I just got an alert from ABC News informing me that 1 in 378 Americans tested positive for covid-19 this week. The Professor reacted to that by noting that he had tested negative. The Virginia number of cases, seven-day rolling average number of cases, and percent positivity continue to rise. My mom's assisted living facility continues to find a positive case or two in its weekly point prevalence screenings. The last email from the director said that last week's testing found only one positive resident. They did another screening yesterday; I'll probably hear the results of that tomorrow. They have had some additional deaths, though there is no way of knowing to what extent covid-19 contributed to those passings. I did learn that Virginia's definition of an outbreak is having two cases in the same time and location. So the facility has more than met that criterion.
I threw in the towel on finding my kindle and took advantage of a Woot.com special on refurbished ones. I figured that as soon as the Woot kindle arrived, I would find mine. That hasn't happened yet, but then I have yet to be able to make my way to the back of one room of boxes. My kindle is probably still out there, but while I await its finding, I can read The Kingdom by Jo Nesbo, a kindle book I pre-ordered that just dropped.
I did make it partway through my earring stash. I'm going to end up with a pile of ones I just don't know about, and that's when I involve The Professor in the process. When I worked full-time and had to dress as an adult, I would take him clothes shopping with me. The outfits that he helped me pick out always drew more compliments than the ones I picked out on my own.
The Masters golf tournament started today. When I talked with my mom yesterday, she said she might not watch it this year even though her number one favorite golfer, Tiger Woods, is the defending champion. (He has finished the first round and is currently tied for third, thought that could change as other golfers finish their rounds.) That comment was a bit disconcerting; I cannot remember her ever not watching it when Woods was playing. It's actually the only golf tournament I will willingly watch, especially the final round. There always seems to be some huge shot or comeback or collapse that makes watching it worthwhile. It does seem strange to have them playing in fall rather than spring and for there to be no galleries.
So far, eight college football games scheduled for this weekend have been postponed or cancelled due to covid-19 cases on one team, the other, or both. I still have mixed feelings about bringing back sports in which players are in close contact. Cross country or swimming where there is a natural distance between competitors are one thing. Sports in which two people get in each other's faces are another. But with colleges and universities hurting financially, I can see why they would want to keep as many sports as possible.
On the money for colleges and universities front, New Mexico State University is bringing out its own brand of whiskey. Gotta love their ingenuity. I'm not a big whiskey drinker, or I'd try to order a bottle.
2 comments:
I was going to say that universities were big in the news here but that seems to be so day before yesterday. The big news then was mass testing of students to allow them to travel home safely for the holidays except today's news seems to be that the new speedy test is not very sensitive and can miss up to half of positive cases. With a bit of luck it won't affect my student at all as I persuaded him to travel two days early for his two week break which meant he was home when the lockdown kicked in. I think the way the dates work out he will be on virtual learning until after Christmas.
Your mum may not want to watch the golf because it will be different this year, not at all as she remembers it. When restaurants were open here there was one where we walked out into the car park afterwards, declared it to be too weird and decided not to return until normality was restored. If it's going to feel strange then I don't want to do it (it was the salad bar regime in case you were wondering).
No azaleas in bloom on the 13th green!! I always loved seeing that. A while back we had a computer golf game that included Augusta National and the graphics had azaleas in bloom there...
Given that restaurants seem to be high on the list of places that spread the virus, four times higher than coffee shops and gyms, and all those being higher than hotels*, we'll continue doing takeout when the impulse strikes us, though it's never as good as freshly served. We're even thinking of getting Thanksgiving dinner takeout from a local small restaurant (that others in the neighborhood enjoy...we've never eaten there, but T-day dinner for two including pie is $50). (*I learned this from today's NYTimes weekly news quiz after I answered incorrectly.)
Caroline, I hope your student is and stays Covid-free this winter (you as well!). Will you see your mum for the holidays (I can't remember whether you're seeing her regularly or not)?
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