Friday, March 13, 2020


Woke up this morning with Country Joe and the Fish's "Fixin' To Die Rag" in my head (Whoopie! We're all gonna die!) and then I got the email above and thought seriously about calling the number but I figured that what they were going to say would basically be CALM THE FUCK DOWN! but in a slightly more therapeutic way and I didn't. But I'm not deleting the email. One never knows.

I ended up going to town, risking life and limb for some cheese and vodka at Costco. And nuts. And lemons. Seems like everyone is being extra nice around here. Maybe it's because I'm in the elderly category which makes me, in some people's estimation I'm sure, a walking dead woman. Almost everyone is nice to the dying. Although I must say that no one offered to let me ahead in line which would have been the polite thing considering I have so much less time to live.
I also went to Publix because I wanted a corned beef and a cabbage. And then to the Coop because I need nutritional yeast to put on popcorn. And to Best Buy because my Gee Dee headphones aren't working and I really do not want to talk about this because I'm a very idiotic consumer, continuing to buy the same brand time after time, despite the fact that they all crap out after a ridiculously short amount of time.
And I was completely aware with every step I took during the day and every breath I took during the day and every thing I touched during the day that yes, that could be the second that led to illness. I did avail myself of hand sanitizer every time I saw some, knowing all the while that although it's better than nothing, it's not as good as washing my hands.
Oh god. I'm being so dramatic.
See- here's the thing. One minute I'm feeling like I'm in a movie about the death of the human race except for a few brave and beautiful scientists who all have perfect abs and the next minute I've forgotten we really are in a very scary and strange situation.
The birds are singing, the trees are budding, the red clover is bursting its scarlet glory all up and down the roads, the grocery store may be out of bleach and hand soap but there are plenty of vegetables and bread and meat. Gas stations are open. The regular problems and issues of life are still with us.


Wisteria bud. 

And then I listen to the news and I'm back in panic mode.

I heard a bit of Trump's speech today and it sounds as if someone has at least come up with a shred of a plan and soon we'll be able to do a drive-through at Walmart to find out if we're on the possible death list. It wasn't exactly a reassuring speech but it was better than the last one he did which had two lies for every truth in it.

Sigh...

As we were falling asleep last night I asked Mr. Moon if he thought that we could raise some peeps out in the coop in the little nursery coop if we piled enough straw in it. We pondered that for awhile. I'm still pondering it. I don't think that it's any coincidence that I'm wanting more chickens and that Mr. Moon is suddenly really into the garden. Feels like a good time to be a little more self-sufficient. And I did buy two bags of flour today. One whole wheat, one white.

I talked to Lis today and we agreed that things are going to look very different in just ten days. Not unlike the way that ten days ago we could not have imagined being where we are today.

I hope that we'll still be able to laugh, Lis and I, giggling like Betty and Wilma as the dinosaurs and giant mosquitoes try to get in our windows.

We'll see, won't we?

Meanwhile, we are doing the best we can. Trying to figure it all out with not nearly enough information to go on.

Happy Friday, y'all. I recommend a martini. Or two.

Love...Ms. Moon

17 comments:

  1. I bet most people are on that seesaw between fear and forgetting. I suspect my burst of cooking today, aside from being a good idea anyway, is displacement activity. But I tell myself it's constructive!

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  2. I read somewhere today that it's like the period of time before the hurricane makes landfall. You know it's out there, it's on radar, but you don't know where it will hit. I'm feeling like that, the wait. You know it will be bad, just not when or where. Yesterday I was a little nuts on the subject, today maybe slightly less; for no apparent reason.

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  3. I smoked pot on the porch tonight. xo

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  4. Loved the Country Joe song going through your head,now it is stuck in mine!

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  5. It's been a doozy of a day out here on the left coast, too. Stay well!

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  6. Just occurred to me, reading the above, I never knew of an Ohio governor holding a one hour news conference. Rather boring. I hope just the good bits were picked out for rebroadcast.

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  7. I have never been so glad to have chickens (which honestly, is thanks to you) and I spent my afternoon making cloth napkins out of the discarded supposed-to-go-to-goodwill-but-have-spent-3-years-in-the-basement clothes and planting spring things. I am bouncing back and forth between panic and gratitude that I get to stay home for a while. Also, really glad the liquor store is within walking distance.

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  8. I refuse to panic. what will happen will happen. all I can do is take precautions. I'm wondering though if we should get more food in the house but the grocery store sent out a blurb that they weren't closing and were restocking as fas as they can. I did go to our little art show from the watercolor classes last night.

    and did you hear our incomprehensible commander in chief tell the reporter that he did not take any responsibility for the state of things re getting rid of the pandemic response team at the White House. said he didn't do it, that 'others' did. the man is just despicable.

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  9. Shirley and I have not made a will yet. I wonder if it's too late. I bet there'll be a queue outside the local lawyers' office on Monday morning. Why can't Trump show a good example by saying - Yes, I have been close to someone who has gone down with the virus so of course I will be getting myself tested as soon as this national emergency event is over. O, and I would like to apologise for downplaying the COVID-19 threat when I first heard about it. So sorry folks. I made a mistake there.

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  10. I just wish people wouldn't buy all the toilet paper. It is getting ridiculous.

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  11. Schools statewide are now closed here for next two weeks. National Guard activated. Many folks I know now must telework (except my DH). Everything from church services to birthday parties canceled for foreseable future. Grocery delivery site crashed for a time (after that reassuring Thurs night spectacle) and now no slots available for delivery anytime soon. A little hard not to get caught up in it all. Being retired and comfortable being home, I'm not too worried for myself--plan to grocery shop at 6 am--when I think I will be able to get in the door. But being near DC means folks panic easily--especially with the orange idiot "i'm not responsible for anything..." (except CHAOS) in the WH. Sigh. This area doesn't handle snow well, much less a rampaging virus.

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  12. Before the 2016 election, none of us could imagine being where we are. I sincerely believe that as bad as covid has the potential to be, with competent leadership, it would not feel the way it does now. We dont know the dimensions of this thing, because the fool president means to keep us in the dark with the ridiculous notion that the economy wont crash, when in fact, his inactions now, and action he previously took to dismantle out medical crisis response teams, he has ensured that the economy will be shit for the foreseeable future and many many people will be up the creek. I'm starting to wonder if my born again cousin is right about these being the end times.

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  13. First off, hand sanitizer is as good or better than hand washing. At work we use hand sanitizer more often than hand washing because it doesn't dry out our skin so badly. The stuff we use has emollients in it. I'm on the hand hygiene committee and I audit our staff. I gave a stern lecture to one of our staff members, a tech, yesterday morning before I left to go home. Told her what she must do to help prevent the spread of the virus. She likes to just wear gloves and not change them. WTF!

    Flour is always a good thing. When the virus showed up in Canada, I bought extra dog and cat food, staples and medications. We're set, I just don't want to get sick. I hate being sick.

    It does feel like the end of the world but it's not. Most people will recover. Stay healthy. Clean your hands. Sending hugs because now I can't even hug people:(

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  14. I watched Trump's speech yesterday. Didn't anyone ever teach him how to read out loud in public! Damn he could barely even read his speech coherently. And then when someone asked about the epidemic his spoiled brat response was "yeah well at least it wasn't as bad as the response to swine flu"! What the flip!!! We're not talking about swine flu right now we're talking about coronavirus. I don't know why I even watch that idiot as I'm thousands of miles away, but he still gets right on my last nerve!

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  15. How funny! I've actually HAD two martinis before reading your blog post! Because, seriously, what else is there to do?

    OK, they weren't martinis. They were whiskey and ginger ale. But still.

    This whole thing is so bizarre. I just can't believe this is real life.

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  16. I agree with 37Paddington. With *competent* leadership, things might not be so frantic and panicked. Hubby's panic level is at about 4 today.....which is better than 10, which it has been for past week. But stuff happening fast even locally with no cases (we know of) yet.....schools closed for next 3 weeks...all events cancelled.....and yes, no toilet paper but hey, we can wipe our tooshies with leaves and grass if need be- staples are more important (bust still not to be hoarded). All we can do is try to be wisely prepared, calm, and flexible. And I'm on wine glass #2, lets hope that doesn't run out! LOL
    Susan M

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