My sister turns 50 today. In another state. There is no party, no surprise. It’s just her and her sweet family having cake in their dining room.
I suspect I won’t get my Expedia refund for the canceled flight. It’s hard to imagine how Expedia, Airbnb, or anybody in the travel industry will weather this storm. Perhaps they will weather it with a government bailout and subsequent stock payouts to executives. Totally just guessing.
The first Facebook post I see today is from a childhood friend in California. She wonders why everybody is in a tizzy. Last she checked, there are no COVID-19 deaths in her county. What’s the biggie wiggy? Her husband responds, “What, you don’t believe the media?” [laughy face emoji] Honestly, do they not get the news? Italy? Spain? Have they not seen how this unfolds? Anymore, we don’t have to guess so much. As it happens, the next post in my feed is an article about the “astronomical surge” in New York cases and the impending acute shortage of critical care beds. I really, truly hope that this childhood friend does not see her county’s name in that same headline in a couple weeks.
Quick note on the 2020 Mardi Gras festivities: serious bummer, man. I see some troubling New Orleans coronavirus data.
In a press briefing today, I’m surprised to see our president so excited about Easter. He just doesn’t strike me as a hot cross buns kind-of-guy. He’s predicting our country’s rebirth on that day. Bravo, speech writer.
Observation as a runner: it was running as usual until Saturday. Until then, when runners would veer off course to avoid me, I secretly smirked. By Sunday, I found myself intentionally creating space for an oncoming runner and feeling slightly guilty about running at all. After all, there is heavy breathing and likely spittle involved. Today, I notice that A) there are fewer runners out and B) almost everyone goes out of their way to keep their distance.
I get my calendar notification for the Built to Spill show tonight. What a different March it might have been.
My mother-in-law tells me about a friend desperately needing back surgery for chronic pain. She was scheduled for surgery next week and it is indefinitely postponed. My running partner tells me about her friend’s mother who was scheduled for emergency gall bladder surgery that is now in limbo. These are but two examples of thousands (millions?). The chronic care COVID-19 patients are here. It’s totally on. Godspeed, New York.
diary of coronavirus 