God Only Knows
08/04/20 07:47
I was hoping to get down a few thoughts in this journal yesterday morning but all of that went out the window when Evan called around 8am and said that he was coming over. As nice as it is to have him pay a visit it is sometimes distracting especially when I'm trying to concentrate on doing my own thing.
Your time is just not your time anymore when your children are around. If he were living here 24/7 that would be a different story. He's not so when he does stop by we usually drop everything we're doing and we give him our undivided attention. He didn't stay long but really just long enough to take me off track and away from writing in my journal.
I was thinking before I even got started yesterday that I wasn't sure I had a lot to say. That might account for the fact that it was close to eight o'clock in the morning before I was even getting started and that is late for me. I'm off to a late start this morning as well but it has more to do with the fact that I got up later than usual than anything else. I'm not sure I have a lot to say this morning either but I'm doing it so we'll see where its goes.
I had a really good bicycle ride yesterday and I think it felt good for a couple of reasons. I rode hard which is different from having a hard ride. I pushed myself because my energy levels were pretty good and I'm starting to throw caution to the wind when it comes to having a face covering to protect from airborne viruses and the like. You know what I'm talking about.
Pulling that damn neckie up around my mouth and nose every time I passed someone or saw someone in my rear view mirror was getting a bit old and it distracted from the enjoyment I look forward to when I take a ride. I knew when the warmer weather came around that I would find the neckie to be uncomfortable and maybe I was hoping that the worst would be behind us and I wouldn't have to worry about such things.
The worse is not yet behind us but the warmer weather is here so I'm not wearing anything that I can pull up around my mouth and nose and I'm not feeling particularly guilt or exposed about it. The only time I feel a little uncomfortable is when I'm riding behind someone. I don't like being downwind from anyone for obvious reasons but it's pretty breezy day in and day out near the ocean so I've convinced myself that keeping my distance or passing them in a hurry will do the trick.
What are the chances anyway that the rider in front of me has the coronavirus? I suppose it's possible if you consider the fact that some people with the virus are asymptomatic. And what are the chances that in the swirling vortex of the North Atlantic crosswinds that constitute offshore breezes this time of year that I'll be in the crosshairs of someone else's downwind spittle? That calculation goes out too many decimal points which is a good thing.
Maybe it was just the fact that I got to the point in my ride yesterday where I would ordinarily turn off to go home and I didn't turn off but rather just kept going. The sun was shining, temperatures were in the low sixties, I had rid myself of the heaver clothing that I usually wear during the winter months, and there was nothing needing my attention back at home so off I went.
I was wearing shorts for the first time this year too so maybe I rode a bit harder than usual just to stay warm since it was still cool even though temperatures were in the low sixties. Traffic was light along the Boulevard and I never once found myself having to steer clear of congested areas to ensure a proper social distancing if that is even possible while bike riding. I asked Nancy if she might like to come biking with me but she's not ready just yet. She's a fair weather rider to be sure. I'm sure it won't be long now.
There was a bit of discussion at the President's afternoon press conference yesterday about certain minorities being at greater risk when comes to the Coronavirus. They referenced African Americans as the group in question. They are not necessarily any more susceptible than other racial groups but they have much greater mortality rates due to co-morbidities like diabetes, etc. From an epidemiological point of view, outlier groups are not unusual.
In a presidential election year, where blacks are a key constituency of the democrat party, this is something that can and will be weaponized by the democrats and the Main Street Media. I can hear it now: Trump's decision to do this that or the other thing, or to not do this that or the other thing, was designed to kill as many blacks as possible to keep them from the polls.
Maybe what he's really trying to do, since he can't kill them all, is to keep those who have yet to get sick from the virus from going to the polls. After all, what self-respecting African American wants to risk their life just to cast a vote? You can see how insane this gets but nothing is beyond the pale when it comes to winning elections and getting power back into the hands of the democrats. The Republicans want the same things but for different reasons.
Who knows what voting in November looks like as we sit here today? The dems would prefer that we all cast our votes by mail. Trump is having none of it. He knows what a train wreck it would be and it's far worse than anyone can imagine if you consider the shenanigans that would likely take place just to ensure that they (Dems) don't lose. The boxes of ballots that would suddenly appear in close races, the boxes of ballots that would disappear in close races, the skullduggery that would result in the skewing of numbers in ways you can't even imagine.
Maybe it will look a little like the voting in Wisconsin last night where people stood in line waiting for their turn to vote while wearing masks and protective gear and while practicing social distancing. I'm not sure if they have voter ID in Wisconsin but we need that nationwide to ensure that only legal residents are allowed to vote.
All you need to know about the democrats is that they don't want voter ID laws because it "disenfranchises" lower income voters, etc. Bullshit. They know that without voter ID laws that they can ensure that illegal aliens get to cast their votes and sway elections to favor the democrat candidates. Forget the busloads of college students the democrats plan to bus across state and county lines to cast not one, not two, but god only knows how many votes to make sure the dems win every election they set their sights on.
I've been dragging my feet a bit when it comes to getting out in the yard to do a little bit of cleaning up after a long but largely uneventful winter so maybe today is the day. Nancy has a leg up on the process and she's raked any number of small piles of leaves which I'm supposed to take care of or way or another. I don't mind doing it but getting started is my problem. And it's not as though I have an otherwise busy itinerary these days locked down as we are here on the seacoast and across the nation. If the good lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be there with bells on.
I still have a Christmas tree from last December in the yard that needs to go to the recycling center so there's that. I'd hoped that the local bird population hereabouts might find it to be a suitable refuge as the winter months dragged on and maybe it provided an occasional stopping off point but not much more. Now it lays on its side looking more sad than anything else and like everything else in the yard it will require a little muscle and a lot of effort on my part to do what needs to be done. That clothesline needs a fixin' too so that's on my short list.
I need a couple of things at Walmart too but I've been putting that off because I have less and less interest in going into stores these days given the Pandemic thingy. I wear gloves and a mask whenever I go into stores so I maybe I'm throwing a bit too much caution to the wind. It's hard to know just how much or how little to do knowing as little as they do about just how virulent this virus is. What precisely do I hang my hat on? Mortality rates? Infection rates? Co-morbidity factors? Regional and state death projections?
At the end of the day it is probably just easier to stay at home then try to sort it all out. So that is what we're doing. We're taking a ride in the car once a day just to get out of the house and for a much needed change of scenery. There was probably a time in the not too distant past when we would pass this or that restaurant along the way and we might entertain getting take-out for dinner. Those days are over and that makes me sad both for the restaurants trying to stay afloat and for Nancy and I who are always looking for outlets on this viral joyride we find ourselves on.
Nancy hasn't gone into a store since all of this began and she has relied on me to do all the shopping. Not that I mind but I wouldn't object if she offered to step off the curb once in a while to grab a take out order or pick up something that we need to shore up our stocks. It just ain't happenin'. Maybe if she were more accepting of certain responsibilites I might find myself being more flexible and open to doing things that I know she won't or doesn't like to do.
Shouldn't we be recalibrating our levels of caution and hysteria as this pandemic ebbs and flows? Indeed, we should. But if you don't pay attention to the news here and there how exactly do you do that? I take comfort in knowing that things are getting better, fewer people are getting infected, projections for this and that are dropping off precipitously, traffic on the roads seem to be picking up with each passing day, the stock market is ticking up, and Trump's daily press conferences are taking on a decidedly more positive tone.
Nancy is seeing and hearing none of this by choice although I pointed to the increased traffic yesterday on our afternoon ride which seemed to be of some consolation to her. I think she is still reading the horrors in the headlines in newspapers like The Boston Globe and the New York Times which love to point out what a terrible job Trump is doing and how the world is coming to an end under his tyrannical leadership during this pandemic. So much for taking your cues from the Main Street Media.
It's a new day and Evan is popping over a little after eight in the morning again. I don't like the looks of this. This is not normal. He has too much time on his hands these days and he doesn't know what to do with it. I'm delighted that he has someplace to go when he's feeling like getting out and about but there is a certain manic nature to his meanderings which never feels right to we as his parents and rarely ends well. He may be in need of money or just want something to eat. God only knows. I guess we'll find out.
Your time is just not your time anymore when your children are around. If he were living here 24/7 that would be a different story. He's not so when he does stop by we usually drop everything we're doing and we give him our undivided attention. He didn't stay long but really just long enough to take me off track and away from writing in my journal.
I was thinking before I even got started yesterday that I wasn't sure I had a lot to say. That might account for the fact that it was close to eight o'clock in the morning before I was even getting started and that is late for me. I'm off to a late start this morning as well but it has more to do with the fact that I got up later than usual than anything else. I'm not sure I have a lot to say this morning either but I'm doing it so we'll see where its goes.
I had a really good bicycle ride yesterday and I think it felt good for a couple of reasons. I rode hard which is different from having a hard ride. I pushed myself because my energy levels were pretty good and I'm starting to throw caution to the wind when it comes to having a face covering to protect from airborne viruses and the like. You know what I'm talking about.
Pulling that damn neckie up around my mouth and nose every time I passed someone or saw someone in my rear view mirror was getting a bit old and it distracted from the enjoyment I look forward to when I take a ride. I knew when the warmer weather came around that I would find the neckie to be uncomfortable and maybe I was hoping that the worst would be behind us and I wouldn't have to worry about such things.
The worse is not yet behind us but the warmer weather is here so I'm not wearing anything that I can pull up around my mouth and nose and I'm not feeling particularly guilt or exposed about it. The only time I feel a little uncomfortable is when I'm riding behind someone. I don't like being downwind from anyone for obvious reasons but it's pretty breezy day in and day out near the ocean so I've convinced myself that keeping my distance or passing them in a hurry will do the trick.
What are the chances anyway that the rider in front of me has the coronavirus? I suppose it's possible if you consider the fact that some people with the virus are asymptomatic. And what are the chances that in the swirling vortex of the North Atlantic crosswinds that constitute offshore breezes this time of year that I'll be in the crosshairs of someone else's downwind spittle? That calculation goes out too many decimal points which is a good thing.
Maybe it was just the fact that I got to the point in my ride yesterday where I would ordinarily turn off to go home and I didn't turn off but rather just kept going. The sun was shining, temperatures were in the low sixties, I had rid myself of the heaver clothing that I usually wear during the winter months, and there was nothing needing my attention back at home so off I went.
I was wearing shorts for the first time this year too so maybe I rode a bit harder than usual just to stay warm since it was still cool even though temperatures were in the low sixties. Traffic was light along the Boulevard and I never once found myself having to steer clear of congested areas to ensure a proper social distancing if that is even possible while bike riding. I asked Nancy if she might like to come biking with me but she's not ready just yet. She's a fair weather rider to be sure. I'm sure it won't be long now.
There was a bit of discussion at the President's afternoon press conference yesterday about certain minorities being at greater risk when comes to the Coronavirus. They referenced African Americans as the group in question. They are not necessarily any more susceptible than other racial groups but they have much greater mortality rates due to co-morbidities like diabetes, etc. From an epidemiological point of view, outlier groups are not unusual.
In a presidential election year, where blacks are a key constituency of the democrat party, this is something that can and will be weaponized by the democrats and the Main Street Media. I can hear it now: Trump's decision to do this that or the other thing, or to not do this that or the other thing, was designed to kill as many blacks as possible to keep them from the polls.
Maybe what he's really trying to do, since he can't kill them all, is to keep those who have yet to get sick from the virus from going to the polls. After all, what self-respecting African American wants to risk their life just to cast a vote? You can see how insane this gets but nothing is beyond the pale when it comes to winning elections and getting power back into the hands of the democrats. The Republicans want the same things but for different reasons.
Who knows what voting in November looks like as we sit here today? The dems would prefer that we all cast our votes by mail. Trump is having none of it. He knows what a train wreck it would be and it's far worse than anyone can imagine if you consider the shenanigans that would likely take place just to ensure that they (Dems) don't lose. The boxes of ballots that would suddenly appear in close races, the boxes of ballots that would disappear in close races, the skullduggery that would result in the skewing of numbers in ways you can't even imagine.
Maybe it will look a little like the voting in Wisconsin last night where people stood in line waiting for their turn to vote while wearing masks and protective gear and while practicing social distancing. I'm not sure if they have voter ID in Wisconsin but we need that nationwide to ensure that only legal residents are allowed to vote.
All you need to know about the democrats is that they don't want voter ID laws because it "disenfranchises" lower income voters, etc. Bullshit. They know that without voter ID laws that they can ensure that illegal aliens get to cast their votes and sway elections to favor the democrat candidates. Forget the busloads of college students the democrats plan to bus across state and county lines to cast not one, not two, but god only knows how many votes to make sure the dems win every election they set their sights on.
I've been dragging my feet a bit when it comes to getting out in the yard to do a little bit of cleaning up after a long but largely uneventful winter so maybe today is the day. Nancy has a leg up on the process and she's raked any number of small piles of leaves which I'm supposed to take care of or way or another. I don't mind doing it but getting started is my problem. And it's not as though I have an otherwise busy itinerary these days locked down as we are here on the seacoast and across the nation. If the good lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be there with bells on.
I still have a Christmas tree from last December in the yard that needs to go to the recycling center so there's that. I'd hoped that the local bird population hereabouts might find it to be a suitable refuge as the winter months dragged on and maybe it provided an occasional stopping off point but not much more. Now it lays on its side looking more sad than anything else and like everything else in the yard it will require a little muscle and a lot of effort on my part to do what needs to be done. That clothesline needs a fixin' too so that's on my short list.
I need a couple of things at Walmart too but I've been putting that off because I have less and less interest in going into stores these days given the Pandemic thingy. I wear gloves and a mask whenever I go into stores so I maybe I'm throwing a bit too much caution to the wind. It's hard to know just how much or how little to do knowing as little as they do about just how virulent this virus is. What precisely do I hang my hat on? Mortality rates? Infection rates? Co-morbidity factors? Regional and state death projections?
At the end of the day it is probably just easier to stay at home then try to sort it all out. So that is what we're doing. We're taking a ride in the car once a day just to get out of the house and for a much needed change of scenery. There was probably a time in the not too distant past when we would pass this or that restaurant along the way and we might entertain getting take-out for dinner. Those days are over and that makes me sad both for the restaurants trying to stay afloat and for Nancy and I who are always looking for outlets on this viral joyride we find ourselves on.
Nancy hasn't gone into a store since all of this began and she has relied on me to do all the shopping. Not that I mind but I wouldn't object if she offered to step off the curb once in a while to grab a take out order or pick up something that we need to shore up our stocks. It just ain't happenin'. Maybe if she were more accepting of certain responsibilites I might find myself being more flexible and open to doing things that I know she won't or doesn't like to do.
Shouldn't we be recalibrating our levels of caution and hysteria as this pandemic ebbs and flows? Indeed, we should. But if you don't pay attention to the news here and there how exactly do you do that? I take comfort in knowing that things are getting better, fewer people are getting infected, projections for this and that are dropping off precipitously, traffic on the roads seem to be picking up with each passing day, the stock market is ticking up, and Trump's daily press conferences are taking on a decidedly more positive tone.
Nancy is seeing and hearing none of this by choice although I pointed to the increased traffic yesterday on our afternoon ride which seemed to be of some consolation to her. I think she is still reading the horrors in the headlines in newspapers like The Boston Globe and the New York Times which love to point out what a terrible job Trump is doing and how the world is coming to an end under his tyrannical leadership during this pandemic. So much for taking your cues from the Main Street Media.
It's a new day and Evan is popping over a little after eight in the morning again. I don't like the looks of this. This is not normal. He has too much time on his hands these days and he doesn't know what to do with it. I'm delighted that he has someplace to go when he's feeling like getting out and about but there is a certain manic nature to his meanderings which never feels right to we as his parents and rarely ends well. He may be in need of money or just want something to eat. God only knows. I guess we'll find out.