My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

One hundred days. I have been doing this blog for 100 days, or 3 1/3 months, every day, non-stop. These days have certainly not been uneventful. There have been the closure of businesses, people not respecting restrictions, politicians and others abusing the restrictions, a great surge in cases, rampant death, missing church, a church being burned down for challenging the local government, a Black man being murdered by a police officer in broad daylight, protests, riots, destruction of monuments, the skin color of looters and arsonists, returning to church under social distancing, and then discrimination by possible churchians. Then, there have been my aunt's death, issues at work, my quadragintaphobia, and my visit to the monastery. We started with Phase 1, the growth of COVID-19, Phase 2, the most lethal stage, which is where everything non-essential was closed and there was an increase in unemployment, thereby necessitating the need for stimulus checks, and where so many peopl...

I am back from my retreat refreshed and able to tackle the world better. I guess I missed a few things while I was gone. First, I learned that over 80 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, and about a dozen of those died, including a few children. One girl was sitting in her house and a bullet came in from her window. A man killed two teenagers for, wait for it, asking how tall he was. Black Lives Matter, indeed. Let the record show, friends, that those who murdered Black people over the weekend were Black! Not cops, not even rednecks or good old boys, but Black civilians! I read how supposed Black activists are offended when a person, usually White, mentions that there are good cops, show dissent for the looking and rioting, say all lives matter, or mention the deaths and random shootings in African-American neighborhoods. If that is the route they choose, then they should change their name Barbaric Black and Intellectually Stupid White Lives Matter. So, to them, Black L...

So, the good news is, the issue with Big Syl is not the compressor. Halleluyah! It appears to be electrical. They need another day, however, to find and resolve the problem, so I won't get my car back until tomorrow. More good news: the death toll for COVID-19 is the lowest it has been in a month. Yes, it does seem as if the virus is being controlled. So far, it seems that the move to Phase 3 on Friday is inevitable.  In retrospect, when the nation determines what the "new normal" will be after a vaccine or treatment is approved, they need to create laws to stop people from neglecting to cover their mouths in public areas when they cough or sneeze. We need to outlaw such carelessness of people. To take it a step further, schools must start making sure their students, even kindergartners, are aware of preventative measures. Additionally, all child care providers must either send sick children home or keep them in isolation. Workplaces must either provide sick pay for t...

Today was an interesting day. First, I was expecting a package to be redelivered today, but the mail never came. Now I will have to wait until Tuesday to receive the package. Blimey! Yes, I know that COVID-19 slows down everything, so I will just need to be patient. I am going to feel guilty if the postal workers are working tomorrow, a Sunday. Second, I took my minivan in for an oil change and to have them check the air conditioner. When I turn the air conditioner on, it only blows warm air. I had to spend all of last summer, the world's hottest summer on record, without air conditioning in my car. They had to recharge the car with freon, but the compressor would not start. They need to hold onto Big Syl until Monday so that they can rule out electric wiring. I can never catch a break, it seems. Why must life be so difficult for innocent people and for people who try? I so hope it is not the compressor because I have already put so much money to essentially rebuild the car. If...

Nine more days. That's right. In 9 more days, Illinois will move to Phase 3. Nonessential businesses will be allowed to open, with the following of specific guidelines, and, while eating and drinking indoors will still be restricted or forbidden, outdoor dining will be allowed. Moreover, state parks will be opened, and retail stores can open, provided capacity limits are followed. Additionally, according to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the director of Illinois' Department of Public Health, the numbers of infected Illinoisans continues to drop, with the number of hospitalizations dropping below 4,000 since they started taking statistics essentially, and the numbers of those testing positive for COVID-19 and COVID-related deaths. Unless something major and unforeseen happens, there is nothing to prevent the lockdown (in the strictest sense) from expiring on May 29--9 days from now. So, this is good news all around. Still, it leaves me with questions. First, will there still be restrictio...

Today was pretty productive. I ran an errand, bought groceries, and completed a small project for my side job. The wife and I then drove to Des Plaines to see my best friend and her family. There, we talked about old times when she and I worked together over a delicious Indian iftar dinner.  I talked more about how I lately feel taken advantage of at work since I am a veteran in the mental health field. I vented about how I keep being called on to do duties for one program when I am in another one. Yes, I should talk to my supervisors about my concerns, but then I have tried talking to them, and it does no good. Nothing changes. Besides, I don't want to give them any  fodder to use against me. Employers can be really fickle at times. I can do a million things with no reward, but I get a proverbial flogging over one little mistake. I have heard of hard workers who have been at my agency for years who are dismissed for the most petty things. For all my years at this agency, I...

Another day, another protest to reopen the state. While the Governor plans to move Illinois to Phase 3, the Recovery Phase, many lawmakers in various towns throughout the state are becoming restless because of the economic disaster the lockdown is causing them. One mayor downstate even threatened to defy the order. I am at the middle of the argument as both sides have valid points. As long as both sides are being reasonable. The definition of reasonable is simple: the opposite of Gavin Newsom, This shameful excuse for a governor has ordered the state's lockdown to be extended to August. Even our local premier has enough sense to take things a few weeks at a time. Furthermore, he has authorized COVID-19 relief funding to be extended to those in the country illegally. Let's remove the morality and ethics of illegal immigration for a moment. Throughout the country, there are people still waiting for their stimulus checks. For some, those checks barely help their families because...

So, I promised pictures. They are near the bottom of the post. There was one picture I wanted to show. It was probably the first picture and I took together. As a baby and toddler, I had many health problems. In this one picture, I was getting ready to leave the hospital after my open heart surgery. She was sitting in a chair next to my hospital crib holding me with one arm, with a small child's belt in her other hand (not mine, and not for me ;-) ). Behind us was a window with a brownstone in the background. I think I was in the hospital that used to be Children's Memorial Hospital. I looked in every place where I keep pictures, and I cannot find it for the life of me! What can I expect? Whenever I don't need something, it is always around, but the moment I look for it, it disappears! Such is my fortune. I finally had a chance to look at Governor Pritzker's Five Phases. We are now in Phase 2. I pray that they will find an effective treatment or vaccine soon. I year...