coronavirus

Day 18 of “Shelter at Home” Southern Style.

~ Ron Walker ~ 9 Comments

I realize the current situation is serious. There’s enough insanity in our world today, without in-your-face 24/7 coverage of deaths, tests, and doom. If it’s that bad, then why are we still allowing things that make it worse. Talk of alcoholism increasing because alcoholics can’t get to meetings due to closures. The state orders closure of the treatment places, but keeps the state liquor stores open for carry out. Ordering closures of entertainment venues or other large gatherings, then not enforcing the edicts.

No Football?

If it doesn’t wipe us all out, this is a much-needed reset. If the economy and government can hold together through this, there are things that may fall by the wayside and be replaced with some semblance of normalcy. This may be a year without football. I have nothing against the sport, but in the last decade, it has become a contest of craziness. Multi million dollar salaries, hero worship and support for players involved in violence. Best of all, not having to watch players refuse to stand for the National Anthem. In our state, just with the college teams, there are at least 2 deaths a year, related to football parties and arguments over team loyalty.

Yes, I hate to admit it, but I was in line.

I have to wonder (donning my tin-foil hat) about some exemptions to the closures of businesses. Maybe they are anticipating violence before long. Or, this is just the South. Of exempted businesses, gun stores are one. People in these parts, tend to protect what is theirs. A region of avid hunters and gun owners in the South. You think bread and toilet paper is in short supply? Try buying some ammunition. Most of the stores are limiting customers to one or two boxes. Yes, I hate to admit it, but I was in line with two boxes. We live facing the main highway, an easy target for a quick home invasion “hit-and-run”. If things do get bad, I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I’ve been in law-enforcement, and know how crazy and evil desperate people can be. We’ve seen too many vehicles driving slowly through this park that don’t live here.

Excuse me, but I need to start a pot of coffee. The temperature has dropped, and the expected storms are getting close. Stay safe, stay healthy.

Day 15 of “Shelter at Home”.

~ Ron Walker ~ 25 Comments

I’ve been remiss at blogging for lack of content over the last few days (sometimes months). However, when you are confined to the house, you go with the flow.

15 days ago, the first case of Corvid-19 was reported in Alabama. Today there are 641 confirmed cases and 3 deaths. Such a horrible thing to keep track of. This is much worse than the other epidemics I have seen in my 68 years on this planet, but we will survive.

Store shelves at Walmart are still strangely bare in areas. Bread has returned, but can goods are way behind. Interruption of the transport side of Walmart? What’s with the rush on Spaghetti sauce?

Click for larger images.

Get my fill of crazy

I’ve found things to do around the house. Thing is, it seems the more we clean, the more disorganized things look. Staying home isn’t so bad. I spent my life working with the public, so I’ve had my fill of rowdy crowds and crazy people. If I get to feeling the need for a refresher in how crazy people can be, I just go to Walmart to pick up an item, and get my fill of crazy. Of course, I only go when I need meds refilled. I’ve rearranged/organized my office to the point I can’t find anything.

At one point, I got really bored, and thought I would install Windows 10 on our spare laptop. Everything went well, until it became time for the next regular update. Needing windows to do something, I dug out the trusty laptop. It decided it was time to do an update. It took over an hour before it finished. So I took the opportunity to let Bones pose for a photo-op. He just hangs around in the closet, until I need him as a visual aid.

Bones, my office assistant.

Then yesterday, apparently the lock-down insanity had a moment. I decided maybe a deep cleaning of the keyboard was in order. Especially since the “k” key was now randomly typing a 3. If you ever think it’s a good idea to do this, just let that thought go. After all that work, it still doesn’t work right.

My poor keyboard.

How are you coping with home bound restrictions during this Pandammit (my new name for it). Share your story if you wish.

Comments always welcome,

Mother Nature, has called for a “Reset”.

~ Ron Walker ~ 20 Comments

Some religious beliefs, think of the Earth as a living thing. Native Americans have long hinted at a “reset” that would come about if we continued to abuse our living host. Fanciful thinking? Or an analogy for what is occurring. Will we listen? I doubt it.

This virus has been with us for longer than we know. The numbers continue rising each day, not from spread, but from discovery. Testing was woefully inadequate, so as more are tested, the numbers rise. Take a look at the picture below, and you can imagine how fast it traveled, just in the US. I think our family unit of four, had it back in January, before it was a “thing”. My brother-in-law worked in the largest city, where there are more cases due to the population, and the international airport. We had all the symptoms they describe, but thought it was the normal Winter Flu. Only this was much worse. My mother-in-law who was in her 70s was hospitalized by the high fever. She also had severe COPD and lung cancer. She passed away within two weeks. All of us recovered even though the wife and I have compromised immune systems. I’m 68 and diabetic.

Global warming frenzy. Humans aren’t causing it, but we are enhancing it. For millennia, the Earth has warmed and cooled, from tropical to ice age, a natural cycle. In the last few hundred years, we have upset this cycle by adding our influences. Whether it be noise, light, or trash. Have you ever looked at the traffic just from Aviation. Many of them carrying fewer passengers each year. Check this site. The picture below, was taken this morning at 8:22am central time. Imagine the exhaust being generated by all those massive aircraft. Now, think of this. This picture shows a greatly reduced amount of aircraft, due to the coronavirus. Imagine a normal day. Of course, we are told it is the release of power plants burning coal that fills the air. No one dare mention such a huge lobby as the airline industry. Add to that the millions of vehicles every day.

https://www.flightradar24.com/33.21,-94.45/5

We have become an “always on” species. Nothing sleeps anymore in the quest for the last dollar. Light pollution, noise, radio emissions, smog. Here in the South, the fireflies of our youth, sometimes called lightning bugs, are getting scarce. Some researchers claim that light pollution makes it harder for the insects to find one another’s flashes and reproduce, so they move to other areas, the mating has been interrupted reducing the numbers. The bees are losing numbers, the beautiful butterflies once so numerous, are declining.

The US wasn’t prepared, why? Well, when things go well for a long time, people grow complacent, distracted. Our CDC which is charged with testing, prevention, and monitoring of diseases, grew bored over the last 20+ years. They shifted to trying to prevent gun violence and counting the deaths from firearms. Or alcohol related deaths. They forgot that most of those things are “learned behaviors” not diseases. Well, they didn’t exactly forget, they just shifted over, so they could collect more funding. After all, you get more cash following politically hot subjects. They spent little time improving our testing and readiness for a pandemic.

The Earth is sick, we have become the germ, and it now moves to protect itself. Sound crazy? Maybe, maybe not. In a way, it is the natural order of things. Those who continue the status quo, will suffer the most, those that slow down, avoid it where possible, will survive. Question is, can our society that has always lived on the edge from day to day, survive while slowing down. The greedy, and the less intelligent will not fair so well during a reset. I know some young people today that are still going out, moving about because they are “bored”.

Enough Doom and Gloom, share a cyber smile today.

Stay safe friends, I cherish you all.

Comments always welcome.

Laughing at the responses to “Imminent Danger”

~ Ron Walker ~ 11 Comments

This is not meant to be an end of the world post, or total doom and gloom. I’m just putting this out there. More of a tongue in cheek look at the panic and irrational reactions done by regular (or are they) people, and at times, those in charge.

If you step back and look, you can spot where the last dime is being milked before they are forced to comply with suggestions to curb social interactions, and slow the spread of the current Covid-9 virus. Take for example. Alabama decides to appear to be doing something useful to slow the spread. What? Closed the beach parking areas in the tourist areas of the popular Gulf coast area. You know, “If they can’t park, they won’t go to the beach”. However, so as not to lose too much money, let’s leave the beaches open to the public a while longer, just close the parking lots..

Worked great, for about 30 seconds.

Let there be drink!

“Fear not the evil sickness among us, for we must not let our citizens, be of thirst” Book of Alabama :Chapter 20 Verse 20 (Year of the COVID-19).


Keeping the Coffers full, requires selling Alcohol to the citizens. You make tax revenue from sales, plus you arrest them for drunk driving which generates revenue, then you turn around and provide treatment for the alcoholics, with the tax money. I never have wrapped my head around the economics of that plan.

8:25pm They passed an “Emergency Order”, how thoughtful.

Curbside alcohol sales: The ABC Board has passed an emergency order to allow for the curbside sales of alcoholic beverages at licensed locations in the state. Locations licensed to sell alcohol for on-premise and/or off-premise consumption will be able to sell at the curbside for pick-up or takeout. Shoppers are limited to one 750 ml bottle of spirits; one 750 ml bottle of wine; or a six pack of beer. All products must be sold in sealed, unopened containers.

One Hot dog Bun, too much to wish for?

Ever had your taste set for a flavor, to the point you’re nearly salivating on your shirt? Last night, I had a craving for a nice Polish Kielbasa sausage. The kind that is juicy, pops when you bite into it. Choice of condiments, and Sauerkraut sprinkled on it. In a nice warm bun. I went to three stores within a mile of our house knowing there would be few people shopping here in the rural area. No bread. Nothing left but dinner rolls, and sourdough bread, but that just sounded nasty with a beautifully grilled Kielbasa. I nearly cried. I stood there, gazing at the bare shelves, except for the dinner rolls by themselves on a table to the left of me. It seemed hopeless, how can the world survive with no buns for Kielbasa. Then while in the third store the phone call came, I actually felt lightheaded. Michelle had found 2 fresh hotdog buns in the bread box!

Time to play it cool

I was probably the only idiot with a spring in my step and a can of sauerkraut in my hand, smiling like I’d won the lottery while the young clerk rang up my purchase. Then it was time to play it cool, checking out with a can of sauerkraut and a smile on your face in these parts, means you have hotdogs, or something better! I imagined the clerk quickly dialing the phone at her register, whispering to her redneck boyfriend, that an old guy just bought a can of kraut, so he must have hotdog buns! Maybe even toilet paper!

I made it the half mile back to the Trailerhood without incident, then turned the large dogs out, just in case I was followed.

No Bread
They missed the paper towels!
Dinner Rolls, too small.

Any of you having adventures finding bread or TP?