Riots

I did see the video of the police office wrongly kneeling on a George Floyd’s neck. I fully support the police officer in this case being arrested and charged. I believe the three other officers should also be charged as accessories as they did not stop this horrific arrest from happening.

I believe in peaceful protests.

I do not believe in the violent riots rolling through our nation right now.

Will this ever end?

It has been difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful to have a job that allows me to telework. I am grateful for a husband who does everything possible to keep me from going stir crazy. But I am tired.

I’m tired of not going to work.

I’m tired of not socializing with people.

I’m tired of people fighting over face masks, no face masks, is COVID-19 going to kill us all, should we stay locked down, should we open up, should we, could we, would we…

Tomorrow is another day, but I’m tired of being Scarlett O’Hara as I repeat that line at the end of each day.

Such a beautiful day..

Today is Mother’s Day. It is hard to believe I’ve been a mom for 30 years. I am blessed to have four amazing children. This is the first year I get to be Bubby for Mother’s Day!

I’ll respect you, please respect me. It is past time to reopen our country.

I understand that many people have an opposite opinion than mine regarding whether we should open the country back up or not. I firmly stand in the reopen camp. I have always believed the drastic shutdown was overkill.

With that said, I have no problem if people want to stay home or wear masks or gloves etc. my problem is government forcing this to continue. And NO, I don’t want grandma or the medically frail to die. (NOTE: I fall into the category of “if I get it, it will be bad and I could die”). If a store asks patrons to stay 6ft apart, fine.

I know nurses both who are working in the pits of COVID response, I know others who have not worked since this all started and now they are financially struggling. I read every day of hospitals being empty, and small regional hospitals on the brink of financial collapse.
I know small business owners who have had to lay off their staffs and are seeing their life work evaporating.
I know people who have been thrown into fear, anxiety and depression over what is happening now.

I have been told I am selfish. I want people to die so I can get a haircut and other nonsense. I’ve been told I am cavalier in my disposal of old people.

Well, I have a different take.
I think it is selfish that small businesses must die for a virus with a survival rate well over 99%. If big box stores are allowed to be open why not smaller stores? I think it is very cavalier of people to expect families to continue to financially struggle because they have lost their jobs because someone might get sick.

As a medically compromised individual, it is MY responsibility to take whatever precautions I need to take to protect myself. It would be selfish and cavalier to expect the government to infringe on everyone else because I might get sick.

So, if you want to go out with a mask, please do.
If you want to shelter in place or “stay home, stay safe” by all means, go for it.

I will respect your right to choose. Please respect mine.

30 April… There is no end in sight…

There is no end in sight to this manufactured pandemic crisis. I try to stay positive. I am grateful for so much. It is hard to keep buoyed each day.

I get my energy from people. Not being allowed to be around people is for me, exhausting. I should work out or learn t sew or something. I just don’t have the drive or energy to do so.

29 April My Life as a Teleworkers – the Staff Assembles

Teleworking has been quite interesting. I used to get up and adult pretty well. I took showers, brushed my hair, wore a bra, you know, things like that. I don’t do that so much anymore.

Our animals have become very interested in my new schedule. The dogs used to wait until I hopped out of the shower, but now as soon as my feet hit the floor when I roll out of bed, the morning dance begins. I get out of bed and a pair of cold wet noses are nudging me along. They actually sigh in disgust when I don’t head immediately to their dog dishes. No, they follow me to the bathroom and then jockey around each other in an attempt to get my undivided attention while I sit upon my throne. Once I complete my business, they see who can trip or knock me over the fastest as we sashay down the hallway to the kitchen.

By the time I reach the kitchen, at least two of the three cats are serenading me with their whining cries of salutation letting me know they are on the brink of starvation. I feed the dogs first as they will keep following my every step til food is in their dishes. After feeding the pups, the cats begin to really let me know they are dissatisfied with the level of service they are receiving. I put their dishes out and they turn their attention to their kibble, dismissing me from their presence.

I take enough time to start the kettle and begin the daily gyrations of logging into the network from my home instead of the office. It’s hit or miss if I’ll reach the server on the first try, but I will admit the connection has gotten better since my first weeks of perpetual telework hell. Once I finally get settled and begin to sort through emails and to dos, my home office coworkers have finished their breakfast. They now take turns harassing me on and off for the next eight hours.

It starts with Magic. Magic is our oldest cat. She is a true loner. She wants nothing to do with any of her furry relatives, feline or canine. She spends a lot of time cruising the neighborhood. We bring her in each night, but when she tires of our company she makes her way out the dog door. She can’t seem to figure out how to get back in the door she goes out. She will station herself outside my widow on the front porch and glower at me until I let her in the house. Or more accurately, I get up and open the door for her to play the, “thanks for opening the door, I’m not sure what I want to do so I am going to dance here on the porch just out of your reach until you tire and go inside and then I will glower at you some more until I let you let me in,” game.

Though on occasion, Magic waits by the door for me and eagerly runs inside. Usually this is because it is raining sideways. When the weather is bad, she huddles up next to the door imitating the little match girl from the Hans Christian Anderson tale. She the acts very put out that I didn’t recognize her plight earlier and made her wait for her rescue.

Once I am successful luring Magic into the house, our shepherd Crash decides she MUST make a thorough head to toe examination of the new arrival. Magic does not tolerate this at all so the next fifteen minutes are spent with Crash desperately trying to get close to Magic as she screams like I am trying to give her a bath. The first staff meeting of the morning usually revolves around the phrases, “Get away from the cat! How many times do I have to tell you to leave her alone? If she scratches you it’s your own fault. And finally, “Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph that I have to swear; GET OUTSIDE!”

Once the dogs are dispatched to the backyard, Magic and our other cats, Mystique and Illusion, finish their kibble and settle in for a day of sunning themselves. Every so often, they will venture off their perch and take turns laying in the middle of my desk or on my keyboard or in my chair or ant other place that makes the ability to actually do work difficult.

When the dogs return to my work area from their temporary exile in the yard, they decree it must now be time to play ball or tug of war or they want to be pet. They want to play ball but only on their terms. That means they want to play ball-o-war. They want me to grab the slime covered sphere while they have it in their mouths. Do they drop it or release it? No. Then they get antsy because I won’t toss the ball. So they come back with a tattered piece of the latest stuffed animal they have disemboweled in a game switch to tug of war. When I say tattered piece, I mean minuscule fragment.

Fortunately, I can usually redirect Crash to play tug with our Rottie, Woo. They literally latch nose to nose on the fabric remnant and begin to rough house. That is when they aren’t busy barking at every blade of grass, car, truck, bicycle, pedestrian that passes the house. every once in a while, one of the pooches will bring the now slobber covered tug toy to me to take a turn. Last week, Crash dragged me half way across the living room before Woo joined back in the game.

So, that’s the team. They make my workday interesting.

Magic

Crash

Woo

Lou and Mystique

28 April. I have no idea what day of the week it is. Guess I’ll wash the dogs.

Working from home, my commute consists of dodging the dogs and cats as they race to their food bowls. I have a Belgian Shepherd that has decided the three cats must be herded at all costs. The three cats dodge her as they traverse from their sanctuary over the front door to the bedrooms down the hall.

Today was an uneventful day which was capped off with giving the dogs a bath. They have been feeling king of icky, and Woo has. A skin condition that presents when pollen is abundant.

Robert bathed our shepherd Crash. I don’t like bathing her. She does this move that is akin to a crocodile death roll. She does not like a bath at all. I heard Robert telling her she was such a good girl.

What the hell? She never behaves in the tub for me. I have to physically drag her into the bathroom, shove her into the shower, keep hold of her collar so she doesn’t bolt and just about break my arm as she goes into the aforementioned death roll. She happily let him give her a bath. Bitch.

After Crash’s bath was complete, I invited our Rottweiler for her bath. She summarily dismissed me with a low grrrrrr. I grabbed hold of her collar to escort her to the tub only for her to bare her teeth with a snarl. Crash got all up in her business and gave her what for. Woo begrudgingly made her way to the tub.

I don’t understand why Woo dislikes the idea of a bath. I think it’s really just an act. Once she is in the tub and the warm water is raining down upon her, she settles right in. She smiles as I scrub her down and relishes the one one pampering. I lather her up from top to tail and rinse the dirty bubbles and loose hair away.

Today’s simplicity of dog baths masks the frustration of the continued government confinement. I am grateful to have a job. I am grateful my family is safe and happy. I am concerned about what the future brings.

Monday… 04.27.2020 New Normal My Ass

Today the governor of the great state of Washington has decreed unto the serfs who work that he is opening “some” of the state run parks and lands. Oh and people can hunt and fish.

Oh thank you Lord Farquadd for you ambivalent approval allowing your serfdom to use the lands their taxes pay to operate. How stunningly brilliant of you to not allow them to be open for the upcoming weekend and wait until a week from tomorrow, next Tuesday to let the little people free to enjoy the fresh air.

The governor also tied Washington to yet two more states because apparently he can’t make decisions for himself and he needs to cheat stealing answers from other states. Now in addition to Oregon and California, we are tied to Nevada and Colorado. I didn’t vote for any of those representatives in those states. They shouldn’t have input into the operations of ours.

It is not normal for farmers to dump milk or destroy crops.

It is not normal for elected government officials to ticket and fine people for going to church.

It is not normal for small business people to be fines or arrested to open the doors of their businesses.

It is not normal to strangle free enterprise.

NOTHING right now is normal.

Stop telling me this is the new normal. I reject your manufactured crisis and hysteria and will work to reach what is actually normal.

Sunday Morning… Quarantine date 4.26.2020

It’s not really a quarantine. It’s an imprisonment. Quarantines are for sick people.

As I start my day, I think about all the small businesses I used to visit, and I chide myself for not visiting them enough. I look at the big box stores that have been allowed to stay open and worry for the small businesses that can’t compete on that scale.

I look these restrictions,that make sense in densely populated areas with active COVID19 outbreaks, applied to the boon docks with the same vigor. It doesn’t make sense.

2020… What the Hell is This??!!!!

To say this year has been strange would be an understatement. I’ve never seen our nation more divided and that saddens me.  I will be up front for anyone reading, I am a libertarian who leans toward Fiscal Conservatism. I recognize the so called conservatives in office are anything but fiscally responsible. I tend to be a bit more red than purple in a very blue state.

These days cancel culture has taken on a rabid life. Disagreements lead to friendships ending, public shaming or worse. This is an incredible sad commentary on our society. Instead of a open exchange of ideas rooted in the stance of basic respect for one another, we have been divided into camps. If you’re not with us you’re against us and you are my enemy has taken hold of public discourse.

Our oldest daughter, Alicia, many years ago worked with a group of her contemporaries. One of her best friend in the group was “Geoff” (not his real name). Our daughter and Geoff got along very well. They oftentimes hung out after work, going to movies, catching dinner, etc with their other cohorts.

One day, They we’re out galavanting and they stopped for lunch. Geoff lost his happy demeanor and Alicia asked, “What’s wrong”

Geoff somberly told her, “I have to tell you something… I’m gay.”

Our daughter answered, “Yes, I know. What’s wrong.”

Geoff was dumbfounded. He had been carrying this great fear that Alicia, his friend would reject him for being gay. He felt this way because Alicia is Catholic. His parents had used their faith to reject him and he believed Alicia would do the same.

Friendship. Respect. Love. I think we as the family of man, need to get back to some basic respect for each other. I believe we need to relearn how to not be so separated into factions. People are always stronger together. If we are eliminating people from our circle because we disagree or are different, we cannot grow.