We have never seen anything like this in our lives!

My daily conversations with my parents always include two comments.  One, they feel like prisoners in their own home not being able to go anywhere, even though they were mostly housebound after their stint in the hospital except for doctors’ appointments.  Second, the conversation would come around to they have never seen anything like this in their lives.  Even WWII rationing was not as bad as people could at least go out, and as my Dad said there was also a black market for goods if you had the money. 

One difference is we have news and information at our fingertips whenever and wherever we want it. 

Want to know if the Wuhan infection rates are up or down? Google it.  If you want to know how New York is fairing?  Google it.  Want to understand what the right way to wash your hands is? Google it.  It also means we are getting "news" real and fake from every outlet.  People on Facebook need to be warry of news on which drugs are working and other assumptions without scientific proof.  Want to find validation for your own theory?  Don’t worry Google it, and I assure you another "expert" will have theorized about the same theory and posted this on Facebook.  We don’t need the scientific method when all we need is a post on a website to change theory to fact. 

It also is a test of wills, and a test of leadership.  Sweden is not doing any sheltering in place or closing of businesses.  They are leaving it up to their citizens to decide what is best for them and are preparing for the worst as far as hospital beds and field hospitals.  Jacksonville has opened its beaches to large numbers of people walking and swimming without what appears to be a concern in the world.  Whereas other parts of Florida, such as Miami, are under lockdown and beach closures.  I am not sure who has it right, and we won't really know for sure till years past, but I would have a hard time frolicking along the beach and heading home to my parents.  The amount of risk which is too much may differ from one person to another, or even among different countries.

There are some gains form sheltering in place.  Our pets are happier.  DaisyBelle and Lucky, are   I hear cats are supposed to be aloof and not want attention, but Lucky doesn't seem to fit the mold.  She is either sleeping, wanting to sleep on Frank's lap or play and is always near one of us.  DaisyBelle and her routine has not changed much other than our every other month road trips have slowed down.

Our cost of living is down.  We spend more on food, thanks to Kroger and their excellent delivery service, but we don't eat out.  We spent more eating out especially if you add a drink or two to the bill.  We have been back probably 6 or 7 weeks and I have only filled up with gas once, and that had 1/4 of the tank still to go so who knows how long I could have really gone.  I understand oil prices and demand for gas is way down, and maybe this will help usher in a quicker response to global warming.  They say this is the warmest spring on record but there are also comments about how clean the air is in Los Angeles and other big cities with everyone not driving everywhere.

We are continuing to enjoy cooking, and I must say the appliances we bought for the house have all proven to be great choices.  Our LG Induction cooktop stove works great and we finally realize some of the challenges cooking in the house in Austin was the inaccuracy of the oven.  Man, now when Ina   The KitchenAid Microwave surprised us with a setting to soften butter, and the LG washer and dryers are working well also.  We have been on a food exchange program with Frank's mom.  We send cookies and she sends back salsa and other treats.  Garten says to bake for 20 minutes at 350, we can see how that really works!

There are things I miss.  I miss the ability just to go when I want and where I want.  We have been property owners in Longview since December, and other than walking DaisyBelle around downtown  We did go to Kilgore before the lockdown and to Jack Ryan's restaurant which must be one of the top bites around here or anywhere.  

I miss the ocean and Tybee Island.  There is something special about the ocean and the waterways of Savannah.  No two days are the same, honestly, no two hours are the same, and you get a clear understanding of microclimates.  More than once the sun was shining on one side of Tybee and you could see it rain on the other.  I miss family and friends in Savannah, and I miss the fresh seafood especially at the beach. 

We are luckier than most.  We can work from home.  We have been locked down now for 33 days.  I can count on one hand days I was cranky, and on the other ones where Frank was.  I don't think we have been cranky on the same day which helps.  Finding space in my own room as my office helps.  

I do have to say the calm is certainly helped by the love and attention of DaisyBelle and Lucky.  DaisyBelle is great and she gets us out of the house.  Lucky reminds us to get up out of our chair and play with her or else!

Plans and a few items of note going forward:

* We are down to 27 rolls of TP and 3 rolls of Paper Towels.  Wisely we have slowed down using paper towels in favor of regular dish towels.

* I am bidding on a Wii U on eBay.  I miss the tennis game from the Wii and apparently the Wii U is the last console that you can get a similar action game.  This will help me get out some frustration without chasing DaisyBelle or Lucky around the house.

* We have been doing Saturday night Zoom happy hours with Florida friends and family.  This will continue that for a while.  Frank makes a very charming host; he could be a host on a talk show. 

* Starting to wonder where we will go when this lockdown ends.  Not sure wise to travel right away, but with a little luck we still need to be shopping and planning for Savannah.

* I want to learn to make bagels.  They seem hard to find around Texas.  I mean good bagels!  I have time and a good oven so why not.

Hopefully in a few weeks we will be on the downside of the pandemic and can start to truly see an end on the horizon.  

The end of this pandemic should be another beginning for us all to try and remember the goodwill of these times.  I hope people will look back before just hopping back onto the rat race and consumerism that has dominated society for too long.

I hope you all have a healthy, happy and content week ahead.