Coming in from walking the family dog this morning, I had the sense of coming back into a balloon in which I lived. There was a real sense of warmth, as if I had wrapped a warm blanket around myself. I felt more comfortable in here than I did out there even if there were no people out there with whom I needed to avoid contact.
Virginia yesterday became the second state in which schools are closed for the remainder of the academic year. Kansas was the other one, though there may be more by now. Entertainment and recreational establishments were ordered closed, and strict limits were put on the number of shoppers allowed in some retail establishments at the same time. We are not - yet - expected to stay indoors and shelter in place, something one in three Americans is now doing, but our turn could come.
We probably all have friends or acquaintances who cannot lock their doors and shelter in place. The work they do is seen as essential to taking care of the rest of us. An emergency room nurse on the front lines of the pandemic. A truck driver who hauls things that absolutely must get from Point A to Point B within a certain time. A delivery person or one who hands me my food at the drive-through window. These people may have their own bubble to which they return when they can, but they have to leave it again on a regular basis.
We probably all have friends or acquaintances who wish they could leave their bubble because food on the table comes only from their work outside that bubble. The week before my stay in the Hermitage began, I tipped two regular service providers more than I usually would, knowing that if their job did not disappear, the people who came for the service provided might. I hope that both are still there when we no longer need to live in bubbles.
I try not to feel guilty about the fact that I can afford to stay in my bubble and do not have to leave it, really, for anything foreseeable. Thanks to cancellations of all kinds, the next out-of-bubble event on my calendar is a haircut in late May. I would hope that life would have at least neared normality by then, but what if this really is the new normal? I am really not sure I want to live out my days in a bubble, comfortable though it may be. For now, I will think of this time not as a new normal but as an abnormal. I hope I'm correct in that thinking.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020
The View from the Hermitage, Day 8
Here in Virginia, the governor will announce today what is going to happen with public K-12 education. Right now, schools must be closed for the rest of this week. After that has been up to each school division. The county schools here, for example, say they will be closed through April 10. Their spring break is April 6 through 10, and they likely think that sending kids back for one week sandwiched between weeks off is not a good idea. Older son thinks the governor will close public schools for the rest of the academic year. Much as I hate to say it, I agree.
I commented to older son that the county superintendent has noted that they will not be holding students back despite their having missed most of the second semester. Older son countered by asking how many students were held back in a normal year. Yeah, not many. Leaving AP or IB classes out of the equation, the real problem area is math. A student with close to only two-thirds of a year of Algebra I will not transition well to Algebra II, especially in a system that places Geometry between the two years of algebra. Foreign languages also depend on the foundation laid in a previous year, but only in that the starting point of the next year's subject matter shifts back to where instruction ended the previous year.And let's not forget to ask what the summer slump will be like after six months of "summer vacation" rather than two or three. It sets some kids up to playing catch-up for the rest of their K-12 career.
The New York Times has a fascinating article today, "The Virus Can Be Stopped but Only With Harsh Steps, Experts Say." I read the online version, but can't imagine it is not also in the print edition. The thesis was that the measures China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have used to rein in the coronavirus would be anathema to Americans. An example would be to use the GPS capability of cell phones to tell when someone has gone outside their isolation or quarantine quarters. In South Korea, they use a GPS app and violators pay an $8,000 fine. Such apps along with credit card and bank records can help in tracing contacts by enabling officials to see where someone was while they were contagious but before becoming symptomatic. Doing this well is vital to stopping the virus from infecting others. Can you imagine the furor that would result were those measures even suggested here?
Given the education theme I unintentionally started above, is the decision of if and when to close schools. According to the Times's article, this is not uniformly considered to be a good idea. Right now, schools are closed in 45 of the 50 states. That children can be carriers of the coronavirus has not been established, though since they are basically asymptomatic, they could channel Typhoid Mary. Some experts argue that closing schools puts children at home meaning some essential personnel may not be able to go to work. At the same time, closing schools helps maintain social distance between the adults who must work at those schools. We are apparently damned if we do and damned if we don't. I am glad I am not the one who has to make the decision.
I commented to older son that the county superintendent has noted that they will not be holding students back despite their having missed most of the second semester. Older son countered by asking how many students were held back in a normal year. Yeah, not many. Leaving AP or IB classes out of the equation, the real problem area is math. A student with close to only two-thirds of a year of Algebra I will not transition well to Algebra II, especially in a system that places Geometry between the two years of algebra. Foreign languages also depend on the foundation laid in a previous year, but only in that the starting point of the next year's subject matter shifts back to where instruction ended the previous year.And let's not forget to ask what the summer slump will be like after six months of "summer vacation" rather than two or three. It sets some kids up to playing catch-up for the rest of their K-12 career.
The New York Times has a fascinating article today, "The Virus Can Be Stopped but Only With Harsh Steps, Experts Say." I read the online version, but can't imagine it is not also in the print edition. The thesis was that the measures China, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have used to rein in the coronavirus would be anathema to Americans. An example would be to use the GPS capability of cell phones to tell when someone has gone outside their isolation or quarantine quarters. In South Korea, they use a GPS app and violators pay an $8,000 fine. Such apps along with credit card and bank records can help in tracing contacts by enabling officials to see where someone was while they were contagious but before becoming symptomatic. Doing this well is vital to stopping the virus from infecting others. Can you imagine the furor that would result were those measures even suggested here?
Given the education theme I unintentionally started above, is the decision of if and when to close schools. According to the Times's article, this is not uniformly considered to be a good idea. Right now, schools are closed in 45 of the 50 states. That children can be carriers of the coronavirus has not been established, though since they are basically asymptomatic, they could channel Typhoid Mary. Some experts argue that closing schools puts children at home meaning some essential personnel may not be able to go to work. At the same time, closing schools helps maintain social distance between the adults who must work at those schools. We are apparently damned if we do and damned if we don't. I am glad I am not the one who has to make the decision.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
The View from the Hermitage, Day 7
Older son, the husband, and I took Lassa, the family dog, on a "pack walk" at a nearby park this morning. The dog park was limited to ten "patrons (humans)" who were asked to keep their distance from each other. Lassa views the dog park as the opportunity to get petted by any and every human there, and there were no humans there at the time, so we just walked. Because we all walk at somewhat different paces and because older son was going where Lass led him, keeping a social distance was easy. All the other people we saw were solitary with the exception of a couple running into the park as we drove out. She was pushing a pram that likely held in infant. He was pushing a double stroller holding two toddlers. Since they couldn't really keep social distance between adult and child being pushed, social distance between the two adults was probably superfluous.
On the news front, once again The Post's front page was all pandemic all the time. The Sports section (now only available on Sunday) was all of six pages, one of which held a full page ad. One and two-thirds of a page were devoted to a list of sports-related movies chosen by Post sportswriters, columnists, and editors. I've seen only four of the 32 movies listed; perhaps I really should get out more. On a related note, the posts of an internet-based quilt group to which I belong have of late focused on what to binge-watch or just watch while hermitting. Most of the titles mentioned are unfamiliar to me, possibly the only person in the country who has never watched any of "Downton Abbey," series or movie, or the movie "Titanic."
My kids are grown, so I won't years from now be asked by my children, "What did you do in the pandemic, Mom?" I'm clearly not watching TV, at least anything other than the news. I am likely on this computer too much, checking email and Facebook far too often. Writing this blog takes more than a few minutes each day. For some strange reason, officers of the quilt guild for which I am webmaster have used their free time to come up with more than several additions to the guild website. I have two non-trivially sized additions to make once I'm done or take a break from writing this post. I was working on a bag my local guild is doing as a sew-along, but I got bored with that and yesterday pieced a small quilt or large wall hanging. Creative undertakings help me ignore whatever news I am not hearing at the time.
While I do follow news of the pandemic on the television or computer, I probably would not need to. What I hear from the husband and older son would be sufficient to tell me things could be going better. I fear being sucked into the news coverage, becoming too obsessed with the who, what, when, etc. of the larger story, in which case my current doses of anti-depressants might not be enough. At the same time, though, I don't want to be the ostrich burying its head in the sand. There is a happy medium out there between too much and too little pandemic news. Some days I can find it; other days, I can't.
On the news front, once again The Post's front page was all pandemic all the time. The Sports section (now only available on Sunday) was all of six pages, one of which held a full page ad. One and two-thirds of a page were devoted to a list of sports-related movies chosen by Post sportswriters, columnists, and editors. I've seen only four of the 32 movies listed; perhaps I really should get out more. On a related note, the posts of an internet-based quilt group to which I belong have of late focused on what to binge-watch or just watch while hermitting. Most of the titles mentioned are unfamiliar to me, possibly the only person in the country who has never watched any of "Downton Abbey," series or movie, or the movie "Titanic."
My kids are grown, so I won't years from now be asked by my children, "What did you do in the pandemic, Mom?" I'm clearly not watching TV, at least anything other than the news. I am likely on this computer too much, checking email and Facebook far too often. Writing this blog takes more than a few minutes each day. For some strange reason, officers of the quilt guild for which I am webmaster have used their free time to come up with more than several additions to the guild website. I have two non-trivially sized additions to make once I'm done or take a break from writing this post. I was working on a bag my local guild is doing as a sew-along, but I got bored with that and yesterday pieced a small quilt or large wall hanging. Creative undertakings help me ignore whatever news I am not hearing at the time.
While I do follow news of the pandemic on the television or computer, I probably would not need to. What I hear from the husband and older son would be sufficient to tell me things could be going better. I fear being sucked into the news coverage, becoming too obsessed with the who, what, when, etc. of the larger story, in which case my current doses of anti-depressants might not be enough. At the same time, though, I don't want to be the ostrich burying its head in the sand. There is a happy medium out there between too much and too little pandemic news. Some days I can find it; other days, I can't.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
The View from the Hermitage, Day 6
Once again, every article on the front page of The Washington Post is about the covid-19 pandemic. The Monday through Saturday Sports section is no more, sports having been relegated to be the last pages of the Style section except for on Sunday. When the husband comes up from the bedroom, his first priority is coffee. The next is checking various news sources on his smartphone. I could not escape all this if I tried.
As older son and I walked the family dog this morning, we discussed the current administration in general terms. Older son is reading a book about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. He said he'd had to pause reading the description of FEMA's arriving and trying to normalize things as much as possible. We agreed that we never thought we'd say it, but we both miss President George W. Bush. He, or at least his advisors, knew what circumstances needed. Bush's speech at Ground Zero was what the country needed to hear at that time. Obama's comments after a number of school shootings (Aside: I should not be able to write "a number of" there.) showed his compassion as well as his belief that things should change. Obama's breaking into "Amazing Grace" at the funeral in Charleston--it was what was needed at that time.
And what words or acts are needed now? Certainly not yesterday's incident in the press room, Peter Alexander's question about what the president would tell people who are scared. The President's answer? Words to the effect that the question was a "very nasty" one and Alexander was a "terrible" reporter. The quizzical look on Alexander's face was priceless. It was not a bad question. In fact, it was a softball question that the president could and should have hit out of the park. A gimme presented on a silver platter. Alexander later posed the same question to Vice President Pence, who gave a very appropriate answer: "Don't be afraid. Be vigilant."
What do I need? One in five Americans has been told to stay home; the rest are supposed to distance themselves socially. While many are, I'd like to hear that at least more if not all of the others are doing the same. The photos from Spring Break scare me, as does a photograph the husband showed me of thousands of people in Bangladesh, crowded cheek to jowl to pray for the end of the virus. I know that Bangladesh ranks 10th in the world in terms of population density, but still, can't they do better? Older son says that the people in the house diagonally across the street from him are having nightly barbecue parties on the front lawn. People come and go, and social distance seems a foreign concept.
I need to know that the people leading the federal efforts are the right ones. Vice President Pence may know what people want to hear, but he does not have the appropriate knowledge and experience to direct the federal task force in charge of it all. And don't get me started on Jared Kushner's involvement. If Anthony Fauci dies or gets fired, we're doomed.
I need to know that contract or wage employees are not being sent to a poorhouse or, worse, left high and dry. Our gym is waiving the dues due on April 1, but members who want to can pay their dues, with the money going to help staff in need. Three guesses what we are going, and the first two don't count. I need to know that kids who are too young are not being left home alone because their day care or school has closed. Paychecks vs. children. A reporter on NBC News last night noted that many people are facing Sophie's choice right now.
And I need to know something that no one can say right now, that this is not the new normal. There are so many walls between cultures, genders, religions already; physical distance only magnifies those differences. I need to know that hugging will someday be okay again. I need to know that one day I will get up and be able to read five or six articles on The Post's first page that are not all on the same subject. I need a Sports section, damn it! I need so many things I used to take for granted.
As older son and I walked the family dog this morning, we discussed the current administration in general terms. Older son is reading a book about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. He said he'd had to pause reading the description of FEMA's arriving and trying to normalize things as much as possible. We agreed that we never thought we'd say it, but we both miss President George W. Bush. He, or at least his advisors, knew what circumstances needed. Bush's speech at Ground Zero was what the country needed to hear at that time. Obama's comments after a number of school shootings (Aside: I should not be able to write "a number of" there.) showed his compassion as well as his belief that things should change. Obama's breaking into "Amazing Grace" at the funeral in Charleston--it was what was needed at that time.
And what words or acts are needed now? Certainly not yesterday's incident in the press room, Peter Alexander's question about what the president would tell people who are scared. The President's answer? Words to the effect that the question was a "very nasty" one and Alexander was a "terrible" reporter. The quizzical look on Alexander's face was priceless. It was not a bad question. In fact, it was a softball question that the president could and should have hit out of the park. A gimme presented on a silver platter. Alexander later posed the same question to Vice President Pence, who gave a very appropriate answer: "Don't be afraid. Be vigilant."
What do I need? One in five Americans has been told to stay home; the rest are supposed to distance themselves socially. While many are, I'd like to hear that at least more if not all of the others are doing the same. The photos from Spring Break scare me, as does a photograph the husband showed me of thousands of people in Bangladesh, crowded cheek to jowl to pray for the end of the virus. I know that Bangladesh ranks 10th in the world in terms of population density, but still, can't they do better? Older son says that the people in the house diagonally across the street from him are having nightly barbecue parties on the front lawn. People come and go, and social distance seems a foreign concept.
I need to know that the people leading the federal efforts are the right ones. Vice President Pence may know what people want to hear, but he does not have the appropriate knowledge and experience to direct the federal task force in charge of it all. And don't get me started on Jared Kushner's involvement. If Anthony Fauci dies or gets fired, we're doomed.
I need to know that contract or wage employees are not being sent to a poorhouse or, worse, left high and dry. Our gym is waiving the dues due on April 1, but members who want to can pay their dues, with the money going to help staff in need. Three guesses what we are going, and the first two don't count. I need to know that kids who are too young are not being left home alone because their day care or school has closed. Paychecks vs. children. A reporter on NBC News last night noted that many people are facing Sophie's choice right now.
And I need to know something that no one can say right now, that this is not the new normal. There are so many walls between cultures, genders, religions already; physical distance only magnifies those differences. I need to know that hugging will someday be okay again. I need to know that one day I will get up and be able to read five or six articles on The Post's first page that are not all on the same subject. I need a Sports section, damn it! I need so many things I used to take for granted.
Friday, March 20, 2020
The View from the Hermitage Day 5
Captain's Log, Star Date Sometime...
Older son arrived this morning and reported that the governor of California had put the state in lock-down. He opined that he would not be surprised if, late this afternoon after the stock markets close, a similar lock-down would be put into effect nationwide. He told me to be thinking of grocery items that won't go bad and to think in terms of months, not days. We thought that were a national lock-down put in place, it would not start until Monday. That said, if a national lock-down were to be declared, last weekend would be nothing compared to how crowded stores would be this weekend.
I admit that, in response to that thought, I got on chewy.com to order extra pet food and amazon.com to order some extra female-hygiene items. I did not check to see if amazon had toilet paper or disinfectant wipes for sale; I did not want to be tempted to buy some. We have enough toilet paper for quite a while and, well, TMI on the other measures I'd be willing to take.
My nail lady texted to ask me if I planned to keep my appointment next week. I told her I was leaning against it. She texted back in a few minutes to make it a moot point. The owner was closing the salon after today. It would be interesting--and, no, I don't plan on doing this--to drive around and see just what places are still open. Many eating establishments are take-out or delivery only given the limit of 10 people in one space. A couple of restaurants near the university and its hospital were staying open so that hospital employees had somewhere other than the hospital cafeteria at which they could obtain food. Those places were forced to shut down because too many college-age people were trying to get in or were crowding the outdoor seating. Older son said that he had heard that violating the 10-person rule (is that anything like the 5-second rule of dropped food?) could result in the loss of a business license.
Buying gift cards to use later has been suggested as one way to help restaurants stay afloat during these trying times. When I mentioned that to the husband, he somewhat snorted that what if the restaurant had closed by the time the pandemic ended and we would again be able to go out to eat. At one point, I was the cynic in this marriage, but things change over time. I have not purchased any gift cards largely because most of the restaurants on the list were places to which we had no interest in going or returning. So far, cooking all our meals has not been a burden. Given the lack of errands to run, there's not really any time pressure to use as an excuse not to cook.
One thing I do miss is getting decent workouts. I can't run thanks to a knee replacement, and walking takes a longer time to get a good sweat on, especially if the resident dog accompanies. I may resort to pulling out the three-decades-old Nordic Track ski machine and see if it still works. I've been working on strength training with a trainer. We have a nice assortment of hand weights here, but I don't want to do something wrong and end up injured. That's why I wanted to work with a trainer in the first place. I've been doing push-ups and abs (crunches, atomic sit-ups, and the like), but it's hard for me to push myself when doing calisthenics.
And that's about it for this star date.
Captain Jean
Older son arrived this morning and reported that the governor of California had put the state in lock-down. He opined that he would not be surprised if, late this afternoon after the stock markets close, a similar lock-down would be put into effect nationwide. He told me to be thinking of grocery items that won't go bad and to think in terms of months, not days. We thought that were a national lock-down put in place, it would not start until Monday. That said, if a national lock-down were to be declared, last weekend would be nothing compared to how crowded stores would be this weekend.
I admit that, in response to that thought, I got on chewy.com to order extra pet food and amazon.com to order some extra female-hygiene items. I did not check to see if amazon had toilet paper or disinfectant wipes for sale; I did not want to be tempted to buy some. We have enough toilet paper for quite a while and, well, TMI on the other measures I'd be willing to take.
My nail lady texted to ask me if I planned to keep my appointment next week. I told her I was leaning against it. She texted back in a few minutes to make it a moot point. The owner was closing the salon after today. It would be interesting--and, no, I don't plan on doing this--to drive around and see just what places are still open. Many eating establishments are take-out or delivery only given the limit of 10 people in one space. A couple of restaurants near the university and its hospital were staying open so that hospital employees had somewhere other than the hospital cafeteria at which they could obtain food. Those places were forced to shut down because too many college-age people were trying to get in or were crowding the outdoor seating. Older son said that he had heard that violating the 10-person rule (is that anything like the 5-second rule of dropped food?) could result in the loss of a business license.
Buying gift cards to use later has been suggested as one way to help restaurants stay afloat during these trying times. When I mentioned that to the husband, he somewhat snorted that what if the restaurant had closed by the time the pandemic ended and we would again be able to go out to eat. At one point, I was the cynic in this marriage, but things change over time. I have not purchased any gift cards largely because most of the restaurants on the list were places to which we had no interest in going or returning. So far, cooking all our meals has not been a burden. Given the lack of errands to run, there's not really any time pressure to use as an excuse not to cook.
One thing I do miss is getting decent workouts. I can't run thanks to a knee replacement, and walking takes a longer time to get a good sweat on, especially if the resident dog accompanies. I may resort to pulling out the three-decades-old Nordic Track ski machine and see if it still works. I've been working on strength training with a trainer. We have a nice assortment of hand weights here, but I don't want to do something wrong and end up injured. That's why I wanted to work with a trainer in the first place. I've been doing push-ups and abs (crunches, atomic sit-ups, and the like), but it's hard for me to push myself when doing calisthenics.
And that's about it for this star date.
Captain Jean
Thursday, March 19, 2020
The View from the Hermitage, Day 4
The Washington Post's sports section was all of three pages this morning, one of which was filled with Tom Brady. The husband commented that at least for once, they had scores of every sporting event, not just the popular ones. There is one article on the Post's front page not directly linked to the coronavirus; that would be an Election 2020 article, "Sanders may be open to dropping out, team signals." In the 28-page section A, there is one page with no report related to the coronavirus while three of the pages are full-page ads. The pandemic has become our life.
Time is distorted. I look at my watch to see what day of the week it is. There is no "I did this weekly thing yesterday, so today is Thursday." I can't connect one day to another by personal events. The totals of confirmed infected and those who have died rise so quickly that I think several days must have passed. The data analyst I once was tries to repress what the sharp rise really means. The best description of time may be something I saw on Facebook (sorry, but I don't remember the source): What a year this week has been.
And it's going to last a lot longer, I fear, having seen the photos of the Florida beaches during Spring Break. I read a local report of crowded fraternity parties and a large number of students massing and mingling on one of the university's playing fields. Having heard that the number of young people hospitalized with covid-19 is rising, these gatherings could be the breeding ground for the next viral wave. Let's hope that it isn't a tsunami.
It occurred to me that the constant co-existing with the husband could be a harbinger of his retirement. I am used to spending full days in the company of a dog and a cat; having another human in the house 24-7 is something new. So far, so good. That said, he's spending most daytime hours in what passes for his home office, with the door closed to protect the yarn that is also in the room from the wool-crazy cat. I remember a senior woman telling me the story of what happened when her husband retired. She worked part-time from home. When passing through the dining room to get to the kitchen, she found her husband sitting at the table patiently waiting. The punchline to the story was what she said next: "I married him for life, not for lunch." He learned that fairly quickly as I recall.
The White House has issued a document, "15 Days to Slow the Spread." Fifteen days should slow the spread, but if everyone immediately goes back to living their pre-coronavirus lives, we won't have crossed the finish line. Our lives in the age of coronavirus are not normal, and they may never be again. Fifty is the new 30? Abnormality is the new normal. I do not expect to jump back into action when we reach the 15-day mark. Distancing socially for 15 days means we don't have it or catch it during those 15 days. It's not as if the 15 days gives us the immunity to jump right back into the world. Social distancing protects us while we are doing it, but once we stop, all bets are off.
What a year this week has been. And next week's year may be no different.
Time is distorted. I look at my watch to see what day of the week it is. There is no "I did this weekly thing yesterday, so today is Thursday." I can't connect one day to another by personal events. The totals of confirmed infected and those who have died rise so quickly that I think several days must have passed. The data analyst I once was tries to repress what the sharp rise really means. The best description of time may be something I saw on Facebook (sorry, but I don't remember the source): What a year this week has been.
And it's going to last a lot longer, I fear, having seen the photos of the Florida beaches during Spring Break. I read a local report of crowded fraternity parties and a large number of students massing and mingling on one of the university's playing fields. Having heard that the number of young people hospitalized with covid-19 is rising, these gatherings could be the breeding ground for the next viral wave. Let's hope that it isn't a tsunami.
It occurred to me that the constant co-existing with the husband could be a harbinger of his retirement. I am used to spending full days in the company of a dog and a cat; having another human in the house 24-7 is something new. So far, so good. That said, he's spending most daytime hours in what passes for his home office, with the door closed to protect the yarn that is also in the room from the wool-crazy cat. I remember a senior woman telling me the story of what happened when her husband retired. She worked part-time from home. When passing through the dining room to get to the kitchen, she found her husband sitting at the table patiently waiting. The punchline to the story was what she said next: "I married him for life, not for lunch." He learned that fairly quickly as I recall.
The White House has issued a document, "15 Days to Slow the Spread." Fifteen days should slow the spread, but if everyone immediately goes back to living their pre-coronavirus lives, we won't have crossed the finish line. Our lives in the age of coronavirus are not normal, and they may never be again. Fifty is the new 30? Abnormality is the new normal. I do not expect to jump back into action when we reach the 15-day mark. Distancing socially for 15 days means we don't have it or catch it during those 15 days. It's not as if the 15 days gives us the immunity to jump right back into the world. Social distancing protects us while we are doing it, but once we stop, all bets are off.
What a year this week has been. And next week's year may be no different.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
The View from the Hermitage, Day 3
The University of Virginia has effectively shut down for now. Were I still working there, I would not have been affected given that I already worked from home. Now, though,
To be clear, those who must report for work will have to do so. Those who can work remotely will have to do so.
It appears I was ahead of the times.
Previously, students were encouraged to go home but had the option of staying on Grounds (UVA does not have a "campus;" it has "Grounds." Now, though, students
must make plans to leave by Friday, March 20, unless they meet one of the following criteria: 1) international students who are unable to secure travel to return home; 2) persons for whom their on-Grounds residence is their only home (including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff for whom their on-Grounds residence is their permanent address); or 3) students for whom traveling home would present a severe health or safety risk.
Graduation has also been cancelled, which will please some students and parents and likely displease more. Younger son "walked the Lawn" (or went through the formal graduation bit), while older son did not. I must admit that going to see younger son walk (and we did not actually see him until later, at the departmental ceremony at which he received his diploma) was enough for me. I went through the formal graduation ceremony at the undergraduate level (not at UVA) but passed on it at for my master's and doctorate. My doctoral supervisor left UVA a week after my orals; he had told me that had he stayed here, I would have been walking.
Because I have not been out much at all, I have not seen directly how local life has changed. There was less traffic yesterday when I went for my mammogram, but that could also have been due to UVA students moving home and K-12 schools not operating. My neighbors appear still to be working. I have seen a grocery store clerk and the owner of a computer services firm heading out to their respective jobs. The owner of a construction firm has also been out and about. We actually have several houses here with family member(s) who already worked from home.
I'm not sure how many eating establishments are still open and how many are closed or only serving take-out. We live several miles outside town so I don't know if any of the meal delivery services would come here. I'm not craving restaurant food, though. I'm instead enjoying making meals here and being able to eat them with the husband who has no gym to visit on his way home from work. Normally, I'm hungry for dinner before he gets home, so we eat separately.
I checked the various news sources on my phone first thing this morning. "First thing" was earlier than hoped for thanks to not sleeping at all well. I've looked at some updates as they appear on my phone. I may turn on CNN as I'm getting dinner out. The angel on one shoulder wants to be informed while the devil on the other insists that no news is good news. It is good, I suppose, that the news is so easily obtained should I want to pursue it. In the days of the Spanish flu pandemic, news did not come quickly. If I want to know how a family member or friend is, all I need to do is phone. Total aside here, but I just realized that there have been far fewer junk mail calls yesterday and today than last week or the week before. Maybe the spam-callers aren't filling the cheek-to-jowl phone banks, but keeping a social distance from each other and giving all of us a break.
Boredom? Not for me, anyway. I have enough fiber supplies to last for more that=n a few months. I think I'll go back to my studio and work on the bag below.
To be clear, those who must report for work will have to do so. Those who can work remotely will have to do so.
It appears I was ahead of the times.
Previously, students were encouraged to go home but had the option of staying on Grounds (UVA does not have a "campus;" it has "Grounds." Now, though, students
must make plans to leave by Friday, March 20, unless they meet one of the following criteria: 1) international students who are unable to secure travel to return home; 2) persons for whom their on-Grounds residence is their only home (including graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff for whom their on-Grounds residence is their permanent address); or 3) students for whom traveling home would present a severe health or safety risk.
Graduation has also been cancelled, which will please some students and parents and likely displease more. Younger son "walked the Lawn" (or went through the formal graduation bit), while older son did not. I must admit that going to see younger son walk (and we did not actually see him until later, at the departmental ceremony at which he received his diploma) was enough for me. I went through the formal graduation ceremony at the undergraduate level (not at UVA) but passed on it at for my master's and doctorate. My doctoral supervisor left UVA a week after my orals; he had told me that had he stayed here, I would have been walking.
Because I have not been out much at all, I have not seen directly how local life has changed. There was less traffic yesterday when I went for my mammogram, but that could also have been due to UVA students moving home and K-12 schools not operating. My neighbors appear still to be working. I have seen a grocery store clerk and the owner of a computer services firm heading out to their respective jobs. The owner of a construction firm has also been out and about. We actually have several houses here with family member(s) who already worked from home.
I'm not sure how many eating establishments are still open and how many are closed or only serving take-out. We live several miles outside town so I don't know if any of the meal delivery services would come here. I'm not craving restaurant food, though. I'm instead enjoying making meals here and being able to eat them with the husband who has no gym to visit on his way home from work. Normally, I'm hungry for dinner before he gets home, so we eat separately.
I checked the various news sources on my phone first thing this morning. "First thing" was earlier than hoped for thanks to not sleeping at all well. I've looked at some updates as they appear on my phone. I may turn on CNN as I'm getting dinner out. The angel on one shoulder wants to be informed while the devil on the other insists that no news is good news. It is good, I suppose, that the news is so easily obtained should I want to pursue it. In the days of the Spanish flu pandemic, news did not come quickly. If I want to know how a family member or friend is, all I need to do is phone. Total aside here, but I just realized that there have been far fewer junk mail calls yesterday and today than last week or the week before. Maybe the spam-callers aren't filling the cheek-to-jowl phone banks, but keeping a social distance from each other and giving all of us a break.
Boredom? Not for me, anyway. I have enough fiber supplies to last for more that=n a few months. I think I'll go back to my studio and work on the bag below.
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