Yesterday I felt a bit lonely for the first time in three weeks which actually I think is pretty good! I’m continuing to make masks and now I’m getting requests from everyday people. I’m waiting on elastics.
But what is the “best way” to make these masks seems to constantly change, which makes sense. It’s not like we’ve done a pandemic before! I started with one type of mask and switched over to another, pleated kind, with a slit in the back to put a filter in there. Everyone else is making them with the elastic to go behind the ears. I heard that was really uncomfortable, so I started making mine with elastic that goes all the way around your head.
People who were making ones that went behind the ears are now begin told it hurts and could people now make soft headbands that have buttons on the side, so that rather than put the elastics around the ears, we can use the buttons?
I have not moved over to headbands, but I do have a giant jersey knit sheet that I cannot stand and would work perfectly for that. And it’s true that they would help make wearing surgical masks more bearable. Like, REAL surgical masks.
After a work meeting, I got my mask and collected some lists from Mom, Dad, and some local friends, and got in the big line to go in to Wegmans.
The woman behind me played with her phone with her mask tucked under her chin (right where it’s useful!), about three feet behind me. I turned and asked her as politely as I could with a mask on, “Could you please back up?”
And get with the program, lady.
As is a chronic problem I’m hearing about everywhere, much of Wegmans was roomy and not scary. Other sections, like the baking supplies aisle which was mostly empty, was a mob scene. My mask gave me a false sense of security. If I didn’t have my mask on, I may have been even more cautious about who I got near. I won’t be taking it off of course, but it required even more concentration to go through my list, think about where things were located and how best to minimize wandering, then remind myself over and over that I need to assume the mask won’t do much and I need to be as cautious as I was weeks ago when I last went in person.
I went home, organized everyone’s food, brought my own in and went through the whole decontaminating routine.
When I got off a call with a friend to discuss the topic of a paper I’m working on with a few members of the University Photographer’s Association of America about Inclusion and Diversity in university photography (yeah, real light weight stuff), I headed out to deliver food I’d gotten for others.
When I drove through Wakefield over the weekend, I was kind of charmed by the big group I saw, sitting in a huge circle, each chair six feet from the one next to them.
Today it’s very sunny and beautiful out, and there were people out too. I didn’t see any blatant social distancing, but I did see a few older couples sitting together on benches each wearing masks. Lots of people wearing masks. And it made me mad.
How did we end up here? Here in the apocalyptic movie that vaguely looks like our lives but with a dash of holy hell added in?
I’m hearing more tragic stories about the people who are succumbing to this virus. Very troubling is how sick doctors are getting. The latest report is that you can be exposed to a “bit” of COVID and only get slightly sick, but for those her are exposed by a lot of it, from multiple people, their illness can be even more severe, thus the deaths of medical personnel.
But that’s the latest thing, so who knows? One minute you don’t have to wear a mask, the next you should. One minute you have to wash down all your food with napalm, the next it’s fine if it sits on your floor for approximately three hours and twenty-seven seconds. But no less!
My favorite bakery with my favorite muffins is temporarily closed, and I cannot get my favorite ice cream anymore, it seems.
First world problems. Yes, I know this, of course.
I am learning things. Routine is good. Do some stretches in the morning, eat around the same time, try not to eat too much junk food, and avoid reading too much about COVID. most importantly, if you spot something with the president on it, just skip it entirely. He will say something awful and demoralizing and it will only make me feel more helpless.
A walk with Harlow lifted my spirits a bit, but really, I think what really did it was coming across some chalk in my neighborhood with a sign which read “Please draw something”
BEAN'S BABBLETORIUM 