The Peeing Section and “We Are Out of Coffee!!!!”

 

        During the pandemic it has been up to each state government to lay down the law of mandating mask, social distancing, reopening, etc.  It wasn’t long before facebook became flooded with this message: “Having some states lock down and others not lock down is like having a peeing section in the swimming pool”.  Yet there are some companies that seem to be encourage traveling?  “Hey, come and pee in my state!  We don’t have enough of it?”  I am a guilty party as I traveled with my family to New York last June.  Did we bring some pee with us?  Not intentionally. Did we bring it back to Oregon? Possibly. But not from New York. It had been our flight from Detroit and our stop at Salt Lake airport that felt the most concerning. 

        Roland had asked for some time off the end of this month as we have arranged to have our floors done (inviting pee?  Perhaps.  Our floors are in very sad shape) but the flooring we wanted is currently on back order and the company has run behind.  They may not make it until May.  Roland is fed up – thinks we should use someone else.  We are in a rural area.  We are going to run into the same problem no matter where we go. We have a guarantee that this guy will do sub flooring.  That is our problem.  

        Our subfloors are in terrible shape (or at least I am assuming)  We are not going to have that same guarantee through Lowe’s.  They can’t even guarantee that we will have the same contractor throughout the entire project.  I am willing to wait.  I don’t want to change lanes only to fall further behind (here) 

Roland now wants to leave the state – take Jenna to Universal and return.  Two days in the car for one day at the park and a return home again?  I think not.  Besides Universal is open only to California residents. That is the way it should be.  Each state should have restrictions about letting in tourists – it isn’t an option for those traveling outside the country or to Hawaii (from what I understand) the traveler MUST quarantine for 14 days – and on the traveler’s dime at that.  So why would a desired traveler even bother?

Roland has good intentions.  Always has good intentions but is not always wise when it comes to making decisions.  Why not take the boys and other family members to Lagoon (an amusement park in Farmington, Utah) on the 24^th of this month.  We can invite family members of Roland’s late wife.  We already have 15 – 20 people to begin with (half under the age of 11) and now he wants more?  How are we supposed to social distance?  Not that my boys believe in that.  So far it doesn’t sound like a fun day to have to wear a mask the entire time we are in the park. 

It doesn’t have to be the park.  Roland has an entire list of suggestions. It’s like he’s oblivious of the year decade 2020 – like the pandemic has vanished and everything has returned to normal.  I recently reminded him of a skit I had seen on Electric Company back in the early 1970’s. A man goes into a shop and orders a doughnut and some coffee.  Rita Moreno's character says, "We're all out of coffee" so then he changes his order to a sweetroll and a coffee and is once again told "We're all out of coffee".  He proceeds to go through a list of baked goods with coffee and Rita Moreno's character appears to become more upset until finally the guy says, "Maybe I will have just coffee"  

I feel like I am screaming the same thing over and over.  Jenna thinks I’m a killjoy – sucking the fun out of the possibilities of what could be.  I don’t mean to sound pessimistic – but realistically “We Are Out of Coffee”.  I’m not the one who initialized the pandemic!  I’m not the one who voted to have a peeing section in the pool!  I’m sorry that they think I am a fun-sucker because I know that the pee can spread to others – even if that wasn’t my intent.  There are other people on this planet.  The pandemic will not last forever – though it has already lingered around longer than necessary because of those who believe in the peeing section.  It’s frustrating.

https://exit78.com/peeing-section/

Roland was watching the news last night.  He learned that new cases have been spiking all over the country.  Well, duh.  I hope that it sinks in.  He knows it’s not just me.  It’s not even paranoia.  It’s being cautious.  It’s trying to stay safe.  The pandemic is not over folks.  Vaccinations aren’t going to change the attitude of those that believe that the peeing section will work and that we still have plenty of coffee to go around – metaphorically speaking.

In the News

                When the schools initially closed, the staff had given the students the impression that they would be back in two weeks.  Our governor then sent out the word that schools would not reopen until April 28.  I would hope not.  I would not be willing to return as an aide.  But just a few hours ago it was announced that the governor stated that all schools will be closed for the remaining of the academic year.  Now there’s a shocker.

  

                 Governor Brown did make the statement to have all beaches and national parks and playgrounds closed.  Anyone caught at said beaches, parks or playgrounds (thus far walking path is still available in city parks – but I expect that will change too) before the nation took a stand on closing the parks – probably a week before. 

                Corey posted several pictures he had taken of the Las Vegas strip.  There were cars in a lot of the pictures, but no people except one where there was a security guard.  Emptiness where it is normally crowded. 

                I would never have imagined living through something like this.  And yet amidst this absolute strange chaos I feel so blessed.  There are still so many things to be grateful for.

Which Way Does the Flag Face the Nation?

  

Normally I try to stay clear of politics, but with government shut down , it has been on my mind.  My post is meant to be on our reactions and not what is currently taking place (or not taking place) at the white house.

          Roland is an avid follower on Sunday Morning on CBS.  Following Sunday Morning is "Face the Nation" though the station generally gets changed to another before Face the Nation comes on.  This program was on this morning when Jenna and I planted ourselves on the couch and looked up to see Margaret Brennan ask questions to Secretary of State,  Michael Richard Pompeo, who for the most part seemed robotic with his answer - or somebody's answers anyway.  Jenna and I laughed as he obviously read the answers and showed no facial emotion whatsoever - actually there were a few times where he smiled.  Jenna and I suspect he had lost his place on the screen and was smiling to cover up his embarrassment.  I realize that things need to be written down and the importance of sticking to the script so words are not taking out of context - as though that really works.

            When he first started reading, I made a joke that someone had tied his hands behind a chair and he wouldn't be let go until he read everything word for word whether he believed it or not.  Early in the interview Ms. Brennan asked about soldiers (one particular) who were being held captive and what would result in being allowed back into the states. 

            Mr. Pompeo read from the prompter that there was concern- but his facial expression and tone spoke louder than the words he was reading and made him appear as if he was a robot and why would a robot care about a human?

            I think we left to go to Church shortly after that comment and more laughter was shared between me and Jenna.  The government shut-down is a serious thing.  Mr. Pompeo's boss is an overgrown kindergartner - which some will say is an insult to kindergartners everywhere.  I have worked with a large variety of kindergartners and as a whole would have to say it is insulting - but there have been the occasional ones who act out in a "Trump" manner which seems more acceptable for a 5 or 6 year old than . . . well wait a minute.  There have been some 70 plus year olds have a way of resorting to the past.  I remember my mom resorting back to elementary school behavior.  Maybe he has some form of dementia?  It has been speculated many times.

             Our biggest problem is we had a large dose of this BEFORE Trump was inaugurated.  It bothers me that so many people say our choice has always been between Hillary and Trump - like Democrats and Republicans are the only two parties that can be represented.  How in the world did the Whigs or Federalists ever survive?  There are alternatives.  There are others who have said that I wasted my vote by writing in Evan McMullin's name.  I'm NOT a crowd pleaser, never have been.  I'm not going to vote for somebody just because a certain party elected him/her nor am I going to vote for somebody not affiliated with a party because I'm a rebel.  I'll vote for the issues.  I'll vote for the possibilities.  But I'm not going to vote blindly because that's my so-called party.  Why is it that people feel I have to be one or the other?

            Another thing that held my interest was a pin of the American Flag that the Secretary of State wore on his lapel.  

I remembered having read about the origins of the swastika (here) and how it was designed to represent "Good Luck" and how the tables have turned so much that it is now recognized as a sign of a horrific chapter in history - so horrific that I do not even wish to have the symbol anywhere on my blog (though it may be shown in the background of one of the pics used on my bully and mind game post).  I had hoped that would never be the case of the American Flag but already know others who no longer value what it once represented and choose not to say the "Pledge of Allegiance" as they feel the country has gone down (and continues) the toilet.  

The flag once use to represent freedom and honor.  For many it still does represent those things but for others it doesn't represent that anymore.  I don't know anyone who is ashamed of the flag as many of us are of the swastika and hope it never comes to that.  But it's highly possible that the American Flag may have the same symbolic meaning as the swastika in a not-so-distant future.  Situations really need to change.  I feel bad for the next President who has to clean up the mess that Trump's behavior has caused.