Day 18 of Home Time

Today has been a blessing in many ways, and scary still in others.  My guy found out that one of his best friends tested positive for coronavirus and is dealing with some symptoms.  He lives with his wife and daughter, and they are all wonderful people.  We spoke this evening and everyone is doing ok, but I can only imagine how frightened they must be.  This whole situation is maddening for so many in so many different ways.  But he is healthy and strong. And we will all get through it!

We left the house today to venture out for groceries. Huge shout out to the company I work for: Happy Cooking Hospitality. The owners and management team, many of whom I'd be in the trenches with today at work, have created Happy Cooking Grocery to help feed employees during this difficulty. One of the spots used to be a grocery, so there ya go. And once a week, employees can come pick up a chockfull bag. For FREE. Today we got fresh cauliflower, apples, oranges, grapefruit, avocado, eggs, limes, cucumbers, bread. And we have for safe-keeping marinated chicken (too late, it was DELICIOUS!!!!), rice, pasta, green lentils, TP (!!!!), and paper towels. Not only is it beyond generous but it also helps rekindle our community. I saw a few co-workers I would normally see daily and haven't seen in weeks. Oh, and I forgot to mention that my boss handed us masks the moment we walked up! The latest news indicates that this thing can travel on someone's breath. So, thank you, Ed!!! Which, side note, wearing a mask for the first time, I was not delighted with the scent of my own breath. As a plaque that still hangs somewhere in Dr. Granade's office suggests, "You don't have to floss all your teeth. Just the ones you want to keep." We also stopped by Trader Joe's wine shop for what we like to call the Neapolitan: a box of white, one of rosé, and one of red. We ain't fancy!

Broadway @ Astor Place...
no cars or humans

While New York City is the epicenter, the city is still chugging along.  Just at at least six-foot length from others. Encountering people walking on the sidewalks, it is a regular occurrence for one person to walk in the street. With so few cars on the streets, getting hit isn't really an issue. We counted maybe 5 taxis on our walk from East to West villages.  We did hear the subway rumble below us on a few occasions.  And I saw a slew of buses pass, but they were mostly empty.  I am relieved to see that most New Yorkers are taking this situation to heart and STAYING HOME!  I read an article about how Detroit is handling this crisis...grim, indeed. The Chief of Police tested positive and so one of his captains is in charge. And the captain was quoted in the article saying that you basically have to commit murder to get arrested.  And, what do ya know...supposedly, murder is up in Detroit 50%. And let's not even go into the state of prisons there...

I texted with some friends today, doing my best to stay optimistic.  I also spoke with my mom briefly tonight about all this happening around us. Reach out to your loved ones, people. You have no idea how much they may need it, and in return, you'll find you probably did, too.