Pandemic Update!

[tkingfisher]

Hi, everybody! Just wanted to drop by and tell you all that I'm fine, Kevin and the teenager and I are sheltering in place and not going out for anything but absolute essentials. Our buddy Shepherd is here too, which is nice because she can do a lot of scratch cooking. (Me, I'm working in the garden a lot.)

Everything's pretty messed up out there, but we're all healthy so far and trying to our part to flatten the curve. Schools are closed and the governor just ordered all bars and restaurants to shut down for anything but takeout. I'm worried for all my local business friends, but it's gotta be done. I'm doing daily check-in Twitter threads for people, so if you're out that way and don't follow me yet, I'm ursulav over there.

World got a lot stranger this year. Take care of yourselves.

Comments

[beccaelizabeth]

🖖

[katuah]

i think we are sort of close to y'all now so if you need anything Kevin should still have my number. We are trying to limit our out-of-house time too. It is surprisingly difficult.

[dewline]

Working on self-care.

[graydon]

It snowed last night, so not even raking leaves off the front lawn here yet. (It then rained on the snow, but we're not out of the below-freezing-in-daytime yet, never mind at night.)

Traffic's down; busses still running. I am the sort of person who has two old-school alcohol indicator thermometers in the water purification kit because what if I drop one? Probably didn't need the extra order of weird grain mixes, but it was here in February. The (unrelated) order of tea came in in February, too; I had no idea how big a 500 gramme bag of mint tea was.

Just held my breath for a timed fifteen seconds so presumptively OK for the nonce. Hoping enough people have some sense.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

According to a quick google, holding your breath is not a useful metric. Symptoms come on slowly and you can be contagious for days before they show up, if they do at all. If you assume that you have it and behave appropriately, especially towards people outside your house, you'll be doing the best anybody can right now.

[graydon]

It's a pretty good "should I call the hotline?" rule; if you can't do it, you probably want a medical type with expertise in lungs to opine.

It's in no way a rule about "I can go outside"; unless your dwelling is on fire/you have some suitably isolated outside/duty compels, no of course you can't go outside.

[rabid_bookwyrm]

Fair enough! I accept these criteria for "should lung expert be involved in my life [y/n]" :D

[kathmandu]

Gosh, yes -- took me three reads before I processed "500 gramme bag of mint tea". Dehydrated herbs weigh hardly anything.

I'm a mint tea fan, too.

[graydon]

I was a bit doubtful of the price on the order screen, but hey, Canadian seller, everything is very organic, I'd just read an article on microplastics in tea bags; why not try, I'm sure it's very nice, and it at least ought to last me through the time of reduced shopping.

So far -- I have only opened the 35 gramme jar, which is the size of a large coffee -- it is indeed very nice. Hadn't expected aluminized mylar packets that'd make plausible decorative throw pillows.

[silverflight8]

I've bought 50 grams of mint tea before and was shocked at how much that was (I have still not finished the packet). 500 grams is a LOT.

[graydon]

I was at least fairly startled!

The bags are resealable, and I have some conveniently sized airtight containers, so I think I'll manage to get through it without it all going sad and stale on me. And any worries about running out of tea are now greatly diminished!

[reedrover]

Good to see you online here. You are absolutely correct that gardening - for those of us who can - is a great way to spend the time. I'm envious of your in-house scratch-cooking chef, though.

(And the massive extroverts can go talk to our seedlings.)

[lassarina]

Glad you're doing well. I'm looking at it as an opportunity to learn to bake bread, to work on my pile of game and book backlog, and enjoy 2.5 extra hours a day from not having to commute, but I'm already lonely, alas.

At least there are cats.

[kathmandu]

I really enjoyed the extra time from not having to commute, for one day. Then my employers wanted me to do a pile of set-up and donate personal cell phone ID and information so my working from home would be easier for them, and now I'm not happy.

[lassarina]

Ooof. I am fortunate to work somewhere that doesn't expect that, and because everything I do is subject to freedom-of-information (sunshine laws) requests, I can be like "nope will not do that with my personal phone."

[zeeth_kyrah]

Would be nice if you could tell them, "If you want that, a company cell phone to be passed around on-duty staff would be appropriate."

[frith]

Stay healthy. ^_^ This lock-down is going to be harsh for people counting on Artist Alley or Book Tour gigs for exposure and sales.

[green_knight]

Thanks for checking in and thanks for the rooster updates; your posts help to keep me entertained.

[ferdiaferlin]

Does this mean no more new chickens, sheep, goats, llamas?

[kathmandu]

I look at your Twitter, but it's nice to see you here too!

My household's cooking skills are getting a workout too: chicken soup and salmon-egg stirfry, and stuff. Working our way through from the perishables to the things with longer shelf-life.

Already I've tidied more than I had in a month.

[azurelunatic]

Since partner got sent home from work yesterday today has been our first full day of isolation. So far there have been card games via internet with sibling crew, Gatorade-related calculations (if we wash the bottles well, there are some vessels to mix the powdered stuff in and have it ready in the fridge), and the 🎺📯 replacement of the pantry light that's been Mysteriously Broken forever! 📯🎺
(Tried replacing the bulbs. Tried replacing the ballast. At this point it was time to call an expensive electrician, or get adult supervision from Pops. Today, both Belovedest and Pops had time. Diagnosis: busted fixture *and* likely wires separated.)

[soon_lee]

Good luck everyone & stay healthy!

In New Zealand here, where we just had our 20th case confirmed. All of them able to be linked to recent arrivals from overseas (or their family members). We're doing our best to keep the numbers down, but people are worried.

We live in interesting times (and not in a good way)

[jaxomsride2]

Here's to you and yours staying healthy!
I like the idea of bars doing takeout, but where do they put the empties?

[archangelbeth]

I am learning how to make PANCAKES! (The mix versions turn out much better, but I think I am learning some nuances that should make it possible for me to make better From Scratch ones, too.)

Take-out is how we got dinner tonight, though. Local Chinese place that'd just recently turned most of its dining area... into pool tables. *hollow laugh* I gather they're not actually making a lot of take-out, too.

[xanthipe]

Okay, posting here as I'm not on Twitter - the UK Peak District just got a wild lammergeier! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-53383387