Our collective reality for the foreseeable future.
Self portrait [2020].
I ventured out after noon on Sunday for the third time in ten days. The first time was a week ago – we made a grocery run. The second time – we went for a walk outside on Saturday.
On Sunday I drove to my office to pick up textbooks and class records for my current courses. I also nabbed a large bottle of hand sanitizer I had left in my office. While there I downloaded data from my office computer on to a flash drive. That took the longest amount of time.
All of that stuff is (still) sitting in the back of my car in the garage for a few days, just to be sure.
To make this journey I took two sets of nitrile gloves (one for backup), a (still) unused N95 mask (as backup), a surgical mask sewn by Joan (it fits and works beautifully – it looks great, too. She used cotton Batik – because it has a tight weave). I also took a carrying bag for the books and papers. In the car I had hand sanitizer and sanitary wipes, along with an easily accessible garbage bag.
I drove to my office, gloved and masked up in the car, and walked to the front building entrance. I had my keys out, unlocked the door, opened it, then relocked it. No one was around. The classrooms had post-it notes on the doors stating “This room has been cleaned and sanitized.”
When I got to my office I opened the windows (it gets stuffy in there), gathered up the materials, and downloaded the data. When I was done I closed the windows, turned out the lights, and locked the door. I exited the building and walked back to my car.
I unlocked the car, placed the bag of books and other materials in the back, grabbed a sanitary wipe and wiped down the console, steering wheel and exterior door handle. I wiped down the sanitary wipe container. I threw the wipe into the garbage bag, removed (peeled) the nitrile gloves into the garbage bag. I used hand sanitizer, took off my mask, used hand sanitizer again, started the car up, lowered the back windows, and drove home.
When I got home I opened the garage door, threw the car garbage into the trash, parked the car, and wiped down the latches and door knobs.
I walked to the laundry and dumped my clothes in to the washer (including the Batik mask). I took a shower. Then dumped the towels in the washer. I washed my hands at every step.
That’s hilarious, isn’t it?
You want to know why I went through all of that? Because I’m in a higher risk category, because I needed those materials so I could work from home, and because there are assholes like Rand Paul all over the place.
That pompous asswipe Rand Paul knew he was being tested for COVID-19, yet he walked around the Senate, worked out in the Senate gym, and had lunch with other Senators. Because he was “asymptomatic” – stupid son of a bitch. And he’s supposed to be a doctor.
That’s the problem.
Stay Home. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face.
#FlattenTheCurve