Life in the Age of Corona
A Daily Diary
Thursday, March 26th, 2020
Sunshine
After a thoroughly miserable day yesterday spring is back in all its glory. What a beautiful day! The sun is shining like there is no tomorrow, which made our lunch time walk so much more pleasant.
We have for the past week been trying to track down the first house we ever looked at after relocating to DC. While we now have a pretty good understanding of our neighborhood, we had no idea then, which made this hunt a bit of a challenge; especially since I remembered the house being on Keoku (which it is not), a street consisting of four unconnected segments. I was not far of though. We found it in Cooper Lane, which is off of the smallest segment of Keoku. Given this was retraced from a distant memory with no sense of direction three and a half years ago, we felt a sense of accomplishment. Walked for about an hour and then came back to have lunch in the garden, enjoying the spring time warmth. Clearly a benefit of working from home.
In my regular routine, instead of being out in the sun, I would have sprinted to the gym for a swim and had lunch at my desk. I am not missing that today.
Any other Thursday I would be heading to the dojo, but since my bokken arrived today I started practicing towards the 1.000 cuts. I did 120. Given glorious weather I practiced on the front lawn in the setting sun. Passing neighbors must think I am bat shit crazy. Targeting 200 tomorrow, if the shoulders play ball.
Sad to say my joint pains are back in both shoulders, courtesy of sleeping on same. Still struggling with sleeping on my back and given overall health situation very reluctant to take any anti-inflammatory meds. While my strategy is to avoid contracting the disease, the back-up plan is to stay as fit as possible and support the body's own defense system. As a result I have largely given up smoking (am allowing self to indulge in 3/day) as well as alcoholic beverages (aka wine). With the amount of water I drink I would not be surprised if I turned into a fish soon!
News continues to be bleak in this part of the world. The guy who calls himself president of the American people has made it abundantly clear that he will help only those states who come to his heel; so blue states are left to suffer. And generally the divide seems to be increasing as the billionaire cast is calling for workers to return, willingly accepting that this means rising deaths.
The USA is now at almost 80.000 known infections with the deaths toll now above 1.000. Given testing continues to be virtually none existent, the number of actual cases is likely three times that. Stories like this are common throughout the USA. The virus is spreading faster and faster, with more than 590.000 confirmed cases worldwide. Here is hoping that #stayhome will show effects. Numbers from Northern Italy seem encouraging.
Certainly in the US face masks are hard to come. I have seen below video on multiple social media platforms, but so far could not find a link. Here it is: how to make a mask. I guess we will be making those for our grocery run, for this purpose it should be suitable enough.
I have also read an interesting article, which not only summarizes where we stand and how we got here, but develops a couple of scenarios for the future, speculating which habits may stay with us going forward. Given my pre-occupation of what the world is going to look like, I have been reading all I can find on this subject.
And like everyday, there is also news spreading hope. While it may take time till life will go back to normal, whatever that may look like, I believe it is critical to remain positive, to believe that we shall overcome (which of course with a more insightful government would be quicker). Since travel has been defining my life, I found the below travel guide in the age of Corona amusing, enjoy the journey:
