April 16-30

The fourth month of 2020 ended four weeks and two days after it began with very little difference from start to finish. The governor's stay-home order is still in effect until at least May 8, the last time I was out of the house after sunset was the last hockey game in Reading on March 8. Since just about all of my outside activities are sports-oriented there is simply nothing going on. I haven't been to a movie theater in ages and I'm not a bars/clubs guy anymore but it doesn't matter because none of that is even open right now. I've taken to staying up later at night because there's no big hurry to get up in the morning, I've been sleeping later into the morning because there's no big hurry to go out for anything. My usual stop for lunch has remained open (albeit for take-out only) and I continue to patronize it because I don't want to see it out of business. There's been a lot of controversy over what constitutes essential business versus non-essential and my view is as follows: all business is essential if to nobody else but the people who own it, operate it and are employed there. The choice to be open or closed should belong to them with all risks and responsibilities assumed and understood. The choice to patronize or not patronize a business should belong to the customers under the same circumstances. Since this mess started in March I've been out-and-about each day doing what I need to as best I can with proper precautions taken and I've had no health issues at all. I recently spoke on the phone with a longtime friend who is ten years older than me, he said he hasn't been ill, he doesn't know anyone who has been ill and he doesn't know anyone who knows anyone who has been ill. I talk to Jenny every day, both she and her mother are OK save for being as bored to tears as I am. Maybe we're just fortunate or maybe this whole thing is overblown, there are a lot of people who believe the latter is true. You have health experts in the media giving conflicting viewpoints and nobody knows what to believe, you have politicians working their agendas because it's an election year and they care more about that than anything else. I don't claim to have all the answers but sooner or later the breaking point is going to arrive. If the elections were happening tomorrow I can't think of any incumbent in any office anywhere I would vote for to retain. As a guy I once knew would have said, "you can stick a fork in all them cats, they all suck". Take care, friends. Thanks for reading.

April 1-15

The fourth month of 2020 began on a Wednesday and it's hard to imagine any sophomoric April Fools Day joke less humorous than the current state of our society. The coronavirus pandemic continues and shows little sign of abating any time soon. The governor recently announced that schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic calendar year, that news put the spring high school sports season into the toilet as well. The baseball team at McCaskey had two weeks of practice and one scrimmage in the books before the plug was pulled, now it's literally "wait 'til next year". It's a shame especially for the outgoing seniors who will never get the opportunity to play at the high school level again. The state's "stay home" order has remained in place, my only outdoor activities have been for take-out lunch and groceries. On any given day I'm probably at home for twenty-two of the twenty-four hours, the worst part is that I'm getting used to it and I hate it because it SUCKS. I'd be more than happy to get out and go somewhere if there were anywhere to get out and go to. Jenny and I talk every day on the phone but I haven't seen her since March 27 and there's no telling when I might. Until things begin to stabilize and the "all clear" is issued there's no point in taking unnecessary chances with her health or her mother's (Helen is 82 and they say the elderly are the most susceptible). Right now the whole damn world is in a holding pattern and nobody can predict anything (although the so-called experts don't stop trying). Take care and stay safe, everyone. Thanks for reading.