Normally my week is front-loaded, and gets less nutty as it goes on. Last week was…all-week loaded, I guess, topped off by two bad-sleep nights, and that’s why I couldn’t rouse the energy for three blogs last week. In other words, Excuse No. 23, i.e., I Dunno, I Was Tired.
Certainly there was no shortage of news last week, particularly in Michigan. The midweek display of wingnuttery at the capital certainly got its share of attention; nothing like a bunch of jerks standing in the gallery of a state legislature displaying assault weapons, perfectly fucking legally, to bring the wonderment of the outside world. I don’t know what to tell you about that other than: If you live in a state of any size, you might notice it is vastly different from one end to the other. When I was a journalism fellow, our BBC guy was amazed – amazed and appalled, actually – that there was no national driver’s license. All I could tell him was, hey, it’s a big country. There are parts of this state that are pure Tim McVeigh country, and others that aren’t.
(It wasn’t until just yesterday that it occurred to me these people may well think Covid is a black person’s disease, and hey, if it kills them, no biggie.)
Meanwhile, coronavirus is making its way north, inexorably, and it won’t be long until they get acquainted with it themselves. Not that this makes me happy, I should add. And knowing them, they’ll just say Gramma passed from the grippe or something.
So then, sweet weekend, let me fall into your embrace. The weather was perfect, and by perfect I mean: Per-fect-o. Temps in the 70s both days. Ran several errands on my bike, which made them seem like not-errands. Saturday job day, Sunday funday. Did a double circuit of Belle Isle after the chores were done. Picked up a bottle of Aperol, so we could make alcoholic Capri Suns. And I found my lost pen, my Mont Blanc, which Alan gave me when we were dating. I knew it was in the house somewhere, and lo it was under a piece of furniture that obviously doesn’t get vacuumed under enough.
Things are starting to open up, as they say. I won’t be there for a good long while. Every time I think it’s worth swimming in this deep water, I read something like this, about a 27-year-old emergency doctor who nearly died from this. And then I reconsider.
I haven’t seen a swimming pool since March, and I’m only hoping I’ll see one after Memorial Day. Sigh. It’s going to be a long two years.
In the meantime, I recommend you read this. It’s a wonderful story about how a young man literally 8,000 miles from Detroit found inspiration in one of the city’s more notorious natives. It’s really good, and deserves the love.
Brian stouder said on May 3, 2020 at 9:28 pm
Excellent, excellent linked article about the entrepreneur in Burma who loves Detroit.
When the pandemic is over, I fully intend to do D-town again, and (for starters*) visit the Henry Ford museum again…and this time, our almost-16 year old will have to come along….and Pam (my lovely wife) too! *I’ll start out by pressing to do the Belle Isle race again, and then trade that away for a day at the museum!
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Deborah said on May 3, 2020 at 11:04 pm
I was hoping Nancy, that you’d post about the Lansing protesters. Is there any info about where in MI they mostly came from? I forgot how many extremists are from MI, like the Timothy McVeigh people. Scary.
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jcburns said on May 3, 2020 at 11:17 pm
32 arrested in California Capitol protest demanding end to stay-at-home order, CHP says
(That kinds seems like how it should go in Lansing, Atlanta, Columbus…)
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beb said on May 4, 2020 at 12:49 am
Deborah@2 — California. Gun-huggers can’t give up on a good protest just because they don’t live here.
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Dexter Friend said on May 4, 2020 at 1:50 am
N.K.’s Times story was uplifting; I am glad the young doc made it and got back to work. So far I have taken no guff for wearing an N-95 mask. Because of my age and the fact I have just about all the immune suppressing conditions, my daughter insists I wear one when I go near people. Divided we are here in the USA because of Trump, and then comes Covid-19 and divides us further. I watch Gov. Cuomo every day, all the way through,because I want to know what’s what, then I watch msnbc throughout the day in the background when I am inside, to track the numbers. Opening meatpacking plants seems insane, but people eat meat of course, so a constantly changing operation plan starts up to keep cranking out the meat. By now , to me and many experts, it is clear this pandemic is not going away and will come roaring back in the fall. Too many just will not wear masks and will not stay home or even social distance. Here, Governor DeWine caved in and pulled his order to wear masks in stores. Flattening the curve is no easy task. Only slight reductions in patient intakes are occuring. It’s still horrible. But I am safe…I go to Dollar General once a week and they installed sneeze guards. Safety first. Those fucking militia assholes make me sick. Especially on this day, the 50th anniversary of Kent State-Jackson State, I don’t wish to advocate for National Guard activation to roust those bastards out, but at least local law enforcement surely has a security detail that could have “slightly discouraged” these creeps …then again…law and order…but dammitt…something’s wrong.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on May 4, 2020 at 7:41 am
As a general non-swearer, the Deadline Detroit story about OG Stan was . . . effing glorious. It made me happy, and trust me, I needed that today! May Marshall Mathers someday make it there, and Stan to Michigan and right up to 8 Mile. He is indeed a food god.
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Julie Robinson said on May 4, 2020 at 9:48 am
Probably most of you have seen the photoshop version of the protesters where their guns have been replaced by phalluses. It’s hilarious and spot on, though if some of them were flopped over and shriveled it might have been even more accurate.
I spent most of the weekend planting flowers and not listening to the news, which was very good for my spirits.
This story broke my heart: https://tinyurl.com/ya24g9f8, from the Washington Post but a Covid19 story so you should be able to read it. A 75 year old woman has been by herself for the last six weeks and is facing existential loneliness. She even feels guilty about feeling so sad.
Since the weather warmed up we’ve met a lot of our new neighbors here at the senior apartments, at a safe distance of course, and I think every single one of them would relate. Family members are bringing them groceries and supplies, but it isn’t enough. Even my own mom is feeling this way, and I see her every day, have her over for meals, drive her around for safe activities in the car, whatever I can think of to keep her spirits up.
I’m wondering how much this will change if/when this crisis passes. One of my takeaways from the toll in nursing homes has been a renewed commitment to help Mom age in place if I humanly can. We are hoping to add a couple of rooms to the Orlando house so we can keep her with us when we move there. Things are clarifying for me as to the focus of my next few years.
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Jeff Borden said on May 4, 2020 at 10:11 am
Protests in Chicago and Springfield last week featured the usual array of Magats and right-wing trolls and anti-vaxxers and the whole steaming stew of stupidity. One woman held a sign with the same German words as those over the gate of Auschwitz, taunting our Jewish governor, I guess. Another sign said the lockdown was “A dry run for communism.” There were lots of tRumpy banners and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and, again, much vitriol directed at health care workers who turned out in counter-protest. So, while we didn’t have dildos armed with long guns, it was the same kind of crowd as in Lansing. I get nauseated when I hear these mopes proclaim themselves “patriots.” They’d have been whining from Day One during World War II when they were denied butter or sugar. Candyasses.
BTW, this is what constitutes good news these days. My 93-year-old uncle, who was hospitalized late last week after breaking his hip in a fall, has been transferred to a hospice care facility just 20 minutes away from his house. My aunt and his children and grandchildren will be able to visit him in pairs, so he will not pass on alone in a hospital bed, which we all find comforting.
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Jenine said on May 4, 2020 at 11:13 am
@LAMary: thanks for the link to the Keck USC report about Covid 19 in the comments of the last post. The graph and note about affluent people bringing the virus to LA County and then poor people being the most affected population is striking. Still reading…
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 1:33 pm
Well I passed the exam for the contact tracer position. All the years of annual HIPPA training helped.Still no promise of a job offer but they do keep getting back to me which they would not do if it was not a possibility. Keeping fingers crossed.
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Scout said on May 4, 2020 at 1:39 pm
It is disconcerting that the media are already talking about the second wave as if the first is over. The cases are still rising exponentially every day, so we are still full on in the initial wave. The pressure to arbitrarily get back to ‘normal’ is dangerous. Our household will be continuing as we have been no matter what the idiots, bullies and wishful thinkers do. I am so fortunate to have a boss who will honor this so I can continue to work at home. This IS the new normal and it will remain this way until there is testing, tracing and eventually a vaccine. Every other plan that tries to shortcut these things will lead to more death. I don’t pretend to be a know-all, but I do know this.
I am linking to a very well written and comprehensive report from my state Rep who is also an ER Doc. This is the kind of leadership we need at the top.
https://www.facebook.com/amish.shah.3956/posts/10158473439981457
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Bitter Scribe said on May 4, 2020 at 1:58 pm
White people can scream in the faces of cops and wave guns with impunity, while black guys get the crap beaten out of them for not “maintaining social distancing.”
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Julie Robinson said on May 4, 2020 at 3:05 pm
My husband’s office will be reopening tomorrow with about half the staff there, and I have concerns. He can’t choose to work from home anymore if he wants a paycheck. They will be open to the public, not that they expect many to come in. At least it’s not a grocery store.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Reading the comments on Facebook regarding LA Times stories about protests is a good way to lose faith in your fellow humans. Lots of people think it’s ok for those of us over 60 to just go die. Others think the whole thing is a hoax. Most mention that they have a right to do whatever stupid thing it is that they’re doing.
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Dave said on May 4, 2020 at 3:33 pm
Seeing these protesters is disheartening, I can’t imagine how these people think. I can’t imagine having the need to arm myself to go protest an issue trying to keep the public safe. I saw a young man from Louisville on TV who told the reporter that it was up to God whether he lives or dies, the government couldn’t tell him what to do.
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Sherri said on May 4, 2020 at 5:20 pm
Fifty years ago, The Dude was a protestor.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/50-years-ago-today-the-dude-didnt-abide-he-helped-lead-5000-in-protest-at-uw-after-students-shot-at-kent-state/
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Dexter Friend said on May 4, 2020 at 5:32 pm
Your horizon is brightening, LA Mary…this is good. Jeff Borden, glad to read that your uncle is doing well, as well can be.
With the world in pandemic, I feel guilty in mentioning that I just cannot help feeling sort of candy-level depressed because there is no baseball. Can’t help it. Also…get this…with no sports on any of the sports channels, Spectrum TV created a special level for NFL Red Zone, so when football starts up either in October 2020 or September 2021, to watch this popular channel, we shall have to pay more, and the same for a few more channels. With much compassion from surprisingly caring corporations as to payments, food deliveries, suspended bill collection dates…Spectrum decided to jack up the price for stations with nothing at all to offer except old tapes of nobody-gives-a shit-about events. Oh well..back to the TV now for more shots of overcrowded beaches. Clearwater is open, and it seems the beach-goers are distancing as well as they can.
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Deborah said on May 4, 2020 at 6:05 pm
Where is the messaging coming from the Republicans telling the violent, arms carrying protesters to chill? I’m not seeing it. It’s disgusting and must stop. Why are we not hearing them say that? I don’t expect Trump to tell them to stop it, he encourages it, but what about Republican legislators? Where are they?
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Deborah said on May 4, 2020 at 6:21 pm
The Pulitzers have been announced. Any comments?
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Charlotte said on May 4, 2020 at 6:24 pm
Sherri @16 — the Dude is still doing a lot of good politics work, especially here in Montana. Child hunger is his issue, and he’s raised a bunch of $$. Also has been a staunch supporter of Dem candidates — he’s had a place south of town for 30 years. I’ve only met him once or twice but he’s a solidly nice person.
Things are opening up here, supposedly slowly, and it’s terrifying. The general sense is “well, *that’s* over!” Out of state and out of county plates at every fishing access site, and lots of them camping illegally on USFS land (actual campgrounds still closed). I’m hiding in my backyard.
And I think that group of protesters in Sacramento are the same anti-vaxxers they’ve been having trouble with for months. Threw blood on legistators from the gallery (turned out to be pigs blood but there was some serious worry about contagion). Have been weaponizing their kids like we all saw last weekend. They’re a known cohort of bad actors.
And now, back to grading my final set of papers.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 7:32 pm
I have heard from a few people that the Dude is a good guy. His brother the Beau dude is as well.
My older son is doing deliveries for Postmates and he had a big order of sub sandwiches to deliver just now. The people who ordered them were not there when he got there. He waited a half hour, called the number they had given. No show. He called the Postmates dispatcher and they told him to just keep the sandwiches or give them away so this household just got three sub sandwiches and the firehouse down the street is getting fourteen sandwiches.
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Deborah said on May 4, 2020 at 7:47 pm
I’ve been trying to order stuff on Amazon and other sites and I’m finding that the things I’m looking for are impossible to find or they’re outrageously expensive. Is that because everyone is ordering online and they know they’ve got you over a barrel? and their stock is getting depleted?
For instance today I was trying to order a couple of foldable butterfly chairs with canvas seats and I couldn’t find them, except for ones with leather seats. I want to put them on a patio but only out there when we need them, otherwise keep them folded, out of the way. I don’t want leather because I want to keep them outside. They’d be under a portal when they’re not in use but blowing rain could still reach them. Yesterday I was looking for other stuff and it was really frustrating because I couldn’t find anything.
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Sherri said on May 4, 2020 at 7:50 pm
So, I’ve been active in local politics, and I’m willing to speak my mind, and I’m a woman. That means I’ve made some enemies. One of those enemies is currently on city council, and was the loser in the recent mayoral race.
The new mayor wants to reappoint me for a second term on the planning commission, and my reappointment, along with the reappointments of a number of other members of boards and commissions, is on the consent agenda for council tomorrow night. I found out today that this council member intends to pull my reappointment from the consent agenda so that he can vote no on me.
We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, facing a budget crisis, meeting remotely, but he’s not going to pass up the opportunity to take a petty shot at me. I just laughed when I heard.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 8:26 pm
Deborah, when I get to that point in a search for something online I just google the item. There might be sites you haven’t thought of. On the other hand, you probably have tried this already, so never mind. I have a couple of those chairs I got at Cost Plus World Market and I think I heard they are going out of business, so they might have some cheap.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 8:36 pm
Deborah, try Overstock.com.
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Julie Robinson said on May 4, 2020 at 9:27 pm
I tried to order some sewing supplies, then hubs asked me about thermometers for the office. Everything is out of stock and not shipping until June or later. I tried the local places first, but nada.
Then this afternoon he had to go pick up some lumber supplies for the plexiglass dividers he’s making for the office. I hopped in the car thinking I’d pick up a few plants. Lowe’s was selling I kid you not 3/4 dead hanging baskets for I kid you not $15. And they were crazy busy. It was a very short trip for me.
Sherri, never underestimate humanity.
But LAMary, that was a small mercy, and I love that he took the rest of the subs to the fire station.
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Dexter Friend said on May 4, 2020 at 9:56 pm
The movie The Dude, Jeff Bridges, lives in Montecito if I recall…same town where Oprah has a place. Both their homes were ruined by the massive mudslides of couple years ago. I have watched TBL so many times…I joined a FB page where we quote lines back and forth. Believe it on not, it’s not as moronic as it sounds. 🙂 “Mark it zero, Smokey! You think I’m fuckin’ around here?”
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basset said on May 4, 2020 at 9:58 pm
Gannett just laid off the Bloomington paper’s editor, and since an apartment came with the job he’s now living in a Motel 6 and blogging:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/business/newspaper-editor-gannett-homeless-blogger.html
I used to deliver that paper door to door back when it was the Herald-Telephone.
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Deborah said on May 4, 2020 at 10:04 pm
LA Mary, yep I tried googling in general, there are some butterfly chairs out there but they’re ugly or horribly expensive. You can find replacement canvas seats for them everywhere but you can’t find frames only that you can then buy the seat cover color you want. I have a butterfly chair in Abiquiu that we keep up in the sleeping loft and LB has one in her room in Santa Fe that she has had for years. When she lived in Chicago she had a leather seat cover made for it with some leather I got for free after working on a project for Wilson athletic equipment. It was leather they used for footballs or something like that.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 10:04 pm
Montecito is a very beautiful place but like a lot of beautiful places here in CA it was a disaster waiting to happen. If the fires don’t get you the earthquakes or mudslides will. Right now I’m more afraid of the assholes demonstrating against what they call the fake pandemic. We’ve got those, some of them teaming up with the anti vaxxers, the anti immigrants, weird hater groups. There was a guy in Santee, down near San Diego, who used his Klan hood as his face covering to complete his camo ensemble while grocery shopping.
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Deborah said on May 4, 2020 at 10:43 pm
One of my favorite illustrators won a Pulitzer, announced today, Barry Blitt. He does a lot of New Yorker cover illustrations, he’s the best.
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LAMary said on May 4, 2020 at 11:36 pm
Love Barry Blitt.
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Sherri said on May 5, 2020 at 1:12 am
Nikole Hannah-Jones won the Commentary Pulitzer, and it’s making the right wing intelligentsia’s heads explode. I guess that Bret Stephans, Peggy Noonan, and Kathleen Parker have to share this honor with Ms. Hannah-Jones cheapens it in their eyes. Andrew Sullivan, so important in bringing The Bell Curve to our attention, is apoplectic.
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Dexter Friend said on May 5, 2020 at 3:11 am
A klan hood used for a anti-virus mask would be great fodder for a Barry Blitt cover. So far I have seen a nurse and an apparent dental technician with N95 masks…that makes 3 of us wearing them, but I only dash into the Dollar General once a week, so I see few people. I do drive the dog to the empty public field every day, and another short jaunt to a totally empty park daily as well, but I never am close to people at all.
I watched “Bad Education” on HBO OnDemand. Dynamite performance by Hugh Jackman. The show is promoted as “Jackman’s finest work”. I am no Jackman expert, but this is a damn fine film. I loved it.
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ROGirl said on May 5, 2020 at 6:48 am
Speaking of klan hoods, I watched “Watchmen.” It did transcend its comic book origins, but it takes you on a wild “suspend your disbelief” ride. The end was satisfying, leaving it open to a possible second season. I loved Jean Smart, and Regina King was great as Sister Night.
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Suzanne said on May 5, 2020 at 8:55 am
Oh good! Indiana’s governor is using places of worship as the corona guinea pigs to see if relaxing guidelines will work.
“We just thought a good place to start or have a control group, would be places of worship … ,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “But I did say we needed those church leaders to be responsible for their congregations. We can prove we can do this, and I think we’ll see just that.”
Responsible, sure. Go out and about and see all the people not social distancing or wearing masks.
https://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20200505/churches-used-as-control-group
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Dorothy said on May 5, 2020 at 8:58 am
My daughter was among those listed on a Post series about opiods that was nominated for a Pulitzer and she only learned that fact yesterday. She was thrilled to know her name was on the list, but that story didn’t win. The Post DID win in the Explanatory Reporting category, though.
I masked up and went to a Joann Fabrics yesterday that I don’t normally go to. It’s bigger than the one near my house. I wanted to get some thread that was on sale and was tickled to find some seam binding in great colors, so these will be used in my mask making. They line up outside and only allow in 32 customers in total, so as someone leaves, another one goes inside. It moved very quickly and I was in line only for 5 or 6 minutes. Most of us were outdoors, but the closer you got, once you stepped inside the entrance (behind another set of doors), there was a sign that said only two people at a time (waiting in the line) were allowed. After I shopped and got into line to pay, of course there’s another long line there. As a customer was exiting, she stopped and started berating the young employee who was stationed at the door to monitor the ones coming in. Said customer: “HEY! When someone leaves and walks out the door, that means there are THREE people in the lobby at a time, not two! Why aren’t you enforcing that?! Your signage is all wrong!” Blah blah blah. She kept it up. I stepped on my tongue to keep from saying to her “HEY LADY – shut the hell up and stop picking on the employee! She doesn’t make the rules! AND if you’d leave the store and walk quickly to your car, it’s maybe just 3-4 seconds when there’s a third person in the damn entryway!!” I didn’t want to make matters worse, but off and on there was another employee shuttling bags back and forth to cars who had ordered items online and were doing curbside pickup. So – God fobid! – there were occasionally FOUR people in the entryway at a time!!!
I know everyone is stressed and we’re all just wishing things were not like this. But screaming at an employee about rules that are made at a corporate level etc etc is certainly making matters worse, not better.
Meanwhile, while I was still in line, two African American guys got in line behind the woman behind me. They started chatting about someone in their neighborhood who was making masks and putting them in a box out front of her house. She made a sign saying “if you need one, take one.” And I guess she had another box saying “contributions to help me buy more supplies.” People were stopping by pretty regularly according to these guys. I have no idea why they were in line at Joann Fabrics, but they sure spoke admiringly about this woman in their neighborhood. I’ve been making masks and I always have people to give them to. I’ve mailed dozens to my huge family, and given bunches to neighbors and co-workers (leaving them in the building so they can pick them up – we’re not working in the building these days). I’m NOT selling them. But at Kroger on Saturday I saw a few elderly people not wearing masks, and I did have the idea that maybe I could bring a bag with me, carrying lots of masks, and if I see an older person without one, maybe I’ll ask them if they want one. Here’s hoping none of them scream at me.
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alex said on May 5, 2020 at 9:50 am
That Gov’ner Hokum sure is a sly one, wishing a pox on all the houses of worship. So far he has managed to serve two masters with aplomb. He even got busted going out in public without a mask last weekend, doubtless also a well-planned sop to the suckers.
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Julie Robinson said on May 5, 2020 at 9:53 am
Dorothy, I think that’s a super thoughtful idea. We’ve just realized that since Dennis went back to work he will need a stash of clean masks both there and at home, so he can change out as often as needed. Up until now we’ve only needed them for our occasional grocery forays, so it just never occurred to either of us before.
Suzanne, can’t you almost hear the conversation in the governor’s office–those dumb church goers will be a great group for our little Malthusian experiment. Wait long enough and the Republicans always show their true colors.
Yesterday a load of crap dropped on someone we love and I’m feeling sick to my stomach about the consequences. It’s the first time through all of this that I’ve felt hopeless about a situation. Even under the furlough cloud I could research and find alternatives, and while our life would change we knew we would still be okay. This may be irreparable and I spent the day wanting to cry and the night not sleeping.
In fact, I think a good cry might help. Any suggestions for a good weepie?
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Jenine said on May 5, 2020 at 10:32 am
@Julie: I don’t know if it will do it for you but this already made me cry this morning – a video using found home movie footage, with a Matthew Ryan cover of Heaven is a Place on Earth. It feels like there’s a weekly quota for tears during pandemic time.
Good wishes for your loved one.
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nancy said on May 5, 2020 at 11:03 am
Matthew Ryan is a friend of a friend, and comes through every few months for a living-room show at my friend’s place. He’s a very nice guy. Maybe we’ll go to the next one, and I’ll request this.
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 10:42 am
Last night my husband got a call from Uncle J’s main caregiver, she’s in charge of the other caregivers and was very distraught and weepy. Uncle J has not been eating or drinking fluids, she thinks he’s purposely trying to die. He has been steadily going down hill and has periods of intense anxiety etc. It makes my husband feel terrible because he can’t be there when he’s ultimately responsible for Uncle J’s health as power of attorney. Lots of sad stuff going on everywhere.
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 10:49 am
Oh Jenine, that one got me, for sure. Seeing those real people showing affection, from the 50s and 60s who are elderly now or maybe already gone, was extremely moving.
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LAMary said on May 5, 2020 at 11:41 am
I haven’t watched it yet, Jenine. I’m putting it off for a while until I can be alone and not alarm the rest of the household if I lose it.
It’s national nurses week this week. Usually this means nurses get nice stuff from hospital management. Chair massages in the break room, catered lunches every day and some sort of nice gift. I suspect it’s not as nice for nurses this year, so thank a nurse if you know one. I’ve been in awe of nurses since I was about 5. My mother had cancer. I guess she knew it was not going to end well and rather than stay in the hospital, where kids couldn’t visit, we had a hospital bed installed in our living room and a full time nurse, Mrs. Wieglib, who came in every day to take care of her. I thought Mrs. Wieglib was wonderful. In her own way she cared for me too. She was devastated when my mom died. Right now nurses are probably crying in break rooms when they lose patients. They’re exhausted and frustrated and still they keep going.
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LAMary said on May 5, 2020 at 12:04 pm
I was listening to a call in show on one of the local NPR stations yesterday and a woman called in to talk about reopening her hair salon. She said she couldn’t do the six feet of social distancing thing but all six stylists would be wearing n-95 masks and would change them after every client. A nurse called in a little later and asked if the hair stylist was ok with wasting all those masks when the nurses in the local hospitals couldn’t get enough masks. I get it that people are looking a little shaggy and/or grey but this is really ridiculous.
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Dorothy said on May 5, 2020 at 12:17 pm
Jenine that was lovely. I’m so glad you shared it with us!
Cloth masks on hair stylists would suffice because they are cutting hair, not intubating patients in an ER. I bought a hair trimmer recently, thinking it was for full hair cuts, since Mike really wears his hair buzzed now. And on Saturday we actually cut each other’s hair on the front porch. I used a size 0 comb on him. He used size 4 on me. I just wanted mine thinned out. I had already done a little of my front and top that I could see. He just did the back of my head. It did not look bad at all! I wear my hair really short and I’m not the least bit vain about how it looks. Of course if he had made huge bald spots on my head, that would be a different story. But it’s passable. I mean, who is going to see me anyway? I’m home all the time except for the grocery store, the post office (mask mailing – but I think I’m done with mailing) or the pharmacy. And actually I do the drive through there. Mike was so thrilled that I was okay with how he trimmed my hair. We laughed like teenagers when it was all done. There’s not much to laugh about these days so it was a fun way to spend a half hour or so outside.
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Suzanne said on May 5, 2020 at 12:24 pm
On a side note, I spoke with a friend yesterday who lives in FL. She has rheumatoid arthritis and was having some luck treating it with hydroxychloroquine. She had to stop taking it, though, because she can’t get it anymore. Her doctor said it’s partly because so many doctors are prescribing it for anybody that asks (said her rheumatologist is not happy with that situation) and partly due to low supplies because much of it is shipped in from overseas but Trump has so ticked off these countries, they’re finding other customers and not shipping it here.
So much winning.
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Sherri said on May 5, 2020 at 12:25 pm
Caitlin Flanagan often annoys me, but this article is wonderful: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/surviving-cancer-coronavirus-pandemic/610594/
I found out yesterday that my hair stylist has decided to retire in wake of the pandemic. Fortunately for me, she’s going to hang on to handful of clients and do their hair at home, once the restrictions are lifted. My hair is really straight and fine and lacks texture, and she cuts it so it doesn’t just hang. It took me a while to find her, so I’m glad I’m not going to lose her.
I’ve been cutting David’s hair, with a formula: 3 guard on the sides, 4 guard on top. He’s happy with it.
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nancy said on May 5, 2020 at 1:28 pm
Thanks so much for posting that. Flanagan often annoyed me, too, particularly when it seemed she was trying to outdo Kathleen Parker and Mona Charen in the Sure-I’m-a-feminist-but-you-really-should-be-at-home-with-your-kids propaganda campaign. But she’s a far, far better writer, so I always read her stuff. A couple years ago she wrote a deep dive on frat culture on campuses that was spectacular, and maybe another one on a similar subject? And I softened. Sorry to hear this.
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Julie Robinson said on May 5, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Thank you, Jenine, that turned the faucets on nicely and was truly lovely. It’s also 45° here with no sun, and which is always bad for my mood. But now I’ve had a cry and a nap, and have stayed out of the chambre de bain for a couple of hours. TMI I know, that’s how worry + no sleep manifests for me.
Dennis asked me if I might trim his hair if this goes on much longer. Years ago I cut both our hair regularly but never well. Hope we’d be laughing too. His is fine and straight and I don’t think you could do it with one of those little buzzer models. Mine is thick and curly and would probably burn out the motor. I feel like scissors takes a little more skill. It’s also getting hard to hide the white stripe on mine. First world problems.
Deborah, I’m so sorry about Uncle J. We heard that my aunt was gravely ill while on a trip to Florida. I told Mom I’d take her as soon as we got back, but she died while we were still away, so she had to say goodbye at the funeral. Sometimes it’s not humanly possible to do what we want, and we just have to accept it.
That last sentence might just be me preaching to myself.
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Connie said on May 5, 2020 at 1:28 pm
My six month plan for growing in my gray was to end with a short hair cut the first week in April. It has grown in nicely. The rest is a blondish bob. Dorothy, I sent a facebook photo of your haircut to my stylist.
In a complicated series of events that included a two week quarantine my 40 yr old niece has moved in with my 98 yr old mother in law near Flint. She has gotten MIL on facebook and they seem to be having fun. The other night MIL posted pictures of her first ever tacos at home, and her lifetime first avocado.
They are sewing masks and selling them on niece’s etsy page for $10.50 including shipping. Vintagebella if you need one. Actually there are a zillion masks on etsy.
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LAMary said on May 5, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Reformation has five masks for twenty five dollars. The ship free and quickly. It’s a pricey clothing manufacturer here in LA and they say you get an assortment of masks but I got five nice thick t-shirt type fabric, off white. I got them in four days but I live in LA, but they ship via FedEx, so it’s probably pretty speedy wherever you are.
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Yes that Caitlin Flanagan piece was excellent, made me weepy again.
Today LB and I drove out to Abiquiu so I could water the plants. We have 12 Russian sages out there and I’m determined to keep them alive. I really needed to be out there even for a short while, it was lovely, sunny and even a little coolish. The best part was I saw 4 eagles soaring around and LB saw 6 altogether.
While we were gone my husband face timed with uncle J and they managed to get him to eat some peanut butter crackers. He knew who my husband was and seemed happy to see him.
They’ve been filling out the paper work to get uncle J hospice care in his home.
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 5:35 pm
I should add, my husband’s arm is improving, swelling is going down but still hurts. He’s faithfully wearing the brace and sling. Even his allergies seem better, mine too. It may be a bit longer before we try going out to the cabin to stay for a few days. I will be doing most of the chores out there except for ones my husband could do one handed, and I’m not crazy about that.
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Sherri said on May 5, 2020 at 5:49 pm
They really do think it’s just a disease for those people, not them.
https://twitter.com/imillhiser/status/1257708274583027714
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 7:11 pm
LB came up with a great way for my husband to be able to travel safely (or at least more safely) to deal with the situation evolving with uncle J in northern IL, from NM. She thought it might be feasible for him to rent a compact RV from Albuquerque. He could sleep in it, cook in it and use the bathroom in it, the only time he would have to be in “public” would be to get gas, and he’d have gloves for that and hand sanitizer etc. We’d disinfect the RV to the max before he’d leave. He’s thinking about it. It’s actually fairly cost effective, compared to renting a car and staying in hotels or flying (shudder). My husband would have to self quarantine for a couple of weeks before he could be around his uncle if he flew.
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basset said on May 5, 2020 at 7:23 pm
Been reading about World War II, with V-E Day coming up this week, and ran across bombsight.org, which maps every bomb which fell on London during the Blitz.
Mama Basset was there, turned eleven just as the bombing started, but I don’t think I’d show her that site if she were still alive to see it. Some of the survivors’ stories sound a lot like hers.
http://bombsight.org/
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Deborah said on May 5, 2020 at 7:27 pm
Oh no! This and the human sacrifices the Trump administration is calling for, we’re screwed https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-05/mutant-coronavirus-has-emerged-more-contagious-than-original
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