The president recently said that the virus is now reduced to "embers" and "ashes". The country is opening up, as he wants...but the virus numbers are coming back harder than ever. We are now approaching 114,000 deaths from this here in the US. On Tuesday alone, we had 1,300 deaths. A Harvard doctor warns that we could reach a toll of 200,000 dead by early fall. There are now more than 2 million cases here. And the president is just lying about it, saying it's all but gone? And the country keeps re-opening? How many people is this endangering and/or potentially going to kill?
As news of a second wave of the virus hitting, the stock market took another nose dive. The New York Stock Exchange had only just re-opened on Wednesday. I'm sure the president was thrilled with that (NOT!). With stock prices plunging, what did the president do? Blast the Federal Reserve, of course.
Not surprisingly, the White House has not bothered to mention or acknowledge the sudden rise in virus cases across the country.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the Coronavirus Task Force, tweeted a photo showing a crowd of President Donald Trump's re-election campaign staff not wearing face masks or social distancing. he later deleted the photo. Leadership at work. NOT! Groan...
Another article (that everyone will ignore) points to yet another study that says mask wearing will greatly reduce the infection rate.
First it was Wisconsin and now Georgia has faced alleged voter suppression in the face of the pandemic with hours-long lines, broken or missing polling equipment, and limited polling places in predominantly democratic areas (Click link to view the comparison) of the state...but people braved possible virus contamination to vote.
VIRUS NEWS:
With millions unemployed and unemployment benefits coming to an end, President Trump is against extending unemployment benefits.
Presidential candidate Joe Biden has shared his plan to jumpstart the economy, if elected, during the coronavirus crisis.
A new study shows that Hispanics are disproportionately affected by COVID 19.
First it was meat processing plants and now there is concern about outbreaks in fruit and vegetable packing houses.
Another study shows that those with intellectual disabilities have a greater risk of infection and death with COVID 19.
A coronavirus survivor, a woman in her 20s who was on ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) for nearly two months with severe damage to her lungs, received a double lung transplant.
More than 60% of the crew on an aircraft carrier tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.
The World Health Organization clarified its remarks about coronavirus transmission from people showing no symptoms.
The virus is said to be devastating US hospitals, which are said to be losing about $2 billion by the end of June.
Vaccine trials using monkeys as subjects are showing promising results.
Moderna is said to be ready to start its final stage of trials for the vaccine it is preparing by July.
US human trials are about to begin on the first cocktail that could treat and/or prevent the coronavirus.
Scientists are now looking into whether or not the polio vaccine could give temporary protection from COVID 19.
The Mayo Clinic just unveiled a new antibody test for the coronavirus.
Despite all of the re-opening (and possibly because the stock market is tanking again), another round of stimulus money may be on its way after all.
Trump has bragged that his company never asked for stimulus relief. He lied, of course. It did ask for the money.
Tesla has become the most valuable automaker...as more and more of its employees test positive for the virus.
Mortgage rates have fallen below 3% with fears of a second wave hitting the real estate market.
Retail stores are finally seeing a ray of hope now that restrictions are being lifted...but with a new wave hitting, how long can this last?
High school students in Texas are helping out in their community during the COVID 19 crisis. Other high school Texans are grocery shopping for their neighbors who are more at risk for infection.
Split The Bill, an initiative on New York's Long Island, is a program to help struggling restaurants during this period by offering residents literally half-priced food orders to get them to patronize Long Island restaurants.
This sad true tale of a man who left a note on his phone to his wife and kids before succumbing to COVID 19 will leave you in tears:
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One YouTuber visited the re-opened Universal Studios Orlando and Universal's Island of Adventure. He posted video of the how the park is with social distancing and face masks. It makes for a different experience...
STATES:
Massachusetts caseload nearly doubled in one day.
New Jersey is starting to enforce its lockdown. Hooray!
New Hampshire is lifting its stay-at-home orders.
South Carolina set a record number for new virus cases yesterday...and it was not due to testing. There are now more than 16,000 cases in the state.
In Georgia, Governor Kemp lifted further restrictions from restaurants, conventions and concert venues. This is on a day when the state had nearly 1,000 newly confirmed cases.
Rebekah Jones was fired May 19 from the Florida Health Department, after the coronavirus dashboard she built for the state was allegedly overtaken to show fewer cases and and more testing being done that were actually the case, in order to allow Governor Ron DeSantis to re-open the state. What did she do? She built a new, allegedly more truthful dashboard that shows far more cases than the state is officially reporting and far less testing than the state says it has done. Elsewhere in Florida, spikes in the numbers of cases have been increasing. NPR takes a look at what these numbers could mean.
Minnesota is having a rise in cases after a noted decline.
Kentucky is starting to see an increase in cases and deaths.
In Tennessee, an increase in cases has been linked to all of the business re-openings. Duh.
The director of the Ohio Department of Health unexpectedly resigned yesterday in the midst of the pandemic. Dayton, Ohio is home to the state's highest rate of infection spreading.
Illinois announced 766 new cases.
Texas shattered its coronavirus cases record on Wednesday with a staggering 2,500 new confirmed cases. Dallas County had its single-highest day number of cases. The state has had record hospitalizations. A student who went through a high school graduation ceremony later tested positive for the virus and possibly infected others in the ceremony.
The governor of Colorado announced a new incentive program for businesses to use work-from-home programs during the continued outbreak.
Arizona's Governor Ducey tried to reassure his citizens that all was well recently, despite the number of cases and deaths rising within the state for the 2nd week in a row. Experts are finding this spike worrisome.
287 workers in a meat processing plant in Utah became infected...but the plant is staying open. In the meantime, the state is easing restrictions in some areas despite a rise in cases.
Las Vegas, Nevada re-opened...and people showed up. However, some restaurants on the strip are now charging a COVID 19 surcharge and others may follow suit.
Schools in Washington state are planning to re-open in the fall with live teaching (as opposed to Zoom-like remote learning). Meanwhile, the state's governor announced the state had obtained 5 million more N-95 masks with more promised on the way.
Oregon set a new record for cases yesterday as 178 new ones were confirmed. It's still far less than other places, but the numbers in Oregon keep growing just as they do everywhere else.
Alaska is finally seeing a spike in cases.
According to Fox News, Hawaii has extended its 14-day quarantine for those arriving to the islands. The island of O'ahu just announced 7 new cases, bring that island's total number of cases up to 692.
More than half of the states may be undercounting coronavirus cases by not following the CDC guidelines.
GLOBAL:
New satellite evidence suggests that the coronavirus may have been in China as early as September.
Moscow reported 60% more deaths in May than during a usual year.
In Mexico, healthcare workers and others are complaining about the lack of PPE and support from the government.
Brazil continues to be suffering greatly from the virus as the country's president keeps his head in the sand and withholds the death toll from his citizens. As is the case here, many people are now unemployed in Brazil...but there is no safety net of unemployment insurance to help them.
The United Kingdom is already dealing with the devastation caused by the virus. Now, with Brexit and the fact that the country has failed in its trade talks with the European Union, the country is facing a double economic whammy. However, the country's testing and tracing system has identified 31,000 coronavirus contacts. Good job.
A supposedly virus-free town in southern Italy is offering rundown homes for just over $1. Ooooo if only I were younger and in better health....
The Maldives has lifted all visitor restrictions.
CALIFORNIA:
A couple from Los Angeles both died from COVID 19 complications, leaving their five children orphaned.
The state superintendent has released guidelines for re-opening schools in the fall.
Gyms, bars, movie theaters and other venues are re-opening today across the state. Theaters can re-open at 25% capacity only. TV and film production can resume as well.
As California readys for Stage 3 re-openings, the threat of the second wave of the virus is looming.
California's controversial "zero dollar bail" for low-level criminals ends on June 20th. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of coronavirus cases in California jails during the pandemic.
Disneyland had announced it's beginning phases of re-opening for July 9th. However, a new online petition is trying to halt that due to the continuing spread of the virus. It has been signed by thousands of people so far.
Orange County no longer requires masks out in public.
San Diego County gained another 161 cases.
A casino worker at the recently re-opened Morongo Casino & Resort near Cabazon (which is near Palm Springs) tested positive for the virus, illustrating how much of a gamble going to a casino really is these days.
In Oakland, the former Lake Merritt Lodge will become a homeless shelter during the virus outbreak.
Winery tasting rooms in Sonoma County will be re-opening today.
LOCAL:
There are 7,189 confirmed cases in the Central Valley, 2,395 of those are in Fresno County, where I live. 3,417 have recovered here. (728 in Fresno County.) There have been 166 deaths (51 of which where in Fresno County).
The state of California is working with Fresno County as the county's infection cases have doubled in the last two weeks. Kern County is also on the state watch list for the same reason. (Unfortunately, this part of the state is highly republican. Need I say more? I see far more people without masks than with them.)
Fresno Unified School District has sent out a questionnaire to parents about re-opening schools in the fall.
Clovis Adult School celebrated its graduates with a drive-thru graduation ceremony.
Yosemite has started another phase of its re-opening allowing more guests to enter utilizing a new reservation system.
The Frontline Appreciation Group, a local nonprofit group helping healthcare workers, donated it's 3,000th meal to hospital staff last week.
The Sugar Pine Railroad near Yosemite is re-opening today.
Fresno Chaffee Zoo re-opens today.
Macy's at Fashion Fair and in Riverpark will be opening its doors today for the first time since lockdown.
Tachi Palace Casino re-opened yesterday.
GB3 will be re-opening all of its gyms today.
Fresno dog parks will be re-opening Monday.
Catholic churches around the Valley will be re-opening this weekend--with changes.
CREATIVITY:
A neighborhood in Alameda has become home to porch concerts.
Here is a parody of a LITTLE MERMAID song:
That Quarantine Kitchen guy from Wisconsin has taken it out back for some deep-fried action:
Seth Meyers shared some good news during the pandemic.
Here is a recent Jimmy Kimmel monologue:
Okay...here is a second monologue:
The artist SHAG has another quarantine coloring page available. This one is of Jay and Silent Bob.
MAIL:
Linda in Castro Valley, CA sent me a quick note and a page from the Castro Valley Forum:
"I'm sending you a screenshot of a kind of unfortunate pairing of headline and photos," she said. "These guys don't look too 'welcoming' for post-COVID BART riders, do they?"
SHIRLEY:
Shirley continues her little tortoise adventures. I, of course, worry about her constantly. These last few days, she has been so lethargic. instead of having adventures and climbing through bushes, she's just basically stayed in the flowerbed near the patio and laid under the bushes. Is it the heat or just her age? She still comes to the door when she wants to come in for the night, though. In the past, she'd come to the door early in the day--when it was too hot--wanting to come in early. She hasn't done that this year...yet.
Yesterday, she slept in until just after noon. When she finally got up and came out of her box, instead of walking towards the sliding glass door, she walked up to the board I have up separating the kitchen/dining room (title floor) from the rest of the house (carpeted). Ever since I boarded up that one section of the back fence with the loose board that she saw the yard behind my yard (and tried to get into on more than one occasion), I've thought she was watching me as I came and went from the kitchen over the board and into the hall.
The board is propped up by these two old bar stools (that were my grandmother's). There have been mornings when I've gotten up and found that Shirley has gotten under the bar stool and dragged it away from the board. Trying to knock the board down? Maybe...
So when I found her staring at the board yesterday after she woke up, I picked her up so she could see (Gasp!) over the board. I then decided to take her into the living room. I sat down on the couch with her, holding her on my lap. She was fine with that. I sat there and petted her head and neck (which she likes), letting her look around, until she started squirming and wanted to move. I put her back down in the kitchen and she went outside.
ME:
I've been watching TV shows and movies (on DVD and BluRay), a sample of which is below. There has been nothing uber interesting to report on though.
On Monday morning, I had my procedure--my muscle and nerve biopsies. Although I had been planning on taking Uber to and from the Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, where the biopsy was to take place, I had been told that I needed someone (a family member or friend) to take me and pick me up. Okay...
My friend Erich came down from San Leandro. That was super nice of him, although I was worried for both of us because who knows if either of us might be contagious with the virus.
We arrived at the surgery center at 6 a.m. Erich, who they insisted I have accompany me, was sent away. (!?!)
I was sent from one check in place to another and then to the second floor, where I was checked in yet again. I was finally escorted into a room. I changed into a gown and had vitals taken and more questions asked of me.
I was finally escorted into a room. I changed into an ugly green gown (with hideous yellow hospital socks).
I had vitals taken and more questions asked of me.
I also had an IV put in.
Dr. Maser, the immunologist surgeon doing the biopsy came in to chat with me beforehand. It was my first time meeting her in person, having only "seen" her via telehealth in my consultation with her in late March.
I had been constipated going in to last weekend. I had taken two laxative pills (recommended dose was 1 to 3 pills) on Friday night. I don't recall the name, but it was the "gentle, overnight laxative." Nothing happened on Saturday. Saturday night, I took something else. It was a tablet called "Colon Cleanse." But on Sunday, I had very little action. Certainly my colon was far from cleansed. Great...
On Monday, just before the procedure, my tummy was rumbling in that certain I-need-to-go-go way. UGH! What timing, right? I was directed to a bathroom, but nothing happened. As I was wheeled into the operating room, I was afraid that my biopsy might turn into a bi-OOPS!-y (Bi-poops-y?) and I'd soil myself during the whole thing while unconscious. OMG!
I have no idea if that happened or not (I hope not... Oh my!). Nothing was ever said. i can say, though, that the anesthetist was awesome. I fell asleep like that and woke up only a moment later (or so it seemed. It was actually 2 hours later) with very little brain fog. What there was of it vanished quickly. Best anesthesia experience ever.
Of course, I was a tad freaked out looking at my blue foot when I came too...but that turned out to be the residue of something they'd washed my foot with before surgery.
The incision on my thigh was fine (although it hurt like the dickens that night and all the next day) (And, in case you are wondering, that is my finger in the photo below! Oh my stars!!)
The recovery nurse got me out of the recovery room pretty quickly.
She did give me some ice water first...which I had trouble trying to figure out how to drink, not realizing I had a mask on at first.
When we got home, my street was closed as the city was finishing up the repaving of my street. I had been dreading walking back to my house from wherever we'd end up parking the car. Fortunately I was not in too much pain, so walking the distance to my house (just three houses in) was not a big deal.
On Tuesday, I received an oh-my-GAWD delightful surprise. Vye sent me a Leatherface (from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE tiki mug from GeekiTikis. Zowie! I love, love, L-O-V-E it! It was a belated birthday gift, she said. As thrilled as I am with the gift, it was so NOT necessary. In fact, everyone has been so swell sending me birthday gifts or just surprises in general---but please, I don't need anything (and my birthday was two months ago now anyway). Everyone has been so kind. I really appreciate the wonderful friends I have. You are all great people. THANK YOU, Vye...and THANK YOU everyone. But please...STOP! (But...ooooo, Vye! Maybe I really, REALLY needed the Leatherface mug. Yes, I think I did. Good call. THANK YOU, so ding-dang-darn much! WOW!!)
On Tuesday, I had a lot of errands to run. Let's see... After dropping a card off at the post office, I had to go to my credit union. Masks were required and social distancing was also required. Good.
Then I went to a pharmacy to pick up a prescription. There were four employees behind the counter. I was masked. None of them were. Later, at El Pollo Loco picking up dinner, the employees inside had masks either half covering their face (noses exposed or masks pulled down below their chins) or not on at all. Yikes!
While at the grocery store, I noticed that my ankle incision was bleeding. Fortunately none of my blood got on the floor or on anything within the store. It all stayed within my shoe...which was sort of unfortunate as there was quit a lot of it and it ruined my shoe.
At least the incision on my thigh is healing nicely.
On Wednesday night, Erich and I went to the Madera Drive In. Madera is about 45 minutes to an hour from my house in Clovis, but it is the only working drive in I knew of in the area.
I had never been to the Madera Drive In before. There wasn't much playing, but that was okay. Except for going to the grocery store or running to doctor appointments, I really have not left my house since the end of March.
There are two screens at the Madera Drive In.
One screen was showing something called MIGHTY OAK and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.
We opted for the other combo, Disney's ONWARD with the new version of CALL OF THE WILD with Harrison Ford. Both films were okay (I preferred ONWARD of the two), but it was just so much fun to go to the drive in...which increased the enjoyment factor of the movies.
Having never been there before (and not having been to a drive in movie in years!), we had to visit the snack bar.
Social distancing rules applied. One side of the snack bar was an entrance only. The other side was the exit. There were x's marking places to wait that were 6 feet apart. Masks were required any time you were out of your car.
The rules were posted many places.
I saw some announcements of coming flicks. Since Hollywood is kind of holding back on their releases, the drive in is making due with older films. But, hello? These upcoming shows have me wanting to go-Go-GO! AMERICAN GRAFFITI and JAWS? I am sooooo there. IT and IT CHAPTER 2? If I can swing the drive in twice in the same week, I'll do it. FOOTLOOSE and GREASE? I just watched GREASE a week or two ago, but I don't think I ever saw (Gasp!) FOOTLOOSE...so that is a strong maybe. The only upcoming combo I'm not interested in is JOHN WICK and THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD (never heard of it). But that is okay. I am thrilled to have discovered this place. (Although it's not shown here, next week I am thinking about going to see the recent animated version of THE ADDAMS FAMILY with JUMANGI: THE NEXT LEVEL.)
The snack bar was taped off and there were spaces to wait as you went through it.
There was hand sanitizer at the cash register where you ordered. Ha!
The menu wasn't too shabby for a drive in.
But there was nothing you grabbed for yourself to carry to the register. It was all handed to you from behind the counter.
The theater (ticket booth and snack bar) were CASH ONLY.
We ordered popcorn and Cokes.
We did not order pizza...but that is something to think about for a future visit. How good (or horrible) can a pizza from the drive in be, I wonder. Ha!)
We also got corn dogs. Mmm. They were good, but greasy. Normally I would have slathered mine in mustard (like Erich did his). Instead, I dunked mine into ranch dressing, which the snack bar lady offered. Sure, why not try it? (The mustard would have been better...but it was still a treat.)
There was an old projector in the snack bar on display.
The snack bar lady saw me looking at it and taking pictures of it. She said that they used to play these huge reels of movie film. Now they just show movies projected digitally.
There were some posters taped (EEEK!) to the painted cinder block walls, but nothing too interesting.
It was a decent snack bar--but nothing like the groovy snack bar at the Blue Fox Drive In on Whidbey Island.
Still---it was exciting to be in a snack bar...at a drive in...away from the house.
Being at the drive in was so surreal. Holy deja vu...it was like I was a kid again.
There were bathrooms, but they were only allowing one person in them at a time. So, they also had (dark!) port-o-potties available.
They even had social distancing announcements before the movies. Ha!
I could not figure out how to get my radio on with my car off. I had it on for a while, but my car said it was shutting it off to preserve the battery. What!?! Fortunately some of the speakers still worked.
The movies may not have been great, but we had a swell time.
Last night was out friend Sheila's birthday. Since Erich was here, we got to share a Zoom call with Sheila, her sister Ricki, her brother Stephen and his wife Beth---our dear friends, the Kerners, who live in Oregon. Happy birthday, Sheila!
Stay SAFE. Stay SHELTERED. Stay ALIVE.
CHEERS!
Continue to the next part HERE.
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