Run DMZ

Yes, things can change on a dime these days, but at this moment on a very hot, sunny Saturday here, it appears people finally turned off the mic on our President. For weeks he’s monopolized nationally broadcast briefings with rally-style rhetoric instead of data-driven updates on our battle with COVID-19. Thursday evening his rifting went from dangerous to deadly after  suggesting people ingest disinfectants (and somehow expose their innards to UV lights) . Among the first to publicly decry that advice were disinfectant makers who, as anyone who’s ever cleaned up after themselves already knows, have long warned their products are for external use only. Some states in the Deep South begin soft openings of businesses requiring human contact this weekend. I certainly understand the economic pressures these politicians are under and really, really, really hope employees and customers follow CDC guidelines so any spikes in infection and death rates aren’t severe. Fingers crosse...

Everyone right now has spring fever. Those who’ve been cloistered by weather and circumstances are champing at the bit to get back out there. Me too. The early morning walks that anchor my days are starting to come up short on results. The homeschooling is grating on my nerves, mainly because it’s dawning on all of us parents that we’re doing the work of numerous paid professionals on top of our own. And, of course, our means of earning a living become more precarious as the economic fallout continues.  Many municipalities continue shuttering or postponing major events where physical distancing is a major concern.  Our extended family took the cancellation of Comic-Con particularly hard. And people are  breaking out , being egged on to do stupid shit. Meantime, major sports leagues are looking at broadcasting games with no live audiences. Athletes feed off those crowds, so this should be interesting. This thaw is not going to be the boon some peo...

The entire 22 years that my husband served in the military, he never talked about work. Sometimes he couldn’t, and other times he wouldn’t. I respected that decision, even if I didn’t agree with it. And, I compensated by talking  all the time  about my job. Now that he must work from home and in the open area of our townhome, it is impossible not to listen to him provide tech support. The big thing I’ve noticed? He’s very good at his job. He is patient, persistent in a nice way, and even quietly upsells features in a completely authentic manner. Frustrated callers quickly match my husband’s quiet, even tone. He constantly talks through what he’s doing, and he doesn’t try to rush through to the next person in the cue. I love that. And him. I’m glad to see stores here refusing service to people who fail to wear protective face gear. I think one reason the west coast (Seattle suburbs aside) is weathering the pandemic better overall is because states acted earlier (...

Here’s a question for you: You rummage around your closets for appropriate face covers and discover three 3M brand N95 masks from a long-ago home improvement project. Do you donate them? (They’re old and haven’t been kept in a pristine environment.) Do you wear them in public? (Despite public officials warning only essential workers should have them.) Or, do you hold on to them in case you or a loved one really needs one? (A stronger possibility today than even two weeks ago.) For now, we’re hiding—not hoarding—them until further notice. When we go on neighborhood walks in the daytime, we prefer scarves and breathable bandanas that make us look like overly confident bank robbers.  For the past three weekends, I’ve spent considerable time deep cleaning and reorganizing my kitchen while my husband watches TV nearby. Lately, he’s been taking liberal advantage of a free month of EPIX and so I’ve heard, but not seen, a Star Trek movie marathon, Natalie Portman sci-fi featur...

We in California got a bit of a jump on the rest of country with sheltering in place voluntarily and then, when that failed, by state mandate. I was in San Francisco just days before the first “loose lockdown" started, and by “loose” I mean everyone went home to work and then took advantage en masse of a loophole: outdoor exercise. In a city as compact as San Francisco, staying far apart and going it alone while running, walking and rollerblading proved too difficult. That’s why I’m glad that San Diego and all of Southern California is spread out. We might live in a big city, but everyone inhabits suburban hamlets that offer more breathing room. Even all those condo dwellers downtown are surrounded by green space and large bayside boardwalks. Like San Franciscans, self-sequestered people here didn’t do as told and stay away from each other at our beaches, parks, boardwalks, bike paths and trails. So, our local government closed everything up – putting up yellow crime tap...