mattie g

They should. I mentioned yesterday(?) that I really feel for the employees of these places, but what’s right is right. I hope we, as a country, help affected people (both medically and financially) get through this.

Yup - got the e-mail earlier today. FCPS has been playing catch up, but perhaps the elementary school teacher whose husband tested positive and her “assumed positive” test has forced their hand. Of course, they may have just been making decisions based on the fluidity of reports as they said they would.

Glad to hear others are taking the same approach. My parents and my wife’s parents aren’t local, so we don’t have that concern from a personal interaction perspective, though my wife just told her mom that she’s cancelling their flight to HHI in early April as a precaution. Next-door neighbors’ parents live a few miles away and are really involved in their lives. That’s awesome, though the grandmother is...ummm...over-involved. They got invited to their house for dinner tonight, and from what they told us yesterday, declining the invitation won’t go over well!

My family and five other neighborhood families have agreed that we will allow our kids to play together outside and that we will “socially distance” ourselves from one another until and if one of us gets sick. This is because we can’t honestly allow ourselves to think that our kids will be able to handle being cooped up inside and not being able to play together. We have all agreed that we will limit ourselves to this and not socially interact with other families until we’re at the end of this situation. Two of the parents need to go into the office - the rest can be at home. One family just told us that two of their boys had low-grade fevers yesterday, so they’re staying put now. What a tough situation to be in. We realize that our approach isn’t ideal, but I do think we’re being responsible and realistic while allowing our kids to have some sort of normalcy in their daily lives.

I think others have hit on this, but I feel the need to chime in that this logic doesn’t really work. If kids give it to kids, those kids then are vectors to give it to their parents, and from there to other people as those parents possibly interact while being asymptomatic. This is going to be hard on families who aren’t prepared to work on one (or less) income - almost impossibly hard in some cases. However, the answer is not to send kids to school as a form of childcare - that defeats the purpose of trying to “flatten the curve.” I feel lucky that my wife stays at home and works freelance in her spare time, so we don’t have childcare concerns (other than my wife’s sanity). For families who are able to work remotely, it will be tough to handle the logistics but they’re in a much better position than many others. Hopefully the rest of the people who have no choice but to try to work until/unless they get show symptoms will be able to ride things out. Aside from those who will suffer greatly from being ill (and their families), these are the people to whom my heart goes out.

My wife isn’t 100% looking forward to having both our girls at home all day for a month (it’s not easy on the weekends for a few hours!), but she did tell my 1st grader that there will be lots of arts and crafts, with interspersed math and reading, while she’s home!

Nasal vaccines are generally less effective than shots.

It’s insane that they won’t/can’t test. Absolutely f’ing insane. Sorry that you’re down for the count, but I hope you get through it soon!

I've gotten the flu a couple times as an adult, though only once since I started getting the flu shot (no quotes) every year for at least the last ten years. The last time was this year, after a long work trip during which I was shaking hands with everyone and their mother and getting very little (drunken) sleep each night. I credit the flu shot (no quotes) for helping me recover from it much more quickly (2.5 days or so) than I likely would have otherwise - but the worst of it really sucked. I've gotten plenty of bad colds and sinus infections and such, but only got the flu this one time despite it being a very contagious illness and my having kids. I wonder why...

Or might not present any noticeable symptoms at all, will fight off the virus, and will be perfectly healthy when their immune system has done its job.

Tell them you don't care. You're holing up because of coronavirus.

One thing to note is that there could be plenty of people who have or have contracted coronavirus, but haven't been sick enough to have to go to the doctor. The informational effect of this is twofold: The virus is more widespread than is currently reported The virus isn't nearly as deadly as is feared based on the currently reported mortality rates People need to calm the F down. I wish the government could get its sh*t together to help calm fears and to put forth a united and meaningful response, but we all know that's not happening/won't happen, nor will the media lessen the sensationalism that drives clicks. People just need to do it on their own, but sadly many people can't do that. Basically, stock up on water and beer and bread and canned goods now because society will cease to function in about 30 days because of the stupidity of people.

<psu> The weather doesn't care what you want. I don't know why you worry about what the weather will do, but if it affects you so much maybe you need another hobby. </psu>

Next week's threat is valid. I'll be in Dallas.

Yeah, but Helsinki isn’t Carroll County.

^ Thunderstorms to rain to nothing. Sweet!!

Meh. I honestly don't care. I've always thought of the Panic Room and reaping as being related to people who freak out about it all. But, you know...it's all good.

I have to say...I’ve been incredibly zen about this winter. Usually I get frustrated when it doesn’t snow for a while, but, by the middle of January, I had such a “who the f*ck cares?” attitude about it all that it just hasn’t affected me in the slightest. Really the main thing that disappoints me is not ring able to see my girls have fun in the snow. That’s a bit of a kick in the nards, though as long as they don’t kick up a fuss about it I won’t let it get to me, either. In summary, f**k this winter, and let spring get sprung like Sir Mix-A-Lot.

My early-season allergies have already kicked in. Pretty sure it’s the maple buds/blooms that do it. Just waiting to hear the peepers...

@jonjon I’m in a beer group on Facebook, and this just popped up. Glad to hear the stout turned out nice! By the way...where’s the snow?!

Garlic has really sprouted in the last couple weeks - nice to see that every clove has produced a plant. Still yet to get set up with grow lights so I can start seeds indoors, so for yet another year I’ve ordered my tomato and pepper plants, which should arrive in the first week of April. I might go ahead and get LED grow lights and a heat map, though - would be good for starting the early leaf vegetables and cucumbers, rather than plant them directly in-ground. The best part of this year’s garden is that my new beds are fully functional from the beginning of the season, with me having built the first in late April and the second in mid August last year. Can’t wait to really get started!

No Westvleteren XII, no care.

I honestly thought you were farther south because I thought I recalled you mentioning you were near Fayetteville. Either way, you’re on the money about your climo compared to here, and I have mad respect for you sticking around here to possibly live vicariously through us!

I relatively jackpotted among us lowlanders with 0.75” in wee hours of January 18, followed by mixing and eventually a little freezing rain late in the day.

I’ve been looking at it the same way, but it’s sad that it takes an absolute disaster of a winter here to help with the ice gain in the Arctic.