COVID-19

COVID-19 empty park

/ Roadtirementvintage / 11 Comments

Not a soul in sight

Sher and I took a drive the other day as the weather was nice even though a tad bit on the cool side. As our son hadn’t been out for a while either, he graciously drove.

We started our jaunt  driving around town, and we immediately noticed that there was a fair amount of traffic out on the streets. No pedestrians in sight, with the exception of a fellow with a carry-out order from a local restaurant.

No children laughing and romping around today

Then it was off to a local city park. The attached photos are the result. The nice shiny new playground equipment had been closed with caution tape. The normally busy park was empty. We did enjoy getting out for a while, maintaining social distance. Heck, we stayed in the car! We do not know how the upcoming “open the country back up” suggestions will affect us. Without a vaccine or real effective treatment we’re not sure when it will be safe for us to get back to normal, whatever that “new normal” will look like.

Stay safe and healthy out there, folks!

Palm trees, puffy clouds, coronavirus isolation

/ Roadtirementvintage / 13 Comments

The picture is really kind of pretty. Those green fronds of the palm trees starkly contrast with the white and blue hues in the sky. But what does that have to do with COVID-19 isolation? Nothing.

So much is happening in the country, the world, our state and our street. No, I take that back, very little is happening on our street. But the country? We got our stimulus money from the IRS. Trump put up a campaign ad disguised as a “briefing” in one of his press conferences. He backed down a little from his “I have total authority” statements. But those statements really tell a lot about who Trump thinks he is. Have you noticed that he likes to cut off reporters before they can even finish their questions? And in some cases he then yells at them because the question they want to ask might put Trump in a bad light. And don’t get me started on Trump’s asinine use of Twitter.

When is our isolation going to end? As one who has  a list of those underlying health concerns I am really hesitant to think about soon returning to a “normal” life out and about. Until they (whoever they are) can come up with an effective treatment or an effective vaccine I am not sure when Sher and I will feel comfortable or safe going out. It will be interesting to see what conditions state or federal governments will need to see prior to “opening for business”.

Thanks for allowing me to “rant” a bit and share the frustrations that so many of us are feeling right now. I just hope that as soon as possible we can all get back into the new normal, whatever that turns out to be.

 

Saguaro National Park in Arizona

/ Roadtirementvintage / 11 Comments

Sher and I are not traveling now due to coronavirus, so we thought we’d share some of our BC pictures with you. (BC = before COVID-19)

One of my favorite places on Earth is the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. This photo was taken in the Western Mountain District a few minutes before sunset. The stunning landscape is dotted with the magnificent saguaro cacti.

Things we miss during COVID-19

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

We are using video face time, text messages and even phone calls to keep in touch with our families while we are ‘safe’ in our home. With underlying health issues we can’t take the chance to go visit any of them.

Sher walking with our granddaughter to a game room at a Texas RV Resort

We miss the hugs. We miss the conversations. We miss eating out with the family at a nice restaurant. Probably most of all we miss the normality that no longer exists. We don’t know when we’ll be able to be with our families in person again.

Keep up the social distancing and other recommendations. How ever you are keeping yourself safe, friends, continue doing so.

Will COVID-19 restraints end and safety return?

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

We and millions of others around the world are intimately aware of the terms shelter in place, isolation, quarantine, stay at home and social distancing. Trump and Pence and his experts are starting to hint about “re-opening” the country.

Our 2019 Highway 40 Yard Sale set-up

All of the Flea Markets and Shows we usually go to are closed due to COVID-19 mandates. One of our best is the annual Highway 40 Yard Sale which follows US 40 across the country. It is held in May.

Even if things are “open” in May, will it be safe for us to be out mixing at all with the public, no matter the conditions? Right now we are thinking we best not get out until there is a proven treatment for this killer virus.

What information/news is going to be enough for you to get back to “normal” activities? Will we ever see BC normal again? (BC = before COVID-19)

Sunset on a day of different doctor appointments

/ Roadtirementvintage / 9 Comments

It was very nice this evening, and the sun setting greeted us as we stepped out into the back yard. Had to try a picture…

Sun disappearing below the trees. There is a unique feature in the photo: see it and know what it is?

The different doctor appointments? I had two today, one with my GP and one with my pulmonologist. What was really different was that both were tele-health (video) appointments. My doctors are not doing in office visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Good, because I would not want to leave the house anyway. Once the initial set-up of the phone apps was done, these video things worked well, in my opinion.

Have you had one of these video appointments with your health care doctors?

A break from COVID-19 and the net

/ Roadtirementvintage / 12 Comments

We’ve been in “isolation” at home since February 25th. Just shy of 40 days. Only been out three times, and those just driving around, never got out of the car. Days include watching TV, streaming Netflix and of course the news conferences of both federal and state ‘leaders’. COVID-19 always there. Oh, and reading blogs, writing for this blog, and in general spending way too much time on this computer.

One I made yesterday

Yesterday I just could not get my brain to think about anything computer or COVID-19. I took a break and decided to get out my leather stuff. I make leather pouches (sometimes called medicine bags) to sell at the festivals and shows we love attending. With the coronavirus related shutdowns and closures it will remain to be seen when we’ll be able to go to one.

I really enjoyed the break from the computer.

Missing a restaurant sit down

/ Roadtirementvintage / 22 Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit nearly every segment of people’s lives. We’ve been in isolation for over a month. Other than a very few times when we took a drive, we have been at home.

American comfort food

So many things that we used to take for granted are no longer available to do. Our favorite dinner theater is closed. We were going to a dinner and show this Saturday. Not now. The casino we usually enjoyed is closed. Even mundane shopping trips are out for us. Our son is doing that for us.

But we miss being able to have a nice restaurant meal.

Healthy food

Hmmm………real Mexican fare

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s funny how you adjust to the self isolation thing. Keeping up with the news is a daily thing. Watching movies and TV series, surfing the net, reading blogs all are part of the daily routine. But dang, it sure would be nice to one evening decide if we want Mexican, Chinese, American or something else and just go. Nope, carry out or delivery is not the same as getting out.