HITTING HOME

First was the memo from one of the places I work that does medical diagnostic testing, manages clinics and is otherwise pretty tied into the health care community.. Effective immediately people's eight hour shifts are being turned into 6 hour shifts. "For now" there will be no reduction in pay and we hope to be able to pay people for as long as possible. And of course a thank you for the help. Business was down fifty percent the week before and looks to be down 80 percent the coming week. How can anyone survive, even if the government throws money at you?

There is no traffic. Like none. I can drive three or four miles at night and see maybe two or three cars, during the day when things are normally backed up for a mile, there is no back up, you can almost shoot a cannon down Woodward. Suddenly the undercurrent of stress has ballooned into outright anxiety and fear. The stores may not be as crowed but people have just a strange look on their faces like suddenly this is real. There are now hundreds of cases, dozens of people are dead, more to come. The news just gets more depressing although the stock market has gone up for a few days so that's kinda nice. The president's briefings just get more bizarre and reinforce at least some people's beliefs, mine included that he is just buffoon. But while that may be funny talking about some things it is not funny talking about people dying, and trying to what you can to prevent that. I am constantly amazed at people that reveal in that sort of behavior from our leader. But no one really listens to me.

There is now a routine at home. School has started, work exists although for me at a reduced rate. (more about that later maybe) I went to a bank, It was open with one pissed off teller wondering why anyone should be allowed in the lobby. We make dinner, try and have camp, but all you can talk about, even when you try not to, is the Virus. It is so permeating in life that you almost give up trying to talk about anything else. I'm not sure if you have to laugh, but you do. Because at some times, it's just the only thing you can do....