Scarlet Pimpernel

If it's that chair...better off just getting a new one!! (That "never forget" pic was hilarious!!)

Haha, you absolutely should do that!! At the same time, you can hand out flyers advertising your new, snazzy suites for those interested the next winter. C'mon man...think of the marketing opportunities, and in-person too!!

Very cool, and thanks for sharing that information. And (trite as this may sound), I'm glad that you're now happy with who you are and who *you* want to be. In the end, that's really all that should matter. You're right, it's a lot easier now than it was in Louisiana (or anywhere for that matter) some 20+ years ago. But like many things, it sure was a long, hard road to get this country to change its attitudes even a little bit (and it still seems people have to fight the same battles time and time again). (ETA: Hopefully we can still get a good HECS-level snow event for you while you're in the area!!)

Oh, that's terrible...so sorry you all had to go through that! But I'm glad to hear your dad came through it OK, and hope that your mom did manage to avoid symptoms despite being exposed to it. Those are exactly the kinds of complications that make this so scary.

All good...I knew it was in humor, and I thought it was funny...surely pretty well everyone else took it the same!

LOL! OK, I admit to thinking the same about @supernovasky. In fact, I always thought the pronunciation was like an eastern European/Russian type of name, like "Super-novAski" (imagine Gru from "Despicable Me" saying that...). Then I realized, maybe it's actually "Supernova Sky"!!

OK, now that is just harsh... . . . But still damn funny and I did get a good laugh!!!

Those are some good memories, and similar to mine in fact! I recall going sledding with several people on this golf course, hopping the fence to get there, at night! Ahhhh, Cedar Point...the roller-coaster heaven!! I went there a few times. Did the old "Gemini" coaster, where 2 of them sort of "race" each other...it was easy to get right back on, because the lines went fast (with 2 roller coasters). I vaguely recall doing the double-loop or corkscrew ride they had once...only once! Closed my eyes through the part where you go upside down, haha! I never could get myself to do the demon drop (I think that's what it was called?), where it would drop you straight down from whatever ridiculous height! (ETA... Now I may be mixing up some of those rides with the old Geauga Lake amusement park, but you get the idea! )

I hear you and feel for you the situation you're in (having been there myself not that many years ago!). It is a concern in terms of whether daycare places open at the same time anyone's office does; I'd guess probably not at the same time. One would *hope*, really, that coming out of this at some point, work places that are allowing remote/teleworking would extend that to those who must still be at home to care for a child whose daycare or school is not yet open. That would be reasonable, I'd think. I mean, if they have no problem with you remote working now, why would they have a problem even if the office is "open"? But you're right...how understanding will some of these corporate entities be? I know as a gov't employee, I'm extremely fortunate that they've become far more flexible in the past decade concerning teleworking. Heck, some people TW a few days a week regularly, even if they're right here in town (DC area).

@RDM and @Mrs.J...good to know a couple of other fellow native Ohioans!! I grew up in northeast Ohio, on the east/southeast side of Cleveland. This was through the 1970s and 1980s. I also of course would visit during breaks from college. Much of my family since the mid 1990s has moved out for various reasons (myself included), though I still have a brother and sister in law living south of Cleveland (in Medina County). I still go back now when I can, a couple or three times a year, and it's always nice to visit! And not that bad a drive from the DC metro area. Of course, it sometimes helps when there are Indians' or Cavs' tickets involved for a game...or more recently, to see the comedian Jim Gaffigan! I miss it too...especially the winters. I don't mind heading up there when most would consider it the "worst time of year" to be in northeast Ohio! I still consider the area to be home. @RDM, we've talked a few times about the Ohio Blizzard of 1978 (Jan. 26-27, 1978), and our memories of that. @Mrs.J, were you in Ohio at that time, too? As I've said before, that's still the landmark winter storm of my lifetime. It has been referred to as the "White Hurricane" for good reason.

Very true. I think there's enough evidence at this point to show that at least some "social distancing" and staying at home has helped to mitigate the spread somewhat compared to if nothing were done. But we're far from ideal. As an aside, I'll say when I went out this past weekend out toward Rockville to grab a few things...the lack of traffic on the Rockville Pike was quite extraordinary (normally mid-day on a weekend it would be crowded!). Hell, I could even turn LEFT, easily, without having to wait for the next round of green lights!!

Pretty neat! I may have to confiscate one of my daughter's bandannas to use as a make-shift mask when venturing out to the supermarket. Not perfect, but it is something.

Thanks for those brief presser updates...I didn't have a chance to see or listen to it. Quite informative!

Here you go @mappy! A veritable sea of red tulips (took this the other day)!

This echoes my exact thoughts. I didn't vote for Hogan either but he has handled this crisis admirably. Credit where it's due and he deserves that. Maybe it's because he is a more "moderate" Repub in a heavily Dem state, but regardless he's done well here and I feel as though he has presented himself as trustworthy in this situation. Definitely more so than many in his party.

I'm reminded of this scene from "Count of Monte Cristo" (yeah, not completely faithful to the novel, but a pretty good dramatization all the same!)...

But of course! Tulips have just come up around here and there are a couple of places nearby that have really nice beds of them. So I grabbed a bunch of photos of those and some other things that are blooming. I'll see if I can scrounge up another one that I took for you, too, when I have a chance!

Some flower photos to brighten spirits a little... And some tulips for you @mappy!

Kinda brings a new meaning when people say, "shit's really flying!", doesn't it?? (or, "that shit won't fly!" or "hitting the fan" or... Well you get the idea!)

Ahhh, Ms. J! You always have some damn fine culinary creations I have to say! That looks very tasty, thank you for sharing even if virtually! That margarita...I have no words (but I do have a sudden...thirst, hahaha!)!! Funny, but the baking aisle has been mostly empty for the past couple of weeks. Can't find yeast, sugar, or flour really. My daughter has been asking me to find yeast (she likes to bake!), but alas, I come home empty handed any time I've checked. She made me my birthday cake this year (chocolate, of course...with a penuche icing...very tasty!).

I'm sorry...I know I really should not laugh...but I admit to finding that a little amusing! (But it is soooo wrong!!!)

LOL! I sort of heard of it growing up but never really knew much about or saw it until recently! It's funny that it is considered a "soap opera", I guess because the episodes were on in the mid afternoon back when it was originally televised. Sort of a horror/cult soap opera, I guess! It's funny to see some of the occasional "errors" that occurred during filming, of course it was really low budget for that kind of thing. You'd occasionally hear some background noise, something dropping on the ground, or see the shadow of a microphone that you weren't supposed to see...heck, I've even seen a fly or other insect appear and one of the actors had to wave it away right there on set and while filming! The over-dramatic music is kinda funny too. Have to say, Barnabas Collins and Quentin Collins were awesome characters (Quentin's snarky character is amusing)!

Ha! Well, I watched the original "Alien" movie a couple of weeks back...great film and still a pretty damned scary idea! It's been years since I last saw it. But now, I've got the complete James Bond series on Bluray that I've started watching in the past week (was given that for my birthday the other week). I'm still amazed at how good the "original" ones were, through the 80s (including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and yes, even the one with George Lazenby). I know, there's argument over who the best Bond is/was! Oh, and anyone remember the old "Dark Shadows" series from the '60s-70s? Someone gave us the complete set on disk (some 1200 episodes!) a few years ago, and have slowly been working through that when the mood strikes. Fun stuff (if campy!)...and it's easy to binge watch several half-hour episodes in an evening!! Still quite a ways from the end of the series though (and this is over the past 2+ years of occasional viewing)!

Well, I hope the original post I put up didn't sound overly alarmist or anything like that. I was just thinking historically what happened from the 1918 flu, where after the original wave it got bad again the next fall. Obviously this virus isn't the same and conditions/medical science, etc. are different as well. At any rate, I have heard what both of you say that thus far this virus apparently hasn't shown a tendency to mutate very much (if at all, really?). So yeah, that gives hope of a "one and done" vaccine, once there is a vaccine. The other thing here is, I've heard differing things on how long one's immunity lasts, which is another factor...though again, I don't think anyone knows anything definitive on that or if it's even been looked into (probably way too early right now to know for sure).

I'm so sorry to hear about that, WxWatcher007. For what it's worth, I send my deep condolences. Take care of yourself and those close to you! And like you say, despite the occasional political argument in this thread, I'm grateful for this community and the people in it...nice to know that other than bonding over weather, we can also discuss this current situation rationally for the most part. And it does help.