Today was one of those days that I've feared about for a long time: having nothing to be able to go and do.
I've responded to people about my level of busyness that "I didn't know how to sit still for long" or "I fear that I would be wasting my life away."
Well, slowing down for once, wasn't all that bad today.
I stayed in bed a little bit longer than I might have on any other Saturday, but I recovered in time to walk across FM 2920 to get my #21 breakfast Whatameal from Whataburger.
While there I learned from the maintenance guy that the folks in Montgomery County were serious about the curfew that the County Judge there enacted. He said that he lives near 242 and 1314 and that he has to leave somewhere between 1 and 2 a.m. to go to the store here in Spring.
He said the first morning law enforcement turned on its lights on its car and stopped and questioned him about where he was going. Whataburger had given him a letter, of course, and he was able to proceed without any further issues, but that this morning when he encountered the same officer at the same location at the same time and he said, when questioned, that he said the same place as yesterday that the officer got a little testy.
Guess everybody's sensitivities are up during a time like this, but honestly the maintenance guy - as well as almost all of the staff at this location - are all super nice people.
I asked him how business was for them and he just said that their numbers, as you can imagine, are down and vary by the day. I told him I was doing my best to do my part.
Eventually, I worked on a couple of straightening up projects and about 12:30 p.m. I went over to Springwoods Village and ran my newly-constructed 4.41-mile course. It was an OK run - averaged 10 minutes per mile, but I wouldn't have called it necessarily a "walk in the park" either.
The remainder of the day I've pretty much have spent the day reading, aside from a trip also across the road to H-E-B.
I guess I got there at a little bit of a busy time as we were social distancing six feet apart along the sidewalk outside of the store and new was that we either had to use a hand wipe or hand sanitizer before entering the store. I get it, but still. :-)
So what have I been reading regarding the Coronavirus crisis at hand?
+ Dan Patrick to Dan Patrick: Drop Dead [Texas Monthly] -- As he's been doing a lot since he was a sports anchor for KHOU here in Houston, he pretty much made a fool of himself on this item.
+ Expired Respirators. Reused Masks. Nurses in the Nation’s Original Covid-19 Epicenter Offer Sobering Accounts of What Could Come [ProPublica]
+ Urn deliveries in Wuhan raise questions about China's actual coronavirus death toll [Fox News] -- A friend recently told me that he believes nothing coming out of China. Can't say that I disagree with him. However, I don't find this surprising one bit.
+ What the Media Isn't Telling You About the United States' Coronavirus Case Numbers [PJ Media] -- Basically, the gist of the piece is that the media never looks at the statistics on a per capita basis and therefore, especially here in Texas, make things seem even worse than they are now.
+ Governors are starting to close their borders. The implications are staggering. [Vox]
And the following was something that I stumbled across that I found insightful:
+ Critical Condition [Texas Observer]
This is about the rural health care crisis in Texas.
I also read three more pieces out of this month's Texas Monthly:
+ Your Filthy Pit Is Not "Seasoned" (Food & Drink)
+ Lone Star Populism (The Culture) -- An engaging and meticulously researched history of Texas Populism and its contributions to modern American liberalism
+ Is Climate Change Denial Thawing in Texas? (News & Politics)
And my three most recently ordered books from Barnes & Noble arrived today. They included:
+ "Where You Go: Life Lessons from My Father" by Charlotte Pence
+ "You Need A Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South" by Stephanie Deutsch
+ "Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World" by Susie Davis
I decided to start with the latter one as it was referenced in this month's Texas Monthly story about a 1978 school shooting in Austin where the author was an eighth grade student, who along with her classmates, watched a fellow classmate walk in with a rifle and shoot their favorite teacher. The book is about how she rebounded from the culture of fear that she manifest for decades after the shooting.
The middle one above, by Stephanie Deutsch, is about how a Jewish businessman helped Booker T. Washington build many schoolhouses for African-American students in the South in the 1900s. I'm looking forward to reading this. This was referenced in a recent edition of Texas Highways.
Pretty quiet day, but probably very well needed.
I did find out from a friend of mine who thought his nephew might have been diagnosed with COVID-19 instead was confirmed with having pneumonia.
I also took the opportunity to reach out and check in on a high school classmate of mine who I've maintained a friendship with over the years. Their job has been impacted by that shutdown of non-essential businesses in Montgomery County so they are hoping that they can get back to work soon for they fear that they can't go too long with some form of income coming in.
I certainly hope that you and your family are taking care of yourself wherever you may be.
As always, thanks for your friendship.
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