Life in the Time of the Coronavirus, 3/17/20

Beautiful San Diego, California
Who'd Ever Suspect that We Face Such Troubling Times

And So It Begins
Struck me this morning that it would be a good idea to keep a blog/diary of all of the happenings related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as things are so very strange, scary and happening so quickly. Every day now, we awake worried about what happened while we were asleep and what the new day will bring.

This is surreal, like a frightening sci-fi movie, or a bad dream that should end when we awake, but it does not. We are so uncertain about how long this will go on and what the outcomes will be.

Here's what's going on in our part of the World.

Watching the Outbreak
For me, it all started when I heard that there was a terrible virus outbreak in Wuhan China in December, 2019. It seemed so far away, yet still menacing. Every day, the news became more grim with so many hundreds, and then thousands of people being infected very quickly and many dying a few days later. I had read a, "National Geographic" magazine article many years ago about the, "Virus Hunters", who are doctors from the CDC who travel around the World, looking for the most deadly virus candidates that threaten global health. These are then factored into the formulas for our annual flu shots.  I realized that this virus in Wuhan was the epicenter of a horrible outbreak Few saw it coming.

Over the past few months, we all watched it march its way around the World to soon reach us. Sadly, we were warned and should have acted much sooner. This will cost many lives and more pain and suffering than necessary.  But it is what it is, and now we all must do our part, try to cope and move forward as best as we can.

Events Progress Dramatically Day by Day
Huge changes are happening every day. The last time that we were on a social outing was Wednesday, March 11. Our friends took us on a tour all around San Diego County.  Even then, crowds were sparse in areas that are normally full of people, highways were very quiet, and you could feel that something wasn't right, even though it was a perfectly beautiful day.

Our Last Outing in Public on March 11

Beginning March 12, we decided to stay at home and self-quarantine to try to avoid the virus. In this blog, I'll share what we have been doing to pass the days, stay safe, as well as insights and thoughts about life in our little part of the World. We're here in Carlsbad, California, a lovely beach village, with a tight-knit community, friendly people and good neighbors. Right now, everyone here is hunkering down, mostly staying home, trying to stock up on things to be able to make it for 2-4 weeks. Things are changing by the minute.

What Has Changed
Within days, we have gone from 'wash your hands', to 'don't hug or shake hands', to 'don't be around crowds of 250 or more', to '100 or more' to now '10 or more', and to 'stay 3-6 feet apart from one another'.  As of yesterday, anyone 65 or over is advised to stay at home because of potential health vulnerabilities.  Some communities, such as Santa Clara County, where we used to live, are now locked down to home, with only essential local travel allowed.

We are watching this unfold on the Internet and on television. Everything is going from bad to worse news, which is disheartening. Presently, it feels like we are in our house, in a safe bubble, isolated from the rest of the World, while we watch so many countries suffering through the worst of this virus. We feel helpless about what to do to help them, knowing that it is here now too.

The Economy
Not only are we threatened by this deadly virus, but we are also watching our economy and savings slip away daily. As a retired couple, we watch in fear that our life savings will slip away into the abyss, from which, we wonder whether we can ever fully recover. Although we have invested wisely, and our money is managed, we believe that it will take months, or even years, to get back to where we were even a few months ago. I don't even want to look at our balances. :-(

The Stock Market is so Crazy, We Fear Watching it :-0

Coping with Everyday Life
What are we doing to deal with the day to day? We are on a stay-cation at home with our five dogs (who love it). We are doing household chores, cleaning, and projects that we've put to the side. I've been cooking all sorts of new recipes, which we enjoy. Did some mending of clothing that I've avoided for years. We bought an old-school hockey game, and we have tournaments every day. We laugh our butts off because it's so silly, but so much fun. We watch a lot of TV specials, movies and news. We're on the Internet a lot, especially Facebook, looking at our family and friends updates. Overall, this time at home is stress-free and peaceful, outside of the external stress about what is going on in the World.

Our New Old-School Hockey Game is a Blast!

Yesterday, I ordered groceries via InstaCart.com, from Costco and Sprouts, which will be delivered on Friday. It costs about 10% more, plus a tip for the delivery person, but worth it, considering our current state of affairs.  Yesterday, my husband dared to venture out to WinCo foods grocery, nearby our home. He waited in line for 30 minutes before it opened, along with 15 people in front of him and 12 behind.him. They only let 30 in at a time. Things were picked over. Only napkins, no other paper products. He scored good produce, even bananas, and other supplies we needed, in addition to what will be delivered on Friday. He said that it was creepy being there, and also sad to see people having to decide what they could afford to purchase, considering they had little money and everything is so precious and somewhat expensive.

Darrell Waiting in Line to Enter the WinCo Foods Grocery Store in Oceanside

Strange Days, Indeed!
These are very strange days. We've never experienced anything like this in our lives.  When we get through it, I pray that we never see anything like it again. Let's stick together, stay home, stay safe and stay as positive as possible. We know that this time will pass, we just can't yet see the end. So hold fast!

Hold Fast!

Hang in There!

"Ooh child
Things are gonna be easier
Ooh child
Things'll be brighter

Some day, yeah
We'll put it together and we'll get it undone
Some day
When your head is much lighter

Some day, yeah
We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter"
https://youtu.be/dguz0IsCuKU

Happy St. Patrick's Day!