What Are You Doing?

Brief update: Jeff seems better this morning. He was up in the middle of the night but his cough seems better. And he’s not complaining of aches like before. Crossing our fingers he’s on the other side of whatever this is.

BABY GOATS OF SPAIN – Baby Goats are the most wonderful little creatures int he world. Hopping and happy. Carol Joyner sent me these pics of the baby goats born to her brother-in-law’s nannies a week or so ago.

• 

• 

The news is hard to hear, watch, read. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Every day it gets a little worse. I read yesterday that up to 50% of people who have been diagnosed with the virus in Spain need to be hospitalized. Perhaps it’s because the only people who are getting tested are those that are so sick they’re going to seek medical attention. The rest may just be staying home. In El Pais they said the Health Ministry are setting up field hospitals in every province here in Spain,. In large convention centers and hotel ballrooms. They can’t cope with the number of people that are flooding medical facilities.

I know my kids and my Mom are probably tired of hearing my fears for them. But being way across the world right now is hard. We understood what was coming their way before they did. But me ringing the alarm bell from so far away wasn’t loud enough. Yes, it was in Seattle but they had to wait for it to wash up on their shores en mass before they understood the danger. So, now they’re afraid right along with me – but that doesn’t feel good either. It means they’re in the thick of the danger of this thing and I can do almost nothing to help except send Amazon packages and the like.

To help me cope, I’ve decided to name the virus so it’s not so nebulous to my brain. Sure, they call it Covid-19 or the Coronavirus. And the US government is calling it something to be offensive on purpose that is triggering racial attacks against their own Asian citizens. Reprehensible. But I’m going to call it ‘Ralph‘. It seems like a good name, and it reminds me of the show ‘The Honeymooers‘. I’m not sure any of us are old enough to have seen The Honeymooners when they ran in first-run in the 1950’s. So I’ll refresh memories.

Ralph Kramden was a played by Jackie Gleeson. He was a loud-mouthed 1950’s New York City bus driver and he drove his wife Alice crazy. But with all of Ralph’s bluster, he turned out not to be quite as fearsome as his weekly blow ups and tirades. Calling the virus ‘Ralph’ is helping me cope with the barrage of information coming from every source, and every direction, all day long. This crisis and virus are no joke, but if I substitute Ralph for the name is sometimes makes me laugh and I stop holding my breath. It breaks the tension.

And speaking of television shows. I’ve got my schedule for my writing ,yoga and meditation. And that’s been great. But we watch TV in the evenings and I’m afraid that once I’ve read the entire internet, watched all the shows on YouTube and the like, I’ll sink into an oblivion of boredom and hopelessness. So I’d like to ask for your help.

What are you watching? Any great shows to binge watch on any one of the plethora of streaming services? I’m not shy about subscribing to something new so we can stay entertained.

We just finished One Dollar on CBS All Access and it’s goood. Sooo good. Check it out. No big stars in it so it’s easy to get right into the characters with a gripping story that won’t let go. But as this weekend stretches before us, what should we watch next?

What are you reading? I love to write but I like reading other people’s books just as much. Any good recommendations or must-reads? Should we start a Virus Virtual Book Club (VVBC)?

Before this, I did lay in a bunch of new physical books last year. I just started Sophie Kinsilla’s Surprise Me. I’ll let you know what I think when I finish.

What are you listening to? Music, Podcasts? I’d love to learn something new or be inspired by new music.

I need to start my Spanish lessons up again. It’s time. So I’ll be making arrangements for that soon.

I feel guilty, at times, thinking about how to keep ourselves entertained. When so many people are hurting through deadly illness and job loss. Economic uncertainty is the kind of stress that kills, too. But then I think, without medical training, the best way we can help the world is by doing exactly what we’re all doing. Staying home and away from each other. Its the equivalent of obeying rationing laws and turning in scrap metal during WWII. And just like back then, we’re all in this together. I’ll leave you all with this today. It made me tear up. Stay Safe, Stay Sane and Stay Inside. Peace.