How I spent my summer vacation...quarantine, I mean

I have climbed out of the muck in my swamp long enough to write a non-political essay which hopefully will shed light on the current social-isolation = self-quarantine many of us are experiencing. Now being rather new at this business, the unfolding of forced solitude is a new experience. What's that old saying? Something like you can't teach an alligator new tricks--or sum thin' like that.

Well, here's one trick I learn anew with each passing day and another millimeter on my now flourishing facial hair. Shaving. Who needs it? I won't scrape my face--at least until I once again leave my swamp to venture into the public.

Although "prepping is regarded by some, or at least was regarded by some as dumb, I began stocking up little-by-little, day-by-day with vittles (and vities) since mid-January until self-isolation in early March. Thus, with plenty of coffee, beer, eggs, and stuff, I can hold out until at least mid-April. This is when I calculate my beer supply will be exhausted. From then on, no beer but still enough other stuff to fill the gastric cavity for another month.

Thus, enough time is now available to me, inveterate (but not invertebrate) procrastinator that I am, to actually somethings considered routine by those more accustomed to doing what needs to be done, when it needs to done. So, after putting another load of used towels in the washing machine, I am tidying up. Mending clothes--no, not yet. I am not that bored--yet.

This My Carona Crisis is having multitude of initially unanticipated benefits.

For one, besides tidying and a bit of cleaning, my conversations with family have increased several fold. All to the good. Two sons, missing in action for 10 months and 5 years respectively, still do not communicate. I truly don't know whether son number one is alive or dead. He doesn't respond to emails or texts--and never, ever, will he vocally communicate. Since he lives in the heart of Gotham, I can't even ask police to do a welfare check. Mayor de Blah Blah has put an end to those types of policing.

Both daughters are doing well, as is the first Mrs. Gator. So, I send my girls and brother Alphonse Gator essays, which perhaps they delete before reading. It is hard to burn before reading, since emails consist of electrons. Maybe our resident particle physicist can tell us how electrons are born and die. For myself, this cosmology is of no import. But that's just me.

YouTube, my substitute for BoobTube, is helpful. My enormous DVD collection is ready and waiting. My equally enormous rock and roll CD collection awaits my audiophillic touch, waiting to delight my auditory cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and yes, reptile brain. Don't smirk over there--y'all have one too. It's just a matter of balance. Consider proportionality here: what is the ratio of pre-frontal activity to amygdalar-diencephalic activity. Well, if you crawl on your belly like a reptile, as I have been accused of doing (with some justification), the latter anatomic areas see much more activation than the former. But really I am trying to improve myself. Many of you would flatly deny that assertion, especially JtC, and not without reason.

Books. Yes, books. I have some. In fact I have more books that I can ever read. Some of our fellow denizens of c99 are avid readers. I salute all of you. My library is a pastiche (I haver been able to use that word heretofore) of subjects. I include for your delectation, a snapshot of one small portion of the read, partially-read, and virgin tomes lining my shelves. These serve to ground my abode, lest it float away on the high tides. Ballast, I think is what they call this extra weight.

So, in desperation, after watching the same YouTube offerings or searching for more British murder mysteries, I have opened a few books and nibbled a bit from several. My prize book however is Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary Uabridged, second edition. A classic. More than 2100 pages. Somehow, I never get past A (A is for Alligator--but you knew that).

My partner carries on what little business we currently have, whilst I stay at home nurturing facial hair and conserving beer, carefully rationing it until the sun shines on my back door again.

Notice my almost perfect abstention from issues political, and their hypocritical, metaphysical, or inscrutable connotations.

It would delight me to know what occupies the time of those self-isolating, and even those who still have outside employment or avocations.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR2-JfPaYi4]

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Pricknick's picture

As I've been self-isolating since forever, nothing has changed.
My castle may be empty but my moat is full of quarantine capable animals so that the drawbridge is only lowered so as to let the lessors in.
"Will you walk into my parlor?"

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Alligator Ed's picture

@Pricknick You wouldn't be offended if I forded your moat and crawled on my belly, would you? Of course, we'd both have to be out of Corona.

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Pricknick's picture

@Alligator Ed
Overheard in any Mexican bar in the late 70's while the locals drink bud.

On June 29, 2012, it was announced that Anheuser-Busch InBev would acquire the remaining 50% stake for an all-cash price of $20.1 billion.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Raggedy Ann's picture

I’m working from home and MrRA “layed” himself off. He is starting a garden so we can feed ourselves. Our growing season won’t start until late May so he’s getting seeds started. We also grow our own medical cannabis and have a good crop coming along nicely.

We purchased 23 chickens. We had three not laying so now they have more company and we’ll have eggs again - self-sustaining is my goal. I got my first two eggs this week. When they start laying in force, I’ll have eggs to share and sell.

Working from home is great. No more 50 mile daily commute. Two hours of my life retrieved. I can do my job whichever hours I choose so I begin around five in the morning and can have numerous outside breaks cooking breaks laundry breaks and end my day whenever. I can pop into work email on the weekend and it all adds up to 40 hours. This is a great schedule! Much more relaxing.

I enjoy cooking and find myself cooking more. I’ll do some baking on the weekend.

We have enough to last two weeks or more. Fresh stuff will be gone by then and MrRA will venture out. I don’t want to go anywhere if possible.

That’s it for us in the Land of Enchantment.

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Pricknick's picture

@Raggedy Ann

We also grow our own medical cannabis and have a good crop coming along nicely.

Seeing as how you can't start the garden untill May, you must be growing the medicinal inside.
Shame shame.
I also have a May time period for my vegatables but I've learned to cut off the power for my medicinals.
Let me tell and show you how.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Raggedy Ann's picture

@Pricknick
a sunroom, a few plants scattered in there and also in a controlled tent. This is MrRA’s baby. The job he just left was with a greenhouse operation growing hemp. We have a bit of that too.

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Alligator Ed's picture

@Raggedy Ann including a prior one about fever treatment--or NOT. Therefore, I will be posting a medical essay about things covertly COVID. You didn't think I could pass up an opportunity to make another bad pun, did you?

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I have a couple of cleaning projects.
I check my office email throughout the day.
I fire up the grill and prepare dinner in the late afternoon.
I drink the stashed beer, way more than usual, because...
And I talk to my darling lover all day long. Too damn bad there is a travel issue!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

I bought a new mattress, assorted furniture, scored a 32" tv. I do not have cable or satellite, but intend to find some use for it.
Of the 200 books I was prepared to ditch, my contractors spoke up for half of them. Tons of US history, even a set of leather bound books about various and sundry periods of our history, and some extraordinary people.
I still have a heavy (and tough to load by myself) load of boxes to put in my truck, and hope to sweet talk my pal at the county garbage disposal unit to help me toss them into the bin.
I figure tomorrow evening I will need a back rub. And extra beer.
I am not going to worry about those 30 days to respond to admissions and denials deadlines, I will not worry about getting motions filed.
I flipped the Off Switch on work.
This is new territory.
But I am staying as safe as I can, and am wrapping my brain around being happy.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Alligator Ed's picture

@on the cusp Sing along if you will. I know I will. Good thing you can't hear me. Despite many voice lessons, I can only hiss loudly.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpY85xvtwR0]

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Alligator Ed's picture

@Alligator Ed

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8 users have voted.

I do not wish to sing.(Or to hear you sing. I had voice lessons, too. That just educated us on what we can't do.) I wish to dance with my guy, and most likely we would get thrown out of the bar! Lol! There's only so much management can take!
GREAT STUFF all the way around, and we have no other choice but to just take this shit on, deal with it!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Jen's picture

It's hard to tell what day it is anymore. One day seems to blend into the next.

Since I have not worked for a paycheck in 25 years, I've had a long time to get used to spending a lot of time at home. Most of the things I used to do to pass the time I can no longer concentrate on - like reading a book , playing PC games, or watching a movie. I can still watch 30 minutes to an hour of tv shows every other day or so, but any longer than that and my mind starts thinking of what else I could be doing. I'm currently playing 3 mobile games, but I can't do that for very long either - 15 minutes at a time is usually more than enough.

My daughter is staying with her daughter at children's hospital NICU. They will only allow one parent to stay now and if they leave the premises they won't be allowed back in. The earliest that my granddaughter will be able to come home is around the beginning of May. She is up to 3 lbs, 9.7 oz as of 2 days ago. It's been almost 3 weeks (March 9) since I last saw her in person.

Today was the first day my husband has worked this week. Probably work tomorrow (our 26th anniversary) also. This week we have been cleaning and fixing things. He works on the basement and outside while I work on the rest of the house. Since it looks like my daughter and granddaughter will be coming home to here when she is released, I am trying to deep clean and make it as clean and safe as possible for her. We have an upstairs that is just one big room and we are going to divide it into three rooms - one for my daughter, one for my granddaughter, and a small section in the middle will stay open and be used for a sewing room (haven't sewed in over 10 years but I plan to start again - someday). Our landlord lives in Wisconsin and is related by marriage to my husband so we can improve this place in any way that we see fit and the expenses and work will be taken off the rent.

My son will keep his job at UT as a landscaper. He will work every other week and will also get paid for the weeks that he's off. I'm thankful for that.

The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining (today at least), and it's going to be a high of 80 today.

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Is it great yet?

Alligator Ed's picture

@Jen Nothing breeds anxiety like being in an NICU with every flavor of nurse, doctor, technician darting around. Them little ones were always out of my field of interest. Too small. But some love dealing with the wee ones.

So, what to do when the mobile games stop working? Sounds like needle and thread time perhaps.

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