Conoravirus ...

[Tim Ford]

hilarious, Jamie!

Wow, Larry it sounds like things at PAX are gearing up. In a way, that's good to hear.

We have Board meetings via ZOOM and no one is going to the CBYRA Office as far as I can tell. My poor wife is on ZOOM stuff all day, upstairs in the Loft. She has already admitted something like 8 new kids to school, as next fall's enrollment numbers plummeted in early April to dismal levels. The younger kid's law office opens up in two weeks....that should be interesting....she's probably safer there than on the streets!

[LarryHoward]

I'm not completely comfortable with full opening but we have found out that nearly 1/2 of the local cases were at the VA retirement center in Charlotte Hall and most of the deaths came from there. Interestingly, deaths get logged where the family wants them logged, not where the patient actually dies. As of last week, we officially had 48 deaths with 53 from the VA home so we know the math doesn't add up. Our County "Heath Officer" declined to answer a question on "Just how many people have died in the county?" I do think some (all, many, 2?) of the cases from the Vet's home probably ended up in the VA Hospital in DC so they count as local cases, but deaths wherever the family wanted or in DC.

[Slick470]

We're all still working from home while trying to keep the kids occupied and somewhat educated. Today was the first day of "summer" program where I work through a syllabus with the kids in the morning and Layton has a half hour swimming lesson at the private swim school up the street. We usually do the county swim lessons but all the county rec centers are still closed. The private place is running a pretty tight program with minimal class sizes, limits on who can come, and what can be done while you are there. Locker and restroom facilities are closed.

I have to leave the comfort of my isolation for work at least twice this week for a pre-proposal walkthrough and a punch list. It's been long enough since I've left the house to do anything like this my anxiety about it all is pretty high. Even though I know it is probably fine.

Layton's Birthday is Friday and another year comes where he gets screwed out of a real party. The last two were cancelled due to one or the other of our kids being sick and it being so difficult to re-schedule around a holiday with summer activities and vacations. We are considering having a couple little kid friends over on Saturday for a low-key party where the other kids and families are taking this social distancing stuff seriously. In the process of vetting the list, we found out that one of the kids has been going to the daycare that Layton had attended, and it turns out that one of his teachers tested positive last week. So, sadly, that kid is out...

[Ajax]

Just curious, who among us is relatively back to normal, waking up every morning, putting on the tie and jacket or T-shirt and flippy floppies and driving off to work? (or bicycling to work, or walking to work, whatevah).

I am not. But then, I wasn't anyway.

I never stopped.

Office protocols are:
- Employees will take their own temperature before reporting to work. If abnormal, they will stay home and self-report.
- Employees will wear masks at the office, when working with co-workers. Maintain 6 feet of separation wherever possible.
- I drive to/from each day, without stopping except for fuel.
- I stay in my office with the door shut and I encourage co-workers to communicate via IM, email and VoIP before in-person.
- I wear my mask, frequently wash and sanitize my hands. I try not to use the bathroom at the office.

[Ajax]

Also- The A/C in our building has failed today. The closet that is my office is normally hot and stuffy. Now, I'm actually sweating.
If they don't get it fixed soon, I'm giving this place a one-finger salute and going home.

[slap]

Also- The A/C in our building has failed today. The closet that is my office is normally hot and stuffy. Now, I'm actually sweating.
If they don't get it fixed soon, I'm giving this place a one-finger salute and going home.

Spent a whole summer with no A/C in our office area. They had recently refurbished the offices and the contractor who had done it was refusing to fix it. And management wouldn't fix it because that was the contractor's responsibility. So they brought in a couple of huge industrial fans and placed them in the doorways (no opening windows) to suck out the hot air. It sounded like an airport.

[Ajax]

Also- The A/C in our building has failed today. The closet that is my office is normally hot and stuffy. Now, I'm actually sweating.
If they don't get it fixed soon, I'm giving this place a one-finger salute and going home.

Spent a whole summer with no A/C in our office area. They had recently refurbished the offices and the contractor who had done it was refusing to fix it. And management wouldn't fix it because that was the contractor's responsibility. So they brought in a couple of huge industrial fans and placed them in the doorways (no opening windows) to suck out the hot air. It sounded like an airport.

That's awful. Ain't retirement grand?

[Tim Ford]

Tell you one thing, those of us in front of computators today are missing out on some lovely breeze and low humids on the Ches. I bet tomorrow it'll be zilch...

Keys Breeze.png

[Benno von Humpback]

Just curious, who among us is relatively back to normal, waking up every morning, putting on the tie and jacket or T-shirt and flippy floppies and driving off to work? (or bicycling to work, or walking to work, whatevah).

I am not. But then, I wasn't anyway.

Not I. I do not expect to start going in on a regular basis until August at the earliest and later if the virus decrees. We can't do our hands-on thing until the spread risk is way down.

Still plenty of work, though.

[JoeP]

I was furloughed in April with Med benefits then laid off on June 16th with bene's ending tomorrow but already on Medicare and wife's insurance. I started collecting unimployment when I was laid off but after 4 claims I was told my ID did not match and I owed everything paid to me back to them. I have appealed their decision but heard it takes 10 weeks until you actually get to make your case to them so I'm waiting. The only thing I can figure out concerning my ID is that my signature on my SS card was signed about 1965 when I was 12 and doesn't match the signature on my DL or passport. It's compressed to about 1/4 it's former size. Meanwhile the entire Washington State Employment Security Department is totally screwed up. They were not prepared to handle the entire onslaught of applications due to Covid-19 and a massive hack and fraudulent claims originating in , get this, Nigeria. There are 3 Facebook groups dedicated to this and the sad stories are heartbreaking from those whose finances are on the edge and are being denied or ignored by the department. So as of last Saturday now I am cosidering myself retired.

[Benno von Humpback]

I was furloughed in April with Med benefits then laid off on June 16th with bene's ending tomorrow but already on Medicare and wife's insurance. I started collecting unimployment when I was laid off but after 4 claims I was told my ID did not match and I owed everything paid to me back to them. I have appealed their decision but heard it takes 10 weeks until you actually get to make your case to them so I'm waiting. The only thing I can figure out concerning my ID is that my signature on my SS card was signed about 1965 when I was 12 and doesn't match the signature on my DL or passport. It's compressed to about 1/4 it's former size. Meanwhile the entire Washington State Employment Security Department is totally screwed up. They were not prepared to handle the entire onslaught of applications due to Covid-19 and a massive hack and fraudulent claims originating in , get this, Nigeria. There are 3 Facebook groups dedicated to this and the sad stories are heartbreaking from those whose finances are on the edge and are being denied or ignored by the department. So as of last Saturday now I am cosidering myself retired.

From where some of us sit it’s too easy to lose sight of the economic suffering this thing is causing. Hope it works out for the best and sorry you had to go through that. It sounds like a real nightmare.

[BeauV]

I started shaving with a straight razor to learn a new skill. So far I've not accidentally decapitated myself. So I've got that going for me; which is good.

I love lines like this!!

[BeauV]

JoeP - I'm so sorry to hear this. There is a lot of CRAZY going on in various governmental agencies right now. Nothing anyone is proud of. I'm Sorry you got caught up in it!

[Jamie]

I was furloughed in April with Med benefits then laid off on June 16th with bene's ending tomorrow but already on Medicare and wife's insurance. I started collecting unimployment when I was laid off but after 4 claims I was told my ID did not match and I owed everything paid to me back to them. I have appealed their decision but heard it takes 10 weeks until you actually get to make your case to them so I'm waiting. The only thing I can figure out concerning my ID is that my signature on my SS card was signed about 1965 when I was 12 and doesn't match the signature on my DL or passport. It's compressed to about 1/4 it's former size. Meanwhile the entire Washington State Employment Security Department is totally screwed up. They were not prepared to handle the entire onslaught of applications due to Covid-19 and a massive hack and fraudulent claims originating in , get this, Nigeria. There are 3 Facebook groups dedicated to this and the sad stories are heartbreaking from those whose finances are on the edge and are being denied or ignored by the department. So as of last Saturday now I am cosidering myself retired.

That's just not right. Don't let the man get you down.

BTW, I still have your drawings of the escutcheon plates and plinths. I've used them more than once. One day you need to share with us more of your portfolio of projects.

[JoeP]

Good news I hope. When I recognized just how screwed up things really were with the unemployment department I emailed my state representatives asking them to look into the problems. This afternoon I received a reply from one of them asking me to send a description of the problem and unimployment case number etc so his office could look into it. It's great to get such a quick response (3 days) from him and I'm glad I voted for him in the first place. We'll see how this goes.

[kimbottles]

Good news I hope. When I recognized just how screwed up things really were with the unemployment department I emailed my state representatives asking them to look into the problems. This afternoon I received a reply from one of them asking me to send a description of the problem and unimployment case number etc so his office could look into it. It's great to get such a quick response (3 days) from him and I'm glad I voted for him in the first place. We'll see how this goes.

Is that Derek Kilmer? He seems like a pretty good guy, I have had several one on one chats with him.

Good luck Josè

[JoeP]

Good news I hope. When I recognized just how screwed up things really were with the unemployment department I emailed my state representatives asking them to look into the problems. This afternoon I received a reply from one of them asking me to send a description of the problem and unimployment case number etc so his office could look into it. It's great to get such a quick response (3 days) from him and I'm glad I voted for him in the first place. We'll see how this goes.

Is that Derek Kilmer? He seems like a pretty good guy, I have had several one on one chats with him.

Good luck Josè

Jake Fey.

[Steele]

We are now very busy, more than pre covid. This is in part because our volume tanked for 2 months while we did mostly urgent patient care and phone/email stuff. Not only is there a backlog of patients needing important care, the organization is pushing hard to make up the losses. So far nobody in our practice team has gotten sick, but we are now running 60 unique people a day through our work area, so even with carefull screening and protection measures it may just be a matter of time. Nobody is saying this out loud, but part of the drive is to get as many people caught up on diabetes, cancer screening, etc before things ramp in the community and we have to shut down all but essential services again. Oddly it looks like the bigger risk to health care providers is not our patients, but people who work in the clinic not being vigilant in the communtiy and bringing the illness to work.

My brother is a surgeon in Phoenix. He does not work directly with respiratory patients, but is in the hospital taking trauma call and doing emergent surgery. He describes a cesspool of illness and also thinks it is unlikely he will dodge the virus for long.

[Ajax]

Fingers crossed for a quick resolution, Joe.

Steele, my wife and I both took advantage of the lull in infections to get caught up on preventative medical care to avoid going to eye, dental and PCP while infections are rampant. I think wide swings like this will be the norm until we develop a vaccine or better mitigation.

[Tim Ford]

Best of luck with the situation, Joe. Sounds like your rep from the government actually IS here to help!

[Jamie]

Joe, glad to hear the gubmint actually functions!

I'm supposed to get on an airplane in this cesspool of COVID known as Floriduh and spend 5hrs flying to Portland ME. I'm beginning to feel this is a bad idea.

Contagion, contagion,
Wear a gas mask and a veil.
Then you can breathe, long as you don't inhale.

Lots of things there that you can drink,
But stay away from the bartop zinc.
The viral load that you cough in to the room,
They breath with lunch that afternoon.

So go to the city, see the crazy people there.
Like lambs to the slaughter,
They're touching the handles
And breathing (gasp) the air.

Apologies to Tom Lehrer.

[Benno von Humpback]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Here we have a federal government that still makes you take your shoes off and show off your junk on the X-ray machine, but won't mandate masks and social distancing in airports and planes.

[Jamie]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Here we have a federal government that still makes you take your shoes off and show off your junk on the X-ray machine, but won't mandate masks and social distancing in airports and planes.

Truth...but @$%@#!

What if I wore my N95 full-face paint respirator?

[BeauV]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Here we have a federal government that still makes you take your shoes off and show off your junk on the X-ray machine, but won't mandate masks and social distancing in airports and planes.

This reflects the absurd fear folks have of other humans vs the things which actually kill them. A simple comparison of the Military budget vs Heath budget provides another clear indication. What could we have done with the money we spent over 10 years in Afganistan? I shudder to think how out of whack our priorities are.

[Jamie]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Here we have a federal government that still makes you take your shoes off and show off your junk on the X-ray machine, but won't mandate masks and social distancing in airports and planes.

This reflects the absurd fear folks have of other humans vs the things which actually kill them. A simple comparison of the Military budget vs Heath budget provides another clear indication. What could we have done with the money we spent over 10 years in Afganistan? I shudder to think how out of whack our priorities are.

Yes, imagine if the terrorist bogeymen killed 120k people.

[Benno von Humpback]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Here we have a federal government that still makes you take your shoes off and show off your junk on the X-ray machine, but won't mandate masks and social distancing in airports and planes.

This reflects the absurd fear folks have of other humans vs the things which actually kill them. A simple comparison of the Military budget vs Heath budget provides another clear indication. What could we have done with the money we spent over 10 years in Afganistan? I shudder to think how out of whack our priorities are.

Yes, imagine if the terrorist bogeymen killed 120k people.

I think it also reflects the new Federalism. The states and locals, airlines, and the oppositional-defiant yahoos know best. If 9/11 had occurred in 2017, we would all be carrying guns to fly.

[Anomaly]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Sigh. What is the definition of "have to" I ask myself.... At some point, I have to return-- some loose ends with work (that continues remotely), some loose ends with the boat that I just basically abandoned when I made the snap decision to come to Italy in March, loose ends with vehicles... and my 87 year-old mother (OK, my mom is not a "loose end", but she does live in WA state which has a COVID incidence rate that puts it over the CDC limit that RI has adopted for accepting incoming travelers...). And, any of these require, gasp, getting on a plane. And then, the EU just announced they are banning Americans from arriving on flights. I THINK I can get around the ban because of my marital status with the French chick but, still, a lot of uncertainty regarding travel. First world problems in the scheme of things (Joe P.--- sorry to hear of the bungle WA has made of things), but these are "interesting" times for certain.

[Benno von Humpback]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Sigh. What is the definition of "have to" I ask myself.... At some point, I have to return-- some loose ends with work (that continues remotely), some loose ends with the boat that I just basically abandoned when I made the snap decision to come to Italy in March, loose ends with vehicles... and my 87 year-old mother (OK, my mom is not a "loose end", but she does live in WA state which has a COVID incidence rate that puts it over the CDC limit that RI has adopted for accepting incoming travelers...). And, any of these require, gasp, getting on a plane. And then, the EU just announced they are banning Americans from arriving on flights. I THINK I can get around the ban because of my marital status with the French chick but, still, a lot of uncertainty regarding travel. First world problems in the scheme of things (Joe P.--- sorry to hear of the bungle WA has made of things), but these are "interesting" times for certain.

Yeah, tough business. When you got to, you got to.

Daughter was just short-listed for a fisheries scientist job in the Faroes. I think she was wise to do her doctoral work in a quantitative/technical area.

[Ajax]

I wouldn't get on a plane if I didn't have to.

Sigh. What is the definition of "have to" I ask myself.... At some point, I have to return-- some loose ends with work (that continues remotely), some loose ends with the boat that I just basically abandoned when I made the snap decision to come to Italy in March, loose ends with vehicles... and my 87 year-old mother (OK, my mom is not a "loose end", but she does live in WA state which has a COVID incidence rate that puts it over the CDC limit that RI has adopted for accepting incoming travelers...). And, any of these require, gasp, getting on a plane. And then, the EU just announced they are banning Americans from arriving on flights. I THINK I can get around the ban because of my marital status with the French chick but, still, a lot of uncertainty regarding travel. First world problems in the scheme of things (Joe P.--- sorry to hear of the bungle WA has made of things), but these are "interesting" times for certain.

Before you leave Italy, I need you to drive down to Cinque Frondi and take photos for me and speak to the mayor.

[Jamie]

COVID testing has vanished from Florida. Completely overwhelmed.

EDIT: I'm wondering if everyone wants to get tested so they can attend July 4th celebrations?