Category: covid-19

COVID-19 Numbers

Here’s what I have for today:

  • Methuen, MA
    • Total Cases: 622 (up 4 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 30
    • Death Rate: 4.82%
  • Massachusetts
    • Total Cases: 69,087 (up 1,000 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 4,090
    • Death Rate: 5.92%
  • United States
    • Total Cases: 1,172,670 (up 23,473 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 68,326
    • Death Rate: 5.83%

Methuen looks like it’s slowing down, but I think that’s a Monday thing.  It’s not the first time I’ve thought Methuen was improving only to have things jump up over the following days.

Outside of that, there doesn’t seem to be any sign that things are slowing down at the state or national level.  How can people look at numbers like these and thing it’s safe to start opening up again?

Allostatic Load

Look at that, it turns out there is a technical term for that mental fatigue you feel from being stuck in the house doing the social distance thing.

Allostatic Load.

I knew there had to be something to describe how awful this feels.  If there wasn’t a term for it before I figured someone smarter than I would be working on one.  Nope, it’s already out there.

Are you feeling it?  I am feeling it.  I don’t need to go anywhere specific, I just want to go somewhere and do something.

COVID Blues

246/365

Three songs in the pipeline right now. I put guitars on all of them. Two of the songs seem okay so far. The third is a sloppy awful mess. It’s a 12-bar blues. Should I call it The Covid-19 Blues?

The Stir Crazy Files – Episode 31

Jen’s watching NYC real estate videos.  I’m testing the waters on a couple of Netflix series.  Patches is sitting on my desk.

Jen is planning on a nice dinner for us today and that is going to RULE.  I want to do some music today, and some work on a javascript tutorial that I’ve been playing with, and I want to sweep the dining room floor.

All the while, the most entertaining thing in the whole history of quarantines is happening.  Outside my window there is a squirrel trying valiantly to get around the squirrel baffle on the bird feeder.   He climbs up the pole, tries to grab onto the side of the baffle, misses, slides down the pole, climbs up the pole, tries to grab the side of the baffle, gets it, falls on his face, climbs up the pole, sits there for a second looking defeated, slides down the pole.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It’s like theater.

What’s gonna happen next?

The Stir Crazy Files – Episode 30

Is Netflix just better than Hulu? I Googled “Best Netflix original series” and got some really long lists filled with shows I’ve seen and shows that look worthy of a watch and shows that don’t interest me in roughly equal numbers.

I did the same search for Hulu and found a small number of shows I’ve watched, one show that I want to watch (Haindmaid’s Tale) that I haven’t had the courage to start yet (I read the book and given the current sociopolitical climate I’m frankly terrified by the idea of living through that story again), and a slew of shows that are utterly uninteresting to me.

Maybe Netflix is just better at the original series thing.

On an unrelated stir crazy note, I slammed my head into the light fixture in the dinning room today. At least it wasn’t a ceiling fan… my nemesis.

On another unrelated note (of questionable stir crazy origin) my beloved bride baked a cake from scratch today, including frosting. It was delectable. Thanks, lovey!

The Stir Crazy Files – Episode 29

Hair hell.

I have styling foam (is that what it’s called?) in my hair.

My hair currently is not in my eyes, but it isn’t quite holding in place from where it was when I got out of the shower 90 minutes ago.  So far so good, I guess… but it’s only been an hour an a half.

Change of subject, and speaking of crazy: Alex Jones.

Given that he publicly threatened to murder and eat his neighbors, would they then be legally justified to put a bullet into his useless, idiot brain if he put a toenail onto their property?  I will never advocate for violence, but to me this sounds like any of his neighbors would be perfectly within their rights to blow his brains out without any additional provocation.

Just saying.

The Stir Crazy Files – Episode 28

It’s going to be a couple of weeks before this post pays off…

Jen and I had a pretty heavy conversation about a pretty heavy topic today.  When I say heavy I mean that literally… we were talking about… my hair.

First, we discussed hair care products.  Specifically, is there anything in the house that I could use to keep this bastard of a hairdo out of my eyes.  Yes, there are a couple of styling products that I could try.  I will experiment over the weekend.  Just note… I hate product.  Hate.

Our discussion included the subtopic of how everything we talked about is likely to fail in a big way.  Jen offered to cut my hair.  She’s offered a few times before but today I asked, “do you want to cut my hair?” and she answered, “yes.”

A kit with scissors… would you call it a grooming kit, or is that just for pets?  Whatever, quality scissors have been ordered.  Also, a set of clippers has been ordered as a back up in case something goes wrong with the actual hair cut process.  By “go wrong” I mean either it can’t be done or it comes out really bad and needs to be fixed.  There is a statistical probability that I may be in for my first ever buzz cut.  At least I will be able to see where I am going, right?

Jen is nervous that it’s going to come out bad.  I am not.  For two reasons.  One, I don’t care.  Two, we are likely to be in lock down long enough that I will need a second haircut by the time we get out anyway.  What difference does it make?  Another reason, though unofficial, is how funny it is going to be.  We are going to laugh our asses off all the way through this and it is going to be awesome.

The sad reality hit at this point though.  Mother Amazon will not be delivering the scissors or the clippers for a couple of weeks.  That means you’re going to have to wait for the hilarious selfies.

Patients, Padawans.

The Stir Crazy Files – Episode 27

The mailman came today.  He brought a letter that was obviously junk.  It had the most ridiculously official sounding yet utterly meaningless name on the return address.  I was going to write something that made fun of it.  I figured I’d cover my ass and Google it first and… it is an actual Federal agency.  It is something that is some how related to the Coast Guard, if the two links I read were accurate.  The letter was totally bullshit and fake as fake can be, but knowing there is a real agency took all the fun out of it for me.

I just logged into my 12:00 Zoom meeting only to realize it is a 2:00 meeting, not 12:00.  Did you know that 12:00 and 2:00 are different things?  Crazy!

Now that the April Bonus Edition RPM Challenge is over, the powers that be are putting on an online listening party.  Everyone who finished the project submitted a song.  You can listen to it all right now at this link.  It’s all live and stuff.  Well, the broadcast is live, but the music is recorded.

I sure hope they don’t play my song because my song is Lame with a capital Lame.

 

COVID-19 Numbers

Here’s what I have for today:

  • Methuen, MA
    • Total Cases: 559 (up 28 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 28
    • Death Rate: 5.01%
  • Massachusetts
    • Total Cases: 60,265 (up 1,963 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 3,405
    • Death Rate: 4.76%
  • United States
    • Total Cases: 1,034,884 (up 29,976 from yesterday)
    • Deaths: 60,316
    • Death Rate: 5.83%

The United States topped one million infections yesterday.  Not exactly the kind of milestone you are proud of.

Methuen had a space of about a week where there was only one death.  That was eight deaths ago.

All three regions are still growing at a fairly steady rate.  I don’t see any signs of this leveling off at all.  I think we’re still on the up slope of the COVID-19 curve.