We had a quiet day at home. I did my Saturday routine. A neighbor was outside doing yard work. I spoke to some friends. As long as you stayed away from the news, you’d think everything was normal.
Of course, I didn’t stay away from the news. And with that, here’s today’s collection.
We had a meeting at church today to discuss how to manage our finances during this time. The concern is that even though we’re holding online services and trying to maintain other activities as much as we can, donations might start to drop.
If you support a church, a charity, or some other non-profit, remember that most of their expenses aren’t going to decrease while we’re social distancing. Try to keep up your commitments to them as best you can.
Here’s today’s collection.
NASA fixes Mars lander by hitting it with a shovel.
Coronavirus kills 66-year-old Playboy (print edition).
Sling TV rolls out free streaming to US consumers stuck at home.
The Shaun of the Dead remake we need right now.
The simple calculator for how much toilet paper you need to survive the pandemic.
Rachel and I ran errands separately today. We’ll see if either of us brought home the plague. I needed to get an emissions inspection so I decided to take care of a couple of other things while I was out.
First I went to the local Pak Mail to ship something to Maryann. The manager had just come from the Publix in the same strip center. I asked him how it was in there. He said the candy aisle was a disaster, probably because kids are home from school and parents are desperate to keep them occupied. I told him that reminded me of the George Carlin bit about going to a grocery store in a college neighborhood or any other area where people tend to engage in recreational substances; the cookie aisle always looks like a war zone.
The emissions inspection was next. The place I go normally has you wait in the lobby while they test your car, but the lobby was closed, so I got to sit in the car and help with the test. They plug your car into the computer and have you rev the engine to 1500 RPMs and hold it for a few seconds. Then you repeat for 2000 RPMs. The problem is that there’s a few seconds of delay between you getting the engine to the right RPMs and the computer registering it. So I’m sitting there with the engine at 1500 and the guy’s yelling “Faster!” I go faster and he yells “Slower!” We went back and forth a few times, starting laughing, and finally got in sync. I don’t think they’ll be hiring me anytime soon. My car passed, though.
Finally, I went to CVS to take care of a couple of prescriptions. I was a little surprised at how quiet it was in the store. There was only one other customer in the pharmacy department. I took a cursory stroll down the aisle where they stock paper goods and of course that section of shelves was bare.
The outside world didn’t appear all that different. Road construction crews were still working. The strip mall parking lot didn’t appear any more or less full than usual. It was only when I started noticing that some restaurants and stores were dark that it became apparent that we’re living in this strange time. Also, the virus hasn’t hit my area very hard yet, so it may get weirder out there as time goes on.
Stay safe and enjoy today’s collection.
Former NASA Engineer Shows How Germs Spread Using Blacklight.
A little over a week ago I ordered some clothes. I was planning to be out of town so I had them delivered to the local store. Now I’m not going anywhere. Today I get this in my email.
It was a quiet day here. Our church board held its monthly meeting – using web conferencing. I’m going to run a couple of errands tomorrow. It’ll be the first time I’ve left my property since last Wednesday – but some things still require trips. Here’s today’s collection.
Netflix Party: A new way to watch Netflix together.
These 12 famous museums offer virtual tours.
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area (32,000 square miles) in the world. Isle Royale is the largest natural island in Lake Superior (207 square miles). Siskiwit Lake is the largest lake in Isle Royale (6.5 square miles). Ryan Island is the largest island in Siskiwit Lake. So Ryan Island is the largest island in the largest lake in the largest island in the largest lake in the world.
Today the University of Kentucky announced that classes will be held online for the rest of the semester. Rachel and I will find out on Thursday what the dorm move-out logistics are.
Yesterday my employer announced that working from home for U.S. employees is mandatory. I already work from home so that doesn’t affect me. The work network seemed a little slow today, but that’s not surprising.
We’re healthy, happy, and adequately entertained.
Here’s today’s nonsense – and a final serious note.
I just happen to like peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches.
Day 5 of my social distancing. The last time I left the neighborhood was Wednesday. Rachel came home today so I have some company. No one appears to be infected yet.
Here’s today’s collection of silliness.
