The husband has turned the dining room table into his office as he participates in a proposal review meeting for--probably--the Department of Energy. Normally, this would have been done around a table in a room in Washington, DC or elsewhere. In the new normal, it's being done via Zoom. He came down on one break and noted that he missed being able to lean over to the person next to him and whisper something. He said that not being able to do that makes things go slower. The meeting is from 11:00 to 7:00 today; tomorrow's schedule will be determined by how things go today. I did warn the husband that I might, around 5:00, set a beer or glass of wine just off screen to tempt him.
The governor's presser was pretty matter-of-fact today. Phase 1 has been going on for five days, with Phase 2 being at least nine days away. I'll have to check the Health Department metrics next Thursday morning, since I imagine he will announce in Thursday's presser if Phase 1 will be extended.
I'm seeing more and more colleges and universities say they will be person-to-person come fall. Most are more than tweaking the semester schedule, though. Several are starting in August, cancelling fall break and any fall holidays, and ending person-to-person mode at Thanksgiving. Exam review and exams will happen in December, but not in person. That schedule actually doesn't sound too bad. The kids aren't going home or away for any breaks from which they could gather nasty germs. They go home for Thanksgiving and then are gone until January. The other schedule template is to start in September, cancelling fall break and any fall holidays, holding classes on the day before Thanksgiving, and finishing everything else in December in person on campus. I can't say that plan thrills me. If someone goes home for Thanksgiving and brings the virus back, people would start getting sick as exams are starting. I think that plan needs work.
Survey people might be interested to know that the local university sent a survey to three years of the undergraduate student population asking about various schedule options. The response rate was 70 percent. Anyone who's done a survey knows that that is an incredibly high figure. That shows how important the issue is to students. The husband says no one has asked faculty members about what schedule option(s) they might prefer. That's probably to be expected. The students bring tuition dollars into the university while the faculty members take salary dollars away from the university.
Day 66. If I'm still doing this on Day 666, then everything really will have gone to Hell in a handbasket or via other transportation.
1 comment:
Funnily enough I was on a thread earlier today where we were considering handbasket design (in relation to infernal travel systems). My pressing job for today involved three fresh pineapples, I'm down to one now but seriously considering a shopping run for the rest of the case. Pineapples could never be considered to be essential purchases, I don't need them but I want them. So big, so ripe, so very, very cheap.
Our next review is a week from today. Looking out of my window I'm sure that the Government will be easing because that's what's already happening on the streets. People are ignoring the idiotic guidance on seeing family and using some common sense. We've done what we were asked to, the numbers are continuing to fall but I think we're waiting on the track and trace scheme getting up and running. June 1st looks like the next key date for us.
He may be missing the whispering but is he missing the travel? That long commute to the dining room must really eat into his day.
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