be there. I have a preference.

Earlier, I heard the theory, which seems pretty solid to me, that some of the Food (and other) Shortages stem from how things are principally consumed. We've gone from 50% Meals Eaten Away From Home to a substantially smaller number. Thus, Restaurant Food Service is under-utilized, while Grocery Stores are at capacity.

I don't trust the Worldwide Numbers. So, they are hardly worth reporting.

The USA is at Number One, which is patently ridiculous.

Well, what do you know? Today, I learned The USA is the third largest country in the world by population.
  1. China
  2. India
  3. USA
Since off-the-cuff is more important than exactness (to me), I'll call China and India equal at 1.5 Billion. They are both a bit less, rounding (India up and China down) to 1.4 Billion. But that's harder to remember. Making them both about 4x Larger than The USA, which I have been figuring at 331 Million.

Anyway, I can believe China instituted a (meaningful) Lock-Down, but not India.

So, they simply are not reporting, conducting tests, or whatever.

I really am removed. 45,000 Deaths is not so much surreal... as completely devoid of meaning.

The only reason (I believe) that I even continue to look at The Tracker is for this project. Eh, that's probably not an altogether true statement. But then, it's probably not an altogether false statement, either.

Covid really tore through the population, spreading fast. The rate of transmission is phenomenal. Of course, I have no benchmark. I am not an epidemiologist.

I did a good Work Out and am tired. I hope I can sleep. I've been having problems lately. Though, last night was pretty good.

I have a bit of a cough. Though, with working out and all, I am likely a bit dehydrated.

Lots of rain in the future. I've got a poncho. Maybe, I'll rough it.

Another few weeks of food has been procured by My Beloved. Certainly, we could survive for months, given water. Add another run for liquid diary every few weeks and the only thing wanting will be meat. The larder is full.

My legs are just Zoinked.


2020-04-22
Wednesday
Feeling Lazy
Someone (likely a wrong number) left a message an hour ago... 4 Seconds, blank. This turned on my phone. And since my phone was in my pocket, it interpreted further random movements as commands. I lost a lot of text in an old note file... so, luckily not a current one. {I have backups of the old stuff.} And loads of apps were spontaneously opened. So, um, it could have been a virus... or other attack. But it's all in conjunction with that Blank Phone Message. So, that's the more likely explanation. Subsequently, I have reduced my Screen Timeout Settings. What happened is a known (or recurrent) problem. My phone has initiated Factory Reset based on exceeding the allowed login attempts, following the Screen being turned-on by a Text Message.

Or, you know, I've been attacked... successfully, it looks like.

My Stock Brokerage Company is urging caution when thinking about Trading Oil. No doubt. I don't understand that Market. And I'm thinking today is not the day to take that initial plunge.

The Market is going back and forth. My mind is not on it, at all.

No meaningful changes on The Death Tracker. And now, back to my regularly scheduled reading.

I wrote, read, and got ready for a new game, today.

There are 150 Million People in Russia. Considering the size, they do pretty well for themselves.

I'm hearing more and more Covid Stories. It's getting closer.


2020-04-23
Thursday
Shall We Program?
I spent the morning programming. And now, I'm staring out into a darkened room, shades drawn on an overcast day.

The Chess Board was out (with a game going) when the sink overflowed. We are six moves (each) into this first game.

The air smells of must. Remember when I was talking about The Smell of Spring? It is that. Overcast, the air is thick and heavy. But at Fifty Degrees, it is hardly warm.

I've started a new CIV IV game. Same Computer Game. But a New Map, a New Instance.

The Lock-Down has been extended until May 31st. I'm basically retired. It barely effects me. So, I really don't care. But I feel for those who don't know how they are going to make rent.

There was a lull prior to my firing up The Game. But in truth, this day has whipped by. It's not really long enough. Though, I'm likely spending a few extra hours in bed.

Have I mentioned that rather than walking down the hall, which just feels like death to me, we are washing our clothes by hand? I'm more or less all caught up. Also, I'm wearing the same stuff over and over again. I sort of smell. But no one here seems to mind. Certainly, I don't.

And with talk of smells, I suddenly longed for My Cat.

Geosmin: this is what we are likely smelling. Very musty. I don't remember rain smelling like this.

I definitely have something going on with my breathing. It's not so much a shortness of breath, as an emptiness at the very end.

With the Shortness of Breath (a certain lack of desire to take a Deep Breath) and this Geosmin Stuff, I sort of wonder if The Earth is imploding, Nature Rebelling Against Man: i.e. Time For This To End!

While breathing, I'm sort of holding my breath. {It's a lack of continuation, a lack of follow-through.} There's something out there, I don't want to breath.


John Muir, close by the entrance, I am sure, but one would never know, looking up, into the sky, catching the blue, the foggy vapors, a nice breeze, full of pine scent, though I guess it would be cedar, on a cold day, one might wish to zip their jacket all the way up, but as it warms, time to wrap around ones waist, staring up is nice, surreal, I used to do this more as a child, get dizzy, head back, which tree to focus on to maintain equalibrium, no doubt, the way to Heaven... oh, is that not a description, redwoods, looking up, tracing the length of their trunks with the camera, vertigo feel, full of green, bright day beyond

The way out is up.
Follow the light.
That's all I'm saying.



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