Cute Corona Cootie

Except at the polls on Tuesday, and likely mainly because of that Anne did not teach this week. The kids were off today and will be all of next week for spring break, and after this last week that will feel like a lifetime. Dave is on indefinite telecommuting duty in Boston. Since he lives at the juncture of Harvard and MIT and they are both shut down, he is enjoying having Cambridge pretty much to himself. Meanwhile, Dan’s TV gig just closed in Brooklyn. His was the last production there to shutter and who knows about his reality TV gig next month.

Welcome to our new reality, life in the fast lane, with a multi-car accident just ahead of us on the freeway. We had been scheduled to fly to California today and when I called my Dad earlier this week to tell him we would not be coming, I felt really bad and a little bit foolish too. I still feel bad, but I don’t feel foolish anymore. This disease which for weeks has always seemed to be someone else’s problem, is now moved upon us and with surprising rapidity. The world is closing down around us, one venue at a time.

I have yet to detect many signs of the virus here. The count of confirmed cases continues to grow only slowly, but that could be because we just don’t know. Unless you are a celebrity or a crony, no one gets tested to find out. I taken to doing the grocery shopping early in the morning. It is less crowded then. I slather on hand sanitizer, both before and afterwards. Yes, I have hand sanatizer. You want some? How does a dollar a squirt sound to you?

Anyway, while in the store, I keep my social distance from everyone. I have an ear cocked for any sign of that tale-tell cough and I checkout using the U-scan. Then afterwards, again using hand sanitizer, I lather, rinse, repeat. At this point cabin fever seems to be more of a concern than the coronavirus. To that end, Anne and I got out on our bikes today. It is easy for bicyclists to keep a social distance from others, as we whip on by them.

For full disclosure, the plush toy is not actually a corona cootie or virus, but is supposed to represent the measles. It was one of a selection of such toys, each one portraying some microscopic pathogen. They were in one of the learning labs at the science center. I created its evil eyes using Photoshop, making it both sinister and cuddly at the same time. Go ahead hug it and then pass it along.

Happy Friday the 13th! Stay healthy. Stay lucky.