On My Mind

Happy Birthday Shell 🤗🎈🎂

Today is my Birthday and there is no where to go...oh well, maybe I will treat myself to a movie rental from Dish Network!😳

cwille,

I get it too. Everyone is important.

CWillie I totally agree with all you said. :)

Bless you Techie, "Grouchy" is exactly what I am!
BTW I've got some truckers in my family too (cousins).

Sorry cwillie, my intention was not to lecture. I felt your original posting in this thread did under appreciate the risks being taken by some essential workers like truckers, where there are a couple of people near and dear to my own heart. I still feel you are just a little bit extra "grouchy" on this subject. I understand that; there are definitely subjects I'm extra grouchy about during this stressful time too. I'm hoping this one becomes less irritating to you in the coming days and weeks.

Techie I don't need a lecture on why I am wrong, I mentioned on my thread asking who was still working that all of my relatives are still working - the one who is probably most at risk is crammed into a truck with one or two others delivering furniture, but there ain't nobody clapping for him, in fact some people have even tried to bully them into delivering into homes under quarantine. My oldest nephew is managing a big construction project and has a newborn daughter he hasn't seen for a month because his wife was afraid he would bring the virus home with him, nobody's clapping for him either. My sister is 69 and still going to work at the nursing home because she's a scheduler and somebody needs to be there to beg people to please come to work. Another nephew figures it's only a matter of time until he is exposed - he's a cop. Like I already said - I fully support kudos to those on the front lines who are actually suffering hardship, what grates is lavishly praising some while totally disregarding others.

cwille, it's not always so safe for the essential workers. Yes, they have a job but often their hours have been reduced or greatly increased and they are at increased risk.

I have a friend and a family member driving big rigs. Although they are relatively safe in their trucks, they still have to stop for fuel, sometimes in areas of active CV community spread. With restaurants closing or moving to only drive thru service, truckers are having problems getting a meal on the road because big rigs and people are not allowed at many drive thru windows. Some showers at truck stops have been closed too and motels just don't feel safe anymore. And when they come home, they must worry about the possibility of bringing CV back to their families. My friend is staying in his RV and hasn't touched a family member in weeks. My family member is older with no kids at home and his wife has decided to accept the risk so he actually gets to sleep in his own bed when he's home on turnover; he recently worked 27 straight days.

We have 4 health care workers who were infected at one of our smaller community hospitals (the one patient and the 4 health care workers the only confirmed infections in that county); the 48 year old doctor is now in ICU on a vent fighting for his life. Our health care system has laid off 1300+ workers (with continued health care and medication coverage) in admin, general care, and elective surgery departments and temporarily closed 6 urgent care centers; the system is projecting to lose $155 million dollars in just 90 days. That doesn't even count the nurses and techs furloughed from doctors' offices.

My brother (66 and taking an ACE for high blood pressure ) is an essential worker with reduced hours. Because he is working with 180+ people from 4 counties, he cannot visit my home beyond leaving groceries on my porch. He's out there taking a risk each time he fuels his car and enters that factory complex. He works with some younger yahoos who think social distancing is a joke, so his risk might be higher than LTC care givers.

The essential care givers in our LTC facilities are having a very difficult time. One facility I know about has increased the shift hours from 8 to 10, using the overlap to help replace volunteers at morning and evening meals. Four facilities in my area have announced they will be engaging some of the staff laid off from the mainline health care system, after they complete isolation and testing. These workers are at reduced risk of being infected because of the no visitation rules but the increased workload is almost unbearable. No LTC facility in our area has been infected yet and we seem to have enough testing available to keep the risk low, but we know from the outbreak in the facility near Nashville that once CV gets a foot in the door of a LTC facility, many of the residents and the staff will be infected and several will die.

Today, I got a delivery order from my local Walmart. Whether pickup or delivery, the people bringing those groceries to our homes or cars are taking some risk too. The essential people who are stocking shelves or preparing food and running checkouts are taking a risk so the rest of us can have food (and sometimes toilet paper).

Our first responders are out there still coming in contact with people who are respecting social distancing and with the people who do not. Perhaps they are coming in more contact with the people who are not observing social distancing. When subduing someone or pulling them out of a wreck, all the safety guidelines cannot always be followed.

I know this is a trying time for everyone and things do get on our nerves _but_ I think we really do need to thank our essential workers. All of them are taking an increased risk both for themselves and their families. The rest of us just couldn't cope very well without them.

I'm getting a little ticked off at all the "thank an essential worker" stuff I keep running into.
Thank a trucker - great, but for most of them it's business as usual and at least they HAVE a job, and I can't imagine anyone safer than a person sitting by themselves in a big rig.
Thank a doctor/nurse/first responder - absolutely thanking those in urban centres and working in high risk areas, but my local 19 bed hospital got parade of fire trucks and ambulances and we have only had ONE person pass through with CV 2 weeks ago. Yes it must be a pain to work with all the new restrictions but for the most part the hospital and medical centres have cancelled everything else, it's like a ghost town around there.
You know who isn't getting a shout out? Staff at retirement and nursing homes - it's got to be h3ll working in any them let alone the ones that have CV.

Glad: Shifty eyes - Ha Ha - may be nothing or may be something.😀

WorriedinCali: Wow - good for you getting all those yummy fresh veggies! 😀

Shifty eyes. Has anyone ever known anyone that literally shifts their eyes back and forth a lot? Seems to be happening when this person is trying to figure out how to push back or disagree. Strangest thing I have her seen. Doesn't help with a trust level.

Cali,

What a wonderful surprise! Fresh veggies are so yummy. Enjoy!

Just heard my dog whining from somewhere in the house, which is very very unlike him. Went to investigate and found him in the kitchen standing at the back door which was open but blocked by a kiddie gate, and there was a very large and very sweet black dog standing on the other side of the gate! Guess the dogs didn’t get the memo that we are supposed to be social distancing? Turns out the other dog was my next door neighbors PUPPY! Boy did he grow fast. I saw him a few weeks ago and he was maybe half the size he is now! Totally didn’t recognize him at first & had no idea whose dog was trespassing in my garage. I felt bad breaking up the party because they seemed to want to play together but my dog is small and he’s 16.

Also today a very generous large produce company here gave the police dept 60 boxes of produce today. My husband brought home a box that had multiple lettuce variations, celery, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, green onion, red onion, cilantro and broccolini. We gave half to the next door neighbors because it was way too much for us! What a nice gesture! But go figure...I went out for lightbulbs and salad kits this afternoon and then my husband comes home with a box of salad fixings! Could have just stayed home and sent him to ACE for the lightbulbs if I had known LOL!

I have had my fill of the news reporters. Not all of them but a good majority seem to get some kind of illicit pleasure out of reporting bad news. Yeah, I guess that's why they chose that career. Maybe? But my gosh..........repetition, repetition, repetition. I watch for five minutes and then when I realize it's the same newscast from the night before I turn it off. What did they report on before Covid19? I wonder.

I can tell by my mood whether I've been exposed to too much of it. Even the "delightful" reports of how parents are entertaining their kids and so on get on my nerves now.

Golden

I don't blame you! Have to agree with you about the news reporters!

Yeah!!! Was able to get some appropriate hair colour on line, although it is not coming till May. By then I may be ready to let it grow out! Nice to have a choice anyway. 😊

I never watch the news. I read newspaper articles and that way I can choose what "goes in." News people are having a hey day!

I hear that!

My SO is watching the news for about 2 to 3 hrs! Sigh! It is so depressing. I will watch a little bit, but then I go to do some house work or something. I just can't watch the news that much even if really nothing much is going on...it is to negative! And this is over the top!(

If we are to save our sanity, taking a break from the news will go a long ways....

Thank-you Shell.

This whole covid thing has me feeling mixed emotions. On the one hand I hate that people are sick and dying and how the economy is taking such a hit. That's a given. Then there are the acts of kindness that are inspiring.
I can't help thinking that the people doing these acts of kindness are probably the same ones who will always be there when you need them. That is what kind people do. Then there are the selfish lowlifes who always take advantage and hoard and use this situation to be the scum they always have been.

While I hope that people learn something from this the cynical side of me thinks that good people will continue to be good and the bad will just carry on as usual after this is all over. I hope I'm wrong.

Gershun,

Isn't that how life goes? We end up with a partner that has that one trait that...well isn't so great...just that one thing we need and they don't have! I don't think crying is weak...my dad always told me that it was, but one day, I was working as a server and this--what seem at the time a very old lady (I was in my teens) told me that crying was a way for the body and soul to be cleaned. "Out with the old to make room for the new!" I don't remember what the conversation was about, but I do remember her face and those words. I wish your hubby was more empathic to your emotional needs and I wish mine would cook!!

Of course, I took your comment the way I did! I have never read anything you post as mean or disrespectful. You are one of the great ones on this forum and you are funny as well! Hugs😺



NHWM,

It's not like these times are making me emotional...it is just making me think more. In truth, I think the world has already change when we left the 90's, and not for the good! Just my opinion! People have stop being human a long time ago and just maybe after or during this we will learn to be human again!

My mother has read my journals in the past and she still goes through my things to this day. I always feel violate, but she has been doing it my whole life I just never knew it! It sucks, I keep most of my stuff locked up...our mothers will never understand! Hugs🐕


Worried,

You are right most people that celebrate Easter do not celebrated it for the real reason my family never did. So yeah, they can just move their party on a different day. But you can't fix stupid!🐹


Cwilly,

Don't beat yourself up to much! Of course, you were disappointed that you couldn't get what you wanted, but you will! You are very resourceful! Stop scolding yourself! Hugs🐧

Yesterday I was reminded that stores would be closed Fri and Sun so I got going early to to to the big supermarket here this morning. I hoped to resupply some staples because it's been over a month since I did a big shop and I'm running low on frozen fruits and veggies. No luck. I do still have most of a head of cabbage, some carrots and onions and that celery I picked up the other day, plus I still have a couple of bags of diced peppers I froze last Fall so it's not as though I'm going to be nutrient deprived, I was just hoping to add a little variety. I can't help but scold myself for being disappointed, this is such a first world problem.

I do not understand the stupidity of this county and the people that live in it. Easter is this Sunday. Traditionally, county parks (large parks out in the county, in rural areas with lots of open space)....become very crowded on Easter Sunday. Huge Easter gatherings. The county put out a notice on Thursday night saying that rangers will be out in force Easter weekend, that there will be no social gatherings, no BBQ’ing, no coolers or ice chests.

Stupidity #1 is that apparently there are a lot of people here who don’t know the difference between the city & county and thought all parks were closed because the city (which is named differently) closed city parks 2 weeks ago because people weren’t social distancing and they were letting their kids play on the play grounds. County parks have remained open because we are allowed to hike and go for walks.

Stupidity number 2 is that these people who don’t know the difference between the city and county, read the notice and thought the county was RE-OPENING all the parks specifically for Easter weekend!! And that they were encouraging people to come out for Easter! It went viral on our local social media pages.....

stupidity number 3 is that the notice was very badly written and should have stated that county parks have been open through out the shelter-in-place order and that they would remain open Easter weekend but that the shelter in place rules would be strictly enforced and social gathering is absolutely not allowed. Like they should have said it point blank in plain English. So people were very angry and saying that people will flock to the parks if they are open. they demanding the county “rethink their decision to re-open the parks”. Remember though, the parks were never closed to begin with. And people have been using the parks daily. The trails have been packed.

Stupidity number 4 is that due to the outcry over “re-opening the parks for Easter” the county decided, today, that they will close the parks for Easter weekend. Now.....most people are home every day. Everything except grocery stores, gas stations and take-out food is shut down and the week before the county even put stricter rules in place and employers have to let their employees work from home. So basically....most people are home. So the parks will be closed on Easter Sunday but they will re-open Monday morning and there is absolutely nothing to stop people moving their Easter celebration to Monday...or any other day after Sunday. I cannot for the life of me, figure out why all the outraged people didn’t think about that? Why they didn’t demand the county close the parks until the SIP is over? Not that I think they should be closed. It just makes absolutely no sense to close the parks for the holiday when....every day is a holiday! And none of these people who flock to the parks on Easter, are actually celebrating Easter for what it is. So it’s not like they HAVE to celebrate on Easter Sunday. It’s simply a big social event. Like cinco de mayo. They aren’t going to church in the morning and then heading to the park. You have to get to the park very very early in order to get a spot. We did it one year with my husbands cousin and it was awful. 2 of the cousins had to get to the park at 6am to get a spot. It took us an hour just to go from the highway exit (it’s right off the highway) to the park entrance and then 30 minutes to park the car! Never again! So yeah....I just don’t get it.

These times are definitely triggering emotional wounds for me. I am struggling a bit too.

Shell, I journal too. My therapist told me to journal. I never let anyone read it. It’s very private. Once my mom saw my journal on my table and picked it up to read. I felt so violated. I was hurt and angry.

She got mad about what I wrote. I told her that she should have never read my journal and those were my private feelings that weren’t meant to be shared. She didn’t understand. Oh well...

Shell, I'm glad you took my comment in the way it was intended and that was to make you smile. I think crying is a good thing. I used to be a big bawler and people in my family would make fun of me for it so then I learned to keep my emotions inside which was unhealthy. Now I'm somewhere in the middle. Wouldn't you know I would marry a man who thinks crying is weak and rather than comfort me if I cry, instead he gets angry. So now if I feel a weep coming on I lock myself in the bathroom or wait till he's not home.

This weird world we now find ourselves in is cause enough for crying and then on top of that there are the usual stresses that have to get pushed down to make room for this new one. I get through it with humor so if I sometimes make inappropriate remarks please forgive. It's just how I cope.

Did anyone notice?
The ON MY MIND thread has passed 1000 comments!
Thank you CM for starting this thread! 🏅

shell - you wrote it because you are grieving. The circumstances we have been forced into by the covid result in losses to each one of us. Grieving a loss brings up past losses and it can get a bit overwhelming. Tears and writing are good and will help you get through this. ((((((hugs))))) 🙏🙏🙏

Gershun,

LOL..Well now, I have to stop crying! That's right I am a dudette! LOL


Love you right back:)😜

Hugs back to you , Shell. Hugs for everyone during these tough times.