Plague Diaries, Issue 25: April 6, 2020

Another day in quarantine. Another day when I woke up at a hideously late hour (today, it was 11:30 AM). I think in this Shitty New World, there is only one time zone, the whole world over: Plague Time,

At any rate, I taught myself a valuable lesson: no matter how much of the day I "waste" (really, is any sleep ever a waste?) sleeping late, it doesn't mean that the day is wasted. Whether my day begins at 7 AM or 10 AM or noon, my day still begins, and can be enjoyed and used productively. No matter how late I wake up, the day shan't be wasted.

Still, if I've learned one thing here in the last few weeks, it's that I, personally, benefit from a routine, from not lingering overy-long in bed, from keeping things as normal as possible. Sitting at my desk this afternoon, listening to music, checking my work email, that was the closest to "normal" I've felt in several days. (Side note: who ever thought that normalcy would be something for which we yearn? I mean, sure, that's one of the reasons I abandoned the weirdness of California for the staid life of the Midwest--the normalcy here. But normal is humdrum, unremarkable, over-familiar, and it's what swallows up years, decades even, of our life. And I would fucking sell my soul for normal right now.)

I've heard that more and more stores, including those around Bloomington, are going to limit the number of people in grocery stores at any one time. While I think this is all for the best, I do think that this could cause issues, particularly for people who have very limited times when they can go to the store. What if the queues are too long, and they miss their opportunity to get supplies? (I have to restrain myself from using the word "rations". The Anglophile in me tends to pretend that we're in the middle of the Battle of Britain, or something.) Fortunately, I was able to secure a grocery delivery--tomorrow! Pray for me, folks. Let's hope I get all the goods, including my Cheetoes, which I've dubbed "the Official Food of the 2020 Apocalypse." Without my Cheetoes, I don't know that I'll be able to make it through these dark times. Also, if I can ever restrain myself from eating them all, they might end up being worth something on the Black Market.

Daily Indiana COVID-19 Counts: 
Total Cases: 4,944 (Up from yesterday's 4,411)
139 people have died.

Daily Gratitude:
Right now, and I cannot believe I am saying this--Facebook. I'm grateful for Facebook. Because of it, I've been able to stay in touch with more people, and I've also been able to reach out for help. The Prof needed some distilled water for medical needs; the stores aren't delivering it right now. I put out a call on Facebook, and within 12 hours I had not one, not two, but three different people offering to help.

Daily Funnies: 
Okay, so, the memers have kinda slowed down their game lately, so I don't have much positive, funny, or snarky stuff to share from that corner. But I will share something...which is actually a little teaser for an upcoming guest post!