My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

 A whole year; a whole year has passed since I started writing this blog. It has been three days since the one year anniversary of the pandemic. This pandemic caused suffering all around the world, but not as much as it has affected Americans. As of today, 29,920,435 have been diagnosed with COVID-19. That is almost 10% of the population. That means, of ten people with whom you will interact this day, one will have had it or are suffering from it now. Also, the latest death toll is 544,424. Hence, if you have not lost a relative or friend from COVID-19, you know someone who has suffered such loss.  Let us look back a year ago and compare it to last week. First, there were still hate crimes and acts of intolerance against ethno-racial minorities, only the last weeks have seen an increase in racism towards Asians--since they are being accused of bringing the virus to America (even if they were born here and never left).  There was an incidence of our President sli...

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...

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...

Well, it rained. As much as I hoped for dry weather today, it virtually rained nonstop today. In fact, certain parts of Cook County were flooded. I arrived at the church early this morning to help set up the outdoor service when I saw that most of the other officers were already there. They decided to move services inside the church. For every open pew, two pews before and after were cordoned off. Since we had no organist today, the vicar had organ music pre-recorded. And we had church! Not too many people came, but it was almost like it usually is, with having so much open space for our numbers. I was so glad that we could finally worship together again. Livestream is simply not the same. While you get a glow from the computer screen, there are no warm bodies or smiling faces. Even though we were within the law today, I mentally prepared for there to be a ticket tucked under my windshield wiper. Even though the lockdown is important to keeping the vulnerable safe from the virus, e...

Today was better than yesterday, but I still had a weight in my stomach. I still worry about Putty and Grandma. I pray that they will be all right. I heard about how LA will extend their lockdown until August. August. That's a good portion of the summer. While I am not a fan of California, I know that summer is very important. Imagine closed or restricted beaches, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. But then. imagine the unemployment. The percentage of people who are unemployed in this country has skyrocketed for the first time in several years. Some even say that the Great Depression is the only unemployment period worse than now. No wonder people are upset and are fighting against the state governments. But then, there are the deaths. Illinois has faced its highest spike so far--192 deaths in 24 hours. What about the percentage of those officially diagnosed? Has that also decreased? Is this lockdown truly working as it should? Is the source of our problems the incidents of quarant...

God be praised! The Lord is starting to answer my prayers. R emdesivir, the first medication shown to bring faster recovery for those with COVID-19, is coming to hospitals in Illinois! Surely, many will say, "That's good for those who have it, but what about a vaccine? How can we stop COVID-19 from being so contagious?" This medication is still important because it requires some understanding of the virus in order for it to bring a faster recovery. This in return could keep more people from dying. If we understand the virus enough to treat it, it will not be long before we can create a vaccine or even, God willing, a cure. We must allow ourselves to luxuriate in this possibility! I keep reading about protests against lockdowns in Illinois and especially Michigan.While our governor has been decent about how he handles the quarantine and treatment, what I have read about Michigan' governor makes it seem as if she has crossed the line too many times. (Of course, that d...

Well, friends, the good news is that, while the lockdown continues tomorrow, it will be modified, so some businesses will be able to reopen. That's excellent news for small businesses! Also, everyone over age 2 will be required to wear face masks in public, especially when they are not able to practice social distancing.  Let's pause a moment. When this all began, and people started wearing face masks voluntarily, the experts said that only those tested positive for COVID-19 should wear masks. Some listened, but others continued to buy masks, quickly emptying the shelves. Then, when the death toll skyrocketed, the experts changed their tune and recommended masks, especially medical masks and N95s. Though it is pointless to focus on what if's, I cannot help but wonder if it would have made a difference if they knew to recommend face masks in the beginning. Would more lives have been saved? Who knows? All I know is, I will not be happy if it is July, and we are still on lo...

Saw my best friend and her family today. I kept a wide berth and could not even hug them even though they have survived much trauma this past month. I am glad I was able to help them feel better. It is such a relief that they are back in town. I can see a lot more of them now.  In other news, it seems that too many people in Illinois are either deaf or illiterate. Everywhere, we are told to stay at home or at least practice social distancing. Last night, a group of thoughtless millennials decided to have a party . So many people came to the house to party that everyone literally rubbed elbows with everyone else. A few people wore masks, but what the heck is the point?!  I am sure  most of them went home after to their young children and older parents/grandparents afterwards . If anyone at the party was infected, it is likely they have gotten infected too, and in two weeks, their grandparents and babies will be in the hospital sick or worse.  Don't the peo...

First, a shout-out to Kristen who posted a response to yesterday's post. I really appreciate it, and don't worry; I will not be stopped. In fact, I am going to tell you a story about a man just as stubborn as me (if not more): my father. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he spent a great deal of his childhood in Alexandria, Louisiana, during Jim Crow times. During such times, to the White supremacist and the "good old boys", there were four types of African-Americans: a lazy nigra (to replace a more offensive word), a crazy nigra, an uppity nigra, and a good nigra. The lazy nigra hated working, and his spent his time gambling, drinking, getting high, fornicating, and generally "shucking and jiving." Though he sometimes got in trouble, he knew his place, and he never stepped out of line and never dreamed of anything better for himself. The good nigra did exactly as he was told, and he worked hard at the job he was allowed to have, and he was content...

Made it to 30 days. One month. One ridiculously long month. The lockdown is set to expire on May 1st, but the governor is hinting that it will be extended. I hope not. I hope for something miraulous to end this because everyone is suffering in one way or the other. There are people now protesting all over the country for the restrictions to be lifted. Before you start criticizing them as crybabies, look deeper. These people are losing their jobs and their businesses. Plus, they are also protesting how law enforcement and municipal/ state leaders are abusing the lockdown. Remember how people at drive-by church services were sited? Remember the doctor providing testing to the homeless had been arrested? Whenever a state of emergency is declared in any country, tyrants always use the occasion to trample on the basic and civil rights of the people. Alas, each national crisis puts our Constitution to the test. If we choose to stay asleep during such times and obey each demand and encroach...

I keep reading news about the high death rate with African-Americans contracting COVID-19. I can just hear the conspiracy theorists saying that the Man is bringing the virus into our communities to kill us off. This sounds similar to the belief that the K with the circle around placed on foods and beverages are owned by the Klan. Then there is the belief that Church's Chicken is owned by a White supremacist, and they place chemicals in the chicken to sterilize African-American men. Why else can you only find them in Black neighborhoods? Please! Seriously, there are many theories out there about why COVID-19 is more lethal in our communities. First, a high proportion of African-Americans are essential workers, which puts them at greater risk for infection. Second, those who work such jobs cannot afford to take sick day, no matter how sick they are. Third, the hospitals in our neighborhoods are a big disgrace. Fourth, so many African Americans just don't care about protection ...

More bad news today. Illinois faced its deadliest day. This day, 125 people died from this plague, bringing the death toll to 1,072 and the total infections over 25,000. Both Lightfoot and Pritzker say that the curve is flattening and that they are still trying to decide if they will go easy on the lockdown or not, whilst Indiana and Wisconsin are prolonging it well into May. Because non-essential businesses have been forbidden to open, millions of Americans are seeking unemployment benefits because they have been furloughed or simply laid off. This is madness. Thank God I am an essential worker. What are everyone laid off going to do? Who is hiring now? How many of these stimulus checks can the government disperse? Speaking of checks, I figured out why I didn't get mine yet. Because the government likes to overtax married couples without children, I only received state refunds for the last two years. I ended up having to pay more money to my least favorite relative: Uncle Sam....

Today was a busy day. I helped my clients, over the phone, apply for their stimulus checks. I hear that people are getting their checks already. When will mine come? Besides, they are not GIVING me anything. They overtax me as punishment for being married and not having human children. As far as I am concerned, they are giving me money back for the times they taxed me too much and for the unjust laws they create to take even more of my money. I am in favor of taxes, but didn't we give the British the boot for their taxation without representation? The only people I see profiting off of my taxes are the wealthy corporations and the victicrats. What about the working and middle classes? We are too busy fighting off poverty. Since when do the resourceful Republicans and bleeding-heart Democrats show that they truly care about the other 80% of the population? In other new, things just got worse for my best friend and her family. First her mother-in-law died, and now a tornado smacked...

Today was a little better. I had gotten nowhere with Instacart, so I had to waste another hour of my schedule reordering groceries with Jewel delivery. I will never use Instacart again. Maybe they are biting off more than they can chew with the pandemic, but they are useless now. There are other delivery/pick-up services. God bless America! At least our governor has given us more good news. It appears that the curve has come and that the worst is likely behind us. We cannot see the sun yet, but at least the clouds are clearing. Sure, no one and nothing will ever be the same, but at least in a month, God willing, the children will be back in school, and social life will return. I saw a very clever music video about staying safe in COVID-19, taking the tune for the Sound of Music's Do-Re-Mi. Listen for yourselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMBh-eo3tvE I continue to think about the COVID-19 prepared church I visited in Schaumburg on Resurrection Sunday. They had every othe...

Not the best day. I was bombarded by phone calls, and I had gotten the runaround with a provider. On top of that, I tried ordering groceries for my clients on Instacart, but there was some kind of error, and I spent two hours with customer service agents trying to get them to correct their mistakes, but to no avail. As much as I hate talking on the phone, I couldn't even do that since they were swamped. I seriously hate Instacart. I was able to relax a minute at home until I received news. My old organist, Wayne Lucht, departed this earth recently. I hope he didn't die from the virus; that is an undignified end for a man like him. Sure, he was 94, but whenever anyone, young or old, dies this month, there will be the lingering question: did they die from COVID-19? Either way, I am sick of death. I read the news. Death. I go to work. Death. I go home. Death. It follows me like a hungry horsefly. When will this pandemic be over?! Rest in peace, Mr. Lucht . --Signing off.

CHRIST HAS RISEN!!! Today was a pretty good day. It was, after all, the beginning of the Resurrection Season. I went to a social-distancing prepared church and could actually take Eucharist. It felt so good to be in church again! I will probably go there until the lockdown is over, and if that means I need to drive 1 mile to get to Schaumburg, so be it! According to the major, today's death toll is the lowest it has been in 6 days, so that is good news. On the other hand, I read horrible stories about how a Michigan woman lost her whole family to this virus, and a Louisiana man lost 10 relatives and friends. I am not ashamed to admit that these stories made me cry. There has been so much death the past week. A friend of mine recently lost his grandmother from COVID-19. Thankfully, my mother, wife, and grandmothers are all safe and relatively healthy, and so are my golden-year friends. I have suffered so much loss, yet I have barely become numb to it. Each loss is still a dagger...

Today was half decent, uneventful. After work, I came home and prepared a Seder meal. I watched a Maundy Thursday livestream of a congregation in Schaumburg. There were only a few people there, so there were no quarantine violations. I am tempted to go there tomorrow and Sunday if I can. Definitely Sunday. I don't want to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord at a computer screen. If they are spaced out and don't touch, it is safe. Speaking of which, at least we are seemingly bending the curve, as they say. the number of those who have died has dropped today. I know this will all end soon. It ended already where it began, in China, and it will end here too. Keep the faith, friends. Keep the faith. --Signing off.

Another rough day. I received yet another example of how stupid and reckless people, even professionals, can be. Since Chase Bank decided to change their policy and tack on a monthly fee to my account, I asked them to close my liquid card. What did they do? They closed my checking account! Because of how I have things set up, I would have to be high on glue to cancel my checking account. So, I called customer service, and after 30 minutes of waiting, I get this woman who said that there is nothing they could do! Seriously? They cancel a checking account via messaging, but they cannot stop my account from closing by telephone? For one of the world's biggest banks, they certainly are incompetent, and this is just one of many examples. What if the government tried to send my stimulus check? What if I had a bill payment being processed? So, I went down to the local branch to talk to a banker on my lunch break. I had to sign in at the front desk and then wait outside because social di...

Today was a little bit better, but pretty busy nonetheless. Had a meeting this morning in which we processed the death of that client that was discovered yesterday. I felt a little numb, but I tried to support my other coworkers, especially the desk clerk who found the corpse.  I had a lot of paperwork that was due today, and I was hoping to finish it in a timely fashion, but no! After calling clients to report  the death of one of their residents , I had to admit another client to the hospital after this client finally snapped from psychiatric symptoms due to quarantine Cabin Fever. I couldn't follow him to be emergency room because of the COVID-19 restrictions. I therefore had to fax the necessary papers to the emergency room and the social worker on duty and then follow-up to make sure that they received the documents. Surprisingly, they admitted him right away and did not have to wait a long period of time in the emergency room. But then, this hospital has a psych ward o...

Bad day. First, I came in to realize that a client's medication was sent to the wrong pharmacy, and then, when it was sent to the right pharmacy, they agreed to sent it right away, and they did--to another site. Now, my client will go 8 days without insulin. Then I learned that two clients had been arguing with each other all weekend, and one grabbed the other last night, and then they went back to yelling at each other again today. When I asked what happened last night, one person accused the other of something, and the other denied it completely. Of course, there were no witnesses. On top of it all, another client I once worked with died. This makes the fourth in 3 years. He died all by himself because his delusions kept him from his family and from having true friends. When you have delusions so strong that you cannot trust anyone and you are always in fear for your safety, life is very hard. It is ever frightening and exhausting. I would hate to live so isolated from others w...