Life in the Time of CoVid-Day 8 Lockdown
April 3, 2020-Day 8 of Lockdown: OVER 1 MILLION INFECTED…
Give CoVid a round of . . . something . . .
Worldwide: 1,016,534 confirmed CoVid cases; 5,813 deaths; South Africa: 1,462.
A Third of the Global Population is on Lockdown:
I have hit a wall.
This just in from US Embassy in South Africa: “There has been a hiccup regarding the logistics of our planned charter flights for South Africa, and we are now looking for additional commercial options. We do not have exact details on a date and time but will send them as information becomes available.”
I can not do almost anything. And, as proven since Lockdown began, I can go nowhere-do nothing for a week. But 8 days…
Yes, I’m whining. I hear myself* We are in that sense “lucky” as South Africa has only been in Lockdown a short while in comparison: China has been in Lockdown since Jan 23; Hong Kong since Feb. 4th; Italy, parts on Feb 21, countrywide, March 10; Australia (phase 2) announced March 25; USA Trump “endorsed Social Distancing” on March 14th; South Africa’s first case confirmed March 5th, Lockdown began March 27
*Whining…not that kind! This kind.
Compared to Lockdown, “Social Distancing”—getting to hike, walk, go to the park, chat in person, drive around—as long as one is “safely six-feet apart” sounds divine! My butt is sore, my eyes are bleary, my heart hurts, and while I always travel with extra-meds (just in case), I don’t travel with a month of extras…I am almost out of HRT. That could spell trouble for my cellmate.
So, today, I am focusing on feel goods, like this:
Yesterday, or was it before that (the days are melting together), I shared the Broadway CoVid Medley announcing Broadway Shows closing. As brilliant it is, the Medley was also sad. While I can live on tinned tuna, I need music. Thill of my morning: News that BROADWAY IS BACK! (virtually)!
Listen to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Announcement.
“The Shows Must Go On’, the new YouTube Channel that will be streaming a full-length musical every Friday at 7pm GMT for free so you can bring the theatre home! It will be available for 48 hours, so you can tune in whenever you like over the weekend!”
First up, it’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Save the date!
And, this passage from Winnie the Poo and Piglet popped up of Facebook:
“‘Today was a Difficult Day,” said Pooh.
There was a pause.
”Do you want to talk about it?” asked Piglet.
”No,” said Pooh after a bit. “No, I don’t think I do.”
”That’s okay,” said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend.
”What are you doing?” asked Pooh.
”Nothing, really,” said Piglet. “Only, I know what Difficult Days are like. I quite often don’t feel like talking about it on my Difficult Days either.
”But goodness,” continued Piglet, “Difficult Days are so much easier when you know you’ve got someone there for you. And I’ll always be here for you, Pooh.”
And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs...he thought that his best friend had never been more right.’”
On the sassy side!—in response to my work-out dilemma, my co-grandmother, Sally, (I looked it up, “co-mother-in-law” is officially what I call my daughter’s husband’s parents and my grandchildren’s “other grandmother”—that’s what one does when idle.) Anyway, Sally shared the Moodivator, “Carole Burtuzzi Luciani with her Take on Online Fitness (you’ll have to click over, I couldn’t get it to post here.)
On the light side: Hello (from the Inside) An Adele Parody by Chris Mann.
The Washington Post has published its 2020 Neologism List Here’s 1 for today:
Coffee (.n.), the person upon whom one coughs.
And a thought to ponder shared by Charles:
If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous?
Looking forward to the future, Shona sent a video (that has been removed for copyright infringement—of course I would post the attribution, but the screen is black.) So: Blah-blah-blah… My takeaway:
When Lockdown is long over, and CoVid has gone the way of polio, measles, mumps, chicken pox…the plague, and we are on the other side. What I want our children/grandchildren will remember is ‘That time when Mommy/Daddy/Granny/Whomever colored and played and built forts with me.’
Lest you think Shona’s all Zen, she’s also binge-watching: Tiger Kings
Forts! Now that’s an idea: Fortmaking in the Living Room:
Wash up!
Mask up!
Dose up on Vitamin C! Drink Up! (those lukewarm beverages)
Stay Well!
I’ll be back tomorrow because, well. . . Yes, Peggie, that is all there is . . .
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Poetry Challenge #107-Baby, You Can Name My Car!
According to a car nickname website, if you love your car, it’s normal to give it a name. Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was named for the sound the car made. The Magic Schoolbus was magic and a schoolbus. Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine was just that.
Herbie the Love Bug, Lightning McQueen from Cars, Kit from Knight Rider, and Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit. If you need more reason than that , there’s this: October 2nd is National Name Your Car Day!
Poetry Challenge #107
Baby, You Can Name Your Car!
Think about a car or other mode of transportation you use—EQUAL RIGHTS FOR BIKES!!!
Jot down some words that describe it. What’s its shape? color? size? Does it run well? Make any strange noises? Where does it like to go best? What might you name your car that makes you think of any/all of these things?
An ode is a poem of praise. Let’s write an ode to your car with these restrictions:
First line: One word—maybe the brand of your car, the model, or just the word “car”.
Second line: Two words—two adjectives describing the car (color, size, # of doors, etc.)
Third line: Three words—What does your car do?
Fourth line: Two words—How does your car make you feel?
Fifth line: One word—Surprise! Your car’s name!
Get writing! VROOOOOOOOM!
National Name Your Car Playlist:
Baby You Can Drive My Car by The Beatles (You get the idea.)
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 1260+ days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one was Cindy’s.) If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #105-Happy Birthday to You-Hoo . . . ever!
Happy Birthday! Every day is somebody’s birthday! Who do you know who has a birthday coming up soon?
Poetry Challenge #105
Happy Birthday to You-Know-Who!!!!
Can you write a poem to that person telling them why they’re special or what they mean to you?
Work on it until every word is exactly the one you want.
Do you want your poem to rhyme?
Do you want it to have a certain number of syllables on a line?
Is it a list poem or a story? You get to decide.
You can even give it to the person as a birthday gift!
Set the timer for 7 minutes.
Start writing!
Don’t think about it too much; just do it.
Wouldn’t be much of a birthday without a song. Here Goes: YOU SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY by the Beatles
*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 1200 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #27-Here Comes the Sun!
Yesterday, today or tomorrow—depending on where you live—is the March (vernal) equinox. So?
So, the day will be divided into two equal parts: 12 hours night and, for the first time since last year at 12:15 pm EST, *12 hours of sunshine! (Equinox literally means “equal night.”)
So, It’s Springtime!
What’s more, the amount of sunlight each way will incrementally increase until the first day of Summer!
Technically speaking, the vernal equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator. This is the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator, from south to north. For more about the vernal equinox, including photos & diagrams, here’s a link to a great article on VOX.
Poetically Speaking, this takes us to:
Poetry Challenge #27
Here Comes the Sun!
Move to a brighter spot, somewhere you are either in the sun, or where you can witness the effects of sunshine. Don your sunglasses and shade hat to get you in a springy mood. There, now your ready!
First: Brainstorm a list of words that rhyme with either the word “Spring” or “Sun”--your choice.
Now: Using the words from your list, write a springy-sunny poem entitled "Here Comes the Sun!"
Here Comes the Sun Playlist:
- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- Feeling Groovy by Simon & Garfunkle
- Sunshine on My Shoulder by John Denver
- And one for Max: Springtime in Alaska by Johnny Horton
- One that is anything but springy, but I couldn't resist: Three Days sung by KD Lang:
For more on the Vernal Equinox, click here.
*12 hours of sunshine is not exactly correct. The time the sun crosses the equator marking the Vernal Equinox is different for each time zone. For those in the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones, this
Occurred yesterday, March 19th. For those in the Eastern time zone, spring begins on March 20th at 12:30 a.m. What’s more, “Not every place will experience the exact same amount of daylight. For instance, on Tuesday, Fairbanks, Alaska, will see 12 hours, 17 minutes of daylight. Key West, Florida, will see 12 hours and seven minutes. The differences are due to how the sunlight gets refracted (bent) as it enters Earth’s atmosphere at different latitudes.”