Here we are now, entertain us

 Kurt Cobain - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - Twin Peaks - Audrey Horne meme

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

• Best movies: classics, feel good, franchise series, romantic, and unexpected. 
• John Oliver is taking his show in a new direction with Cat Week Tonight.
• Space Force trailer finds Steve Carell leading charge to colonize space.
• TV Guide: tv shows and movies to watch in May during continued isolation.
• Weatherman’s dog Brody crashed forecast, became quarantine hero.

  

Daily pandemic update:  

Brazil's health minister said for the first time that lockdowns may be needed to contain the virus amid record high infections and deaths. Poland postponed its May 10 presidential election after lockdown threw preparations for the poll into disarray. The UK hit the highest death toll in Europe even as cases rose rapidly in Russia, which reported more than 10,000 cases for the fourth successive day. Spain extended the state of emergency imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic for two more weeks from Sunday, allowing the government to control people's movements as it gradually relaxes a national lockdown.

In a reversal from earlier statements, US President Donald Trump says the US emergency task force handling his administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak will not be wound down as he stated a day earlier, and will instead continue its work indefinitely. He also he would announce new members of the coronavirus task force by Monday, as its focus turns to medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the risks of returning to lock down if countries emerging from pandemic restrictions do not manage transitions "extremely carefully and in a phased approach".  Aljazeera.com timeline

7 May 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
13:09 GMT*	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today
World	3,740,583	3,849,046	258,481	265,908	1,247,191	1,317,092
US	1,237,761	1,263,697	72,275	74,813	200,669	213,109
NY	330,139	333,491	25,204	25,956	53,731	54,597
CT	30,621	30,995	2,633	2,718	65	65
NC	12,511	13,054	470	493	1,808	1,808

*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: 

• 51% of North Carolinians are at higher risk of contracting coronavirus due to age and/or underlying health conditions.
• AZ Gov Ducey disbanding science panel as he reopens state.
• Bicyclists celebrate National Bike Month online with #BikesUnite pics and posts.
• Children hospitalized with mysterious illness possibly linked to COVID-19.
• China is reportedly silencing survivors questioning what went wrong with early response.
• CNN explored psychology behind reasons why some people don’t wear masks: freedom, appearance, confusion, comfort. OH rep Nino Vitale believes wearing a mask dishonors God. Bless his heart.  
• Drug smugglers may have started outbreak aboard US Navy destroyer.
• Global survey: trust in government hit record high; in the US trust for local leaders is higher than federal government.
• India lock down extended two more weeks.
• Indianapolis police shot and killed Sean Reed; video broadcast on Facebook live. 
• Iranian airline linked to Revolutionary Guards defied coronavirus ban on China flights. 
• Kushner’s volunteer force led fumbled search for medical supplies.
• MI protestor in infamous photo claimed he did not scream in anybody’s face.
• Motley Fool analysis: more stimulus checks are needed by families and unemployed.
• NC: three Outer Banks counties announced plans to reopen to visitors.
• NY: two thirds of hospitalized patients had been at home in self quarantine.  
• NY Gov Cuomo to work with Gates Foundation to re-imagine schools.
• Ousted vaccine director Rick Bright filed whistleblower complaint alleging coronavirus warnings were ignored. 
• Palestinians are extending coronavirus state of emergency to June 5.
• Republicans do not support proposal for additional stimulus checks for citizens.
• Scientists believe coronavirus mutated, dominant strain is more contagious than original.  
• Trump contradicted nurse over PPE availability during event honoring nurses.
• Trump said coronavirus task force will continue indefinitely, shifts focus to reopening, vaccines.
• Trump sat down with ABC News David Muir for rare interview not on Fox News.
• Trump’s wish for payroll tax cut is not supported by democrats or republicans.
• TX hair salons will reopen May 8 and gyms will reopen May 18. 
• US lawmakers bitterly divided over additional stimulus payments to Americans.
• Whistleblower: US failed to prepare, then sought quick fix for coronavirus.

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

• All-in challenge lemonade stand fundraiser with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman deadline is May 8.
• Car parade showed support for residents and staff at Windsor CT nursing home.
• Longleaf Film Festival #AloneTogether viewing party is available online May 8-9.
• OK dad builds fully functioning bowling alley in back yard.
• PA teenager is delivering puzzles and handwritten notes to nursing home residents.

  

In my personal life…

When Greg worked I had the house to myself for 8 hours a day, plenty long enough to miss him and be genuinely glad to see him walk through the door each afternoon. When we are home together 24/7 I still very much enjoy being with him though it’s hard to miss someone when you are never apart. Actually, he does leave the house occasionally. He goes outside to mow the lawn and fix things on his cars and to wash them and to walk Minerva periodically. And he went to Lowe’s home supply store the other day. Thinking he was going to be gone a while, I started watching the first episode of the Last Dance on demand. Got about 20 minutes into it when he came back inside. Could have finished watching but decided to pause it as a courtesy to Greg. I’m not a mousy subservient wife by any stretch of the imagination, though when it comes to the big screen I usually defer to Greg because he genuinely enjoys watching tv more than me. Also, I can watch what I choose on my laptop or iPad whenever I want. Giving Greg dibs on the tv remote is a small sacrifice for domestic harmony.

  

Greg and I have slightly different sleep patterns so I have windows of opportunity to watch what I want without worrying about hogging the one tv in the house. Typically I wake up before Greg, take Minerva out for a walk, then have a little time to myself before Greg wakes up. At night Greg usually goes to bed before me, which gives me another opportunity to clear something off the DVR if I’m in the mood. Greg often watches tv on his tablet in the bedroom before falling asleep. Shows that I don’t like, Dr. Pimple Popper for example, are reserved specifically for when we’re in different rooms.

Usually we watch tv together in the living room, relaxing in side-by-side recliners. Sometimes I kinda sorta half way pay attention while doing something else, and sometimes I nap or go outside. A few days ago he wanted to watch I Am Legend (again) but didn’t want to pay $4 on demand so he picked some lesser known classics instead: Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, Gamer, Stranger than Fiction, Sword of Trust. We’ve watched all the Sharknado movies together. And mixed in amongst silly movies we saw two delightfully heartwarming films recently: Yesterday and Blinded by the Light.  

Must see shows we watch together include: American Housewife, Better Call Saul, Brockmire, Discovery of Witches, Emergence, the Neighborhood, the Rookie, Single Parents, Stumptown, Walking Dead, Westworld, and Young Sheldon. We've binged several shows over the years: Ozark, Stranger Things, Hell on Wheels, Longmire, Frontier, Magnum PI, and Homicide Hunter with Joe Kenda. 

  

Greg's favorite channels are Motortrend, Cooking Channel, DIY, Food Network, Hallmark Mysteries, HGTV, History, and SyFy. His favorite shows include pretty much anything on Motortrend plus American Pickers, Barnwood Builders, Salvage Dawgs, Carnival Eats, Good Eats, Man Fire Food, and Ridiculousness on MTV. 

My go to channels are PBS, Reelz, Smithsonian, and Vice. My favorite shows that Greg doesn’t like include: A Million Little Things, Chicago PD, the Connors, the Good Doctor, Dark Side of the Ring, Finding Your Roots, Mixedish, New Amsterdam, 911, Christiane Amanpour, PBS News Hour, CBS Sunday Morning, biographies, documentaries, historical dramas and political debates. I also enjoy limited series like Don’t F*ck with Cats and McMillions. 

Shows I've thought about watching but haven't yet include Brooklyn Nine Nine and Zoey's Incredible Play List. At the top of my want to see move list is Stan & Ollie with Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. After I catch up on the Last Dance maybe I'll watch one of those but probably not for a while. Between gardening and blogging I don't have much spare time. Before the pandemic I spent part of my days reading free library books through Libby. Looking forward to getting back to pleasure reading after the crisis subsides. Hopefully eventually life will calm down enough that I will no longer feel compelled to follow the news quite so closely. 

 

Sometimes we re-watch favorite movies. We saw Frequency on our first date so it's a go to date night pick. Greg's personal faves include Bad Words with Justin Bateman, a Good Year with Russell Crowe, Sideways with Paul Giamatti, a Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger, all the John Wick movies, and various other action flicks starring Denzel Washington, Duane Johnson, Keanu Reeves and Liam Neeson among others. 

I gravitate toward tragic romances when I'm sad or feel like I need a good cry: Crazy Rich Asians, the Lake House, Sweet November, Dr. Zhivago and pretty much any film based on a Nicholas Sparks book usually do the trick. I also like smart comedies, dramatic character studies like Olive Kittridge, historical dramas and war films like Dunkirk and 1917.  

Tuesday night / Wednesday morning I woke up around 3am because I thought someone was knocking on our door. It turned out to be the buckle of Minerva’s collar against the side of the tv cabinet when she shook her head, which sounded a bit like someone knocking on a door. It freaked me out enough that I couldn’t go back to sleep right away. Slept a little between 7am and 10am, skipped breakfast, then ate the last of the pad Thai for lunch. Greg ate a ham sandwich for lunch but wasn’t hungry for dinner, though he graciously made a turkey sandwich for me around 6pm.

While I napped and worked on the blog, Greg did laundry and ordered a few groceries online around 10am. A woman named Karen started to fill the order but the Instacart system crashed and she couldn’t finish so she called Greg to let him know. A man named Deontrey shopped and delivered the groceries around 3pm. 

Wednesday night we stayed up past our normal bed times. I slept in Thursday morning a little later than usual. Greg woke up early and took Minerva for her first walk of the day then fell back asleep. We're both up now, considering making Scotch eggs for brunch.