Virus Watch - Week 8

2020-05-01
Friday
It's Been A Long Time

They say habits are made (or broken) in two weeks. So, I've had enough time to make a habit, break it, and make it again.

Today's big project was updating My Website. The Definitive Copy of This Site is kept on My Primary Computer. I have several {computers, that is}. While Several Secondary Copies of This Website are strewn about hither and thon {in numerous modalities and locations}. Anyway, I updated the Live Version, which I tend to do every few months. And while doing so, I tend to include a scan to make sure no one has hijacked my links.

Oh, I also checked my emails and did a bit of banking.

Now, I listen, as another critiques my posts... in-between giggles.

There is no doubt, a major perk of fame is (or would be) positive adoration. Of course, it's not all positive.

I am out, walking about. I have not seen Miss Duck, since I mentioned her last.

Lots of people out and about. It's fairly sunny, the first time for days.

The Tuesday before Lock-Down began, I got a 1965 Quarter in change. It was all gummed-up and dated back to the Year of My Birth Year {i.e. 1965}, so I decided to keep it. And when The Virus came along, I dubbed it my Covid Quarter... well, more like my Plague Silver. I've kept it my pocket ever since: it having (temporarily) replaced my 1887 Silver Dollar and all the other Good Luck Charms I carry about, one at a time, switching between them every few weeks. Anyway, since I knew I'd wash the coin almost every day, I decided The Plague would end when the coin got shiny. Um, it wasn't getting shiny. So, today I started being more aggressive. It's, like, halfway there. It actually sparkles in spots. And yeah, I could care less about Collector Value. I figure I'm the Terminal Collector, so I'll do what I like.

Baked Apples! I should mention that somewhere.

And as it is now tomorrow, methinks it's time to go to sleep.

I think I'm less concerned about death on sunny days.

2020-05-02
Saturday
Tired

It's about halfway through the afternoon and I'm so tired, I can't remember what I'd thought to make note of earlier.

I saw the ducks on a noontime walk. Well, three bachelors. But they looked happy enough.

Imported Sprats for lunch. They're a better Sardine. While looking for them {now, where did I stash those}, I found The Hoard (truly, A Horde) of Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials I'd put in from The Foreign Store. I'm going to get sloppy drunk, {as they all contain a drop or two of liquor}. A real nice thing about being a virtual teetotaler is that an amazingly small dose of pretty much anything has a noticeable effect. I can feel a single chocolate. And when I mentioned Kefir a while back, well, that's got a slight alcoholic hit to it, as well.

I wonder how many folks have daydreamed about being the sole survivor in some post-apocalyptic world after this is all over?

What would you miss?

What would you gain?

'Uh-oh!' I walked by a bunch of kids playing. And one kept on saying, 'Uh-oh!' which leads me to wonder if children's play and dreams are closely related. After all, in my dreams, things tend to go wrong... and wrong... and wrong. These words will, also, go in another file {as I've started a Dream Journal}. So, there's a bit of a time-stamp {between the two}, for you.

When walking today, there were lots of flowers and buds about. It is The Height of Spring. Have I said that before? If so, disregard the previous mention. It is now The Height of Spring.

Most dead in a single day, today... or so, I have been told. I expect the same statistic tomorrow.

On a whim, I looked at The Market. It closed down today. I'm not considering any trades, these days.

2020-05-03
Sunday
Living The Life

I've had a productive day writing. I keep on saying I'll do more programming. But at this point, I program in support of writing... or other content.

One advantage of over-estimating Deaths and such is that I am not as horrified as I might otherwise be. "Oh. Well. That's not so bad, then."

A very late lunch, almost an early dinner. And now, I am tired... Fall asleep in my chair tired.

A nice long satisfying walk. Most of these next entries are about that.

Met a man walking a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She seemed like a nice mellow dog. I will have to widen the net of my Doggie Desires. {There's got to be an Imaginary Friend in there somewhere, if nothing else.}

Ah, I'm taking pictures to remind me as I go. So, the next item I would have totally forgotten, if not for those. Someone had decorated an Oak Tree as a sort of Gnome Easter Tree, complete with little Garden Store Cutesy Ceramics. It was nice to stop and {visually} explore.

The wind was nice... a gentle breeze. I went just before sunset when the day had cooled off.

The next picture wasn't so much for this write-up. It's an Old Telephone Junction Box, which has seen better days. It's like a Stationary Robot that's been vandalized. Call it a Hate Crime. So, a Story Idea more than anything else.

So far, the previous (The Robot Vandalism Image) and a few flower shots are the only images I've kept. Well, from there, I took more pictures of my Plague Quarter. Those will get posted somewhere, sometime. Maybe, right here {at the bottom of this very page, in fact}.

And finally, we have an image of my phone to remind me to mention my Photographic Note Taking method (which has now been deleted) and a picture of my fingers pinched together (also, deleted) to remind me about the couple on the porch singing Hippy Folk Songs. They were good enough to instil a desire to listen to a classic Song or two before I could quite make out exactly what they were playing... namely, a Classic Song or two.

Now, if only I could remember why I took a picture of my hand. It was to remind me of something. Maybe, literally, 'Toss It Away!' which if so, is a note for elsewhere that I've already taken care of.

It was a good walk.

I probably never mentioned, NeoCon has been cancelled. Hardly important. But I find it {the convention} to be a good meditative experience.

I probably never mentioned the Legal Conference that was rescheduled as a Tele-Conference {either}. I will not be viewing it. These things are very much about the Live Experience, for me. Though, I may be happier if I change my Streaming Habits when it comes time (or when it would have come time) for The Blues Fest.

Slight Geosmin in the air. I'll have to see if there is a Crematorium nearby... or just chalk it up to Spring.

I feel a bit discombobulated.

2020-05-04
Monday
Slow Start

Maps did not work for me last night. It wanted to update (not that it told me that). Maps now has additional Take-Out and Delivery Functionality... which I could care less about. Personally, I am not pleased about either the forced update or the change in logo.

I was wondering if the Geosmin Smell was in fact from a Crematorium. There are plenty nearby. I still don't know. But it's not so much an ash or burnt smell as one of alkali clay.

They cut the grass, this morning.

Also, so cold, I didn't want to sit down under the overcast sky and enjoy the freezing breeze.

2020-05-05
Tuesday
Are We Still Doing This?

It's 4:20... and only if I had some. Well, it's 4:20. But even if I had it, I doubt now would be the time. Besides, at 4:21, the moment has passed. {420 being code for Marijuana. Now Legal in the Local Market!}

I slept-in until 10AM. And from there, it's been a pretty standard day: Hot Chocolate, Reading, Writing,and Watching Television during meals.

I slowly make progress on my projects, as I wonder why I bother.

In truth, the only thing Covid related about the day has been the constricted possibilities for Mother's Day. But after a few hiccups, that's been sorted.

In other news, the Fish Stick Tacos (for Cinco de Mayo) were pretty tasty, even if Fish Sticks are not my thing. I don't really know why. Let's assume it's the breading or oil, as most Fish Sticks are made from Pollock... I believe. And I'm a big fan of Pollock. Or at least, it sits fine with me. Whereas, Fish Sticks do not.

Well, I was expecting to report 75,000. But not quite.

2020-05-06
Wednesday
Woden's Day

I spent the morning writing.

On my walk, a person is hitting balls into a fence. It's an activity that has a certain appeal to me.

I do not appreciate others encroaching on my space... a space which extends outwards for dozens of feet. Six feet? Please.

"Teenagers..." I thought he was talking on the phone. Is he coaching? Or teaching another to coach? It might be umpire training. Which really means, it's anybody's guess.

Sitting in the sun. Letting the anger drift away.

Looks like a catcher {in training, per above}, to me.

The longest vacation in National History.

Rumour is (or so I have heard) the Death Count is expected to level out at 3,000 Daily. A Toll we have not yet reached.

75,000 in the next few hours... 74,807.

2020-05-07
Thursday
What A Day

I would have expected widespread availability of N-95 Masks by now. I have not tried buying any. But no one is wearing them (at least, that I see), just cheapo ones: the type which help others more than they help oneself. Of course, I don't know that. Perhaps, they work more like N-50 Masks, which wouldn't be so bad.

A morning spent programming.

Seriously Expensive Take-Out is on the way! It should be fantastic. I hope it will be fantastic. I'm actually a bit afraid it won't be fantastic, so I'm tempering my expectations.

It doesn't help that I missed two hours of sleep last night.

The Take-Out was awesome. Not worth the money. I'd rather have two top notch meals at half the price. But memorable, awesome, and top of the line.

Maybe, I should combine weeks. On the other hand, it's easier to edit smaller portions.

The Diary Project

Virus Watch: Week 8