I posted this on my facebook page but want to repeat it here.

I'm 73. I have Diabetes. I am still recovering from recent surgery. I am at risk, but I am quarantined with my wife and her cat and I revel in this opportunity to share this time with the person, and cat, I love. I suggest that we all take this as an opportunity to reinforce our ties with our loved ones. Rediscover what we have in common and the differences that enhance each other's lives.

In the end, we only have each other. We should make the most of this time.

well said Al...here in Spain we are up to just over 1000 deaths and have been in lockdown for almost a week... humor is good and healthy but a good dose of serious pragmatic reality also

Agreed. Fortunately, I really enjoy my wife's company so it makes it a lot easier.

Al, I tick all 3 boxes too. This fake fucking pandemic is not the problem.
A former pres. once said.."the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" .
When rational folk start fighting over shit paper, and hand sanitizers are being punted by cunts who wipe their arses with their fingers then it probably is the real end times.
Ive just been told that i cant see my grandchild for at least the next 3 months.
I ..for the first time in my life feel a ....never mind. My wife and me are nearly finished a litre of scotch whisky.
So I say..keep smiling.
charliesou
glasgow
north of hadrians wall
xx

ditto ... at least for now,cant guarantee it if this goes on for a few months though

Be safe, Al.

Thanks. I hope we all stay safe.

I am an old fart, too (65). Diabetes, mild coronary artery disease, early cardiomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and a few lesser issues. I retired a little less than a year ago from a government office in downtown Buffalo, New York where my wife still works. She supervises 16 physicians and psychologists reviewing disability claims. The spouse of one psychologist was symptomatic last week. He was told he didn't fit the profile and was not tested. The psychologist came to work and became quite ill (nasty cough and fever) and was directed to go home and self-quarantine. Her deskmate was directed to do the same. A couple of days ago, another doctor became ill--an internist in his early thirties. He developed a fever and became extremely short of breath. He went to an urgent care facility and was directed to a hospital emergency room. Despite having an unusually low blood oxygen level, he was sent home to self-quarantine.

Understandably, my wife's remaining doctors are extremely upset. They have been designated "essential staff", even though they are not treating anyone. They are shuffling papers. On Friday, they staged a group freakout that stressed my wife to the max. F-bombs were thrown in volleys. My wife was on the receiving end. She is quite capable of returning fire--and did, I am happy to report. These professionals were turning on her, one another, and our central managers.

In the midst of several days of this angst, some knucklehead worker in our ten-story building tripped a fire alarm by mistake. One hundred forty or so staff from my former office (including my wife) emptied the building via stairwells--along with hundreds of other workers from the other floors. I have experienced these alarms many times over a thirty-six year career. People cramped crotch to ass, clutching handrails, shuffling downward to the ground floor.

We have three kids. The oldest, a photographer who relies on wedding bookings, is looking at numerous shoot cancellations and deposit refunds. His wife, an elementary school teacher, is pregnant. Our middle kid is a physical therapist. She just had her hours reduced by half. Her chiropractor husband expects the same or worse soon. Our youngest is a pain in my ass. She is very smart and hard working. Third year accounting student at SUNY Buffalo. She is working in a paid internship with an accounting firm in Buffalo. She has been designated essential staff preparing income tax returns. She has hoarded Lysol wipes and hand sanitizer, and is continuously applying them to herself and anything touchable. I get regular reports of her colleagues' sniffling and coughing habits. My wife and I get lectured by her about social distancing at every turn. Argh.

My best friend is 67, and suffering from various infirmities. His son, who works with my wife, will not visit him for fear of infecting him. My friend's wife dumped him a couple of years ago, so he's all alone with a cat. Thank God for that cat. I called him yesterday to tell him that I wouldn't be stopping by to see him for a few weeks. I worry about infecting him, too.

My mother-in-law and father-in-law are in their eighties, and are in need of assistance. There are things I had planned to do for them, but can't. My wife can't. Our kids can't. The crazy thing is that my mother-in-law is still out and about with her blind husband, grocery shopping and whatever else they do. She can hardly walk, but she drives like a bat out of hell. They simply will not stay home and wait this crap out.

I am of German, Scottish, and English descent. I come from a long line of pig-headed, stubborn, in-your-face bastards. That is the mold from which I was cast. When I married a woman of German and Polish descent I learned something new: the Poles are the stubbornest sons of bitches on this planet. On crack and steroids stubborn.

So, at midnight tonight, EST, the only stores in New York that will be permitted to remain open are grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. And liquor stores. I think my Polish in-laws had something to do with that last exemption.

So, my friends, we are all in this together. Even continents and oceans apart. I am not worried about myself. I am worried about my wife. I am worried about my kids and the economic disaster they may have to deal with. I am heartened by the numbers posted by the CDC and Johns Hopkins. If they are accurate, the death rate is low. Hopefully it will remain so.

Good luck and good health to all.

Now, I have some brews to knock off.







.

Yes, times are truly tough and I am afraid this week is going to be a ball buster. Hunker down all and please, stay not only safe, but smart as well. That is our only defense.

Thanks for sharing, Ted.



Amen!

BE SAFE ALL.

On the bright side, all of us are still here to help each other with moral support anyway we can. Even if it’s just to say to each other; hello, I love you all so much.

...

I tried to tell you all this Ted.
This virus will change the world for a loooong time. We compare the situation here in Norway now with the same situation as in the second world war. Forget about the soldiers and that, but the rest of it.

I wish the best for you and all your friends/family.

Geir

On the other hand it got me chopping again.