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Year Four, Day 254: Pandemic Times, Day 3- "Be Prepared, Not Scared!"

6:47 a.m.

Good morning friends!

 Here are today's covid-19 stats:

"There are currently 150,112 confirmed cases and 5,617 deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of March 14, 2020, 15:40 GMT."

 https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/

Compared to yesterday: 130,000 confirmed cases, 5,410 reported deaths.

 It is 6:47 a.m. I woke up to a text from my mother at 6:30 a.m. She sounded practically hysterical.

 "Don't go to Portland today!" she screamed after I groggily answered my phone.

 "Why?" I asked. Feeling slightly disoriented.

 She told me she went out for her daily Starbucks at 5:00 a.m. and nearly didn't make it home
 The roads are very slippery, she explained.

 I groaned and crawled out of bed.



I had to blink. March 14th. Snow. Yes, I am staying home today! My first thought was all the people hoarding toilet paper must feel smug this morning.

 But me? I'm going back to bed. Sleep is something I need to hoard!

 More later...

 Much later (3:00 p.m.):

 I could get used to this social isolation. It's funny, I feel less anxious than usual. Some of my friends and family talk about spreading fear, but I like being aware and prepared. During normal, non-pandemic times, I find myself worrying about unimportant things. Like what I said, and how someone treated me. With a global pandemic, those thoughts are trivial. During a global pandemic, we are thinking about one thing: survival. My new motto is: "Be prepared, not scared!"

 I also had the best nap in my life. After which I discovered an animated series on Amazon Prime: "Undone". I binge watched all 8 episodes of season one, the only season so far. Each episode is only 39 minutes. But mesmerizing! And the plot revolves around a subject I've always been fascinated by - time travel! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undone_(TV_series)

 After my nap, I cleaned the kitchen while listening to Louis Prima: 

 My Social Isolation Playlist for 3/14/2020 (All Louis Prima and his gang)

  1. Just a Gigilo/I Ain't Got Nobody
  2. I Wanna Be Like You (My granddaughter and my theme song.)
  3. Sing, Sing, Sing
  4. Angelina
  5. Closest to the Bone
  6. Please no Squeeza da Banana
  7. Felicia no Capicia
  8. Jump Jive and Wail
Then I made lunch for my granddaughter and I including a premier of pepperoni chaffles!

Pepperoni Chaffles



Then my son called. He and all his dorm mates are all well. They are keeping up with the news. They enjoyed being out in the snow this morning. Playing a lot of basketball and trying to keep their spirits up during the lockdown.  I sent him some of my favorite prayers for difficult times: The Serenity Prayer, The Jesus Prayer, and the Lord's Prayer. He's heard them before. But I told him how I would pray continually for him during his dark times. I suggested he find a prayer to recite if he starts to dwell on negativity. 

He sounded good. Peaceful even. We both agreed this lockdown and in fact all the closures are a good thing. Soon this virus will be behind us. A moment in history. But I suspect there will be more. Perhaps harsher strains. And if everyone uses common sense, we will be better prepared next time.

Speaking of which, I will talk to you tomorrow. I think ill play some Louis Prima on the piano - by ear - a new skill I am honing! And read my new library book: A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe.


Happy Saturday!

Be safe, be well. God bless!

Love,

Zita



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