Whiplash!

Holy Cow!  I started a new post a couple of weeks ago, mid-May I would guess, when Texas (aka the Wild West) began reopening after our Spring Covid19 season of lockdown.  Kinda like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly after a period of cocooning.  Despite its many legs, the caterpillar does not appear to stray too far from home, continuously eating,  not hanging with others, then spinning itself into a cocoon (I wonder if the better cocoons have Netflix or Amazon Prime)...then bursting forth with wings and taking flight frantically flying from bush to flower and back again.  In the case of the Monarch butterflies flying to Mexico for the winter. Ahh, travel, I so miss it.  This is the first Spring we have had at home in 10 years... I wonder if our butterflies have been instructed to wear little butterfly masks, and use social distancing?  And so it is, some of us has taken flight from our cocoons, and been buzzing around without a care in the world (or caring too much as the case may be).  Not too far as you can't cross the borders, yet.... What a difference a couple of weeks in the cocoon make!  The entire country has gone from cocooning at home to out in the streets....in crazy large numbers...sweating, yelling, chanting, laying face down on the dirty street,  not social distancing, sharing water bottles with not a drop of hand sanitizer in sight.    Talk about short attention spans.  Frankly, I am suffering from whiplash on what the rules are right now and how to determine what Phase we are in (Phase-is that even a thing, or has it been retired like our M&M threat levels), what is open with restrictions and is really and truly closed.  Eddie has decided that we all secretly voted (no mail in ballots, please)  and decided that we really wanted to follow Sweden's lead - frequent hand washing, social distancing, masks and guns optional, keep the old and sick (aka "our most vulnerable populations") at home-without visitors, otherwise, business as usual.   FYI Houston is up 36% on Covid hospitalizations since we began reopening, protesting, etc.  Looks like we may have pulled the $16 million temporary field hospital at Reliant down a little early...oops.  That is $32 million we won't have for flooding and storm clean up this year if we have to have a do over.  All that and the threat of locusts and murder hornets---not even the apocalyptic movies that usually come out for the 4th of July have plots this complicated.

I remember thinking about where to begin on reopening---the thought of Shakespeare's Hamlet popped into my tiny little head - "To mask or not to mask"...that is the question.  At that point masking seem like the reasonable way to protect one's self. It has become apparent that there are two camps, those that do and those that won't ever.  Ed and I are firmly in the camp of do-bees (remember Romper Room).  We have traveled too much to Asia and watch everyone always wearing masks--there is a reason, they are not doing it for a fashion statement.  In fact, I ordered masks in early January when this first started on the news. (remember the old adage, a butterfly flaps its wings in China, and the US catches the cold) Ed laughed at me...by March he was asking me where they were...along with hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray and gloves (yup, I had them---only failed the year supply of toilet paper test)  Unfortunately, I had a case of writer's block or a case of news overload....I have read 12 different books since then.  I was also tired of cooking and eating my own meals. Peanut butter and crackers, anyone?     I could put a few words down, but I was stuck for inspiration on how to proceed... However, I now must as a PSA write a word about masking etiquette.  While I have seen some of these various infractions myself, locally and personally, you need look no farther than your daily news---pick your flavor-CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, FOX, ABC---to see the total lack of common sense for proper mask usage.  Folks, I know it is hot, but if you choose to wear a mask, let's think about some proper ground rules. Otherwise, be a mask not person, cause you are doing more harm to yourself than good with what you are doing...besides looking stupid.     First, it is not a sweat band-putting your mask on your forehead is not going to help you with the Covid Cooties.  Likewise for being a headband.  Second, the proper placement is right side up---if your mask has a metal clip, that belongs on the bridge of your nose, not on your chin or under your chin.  You gently grab the clip and pinch slightly to make the mask fit better....I believe the term is secure fit. The metal clip on the bottom will not stop you from snoring or being a mouth breather.   Homemade masks without a clip often have at contour shape that fits the nose bridge, while the chin side does not have the peaked edge.  There is probably a right side and a wrong side to your mask...make sure you have that right, too.  If you wear your mask multiple times, regardless of type, you should endeavor to have the same side to your face every time.  More on that in a moment.  Third, and this is a biggie---the mask needs to be on the bridge of your nose (meaning over your nasal passages-those roundish holes, two per human) and over your month (that big slit in your face) and far enough down on your chin so that it does not gap when you speak. If you are speaking or being spoken to---keep it covered, both of them-nose and mouth.  Some folks get this half right and have it only over their mouths, or only over the noses---you will not get just half the virus if you do this, you will get the whole virus.   Kinda of like being a little pregnant....it does not work that way.  Fourth, if you are promask---commit to the mask, do not use your hand that has been on the grocery cart or other public surface to remove the mask from one ear allowing it to dangle like a Christmas ornament from your one ear, or push it down under your chin, then use the now dirty hand to reposition the mask when you see someone headed for your  6 foot separation bubble.  They have said from the start, it is almost an involuntary reflex to touch your face.  Keep your hands away from your face...to include nose picking-which I have witnessed, mask down, pick, mask up.  And it was an adult....ewwww... Finally, treat your mask like your underwear.   Think about it ---your mask has been over your face and mouth, you have breathed in and out (I assume) have spoken to people (think spit or just those invisible mouth cooties they keep talking about on both sides of the mask) and have taken it off with your hopefully hand sanitized hands...with your car AC running (hey, it is hot out there)...place your mask someplace clean if you are going to wear it again....know which side is front and back.    What do you do with your underwear when you are getting ready for a change---shower or what have you? You don't put it on the floor then pick it up and put it back on later. Consider washing your mask after every outing...or go commando... Don't even get me started about paper mask reuse for weeks....right up there with the nose picker on gross out meter.  I see that dirty masks hanging from Bubba's pick up truck's rear view window....  

In coming days, I have an Eddie story, and a Karen story---no, not the urban slang "Karen"...which I was not even aware of until I stumbled into Covid Karen articles....like I said, I have ODed on News articles.   Asked my adult children, and they told me that being a "Karen" was a thing before Covid was a thing.  I have been enlightened, no more loudly asking to talk to the manager---which my family knows I am sooo likely to do....you never know who has their phone camera on these days.