2020 Day 4 Spring Break

The latest news in the world and the country is scary.  China reported it's first ever decline of cases, but Italy is in a tragic conditions with hundreds of people dying daily now.  Their healthcare system is basically failing, and the scenario just seems like something out of a movie.  In the U.S., New York is now the major hot spot.  The government has ordered naval hospitals to each coast, but those may not be up and fully operational for weeks.  While the message is to stay home, small businesses are practically pleading with people to patron their establishments through drive thru or take out means.  I know that this is important for their business, but when the national message is to stay home, businesses asking for people to go out of their homes seems wrong.  Amber and I did go to HyVee yesterday, and it didn't seem abandoned...there were employees stocking shelves and some items were very depleted and other items - most notably toilet paper - were sold out.  Yesterday the main universities in Iowa canceled graduation ceremonies, which is another indication just how long this thing might continue.  I fully expect Illinois to follow suit, and soon Illinois will be extending the K-12 closures to at least mid-April.  I also expect the IHSA to soon cancel the spring sports and activity seasons, which will be a bummer.

I try to keep the news at a distance, mainly watching in the morning and the evening.  So far, there have been no confirmed cases in Rock Island or Mercer Counties, which is good news, but it's only a matter of time.  What is really alarming is how few tests have been completed.  In Illinois, the statistics I'm seeing on the Department of Health show that not even 3,000 people have been tested.  I just don't see how that is possible.  Other hospitals in other areas are attempting to make their own medical masks out of materials purchased from home improvement stores, and a call was made by the vice-president to have construction companies donate masks to hospitals.  Respirators are also in the news.  The automobile manufacturers have stopped production and their are some stories indicating that these plants will be restructure to make mass quantities of these respirator machines.

We are babysitting today...Tucker, Brooklyn, and Brinley will all be here.  I honestly worry about all the different people we have been in contact with and then the kids coming over.  I'm trying to set that worry aside, though, and hope for the best.  I question myself and wonder when will someone I know or some family member be the first person I know to contract the illness?  In the meantime, I just try to continue to establish a new normal...get up, have some coffee, watch some news, get some exercise in, and then complete some tasks that I have only lists - either home, school, or otherwise.

Tomorrow I have a Google Meet session with other teachers from Rockridge.  We are going to start discussing an e-learning plan, which is something we need to do for our students.  I'm not sure I want to get involved, but I also feel like I have a duty to contribute whatever I can.

Things I could do today...from yesterday

• stretch and get a work out in
• watch a movie - I think I might watch that foreign film that won all those academy awards - Parasite?
• listen to a podcast or two or three - Google Tribe, Sober Guy, nutrition guys
• Sit in on Meet session with Mrs. Crippen and her students at Sherrard

Things that I think about with the coronavirus.

• Why is it a good idea for restaurants to stay open and offer drive thru service?  Are there people making food and then distributing it to other people.  What if the food service workers making the food are asymptomatic but have the virus?
• With all the money that the government is using to prop up the economy, how does the economy eventually rebound?  After the virus subsides, to prices jump to help businesses cover loans and losses?
• Will this thing just have to "run its course" until people build up immunity?  Today I voted and ran a couple of errands, and I didn't really feel any difference in today than other days.  People were out and about, the polling place for today's primary vote wore no special equipment, nor was any offered at the polling place.  People were in Walgreens, even if there was no toilet paper left.
• The government recommendations change daily, which only leads me to think that new information each day indicates that the situation is going to be worse than the previous days' recommendations, or the previous day's recommendations aren't working.  Why aren't we just sitting on recommendations at least for a few days to see what happens?
• I've attempted to limit my contact with other people.  I foresee a time when everyday people may have to be trained to be "helpers"...maybe delivery drivers..maybe health aides...maybe who knows what else?  Should I volunteer to be a helper, or should I just work to try to stay home?

Things I Could Do In the Future

• Polish my dress shoes and umpiring shoes.
• Get the lawn tractor ready to go - sharpen the blades.
• Organize my past pics (photo albums)

Things At School

• Pick up the trash around the grounds.
• Finish course syllabus

Things For E-Learning

• Read a new book to the students.
• Use Google Meet
• Still could do (encore sessions) training path presenter series from videotaped sessions from past years.
• Still could do short stories unit
• Would need to get novels out to students to complete those units.
• Videotape a lesson and post to classroom.
• Still do journal write (not sure about share) using Blogger
• Still have Free Read Wednesdays (e ticket/slip?)
• Still can update EnvisonMe sites