Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[Front-Ranger]

You may recall my friend M. who used to be a suitor, then found a more suitable girlfriend, broke up with her and asked to come back to me, and I said yes, but just as friends. He has just turned 80 and is celebrating two years of being free from throat cancer. He's also asthmatic, so his doctors have forbid him to be out in society during these plague times.

That was a hard sentence for him because he is very outgoing and social. So last week, a museum that he is a member of called him and said they would open up the museum for him only. He was free to walk around among the exhibits all by himself for as long as he liked. It was the highlight of his week!

[CellarDweller]

Oh, that was really sweet of them to do that for him!  I'm sure he was so happy.

Yeah, we are really messing this up ourselves here in the US.   I was just reading online about a 30 year-old man who died in a Texas hospital.  His last words were 'I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it's not,'


He had gone to a "Covid Party", where the host was diagnosed, and the point of the party is to see who will get infected at the party.

 

[Sason]

So he won? 


I believe it's called natural selection.....

[Penthesilea]

Oh, that was really sweet of them to do that for him!  I'm sure he was so happy.

Yeah, we are really messing this up ourselves here in the US.   I was just reading online about a 30 year-old man who died in a Texas hospital.  His last words were 'I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it's not,'


He had gone to a "Covid Party", where the host was diagnosed, and the point of the party is to see who will get infected at the party.

 

Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. 

If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.
And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… 

[serious crayons]

Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. 

It's going to be a crowded field this year. 

As I've mentioned, some of my reporting has required me to go into crowds of anti-mask, anti-shutdown protesters who don't wear mask or social distance on principle, who scream in each others' faces and carry around big guns (which in normal times would be bad enough in itself). The last one was over a month ago, so I'm in the clear.

But I often wonder since then how many of those people are still as free of COVID as they were convinced they'd always be.

I was talking to someone about the anti-masking portion of the population. That portion of the population will probably be shrinking, I said.

If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.

And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… 

You are much more compassionate than me, Chrissi, because I didn't even think about those parts. I have more of the mean "that's what you get for being an idiot" kind of reaction. But of course you're right.

[serious crayons]

Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. 

It's going to be a crowded field this year. 

As I've mentioned, some of my reporting has required me to go into crowds of anti-mask, anti-shutdown protesters who don't wear mask or social distance on principle, who scream in each others' faces and carry around big guns (which in normal times would be bad enough in itself). The last one was over a month ago, so I'm in the clear.

But I often wonder since then how many of those people are still as free of COVID as they were convinced they'd always be.

I was talking to someone about the anti-masking portion of the population. That portion of the population will probably be shrinking, I said.

If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.

And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… 

You are much more compassionate than me, Chrissi, because I didn't even think about those parts. I have more of the mean "that's what you get for being an idiot" kind of reaction. But of course you're right.

I just looked up the story and it is pretty sad. But why do people insist on being so obstinately stupid?

[Front-Ranger]

Hi friends,
I was starting to think my trip to Europe was not going to happen due to Americans being shunned in the rest of the world for our disgraceful behavior defying health guidelines during the pandemic. Side note, I'm sure my Eurobrokie friends realize that the media are not writing stories about the majority of us who are self-isolating, wearing our masks, and social distancing.

So my direct flight from Denver to London was abruptly cancelled. However, we found another way to go. It turns out that the remaining flights to Europe are now very affordable and easy to book! We are now flying from New York into Dublin, and from there to Edinburgh for a few days. We will then drive down to London to begin the official part of our trip. This will mean that we will have been in Europe for 14 days before we go into Italy, which has that requirement. Things are looking brighter!

After we land in Scotland, we'll head west to Loch Linnae and pass through the Trossachs. I love that area. It's where I visited the Tim the Enchanter's lair (and that of the killer bunny) back in 2010. Here's a photo of Ben Lomand that I put on my Christmas card last year. Isn't it beautiful?

[Front-Ranger]

The shortages are strange. There's a shortage of coins? Why? Maybe mint employees are ill or have been laid off. I was in a big box hardware store the other day and the area where they display kitchen appliances was very bare. Maybe manufacturing lines have been shut down. Or maybe a lot of stuff is produced in China and their factories were shut down for a while.

Stranger still are the shortages at REI, an outdoors products cooperative. Photo below.

[Penthesilea]

I have bad news for you I'm afraid.



I hate to break it to you, but coming from the US, you need either
- a 14 day quarantine in Scotland
- have spend 14 days in Ireland or another Common Travel Area (Ireland, channel Islands, Isle of Man.) before entering Scotland.


The rule is still the 14 day quarantine, but there are 57 countries on an exemption list. Visitors coming from there do not need to self-isolate for 14 days. The US however is not on the exemption list. I feel sorry for you, but in all honesty, I think it does make sense.


Covid-19 Travel Corridors (Rules for Scotland)



What makes it worse, Ireland also does have a 14 days quarantine, even more strict than Scotland. They do not have an exemption list as of now. They do not encourage touristic travel to Ireland.

This is from the US Embassy in Ireland:

"Entry and Exit Requirements: 
Irish Health authorities ask anyone entering Ireland from abroad, except Northern Ireland, to self-isolate on arrival for 14 days. 


Here's the link: https://ie.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/


When do you plan to travel? Is it still end of August/September, or maybe later in the year? The situation might look better by the time.

Right now, all non-EU citizens coming to the EU need to quarantine for 14 days. There's an exemption list (Canada, Australia, a few others), but again, the US is not on it.

[Penthesilea]

Stranger still are the shortages at REI, an outdoors products cooperative. Photo below.

Outdoor products may be in high demand, as all the preppers are probably going crazy and formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic.