Coronavirus Diaries: How’s This Gonna Work?

-




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 people are anticipating. Restaurants and airlines will have to reduce capacity to allow people to keep their distance. Theme parks and other large venues must do the same. Those that can’t, at least without making a profit margin, will fold. That’s going to likely put even more people out of work. Food supply disruptions will present as soaring prices at a time many people can’t afford even basics. And, don’t get me started on the logistics and lawfulness of contact tracing.

This spring and summer are not going to unfold as we imagined when planning our year. But here are some new things I am looking forward to, especially since many are free.


Fresh air. Even if some experts now think Californians’ car culture is among the reasons the state’s fared so well compared to others, I hope people continue to stay off the roads as much as possible. It’s nice to see the atmosphere cleaner everywhere in the world right now. Mother Earth deserves a break from humanity’s worst environmental tendencies, especially since we’re dealing with a silent killer that attacks respiratory systems.

Summer reading. I’m going to protect blocks of time each weekend going forward to read on our small porch or upstairs walkout-turned-vegetable-garden as if I were on vacation. That means keeping those places clean and green as a resort might and having my favorite foods and beverages on hand. I know some of you without young children already do this, but it’s a small luxury the rest of us haven’t been able to afford. Fortunately for me, I have quite a backlog of books bought in better times to get me through the next phase of this global crisis.

Virtual hiking. I imagine the trails, beaches and parks will reopen before long, if still with restrictions (face mask tan lines, anyone?). And even if I don’t ever plan to hike the entire PCT, it’s nice that someone who did took the time to put together this video so we can all vicariously get a taste. 

Houseparty. This app has brought our “distant” family members together for some much needed fun. I’m very good with the trivia and terrible with a certain card game. No one seems to have cornered the drawing competition, either. Is it safe from hacking? Probably not. But right now, I’ll take the risk since I don’t do any financial transactions using my smartphone.



Popular posts from this blog

How 'Bout Them Hokies?!

-
Image
After a quick run and not-so-quick coffee break yesterday morning with a friend, I hurredly showered and headed to the mall for holiday shopping. My husband came too, and it wasn't until a young couple passed us saying "Go Hokes" that it dawned on me that they meant Hokies and they meant us because we were both wearing Virginia Tech gear. On Saturday, this might be explained, but a day later, this was momentarily embarrassing - like we were looking for some attention, which if you saw my mussed-up hair and puffy eyes I most assuredly was not. Then again, when the computers rank your alma mater No. 1 and the humans bump it to No. 3, you can let the good tidings and questionable clothing coordination linger a little longer. [This photo by the way was taken by Case Western Reserve University students in Cleveland as a show of solidarity and support following April's massacre. I think all those warm wishes from around the world really helped the team this year. I truly d...
Read more

I Leave You With This

-
Image
There's this social media post some guy put up on Instagram. I almost scrolled past it, but I'm glad I didn't. It asked what question we should ask ourselves when we die. In retrospect, ChatGPT's response was basically pulling from Eastern philosophy, but, still, I couldn't stop thinking about it in the hours and days since I first heard it. Here's a partial transcript I cribbed using -- what else? -- AI. Some guy set up the prompt, which was long and convoluted. The following picks it up from there.  Some guy : I'm assuming most people would ask, 'Where am I going? What's next?' Something like that. Is that a good question?  ChatGPT : No, because they don't matter. Some guy : W hy don't they matter?  ChatGPT : If there's a heaven or hell or some next phase, you're likely already heading there. Asking won't change your destination. It's a wasted question.  Some guy : That's a good point. Um, what about 'Did I do en...
Read more

A Local’s Guide to San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs

-
Image
With pandemic restrictions rapidly lifting, and tourists pouring in, I’m sharing some of my favorite weekend walks. Last Saturday, some friends and I took in iconic Sunset Cliffs between Ocean Beach and Point Loma proper. Let’s start here.   A Brief History of The Cliff’s Rise and Decline There are several spots in San Diego that generate the lion’s share of  FOMO-worthy photos on Instagram and other social media. Sunset Cliffs is one of them .    Historical websites often open with how a sporting goods magnate spent a couple million dollars in the 1910s to make the cliffs publicly accessible with Japanese-inspired landscaped walkways and stairways, shelters and benches, caves and even a saltwater swimming pool replenished with each high tide. Albert Goodwill Spaulding bequeathed his 64-acre seaside park to the city of San Diego, which did nothing with it. A decade later, developer John P. Mills assumed ownership and restored some of the park’s features. He too gave...
Read more