The Town of Odyssey

I kept waiting for Fat Thor! Someone spent a lot of time on costumes. They did a nice job using some of the character quotes. The "Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good" line made me sad, even with the goofy context.

I say an instagram post of a tweet that said "A lot of people have just decided that coronavirus doesn’t exist anymore." To be honest, that is me. Ever since about a week after our shelter-in-place order was removed things it seemed like social distancing was disregarded. I forget the virus exists until I walk into a store or something where masks are required. At church we have families sit together but apart from other people. However, when we're not sitting no one is social distancing. I still wash my hands though.

There are enough reminders that I don't forget, but things definitely seem a lot calmer now. I'm also in an area that never had a huge number of cases, which helps. Yesterday I saw toilet paper on sale, which made things seem more normal, as weird as that sounds. I still couldn't get Lysol wipes. The shelf was empty, but a coworker told me she saw some that last time she went shopping, so hopefully I'll have better luck next time.

I actually found hand sanitizer at Meijer on Monday. Toilet paper is re appearing ever so slowly on store shelves but not hand sanitizer. Finding hand sanitizer is like finding a gold mine these days.

I went to the store yesterday to get eggs just because Kaida wanted to make cookies. I decided to pick up toilet paper because we were running low. The shelves with toilet paper were fully stocked. It looks the way it looked like before the virus.

Laurie wrote:I actually found hand sanitizer at Meijer on Monday. Toilet paper is re appearing ever so slowly on store shelves but not hand sanitizer. Finding hand sanitizer is like finding a gold mine these days.

I can find hand sanitizer, but not the usual brands. Several local companies switched some of their usual production to more needed items, so I have been able to see hand sanitizer regularly on the shelf, just in different containers and brands than usual. The one I bought to try was a liquid and has a bit of an odd scent. It isn't really strong or bad, just different. I usually use Purell aloe vera hand sanitizer, and I do hope to find it again in the not too distant future, but I'm glad that in the meantime there is something available.

The thing I still can't find is Lysol wipes! I went back again and the shelf was still empty. I should have tried another store, but I was in a hurry. They'll be in stock one of these days.

My work is stopping hazard pay this weeked. So, I guess for me, some things are back to normal.

Hey Americans, what the heck is going on down there? You guys don't even have free health coverage, yet so many of your states are already lifting shutdown restrictions in the face of rising numbers of disease cases?

Not trying to be controversial, I'm just genuinely curious. I don't think I've had a harder time understanding what it would be like to be a US citizen than over the past four months of confused observation.

I've been trying so hard to do the right thing, but it feels impossible to know what that is anymore. I feel like our governor just gave up and opened the state because almost no one was listening to the stay-at-home order anymore. And I have to work, but I'm worried about getting my parents sick... It feels like a no-win situation.

bookworm wrote:

This is amazing! Just the lyrics are a great feat, not to mention singing them that quickly and trying to dub in for Julie Andrews. Thanks for sharing, bookworm.

I was thinking kind of along the same lines as Jellyfish today after I read an article (following info is approximate based on my memory of what I read) about someone in the US glad for his great health insurance after a two week hospital stay due to COVID-19, where his actual hospital bill was listed as $320,000, his insurer paid out $165,000 (due to some agreements because everything is so terrible overinflated), and he was surprised not to pay a $6000 or so deductible because his provider had waived the fee currently. Insane. Just the deductible is a crazy amount of money, especially considering the stress of the money after barely surviving a terrible illness. For some naive reason, I had assumed that the US government was somehow helping with COVID related medical expenses due to the pandemic. Clearly not, or at least not much. Maybe it varies by state. I realize no system is perfect, but hearing fees that crazy high just doesn't sit right.

Yeah, the cost of going to the doctor or a hospital stay is ridiculous. Even health insurance is ridiculous.

As for here, the Covid-19 cases have been slowing down a lot the last couple weeks. And frankly, I'm not too worried about it anymore. I still haven't been going out unless necessary (and aside from work), and of course I wash my hands and such. But other than that, I don't see it getting much worse than what it already is/was. Businesses are opening up again, so I guess time will tell.

Petrichor wrote:

I've been trying so hard to do the right thing, but it feels impossible to know what that is anymore. I feel like our governor just gave up and opened the state because almost no one was listening to the stay-at-home order anymore. And I have to work, but I'm worried about getting my parents sick... It feels like a no-win situation.

This feels like one of the most depressing answers I could have imagined. Which state?

Catspaw wrote:For some naive reason, I had assumed that the US government was somehow helping with COVID related medical expenses due to the pandemic. Clearly not, or at least not much. Maybe it varies by state. I realize no system is purrfect, but hearing fees that crazy high just doesn't sit right.

I remember back in March when things suddenly got serious for North America, and I watched back-to-back the Canadian and US public addresses. Trudeau coming out of his home, where he was in quarantine, with his wife actually being diagnosed with the disease, and every bit of his delivery conveyed the weight and seriousness of the situation. It was incredibly calming and I've tuned in to just about every one of his addresses since. Meanwhile, Trump had a whole gaggle of people on the same little stage trying to flip things optimistically and you had Mr. Target and Mr. Walmart offering their parking lots for testing or whatever, which is great, but just felt like such a strange and forced celebration of capitalism at such a weird time. For some reason, that contrast has really stuck out in my mind. A lot of Canadians don't like Trudeau and a lot of Americans (obviously) don't like Trump, but I personally couldn't imagine not being grateful with how the Canadian government has responded to his crisis at just about every turn so far... and I'm curious how many Americans would say that about the US government?

snubspaw wrote:As for here, the Covid-19 cases have been slowing down a lot the last couple weeks. And frankly, I'm not too worried about it anymore. I still haven't been going out unless necessary (and aside from work), and of course I wash my hands and such. But other than that, I don't see it getting much worse than what it already is/was.

Why not? What would stop it from getting worse, especially after everyone decides to start being not too worried about it anymore?

jelly wrote:

snubspaw wrote:As for here, the Covid-19 cases have been slowing down a lot the last couple weeks. And frankly, I'm not too worried about it anymore. I still haven't been going out unless necessary (and aside from work), and of course I wash my hands and such. But other than that, I don't see it getting much worse than what it already is/was.

Why not? What would stop it from getting worse, especially after everyone decides to start being not too worried about it anymore?

First of all, I think this whole thing has been inflated, and has been one big media/political grab. I'm not saying it isn't real, or a threat to people. Just over exaggerated.

Sure, it could get worse. But it also may not. Like I said, time will tell. It seemed only the first 3 weeks were people really panicking, after that, I really haven't noticed any difference in people's habits. They still went out, and Walmart was always packed, which I find ridiculous. Only in the news, talk shows, commercials, etc. did I see a "world of social distancing" ... as if everyone was staying at home, and never seeing a soul face to face. When in reality, I didn't see much of any of that going on where I live. People still lived their lives. It's not that I disagree with the social distancing thing, because I'm doing it myself. I just don't see the whole Covid-19 pandemic as quite as dire as the media is making it out to be.

It seems once the rioting began, coronavirus reporting stopped. SUDDENLY, Covid-19 doesn't exist. It's old news. Reporting on rioting, BLM, and police brutality gets the views now.

I know I sound like Covid-19 is one big joke to me, but it's not, I do take it seriously. I have family who are at a high risk if they catch it, so I'm taking the precautions I can. Really, I'm just done with the media and political fear mongering used for their own personal gain. That's what irritates me about this whole thing.

snubspaw wrote:

jelly wrote:

snubspaw wrote:As for here, the Covid-19 cases have been slowing down a lot the last couple weeks. And frankly, I'm not too worried about it anymore. I still haven't been going out unless necessary (and aside from work), and of course I wash my hands and such. But other than that, I don't see it getting much worse than what it already is/was.

Why not? What would stop it from getting worse, especially after everyone decides to start being not too worried about it anymore?

First of all, I think this whole thing has been inflated, and has been one big media/political grab. I'm not saying it isn't real, or a threat to people. Just over exaggerated.

By... a global conspiracy? All the news media in every single country on earth collaborated with the intent to deceive people in order to "grab" something?

snubspaw wrote:It seemed only the first 3 weeks were people really panicking, after that, I really haven't noticed any difference in people's habits. They still went out, and Walmart was always packed, which I find ridiculous. Only in the news, talk shows, commercials, etc. did I see a "world of social distancing" ... as if everyone was staying at home, and never seeing a soul face to face. When in reality, I didn't see much of any of that going on where I live. People still lived their lives.

I'm comparing this to what Petrichor said above about it being "impossible to know what's right anymore." So many Americans seem to have such a strongly contentious relationship with the media, and also with each other, to the point that all you seem to have left is... kind of just what your own personal experience feels like? I don't know where exactly you live, snubs, but it seems harmful to arrive at generalizations about a global pandemic based only on what you've observed in your own local community.

jelly wrote:

Petrichor wrote:

I've been trying so hard to do the right thing, but it feels impossible to know what that is anymore. I feel like our governor just gave up and opened the state because almost no one was listening to the stay-at-home order anymore. And I have to work, but I'm worried about getting my parents sick... It feels like a no-win situation.

This feels like one of the most depressing answers I could have imagined. Which state?

I live in New Jersey. We have the second-most cases in the US, so understandably, things were much more strict here for a while. But then it seemed like people just... stopped caring? Not even to protest or anything. They just seemed over the whole thing. I've been practicing social distancing as much as I can and I'll continue to do so, but it kind of feels futile at this point since everyone's packed in like sardines at the shore now.

jelly wrote:

snubspaw wrote:First of all, I think this whole thing has been inflated, and has been one big media/political grab. I'm not saying it isn't real, or a threat to people. Just over exaggerated.

By... a global conspiracy? All the news media in every single country on earth collaborated with the intent to deceive people in order to "grab" something?

No, I don't think all media outlets around the world conspired together. But media in general is going to report and over dramatize everything. Anything to get the consumer. And I'm specifically referring to my local news (world news does it too but that's not my focus). There was a stay at home order from our governor that went out like two months ago, and the news reported on it as if people would be arrested if caught going out (and doing something non-essential, or gathering in groups of 10 or more), But I read the order, and you could do everything people were already doing with the "social distancing" order/advisory. Yes, you could get fined and whatnot. But it just wasn't likely considering one could go do everything people were already doing.

jelly wrote:

snubspaw wrote:It seemed only the first 3 weeks were people really panicking, after that, I really haven't noticed any difference in people's habits. They still went out, and Walmart was always packed, which I find ridiculous. Only in the news, talk shows, commercials, etc. did I see a "world of social distancing" ... as if everyone was staying at home, and never seeing a soul face to face. When in reality, I didn't see much of any of that going on where I live. People still lived their lives.

I'm comparing this to what Petrichor said above about it being "impawssible to know what's right anymore." So many Americans seem to have such a strongly contentious relationship with the media, and also with each other, to the point that all you seem to have left is... kind of just what your own personal experience feels like? I don't know where exactly you live, snubs, but it seems harmful to arrive at generalizations about a global pandemic based only on what you've observed in your own local community.

I'm not taking away the seriousness just because other people aren't taking it serious. I find it very annoying people still have been going out and gathering in groups (mostly teenagers/young adults). I just find it interesting that no one seems to care. If one of my parents got it, they could die. So I'm not just throwing Covid-19 out the window. I still have to go to work, though, and be in the public every day (I'm at work). So I can only do so much.

That said, it still doesn't disregard my opinion on the whole thing being inflated. People going in for other ailments, like hypertension or whatever, will get tested for the virus, and if they test positive but asymptomatic, they are counted as a Covid-19 case. Even if they never actually "get sick." People who have died from other complications (not directly related to Covid), but are positive for Covid-19, are counted as a Covid-19 death.

The cases in my area are still slowing. Even the daily death count has gone down. Hopefully it continues in a downward trend.

I'm probably going to wait to decide on my thoughts in late 2020, or maybe early 2021, or late 2021. From what it appears on the outset, one study says it's twice as contagious as the flu, and since there was no herd immunity initially with a vaccine like the flu vaccine, the number of already infected people is probably a crazy number. And while it seems to be twice as deadly as the flu maybe 3x, maybe just really bad for people with pre-existing conditions, i.e. the people who would have gotten a flu shot, I just don't think we can be positive until the virus plays itself out.

I think what I would have done is say those who are 60 have to stay home since 95%*ish of the people who die are 60 , or those that live with those who are vulnerable, or they have pre-existing conditions stay home, and the rest should develop herd immunity. But I have the benefit of looking at it 3 months later, initially it was hard to know, it could have been as bad as ebola or a different strain of the coronavirus..

Many of the businesses that I like are closing quite a few of their locations because of this coronavirus and it's kind of depressing, although I know they were already saddled with tons of debt and they're just paying for it now. And I'm guessing that's not over, I'm assuming here come the economic problems next, they're predicting a 53% fall in the gdp, in q2, which is insane.

Overall I have enjoyed this time. More time for healthy habits, more time for my family and close friends, less stress (when I don't watch or read the news), more ToO time, and in general a great restorative time for my soul.

P.S. One other thing I have learned from this is that for me even when I'm sick I feel like I have to go into work. My boss is completely fine with me staying home and working and yet I still want to go in. So that's one thing I have learned through all this is that if I'm sick or have a high probability of being sick, I should stay home and not infect others. Part of loving them. Very dramatic way to learn that, but it's been a good reminder.