Coronavirus - One Way Shopping

During these trying and restrictive times, the inevitable need to hunt and gather will periodically come along. I initially tried to limit my grocery shopping to Walgreens. But I eventually came to realize that limiting my diet to beef jerky and white-chocolate M&M's was probably not such a good idea. So, I dusted off my surgeon's mask and headed into the local Giant supermarket.

As I attempted to enter the door, I noticed that it was locked. A person inside the door pointed to the other entrance and mouthed some unintelligible instructions. I immediately wished that Governor Hogan's animated sign language guy was here to interpret it for me. But nonetheless, I followed the direction of the guy's finger and moved towards the other entrance.

As I half-limped across the front of the parking lot (yes, my broken toe is still a bit tender), I saw a middle-aged woman inspecting a shopping cart. She looked at it from a few different angles and then took a cloth out of her purse and wiped down the handle. Figuring that I would sanitize my hands after shopping, I bypassed the personal inspection and wipe-down of my cart. I then wrestled the cart from the other carts and headed inside. Of course, I happened to get a cart with a wobbly wheel. Why does this always happen to me?

As I approached the first aisle, I noticed that there were arrows. Yes, in case you didn't know, the aisles in most of the stores are now one way. So, as I roll my cart about three-quarters of the way down the first aisle, I realized that I forgot to pick up a can of coffee. This presented a bit of a dilemma....Do I break the rules and head back to the coffee shelf in the work direction? Or do I do the right thing and exit the aisle and re-enter it? Can you believe that simple things like shopping for coffee can now be complicated? Nonetheless, I decided to buck the system and backtrack in the wrong direction towards the coffee shelf. No one needs to know this, ok? Can we agree on "what happens in the grocery store, stays in the grocery store"?

As I made my way around the rest of the store, I couldn't help but check out the status of the paper goods aisle. Like a kid peeking down the stairs in hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa Claus, I craned my neck to look down the aisle. As expected, with the exception of one large pack of Bounty paper towels, the shelves were bare. Now, I can almost understand the initial panic and subsequent run on toilet paper. But we're now two months into this pandemic lock-down situation. Why are people still hoarding toilet paper?

As I finished up my shopping and headed toward the check-out line, I noticed there was only one "live" cashier. Everything else was a self check-out station. Don't you think you should get a discount if you're doing the self check-out? If the store is paying a cashier to do this, why would they expect me to do it gratis? Anyway, because the "live" line is full, I go the charity route and scan/bag my own groceries. I always feel the urge to take a "free" item. like a pack of Tic-Tacs, for compensation. But my conscience always gets the best of me and I take the high road instead.

After all of my items are scanned, I go to swipe my credit card. I notice that the credit card machine is covered in thin plastic. On my first attempt to swipe, I catch a piece the plastic and my card gets semi-jammed in the machine. Giving it a firm pull, I tear a half of the plastic off. Now, the plastic is flapping in the wind, leaving most of the keypad exposed. I'm not even sure of it's purpose anyway. I mean, unless you are going to replace the plastic after each shopper touches it, what's the the point?

As I made my way back to my car, I had a brief chat with a lady next to me who was loading up her groceries. We both agreed that these are some crazy times. And we both looked forward to the days when we can, once again, go shopping maskless down bidirectional lanes.....

kw

Coronavirus - The Lysol Effect

So, the weekend's here! Anyone have any big plans?

As we continue to trudge through these uncertain times, it's evident that people are starting to get a little edgy. As I made my way down the grocery store aisle earlier this week, I watched people literally back away and avoid me like I was Hannibal Lecter. I consider myself to have an engaging personality. I'm used to having spontaneous conversations with random people I cross in my daily journey. So, I when I see people intentionally avoiding me, I start to feel a little like the kid who always gets picked last for the schoolyard baseball game. 

There is also a lot of criticism on the way the COVID-19 situation is being handled by our local and national leaders. I have backed away from politics over the past few years for several reasons. The main reason being that it was taking it's toll on my well-being. I was walking around pissed off all the time, ready to argue with anyone within earshot. I'm not sure if it was directly related, but my doctor also put me on blood pressure medication about three years ago (I was taken off of them about a year ago). While I'm still passionate about what I believe, I'm just not as loud about it anymore. I have plenty of friends who will carry that torch for me. 😉

With this being said, I feel the need to address the provocative story that's been circulating around the news headlines recently. If I just woke up and turned on a random news channel, I would inevitably see a headline that says something like...."Makers of Lysol are issuing a warning about ingesting disinfectants after a recent suggestion by President Trump."

Several people have asked my take on it. First off, let me say that I am not a fan of the news networks. They all have a bias as they routinely digest and regurgitate soundbites. Case in point, I had search several new sites to get the President's complete quote on the subject. So, interpret it anyway you want but here is the complete quote:

"Question that probably some of you are thinking of if you're totally into that world, which I find to be very interesting. So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light. And I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it," Trump said, looking over to Bryan.

"And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're gonna test that too. Sounds interesting, right?

He continued: "And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in  a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?  Because you see, it gets into the lungs and it does a tremendous number, so it will be interesting to check that. So that you're going to have to use medical doctors. But it sounds, sounds interesting to me. So, we'll see"

So, there you have it. My assumption is that if you hate Trump, you're going to say that he's telling you to shoot up Lysol. If you like Trump, you're gonna argue that he was suggesting that we explore the possibility of using some type of internal disinfectant to combat the virus. 

I'm certainly no medical doctor and I doubt if I could even play one on TV. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if  you choose to inject yourself with a Lysol speedball, you probably won't have to worry about the coronavirus.

Fifty years after sending a man to the moon, we now have to tell people to not inject themselves with household disinfectants. What have we become?

Until next time, stay safe and be smart!

kw

Coronavirus - The Euphoric Journey

With the exception of taking an occasional emergency call for work or running out to pick up dinner, real-life society has been reduced to Tina and the random wildlife that lives in my backyard. But isolation can bring excitement from the strangest of places...

For example, earlier this week I actually looked forward to taking the trash out to the street. As I gathered up the trash bags from the various waste bins around the house, I could hardly contain my excitement as I anticipated the journey to the end of the driveway. As I pulled the trash can and recycling bin towards the street, I looked around for any other signs of life. To my dismay, there was none. However, other trash cans lined up along the street gave me hope that my neighbors were still alive and kicking.

Fully energized by the trash can run, I decided to keep the party going by swinging by the mailbox. Opening the mailbox as slowly as possible in an effort to preserve the moment, I was delighted to find a pile of junk mail waiting for me. I grabbed the assorted envelopes and advertisements and made my way back towards the house. Tina stopped me in my tracks and ordered me to leave my newfound bounty in the garage.  This was so I didn't bring any "corona bugs" into the house. So, I popped a beer from the garage fridge. And then I sat down and thumbed through a Harbor Freight Tools catalog. An impromptu Happy Hour. Woo-hoo! (I guess this would classify as one of those "When life gives you lemons" moments?)

Speaking of adventures in the garage, on Tuesday I was walking through the garage without my shoes on. (This is because Tina makes me leave my shoes outside to prevent "corona bugs" from coming into the house). As I turned and made my way back towards the house, my right foot violently slammed into the door step. The pain came fast and furious! I was afraid to look down as I imagined my pinkie toe pointing in some unnatural direction. When I finally gathered the courage to look down, I was somewhat relived to see the pinkie toe was still pretty much inline with it's siblings. But it was already beginning to swell and it was throbbing like a beast. So, feeling like I just got hobbled by Kathy Bates, I pulled myself up the step and slowly made my way into the kitchen. There, I grabbed a paper towel and filled it with ice. After preparing the ice pack, I prescribed my pain meds by pouring a generous glass of Woodford Reserve bourbon. With the ice pack in one hand and the pain killer in the other, I limped toward the back porch. Tina caught me in the corner of her eye from the living room and asked, "What's wrong with your foot?"

I replied, "Nothing really. I walked into the step in the garage. I think I broke my toe."

All I heard was laughter as I closed the porch door behind me. Through the years, I learned to accept this reaction from her. Is anyone still wondering why I drink?

Well, the weekend is finally here (like it really matters anymore). My foot is still a little tender but I can walk well enough on it. So, I'm planning a trip out to the shed today. I'm not sure what awaits me but I am up for the challenge. Stay optimistic and be safe, my friends!

kw

Coronavirus - The Social Distance

When I first heard the term "social distancing", it was like hearing nails on a chalkboard. For a person who enjoys being in the company of others, this was going to be a hard request to fulfill. But nonetheless, here we are..

As much as we're all trying to do our part to "socially distance" from each other, I don't think everyone is getting the message. For instance, yesterday I drove to my mothers house to cut her grass and look at a plumbing issue (No, I'm not actually a plumber but I play one on TV). Anyway, on the way there, I drove past a Home Depot. I noticed that there was a large group of people lined up outside the front entrance. From what I understand, many of the "essential" retailers are now limiting the number of people inside the store at any given time. While this might make sense on one level, it seems counter-productive when the people waiting outside are commingling like the contents of a recycling bin. There's no doubt in my mind that they would be practicing safer "distancing" within the spacious bowels of the Big Box.

While making my way into the city, I noticed several groups of people hanging out like it was a typical Saturday night at the club. On one corner, there was a bus stop with one of those plastic weather shelters. Although it was a relatively mild day weather-wise, people were huddled in the shelter like a herd of veal. A couple of them appeared to be coughing. I imagined coronavirus particles bouncing off the Plexiglas like superballs in a racquetball court.

Another group, whom I assume were unlicensed pharmacists, were flashing some kind of hand signals to passing motorists. A couple hours later, there would be a triple shooting along this very route. I'm not sure if any of these activities would be considered "essential business" but I don't think it really matters.

And speaking of essential business, I just found out that Baltimore City is quarantining all the officers who work out of the Southwestern District. This comes after one officer tested positive for COVID-19. I understand the need to take precautions. But shutting down an entire police district? In a city like Baltimore? Talk about extreme social distancing!

Last night, I played team trivia, social-distance style, via a live Facebook feed and text messaging. It wasn't quite the same as playing at a real bar/restaurant with my friends gathered around. But it was a nice break from the inevitable boredom of our current social distancing routine. I'd like to give a shout out to Ray Bachman for hosting last night's contest. There were also several local businesses who donated prizes for the contest, Bella Napoli and CRW Flags just to name a couple. Keep in mind, these folks are all hurting right now but they still donated. Ray and the people who own these businesses are truly awesome people. Remember all of them for your business needs in the future.

I don't know how long all of this is going to last. But when the dust finally settles. my wish is to never to hear the term "social distancing" again. Until then, be safe!

kw

Coronavirus - The Rambling Mind

"I wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me,
Or even if I'm in it's mind at all.
Perhaps. I'll get a chance to look ahead and see,
As soon as I find myself a crystal ball......"

                                                 - Tommy Shaw


So, here we start another week of "social distancing" and the finish line just moved a little further down the track. Yesterday, we got word from our Governor that we will be "sheltering in place" for the unforeseeable future. Ode to joy....

With all of the downtime that many of us will face, it's inevitable that our minds will wander. I have been thinking about how the COVID-19 crisis will affect our behavior going forward. For instance, will the traditional handshake become a thing of the past? I can remember playing a tennis match years ago. After the match, it's normal "tennis etiquette" for the players to meet at the net and shake hands. Well, after a competitive match, I met my opponent at the net and extended my hand to him. Surprisingly, he offered me a "fist bump" instead, explaining that he doesn't shake hands because of germs. My first reaction had me feeling a bit offended. I mean I shower every day and have relatively good overall hygiene. I even floss regularly. So, why would this guy think that I had germs? But nonetheless, I obliged him with his anticipated fist bump and moved on. But now I'm wondering if he was actually onto something.

I also wonder about the purchasing trends of toilet paper as we move past this crisis. Will people continue to stock up for a "rainy day"? Or will they go back to living dangerously? Let me mention this.....never underestimate the power of a high fiber diet during these trying times. This also leads me to wonder how many trees can be saved by one container of MetaMucil.

Through the years, we have all seen those images of random people donning surgeons's masks in places like China and Indonesia. But through the past couple of weeks, I have seen this same image at my local grocery and hardware stores. You expect to see a mask on the guy finishing your drywall but not on the cashier at Walgreens. I'm wondering if this trend will continue even after the coronavirus moves out.

With the shortage of personal protective equipment, ventilators and other critical materials, will there be a push for more manufacturing of these items here in the US? Our dependence on overseas manufacturing has been fully exposed during this global crisis. Will this be a catalyst to bring back some of those manufacturing jobs to the States?

Since these contagious viruses make their rounds every few years. I can't help but wonder how the next one will be handled. Will we see impulsive toilet paper runs followed by mandatory shut-downs?

Overcoming a crisis often requires teamwork and unity. Although it has not been without contention, I like some of the recent bi-partisan efforts I've seen. Will this crisis help mend at least a few fences along the way? For the good of America, let's hope so.

And lastly, I'm wondering how we'll evaluate "essential" employees in the future. It goes without saying that our military, first responders and healthcare workers are, and always will be essential. No matter how dire the circumstances, these folks always step up to the plate and deliver. These guys are, no doubt, in a class all by themselves. But what about some of the people that work "ordinary" jobs? The cashier at your your local grocery store, the truck driver who delivers the essential goods, the service people who keep the gears turning, the mail carrier who brings you that stimulus check, the sanitation worker who picks up your trash ....all of these people are out there working hard to make our lives a little more convenient. So, if you happen to cross their path in the near future, give them a smile and a nod of appreciation.

Looking forward to the days when all of this is behind us. Until then, stay safe and think positive thoughts...

kw



            
           

Coronavirus - A Message of Hope

"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow......"
                                                                                - Bill Withers


Watching the news today is much like watching a train wreck. While you want to stay in tune with what's going on, it always ends with you feeling afraid and hopeless. The media feeds you doom and gloom with every passing story. Fear and outrage may be detrimental but, ironically, they are good for ratings.

While we should be very concerned about the coronavirus, we should not let it paralyze us with fear and hopelessness. Yes, things are bad. I'm not denying that. But are we supposed to bet it all on red and then jump off of the nearest cliff? Of course, not! We need to maintain confidence that we will get through this. We have prevailed from dire circumstances in the past. And we will do the same in this one. This is America, dammit!

The key to getting through this is unity. We, as a country, need to band to together and support one another. Remember that American spirit in the days shortly after the 9/11 attacks? Although we felt beaten and weary, we came together as a country. We picked each other up, dusted one another off and demonstrated to the world that America will indeed get back up every time!

In these trying times, there will surely be frustration and criticism. But try to leave that on the back-burner for now. What we need to do now is focus on getting through this dilemma. The biggest sacrifice for most of us is to remain isolated until this blows over. Trust me, I get it. I'm a social person and I love interacting with people. But I look at this as a minor inconvenience in the overall scheme of things. Let's all try to do our part to help the situation.

Many of us will have plenty of downtime in the upcoming day. Use that time to read a good book or maybe watch that classic movie that you're never seen. If you've meaning to catch up with an old friend but haven't been able to find the time...well, here's a good opportunity to pick up the phone or shoot an email. Take the time to reflect on and appreciate life.

Summing everything up, I'd like to borrow a little inspiration from Jimmy Valvano*. If you don't know who he was, Jimmy was the men's basketball coach for NC State back in the 70's/80's. His story is an incredible one, He transformed his personal tragedy into motivation for countless people. Essentially, while he was in the final days of his cancer fight, he gave one of the most inspirational speeches ever (It touches me so much that I still get emotional every time I think of it). In a nut shell, he basically tells us that no matter what tough times you're going through in life, don't stop fighting and don't ever give up.

Feeling the spirit of Jimmy V, I would ask each of you to keep the faith and to not give up on us! Don't ever give up on America!

kw

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Valvano

Coronavirus - The Reaction

"It's the end of the world as we know it.
And I feel fine....."
                                              - R.E.M.


Let me just jump right into to it.....When I first heard of the Corona virus, I misinterpreted it as the Carnivorous virus. My thoughts ran wild with images of a flesh-eating disease that would propel us into some type of zombie apocalypse. My fears were eased when I confirmed that it was actually the coronavirus. While still to be taken seriously, naming the virus after a light Mexican beer seems just a little more comforting.

With the global pandemic of the coronavirus (aka COVID-19) now in full motion, Americans are scrambling to figure out how to best protect and prepare themselves for the uncertain. Grocery stores are seeing their shelves ravaged by hoards of panicked shoppers. The fear of contracting the coronavirus seems to have taken a backseat to the fear of running out of toilet paper. I don't quite understand this one. From everything that I've gathered, the virus will produce flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, etc). How are people confusing this with an epidemic of explosive diarrhea?

So, the question on everyone's mind is....How bad is this virus? The reality of it is that we really don't know. The best case is that it's an over-hyped media blitz and a relatively small number of people will actually be affected. Worst case is....well, let's don't go there just yet. The bottom line is that until we get the testing ramped up, we are really just speculating.

To date, roughly 156,000 worldwide cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, with roughly half of that number coming from China. The encouraging news is that roughly half of the overall affected people have already recovered.

In the US, approximately 3000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed. The death count currently stands around 40*. While these numbers will inevitably climb, they still have an extremely long way to go before they rival the H1N1 (aka Swine Flu) virus from just a few years in which over 12.000 American deaths occurred. **

When you compare this current crisis to the reaction we had to H1N1, it's understandable to question the motives. While we have to protect our citizens, are we over-reacting as a country? I am not a big conspiracy theorist, but it is indeed an election year. And who was the politician that once said, "Never let a good crisis go to waste"? The political implications can not be denied. With this being said, I really wish that both parties could set aside their political differences in times like this and put the American people first. There will plenty of mud-slinging opportunities later.

So, as more schools and business continue to close, we have to figure out how to trudge through this. I would tell everyone to relax and watch your favorite sporting event. But they are all being cancelled as well. I am really bummed about March Madness being cancelled. I was looking forward to seeing the Maryland Terps make a deep run in the tournament. But we'll to have to wait until next year.

And what about the wild ride on Wall Street last week? I have been trading and investing for 25+ years and I have never seen anything like the recent swings in the market. A record decline today followed by a record gain tomorrow. I have spoken to a lot of people of the past week about this. All that I can say is invest wisely. If you're playing the general market, only invest what you an afford to lose. If you truly believe in a particular stock, look to add to your position on any huge market sell-off.  If you've got 10+ years until retirement, you are going to be fine. The market has always rebounded. If you are retired or are about to retire, you should have your money in secure funds that are minimally affected by any huge market decline. These are just common sense rules of investing.

With all of the uncertainty that still lies ahead, just remember this: We are all in this together and we will get through it. We have some of the best doctors and researchers in the world that are working feverishly to find a solution.

So for now, take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and others but don't buy into all of the doomsday hype. America is still strong and resilient. We will prevail...

kw

* https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

** https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/health/h1n1-u-s-fast-facts/index.html