Cool and nice, let’s hope. [62F and sunny at 9am]
Yesterday finally got nice in the afternoon. Sun came out and it was very pleasant. Best part was low humidity and a breeze so things actually dried.
Since it was nice and rain is forecast, I did some outdoor work. I did some sprinkler work in the front yard, some work on my ‘window box’ planters, and some driveway cleanup.
Slowly but surely there is some progress being made.
I’m a bit surprised by how slowly some of my stuff is progressing. From casual comments on other blogs, some other people are finding the same thing. It must be a side effect of the ongoing disaster. I’m finding it hard to get motivated.
That despite the fact we now have over 61K deaths and over a million ‘confirmed’ cases. I’m willing to accept the case diagnosis in a clinical setting, so I don’t need tests for every case to be counted. YMMV of course.
With summer getting closer, and weather nice, and the mostly invisible nature of this disaster, it’s hard to stay focused. Make no mistake though, the knock on effects have started, and they will continue to get worse for some time. Weeks, months, or forever, I’ve got no idea. But some things have changed. For example, what would it take before you felt comfortable in a ballroom full of sweaty strangers? Or even a movie theater, or a restaurant? 855K active cases in the US that need to resolve before this is over, with more cases added every day. 18K are listed as ‘critical’.
It’s pretty safe to say there will be disruptions in the food supply. Pretty safe to say that imports from countries that are just now starting to have cases explode up the curve, are going to be affected. Actual shipping on ships will be affected. Bankruptcies in industry, retail, and personal are bound to increase. I’ve been a proponent of income streams for retirement vs saving cash in the bank, but a rent strike will hurt landlords big and small. I’m not leveraged but people that are, or who depend on that income for current expenses are going to be in a world of hurt if renters stop paying. And who the heck can provide a valuation for anything in the current climate? House, car, job, case of Mountain House, who really can say what it will be worth in a month or 3.
All that uncertainty tells me to keep prepping. Stack what you can, while the brown truck and amazon are still running. Focus on stuff you’ll need to get by in the next six months. Any maintenance or repairs coming up? Projects you’ve been putting off? Or things that could improve your safety or livability? Start thinking about what you’ll need and if you need to get it now to be sure you’ll have it later.
Stay in, stay safe,
n
(dinner was baked chicken legs, from the freezer, at least 4 years old. Tandoori seasoning, bed of onion, bake in BBQ grill at 500F+ for 25 minutes, rice from the bucket, 2014 BB date, birthday cake for dessert.)