Covid-19

  It seems like a tiny thing, a little virus, apparently from a bat common in China but it's now spread worldwide, killing thousands and changing life for almost everyone on this planet. It will be many months before there is a vaccine and in the meantime, here in the USA with our for Profit health care system and our narcissist, greedy, tiny minded and egocentric president, we are heading into a huge recession or depression and the death toll grows rapidly every day.
    Food production plants are still working but a lot of the USA is shut down with no idea when things will be back to some sort of normal.  I am part of that working group of people with the rest of our plant.  But it's got some crazy spots, like all the people running about with spray bottles of sanitizer and cloths to wipe down stair railings, locker doors, bathroom stall doors, our cafeteria tables, and benches.  The newest change is an earlier start time to Kill floor, the idea is to try and give some time separation between A shift and B shift. 
    We have more than 2500 people every day in and out of our plant and from a huge area of this state, some travel over 60 miles each way, every day for work.  So the possibilities of someone bringing this virus into the plant and sharing it are huge.  Especially as this virus might not even be severe enough for a person to realize they have it, and it's contagious for a long period of time.  This means that most of the employees, the contractor's employees could all be exposed before anyone knew we had a case in the plant. 
    Add in the fact that the USA has not enough testing kits, and are only testing Sick people unless you are rich or rich and famous.  This is that 'interesting times' in that Chinese curse.  May you live in interesting times was not about a lot of fun and holidays, it's stuff like this that we very spoilt Americans have NO idea of how to cope or what to do.
     So, I really need to update that will, I am in that 'high risk' group, high risk of death stuff and the current will was done when Jake was still in high school.  He's now turning 31 next month, and my life has gone through some changes so that's on my list of stuff to do this coming week, I have both Sunday and Monday off and with the internet and a computer, and we know I have more than 1 of those things and a printer, and yes, that lives here too.
     I want it warm enough to get a scooter out and take a ride, and I want my old 'normal' life back and NOW would work fine.  But that scooter ride depends on the weather and March has decided to go out like a lion so I don't expect to have the scooters out very soon.  And that virus will set our schedules for some time to come.  It would be nice to think it would clear up soon but the darn virus seems to have a long life span, at least 17 days on a solid surface and a person can have a 14 day time period from exposure to showing symptoms, with most of that they are contagious.  It is going to be a long and hard spring.
     But my life here is really good, I have a life I do like and I know I have worked hard to make this life work, to have the financial stability that I now have, and the stuff that I own, from the scooters to my dolls to the fabrics, yarns and such that I enjoy.  The road has had some rough spots but those have made me a much stronger and more confident person and smarter, harder and tougher.
     I miss eating out in a restaurant, take out is NOT the same, and I miss the doll club meetings, they are canceled for now.  I miss trips down to St. Louis and the shops I go to down there and the places I like to see, and the people down there that I enjoy seeing.  I know it's all still there, and I will be going again, just not on my next paid day off.  It has become 1 of my favorite ways to spend a paid day off, early morning run down to the city and Diana's Bakery and then off to MotoEuropa to visit and drop off a box of bakery goodies, look at the rides and talk bike talk, eat at Triumph Grill and then off to do a bit of shopping before heading back home.  Scooter runs when the weather is good, and a car trip when it's not.
     But for now, I have 6 day work weeks, plenty of sewing projects and some knitting ones to work on and picked up tacos from my convenient taco truck so that took care of supper.  My house is warm and I have food, the car has plenty of gas and the price of that is very low.  My credit rating is solid, and my finances keep working, bills get paid on time, debt is going down and savings are growing.  My health is stable, which means my arthritis is livable, my allergies are not too bad and there is no one making a mess of my finances, my house or my emotional stability.  I still want the dog gone but I still feed him and walk him and clean up dog hair everywhere.