Monday Mood: Meh

Confederate Pacman Rona flag for people who want to defy stay at home orders

In the spirit of sharing softer news and/or silly vibes:

• Appreciative neighbors howl for health care workers in Missoula, MT.  
• Asteroid appears to be wearing face mask.
• Donny Osmond: You can’t fire me, I’m famous.
• Kensington Palace shared artwork from and pics of 2 year old Prince Louis.  
• Randy Newman wrote song “Stay Away” about physical distancing.
• Reenactment of Trump discussing light and disinfectant injection treatment.
• Yard signs will make you chuckle, or not.

Daily pandemic update:  

Italy announced second phase of lockdown will begin from May 4. Under the plans, bars and restaurants will be able to provide takeaway as well as delivery services, and people will be allowed to move around their own regions, but not beyond. Aljazeera.com timeline

27 Apr 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
11:40 GMT*	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today
World	2,965,711	3,018,038	205,656	207,725	871,265	894,705
US	970,757	987,322	54,941	55,415	118, 633	118,705
NY	287,490	293,696	22,169	22,365	31,561	31,943
CT	24,583	25,269	1,865	1,924	63	63
NC	8,530	8,987	314	324	1,356	1,472

*Documenting time of day because real time data updates continuously.
Tracking specific states:  NY is US epicenter, son Reid lives in CT, and I live in NC. 
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/     https://www.coronainusa.com/  

A moment of silence for those we’ve lost to coronavirus, including the first 100 in the US.

In the news:  

• Biden has a coronavirus advisory group. Also, new info re: Tara Reade allegation.
• Cohen was ineligible to donate blood due to 'antiquated and discriminatory' FDA guidelines.
• FLOTUS turned 50 while POTUS spent much of the day tweeting.
• Kim Jong Un remains absent as speculations mount. China reportedly sent a team to North Korea to offer assistance. Analysts think Kim’s sister and loyalists could form regency until a successor is old enough to take over.
• Lysol and Clorox wipes probably won't be fully back in stock until July or August.
• NY Gov Cuomo clarified that NY coronavirus came from Europe, not China.
• Perceptions about oft maligned NY accent may be changing.
• Postal union leader responded to Trump’s criticism.
• Protestors have gotten creative with the protest signs.
• Some scientists fear the hunt for a coronavirus vaccine will fail and we will all have to live with the 'constant threat' of COVID-19.
• Some SoCal beaches crowded during heat wave; other beaches remain closed.
• Vicks VapoRub may temporarily relieve some cold symptoms; other uses debatable.
• White House may be considering plan to replace HHS secretary Azar.
• WHO update: no evidence antibodies protect recovered patients with immunity.

Following Kenny Beck’s lead to share a few signs of hope:

• Coursera offers online course catalog to unemployed workers for free.
• Two ER nurses got married.
• Winston Salem entrepreneur created app to help with home improvements.

In my personal life…

I was born on a Monday, actually the Monday of the Woodstock music festival – August 18, 1969. I used to tell myself that if my parents had been hippies, I could have been born during Woodstock but technically that isn’t true. Jimi Hendrix finished playing before noon and I was born at 8:36pm. In reality I would have been born during the post-event clean up phase, which is not at all interesting or romantic. My true origin story, being born in Caldwell Memorial Hospital, delivered by Doc Hairfield, is honest and fitting.

Mondays used to be my favorite day of the week when I was happy in my career. Each Monday offered a fresh start, an opportunity to do everything right this time, unlike the week before. By the time I decided to retire early, I no longer looked forward to Mondays. Now after a month of coronavirus quarantine, I struggle to keep up with what day it is. Each new day is much like the day before. There are small differences in weather: rain, sun, temperature, wind. Otherwise I feel like Bill Murray trapped in Punxsutawney during the Groundhog Day festival. This is the mood I’m in today. This is not how I feel every day. But this is how I felt when I woke up this morning.

Husband #1 and I were married on Groundhog Day in 1991. To celebrate our 5^th wedding anniversary we flew to Pittsburgh and drove to Punxsutawney. It was snowing lightly so travel was slow. When we arrived to the festival location in the wee hours of the morning, the temperature was hovering around freezing while hundreds, perhaps thousands of people stood perilously on top of sheets of ice dancing and swaying to music piped in through an outdoor sound system. 

A frat boy standing next to me accidentally bumped me, causing me to lose my balance and fall to the ground. It was truly an accident. I wasn’t bothered or hurt yet the college kid apologized profusely and reached down to help me up. “Ma’am, I’m so sorry. Are you ok?” he asked. He was probably 20 years old. I was 26. He called me ma’am. I was not physically hurt, but felt emotionally devastated, mortified. It was the first time I had ever been called ma’am. I suddenly felt old. Looking back I realize he was being polite. But in that moment I aged 20 years. Gray hairs immediately sprouted atop my head. Wrinkles furrowed tiny trenches into my face. My ovaries winced.

After witnessing Phil see his shadow, Harvey and I drove into town in search of breakfast. It seemed every local church and civic organization was serving meals to raise money for charities. We dined amid senior citizens eating pancakes on paper plates. There wasn’t much else to do or see in Punxsutawney so we drove back to Pittsburgh and toured a Carnegie museum and the Warhol museum before flying home.

A few weeks later we found out I was pregnant. Conception likely occurred in January so technically Reid was with us in Punxsutawney, an unknown stowaway. After overcoming the shock of an unplanned baby, I determined to have the best possible gestation, to cherish each moment as my body changed. Nine months passed quickly. Then Reid was born in October, at 8:51pm on a Friday night.

I wonder how many babies are going to be conceived during coronavirus quarantine. Bookies in Las Vegas are probably calculating odds. I also wonder what life will be like 9 months, a year, 18 months from now. Will there be a vaccine by then? Will we have a new president? Will life go back to 2019 normal or be forever changed? I don’t know.

It’s 9:25am and I’m hungry. There are no senior citizens offering to make pancakes in my kitchen so I’ll have to fend for myself today. That’s my Monday mood. Meh.