It’s a rainy day today and so far, it’s the kind of rainy day we have needed for quite a long time. Slow and steady. We might have thunderstorms this afternoon but in the meantime, we are enjoying a slow morning, our second cup of coffee, a little cuddling, and our current reads. Oh, and blogging, of course.
We drove across the river yesterday for Don’s eye appointment. We always end up searching for enough change to pay the bridge toll and somehow we came up with it again. The toll attendants (is that the correct term or am I just making that up?) are unfailingly cheery and polite. They’re masked, of course, and wear latex gloves. It’s a pretty drive on a winding road and then, suddenly, there’s the Hudson River – this time with a huge barge coming down the center of the river. Don enjoys the opportunity to look at everything without worrying about being behind the wheel. When we got the the doctor’s office, there was no room in the parking lot – there never is – so I drove across the street to a lot that is associated with a city park. Don called the office to tell them he was here and then when they called to say they were ready, walked over to the office. In the meantime, I sat in the car watching various city workers take their lunch break outdoors – there’s a little food stand right there.
Then I watched two guys driving ambulettes (I think these are used by the neighboring county to transport senior citizens and others to doctors appointments, etc.) park next to each other and get out of their vehicles. They were maskless and they proceeded to chat with each other for about 20 minutes with no social distancing. Surely that isn’t a good idea – they’re transporting vulnerable people here and there and these two can’t wear a mask? And it’s a given that they should be wearing a mask. New York has a mask mandate. I took some photos because I was contemplating sending them to the owners of the company. I also thought about calling them. But then, I thought, what if they are regularly tested because of their jobs and everything’s okay? Still, 24 hours later, I’m unsure about the protocol of all of this.
I did a little work on the dollhouse yesterday afternoon, but it was frustrating. Just one of those days where nothing went well. I’ll try again today.
Today will be a lazy day, I think. Reading, some mini work, avoiding the news because I didn’t avoid it yesterday.
Oh, forgot to add that Don’s appointment went well. This is the second time when Don’s vision went totally black for a second or two after getting the shot. Apparently, this is a normal response but the first time it happened he understandably freaked out. But this time, it came back quickly, he doesn’t have any broken blood vessels in his eye like he did last month and he made sure they thoroughly rinsed his eye. Very little soreness. He seems to be doing well.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
Enjoyed your little-trip observations; I’d love to see something like that, a barge going down or up a river. I still get excited in my SoCalif ocean environment when I see fishing boats and pleasure boats and sailboats going in and out of the marina, between the jetties and back & forth to open sea. I was never more intrigued than being in southern Louisiana, on land but seeing a mast or chimney stack go by, seemingly on air; but there, beyond the road and paralleling us, was the mighty thoroughfare of the Mississippi River hidden behind the dikes and levees. I’d still love to take that trip someday, where you start the entire journey along the river from where it emanates in the northern part of Minnesota and spills out into the Gulf. Sadly, what I want to do (the steamboat/riverboat cruise) costs about $5000 per person, so I’ve gotta amend the dream! That’s one for retirees with a well-funded retirement, not us! But it’s a fearsome, fascinating river. The Mississippi and The Hudson are in my bucket!
Very glad Don is okay. Anything with the eyes can be so scary.
I know the dilemma of seeing violations to Covid distancing and care with masks. I’ve been living this ever since Covid started up, with MAJOR violators in my neighborhood. Yesterday, there must have been a half-dozen ‘workers’ in the yard which saddles up to ours out back of the house; they’re erecting a massive building about 15′ high, another eyesore for us right along the separator fence between the properties and most-definitely something they didn’t run by city inspectors, as usual (or I doubt this would be allowed). I’m sure it’s a Tiny House because he’d told me a couple of years ago that he was building one on the top of our shared hillside and I made it clear, “Please Don’t”. I was…firm. (It would look right down into my private space.)
But, yes, any distancing on their big work project? Any masks? Of course not; nor with the family and tenants who live there. It’s probably a Tiny House to rent out, not for a family member; this dude loves his rental income and already rents out two rooms of his main house, so the more the merrier, which is SO illegal. Soon, he’ll be returning his big, newish trailer to the rear yard on the other side of his property, or he’d put that on our side, too; it’s just that there’s no more room. THAT thing sleeps 10 and gives them a third bathroom for all these people.
And we’re always in the uncomfortable position of how much to get involved although it greatly affects us … not just for Covid but for our property value and also our quality of life. So, I get your dilemma with what you saw, Claudia, but I have no good suggestions.
I’ve had several people say I should complain to my one doctor whose office was certainly not Covid-ready although they’ve had plenty of time to work it out. That the gal behind the reception desk had on no mask, with patients coming in and out; that they hadn’t reconfigured their lobby by removing chairs and distancing the seating; that they didn’t control the public on who was walking in and out such that I had no way to distance from other patients on my exit. But, frankly, in this trigger-happy/seemingly retaliatory-minded world right now, with so many people on edge and ready to ‘pop’ because there’s just too darn much stress out there, I’ll admit I’m afraid to say anything because I don’t want it to get back to the person I’m complaining about or to further affect the relationship I have with my doctor.
So, I’m a wimp, right? Avoidance. Yet I gripe. Just like my husband who, as of late, has no desire to start any neighbor wars, like with these bozos next door to us. But it’s not fair that the good people have to suffer the bad ones. You don’t speak up, the further they run amok. OMG, it sounds like Trump, doesn’t it. There’s already so much tension (with me!) on whether or not Trump can be defeated in November. I’m not feeling as sure about it as I was before; I don’t think the Democrats have this in the bag at all. So, I shiver in my boots from now til November. A lot of prayers because he MUST be defeated.
And, so far, they haven’t closed my local beach and it’s anticipated that Labor Day in this heatwave will be a huge super-spreader weekend.
Yes, I’m starting to bite my nails. And I haven’t done that since I was a little kid.
But there was one thing yesterday: My husband finally got a haircut since last December. He’d had an appointment at the end of February which he’d decided to cancel when things started ramping up about Covid; then, he could never get back in again and his salon was closed for five months. Thankfully when he went yesterday, he didn’t tell me; and, when he got there, he hit it just right when no other customers were in sight, because they hadn’t yet advertised they’d come back open; he learned of it thru someone else, so took a chance. The stylist had on a double mask and they wiped down the ‘barber’ chair right in front of him before they started. So, we hope for the best, with someone THAT close to his face although she tried to do everything while still keeping his mask on, which wraps around his ears. They’d tried to open up once in between but I guess the place took some further remodeling in order to adapt to Covid rules in our county for reopening. I think in Los Angeles, you still can’t operate a salon unless you do the work on the customer outside/outdoors.
But, you know, if the business owners are trying so hard (the owner told my husband it’s been so rough on them; very, very difficult with a shut-down business), you’d have to hope the customers would try equally as hard to at least do their part in the world, in general, to distance and wear the mask. We’re supposed to be helping each other! With all these violations like the workers you saw on their break, then people getting sick, it just delays it for everybody to try and get any sense of normalcy…semblance of it; certainly less risk til a vaccine…in this pandemic. I had friends this past weekend who aren’t members of the same household yet got together for drinks and munchies on the porch after not seeing each other for eight months but they still didn’t do what they’re supposed to do, which is bring their OWN drinks, eats and utensils; outdoors, okay, yet the first thing the host said (I know this guy; he’s been my friend; I don’t get it) was, “Oh, you don’t need your mask.”
Hear my head banging against the wall. (Or am I being too rigid?)
Vicki, my daughter and I talk about this frequently as we shelter, wear masks, eat only our own food or take out we get from a contactless carry out friendly businesses~ do all shopping by means of grocery pick up or Amazon purchases or contactless pick ups at Target/ Kohl’s/ Walgreens. Everything gets wiped down and most things spend some time in the outdoors before being brought inside. It is exhausting. We have 2 friends and their daughter who sometimes come to eat lunch or dinner with us and they stay outside as we are in our garage with a screen and about 8-10 feet between us. If we do carryout, my hubs and our friends go, even if it is to the same place, in separate vehicles. Then we watch everyone around us doing the exact opposite. People who live across the street had their first child on Aug 5. They have company most of the day every day and a yard full of people for pot luck dinners 4 or 5 nights each week. That little one has seen and met more people (x10) in less than a month than our granddaughter has in over 5 months. I am both bewildered and appalled. We truly don’t know who is crazy…. is it us or is it them??
they are crazy, disrespectful, part of the problem … not you!
stay safe!
kathy in iowa
There’s so much inconsistency. I have a friend who got new neighbors across the street and tons of people helped them move and, seems like, ever since, they have people over every day, always gathering, no one wearing masks. My friend is almost age 70, lives alone, and has seen but three people since March, never even a hug from another human being, and that was only lately she’s seen the three (with some risks, but she’s lonely after six months of sheltering-in); so, she watches all this activity across the street and would love to join in, since they’ve invited her, but she dares not. She’s got high blood pressure and ‘age’, not on her side.
It’s really, really frustrating. I think you are very wise to protect your granddaughter. They tell us every day that they just don’t know enough about this virus.
I haven’t watched Chris Cuomo for awhile on TV (CNN) but I’d thought the last couple of nights that he was stumbling a bit with the prompter which is so unusual for him. Then he had this big talk with Dr. Gupta for the cameras, talking about the residual probs he’s having since getting Covid some months ago … brain fog, especially later in the day when he has to do his program; but he also spoke candidly of depression and that his breathing is still off. And he was seemingly this strapping, strong guy who works out all the time. His wife got it, milder symptoms, yet apparently her sense of smell (or was it taste) goes in & out, all these weeks later.
Me? I’m too scared of Covid to take chances. It IS stressful to have to be so watchful and vigilant and I’m sick of the whole thing as is everybody. I’m tired of living this life; I want my other life back. So, yeah, it’s infuriating to see other people ‘flaunting’ and that includes all those people at The White House for that last convention night; I mean, wouldn’t I like to be out in the nice summer evening too (not there, but you get my drift, like how about in my own town somewhere). Very worrisome with so much lack of basic compliance and thoughtfulness, to think we’ll land exactly where the experts say we will, going into this Fall quarter with too many cases after Labor Day, which is going to make for apparently a worse-case scenario flu/Covid winter. I just wish I’d stuck with my plan to get all my doctor appointments over BEFORE Labor Day, but it just didn’t happen, so I have to be really, really careful ‘out there’ in the next four weeks.
Thanks for weighing in, Chris. I always like your perspective on things.
Nope. You’re not being too rigid. This is what happens when you witness this nonsense daily. You begin to doubt yourself. Don’t. You’re doing everything right.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Boy are you spot on. Doubting oneself. Sometimes in my small circle, I almost DO feel like I’m the last American trying to be good and do what the health experts say to do; that I’m the freak and just OVER with being the freak. Thanks for the pep talk. We straddle a delicate line, my husband and I. He goes out more; if he gets sick, then I get sick; who takes care of our life, our pets? We don’t have a safety net with a bunch of other people in our lives. We’ve gotta continue to look out for ourselves and I just hope everything will be okay about my husband getting that haircut. Although he looks very nice and I actually jumped involuntarily when I rounded the corner of the house and saw him, because he looks so much different without that mop top. But I’d hate to die because of a haircut.
Exactly. I understand.
Stay safe.
i agree with what claudia said!
stay safe!
kathy in iowa
thanks, kathy; you stay safe as well!
I have a friend in NM whose husband gets shots in his eyes. I cannot EVEN imagine it.
and if everything went black for me too… OMGOSH. I’d be just like Don. only then I’d be scared every time! bless him. and you. it’s just as bad seeing someone we love go through that kind of thing than almost to have to go through it ourselves! love is like that.
we’ve had lovely rain. we were in severe drought. and now we’re not!
maybe we’ll have a BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN! my favorite season. xoxo
So glad you got some rain, Tammy. I was watching the news last night and it sounds like you got a LOT of rain!
Stay safe.
The new Martha Steward magazine has her McCoy collection on her cover. It also includes a really short article explaining her collection as well as another picture. They are beautiful especially displayed all together.
I was getting shots in my eye for retina issues and was supposed to get them for life but my doctor switched me over to drops and that seems to keep things stable. It isn’t that the shots are so terrible it’s just the whole idea of them is enough to flip someone’s stomach. Eye issues are scary in any way.
Enjoy your day,
Eileen
I haven’t seen it at my local store. I’ll have to look for it, Eileen. Thanks for the tip!
Yes, the shot itself isn’t bad, it’s knowing that it’s coming.
Stay safe, Eileen.
I know you will do what is right. After looking at some Assisted Living facilities for my hubs 86 yr old sister, I am a bit confused. If we did choose one, she would have to quarantine inside her apt for 14 days (staff, of course, would be able to come in to assist her as needed). After that, she can have no visitors unless we visit outside in the courtyard, socially distanced, with masks. Once the cold sets in, at least at this point in time, all visits would have to stop. My confusion is with the staff who is able to come and go daily. In a small town, we know some who work there, and have seen them out and about without masks. When my hubs did a carryout order 2 weeks ago, he saw 3 of the nurses or CNAs going inside the restaurant to eat. And as you say, perhaps they are getting tested regularly, I don’t know. I don’t know what is real and what isn’t any longer. I don’t see how this will ever be over when there are two completely different sets of values and “rules” being observed and enforced (or not). A surgeon in our town recently attended the nonsense in Sturgis. What to believe and what to do is the most confusing thing I have ever dealt with in my 70 years.
My hubs did retire from teaching. He has only been teaching PT for the past 6 years. It was a wonderful little job for him and he loved it and the students dearly. But when the district decided to do Hybrid, he had to resign. With an 86 year old sister with medical issues and who is totally dependent on him ~ her hubs died 42 years ago and has no children; with my HBP issues, and with a 5 mo old wee little grandchild, there was no other choice to make. He is ok with his decision, but yesterday was the 1st day of school, and I could tell he was a bit sad. He and my daughter just bought kayaks which are to be delivered today, so he IS excited about that. So glad to hear Don’s shot went well and you are enjoying a quiet and peaceful day today.
It’s crazy. These people are ferrying people around all day and no masks?
I’m sorry your husband had to retire, Chris, but the kayak awaits!
Stay safe.
I am so glad the appointment went well. And it sounds like a nice break in the action — beautiful scenery, a nice ride, a good diversion from daily life. What a relief.
I think you must be getting our rain from yesterday/last night. It always seems to go east! It really cooled things off here, although that already had started. It definitely feels like September!
The short two cents from me is: Yes. Report them. With photos. And even if they are tested regularly, who knows what can happen in-between. It’s important that companies know that people are out there caring and taking stock. Even if there are good reasons, it looks especially bad for anyone in the medical industrial complex to be not following the rules.
Rick revamped his cycling plans after his aborted bike hike this weekend. No Mackinac Bridge this time! I am going to have to venture out to a store while he’s gone to get a few things. Including cat food, which is probably the main impetus. While I’m there I will check to see what cleaning wipes/sprays and paper goods are available and begin a slow stock up. I don’t need to hoard but we will be facing flu season soon and I am pushing the limit on getting supplies. I’m thinking about hitting my grocery store (that I haven’t been in since last fall) as soon as I get up in the morning.
Meanwhile, today will include a walk and round one of making my tomato sauce. If all goes well, I’ll get more tomatoes on Friday at the farmer’s market, but I really need to handle these first!
We got some cleaning wipes the other day. A brand we don’t know, but they’ll do. Yes, flu season and endless COVID mean we’ll be hunkering down for quite a while.
Thanks for the advice, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
Hi Claudia. I’m enjoying the soft gray raining today, too. In addition to a wobbly little house, I now have a wobbly little gypsy wagon. So cute!! Am waiting for flooring and wallpaper that was ordered months ago, it seems like. I appreciate your encouragement for these projects as they’ve been good for my brain, my patience, my manual dexterity, and my imagination. Excellent distractions! I love seeing the Hudson River–it’s so beautiful with the high banks and green in the summer and just thinking that if I could see it in a straight line, it goes right to NYC. Happy news about Don’s eye. He’s a brave man. Take care and I hope the week is a good one.
So glad you’re having a good time working on the miniature projects! And yes, they’re the perfect thing to work on during this time. Enjoy.
Stay safe, Nora!
So happy to hear about your pleasant drive yesterday and glad Don doesn’t have any lasting reactions to the shot, which to me sounds reallly bad.
Today I went to my garden club meeting, held outside in the pavillion of a small county park. Everyone was masked and social distanced. Wonderful. I was prepared to excuse myself if I had any feeling of uneasynes,s but all went well. We even were able to have a plant swap which is usually held in June, but since this is a great time for dividing plants it worked great for me. I gave lots of heuchera, hosta and Autumn Joy sedum and received 2 Japanese blood grass, 2 Southern Magnolia seedlings and a pink mum. I win!
Take care…
Kelly
Sounds like a great plant swap, Kelly!
Stay safe.
hej, claudia. :)
really glad that don’s shot went well, that a safe protocol was in place at the doctor’s office and the drive was pretty.
also glad you’re both taking it easy. know you will figure out what you want to do with the dollhouse. some things just take a while.
i am a list-maker and it’s a long list … not just with stuff to do around here like get my car ready for winter, but also writing/knitting/painting goals, etc. nothing new about that. the change, though, is how i am much more accepting of me getting fewer things done now. i am giving myself some patience and grace, letting myself take it easier in covid time. :)
i know you will make the right choice for you about the ambulette drivers not wearing masks. for what it’s worth, my “two cents” are the same as jeanie’s and for the same reasons. and the goal isn’t to get people in trouble, but to help keep everyone safe and sometimes people need reminders … sometimes from higher-up.
time for me to wash the dishes (a chore that i like).
hope you are having a nice, safe night.
kathy in iowa
Thanks, Kathy.
Stay safe!