Coming home from errands around town yesterday (hardware store, grocery) : I say to myself "We are never going to get this pandemic under control because of ignorance or malice. We are a failed state--with repercussions of that failure killing us." Scenes: at the hardware store --an obviously ill sales clerk--underweight perhaps from chronic malnutrition, feverish, coughing, mask failing off his nose gives me directions to aisle 10. He is probably part-time (to save store from sick leave), making a low wage, and at work because he cant afford not to be. A friend refers to "Plantation America." I think of Dickens, Bleak House, death of Jo, the lowly crossing sweeper, by smallpox that also infects his "betters". Then there are always one or two enraged customers barreling into the store mask-less, daring anyone to cross them, and the sales clerks making too little money to enforce store policy or state ruling. So I head home, masked, slathered in hand sanitizer and wonder will I now end up intubated in 14 days because I needed a carton of milk and a bag of potting soil?
January 1, 2021
Throughout the state mandated stay at home law, I spent much of my time working on jigsaw puzzles. I found this helped me to ease my anxiety by focusing on small details without having to think too hard. Work is changing next week and will be allowing more staff in the building at a time. Moving from 5 people to 25. Thankful patrons and public are not allowed in the building. Just hope we stay covid free. The numbers of positive covid-19 rates are going up in Washington state. I'm only going out 1x every 2 weeks for groceries. My life is now only my time at work and home. I have 6 days off next month. But can't go anywhere.
July 30, 2020