My day is off to a slow start. I slept late, and I missed my morning run. I just now finished my morning chores and sat down with my morning coffee. I normally sit down at my desk around 7 AM after my morning run and morning chores. This morning it was around 10 AM when I sat down.
The fur kids had a late breakfast. Now the kittens are running around together in the backyard. Storme is also in a playful mood as he is stalking the little Hello Kitty beanie that sits underneath my monitor. Potatoe is snuggled up under my desk. He is sulking again today as I again let Pumpkine and Storme sleep in the bed with us last night. Potatoe is the most loving creature on planet Earth, but he has a jealous, possessive side. He is going to be even less happy when he finds out later on today that it is bath day.
I like my new work set up. I like that the room is carpeted, so Potatoe has a soft surface to lay one, and I like that there is an extra chair, so Storme has a spot close to me too. I like the view of all of the trees from my front window. I can even see a pink flamingo in my neighbor’s yard. We are fancy like that here is my little unrestricted subdivision. Having a large yard is a true blessing in the current situation.
I am feeling less anxious today about whether or not the schools will open in the fall. I found two online school options that I think would outstanding. I am actually thinking that Little Chirp would do better in this situation than he would school started in the fall. Things will be less desirable for Brainy Bird, but he will soldier. I know that he would embrace the situation if it means that he gets to spend time with my sister during the school year.
I am listening to a podcast on the Motley Fool, they are reviewing a report on how restaurants have faired in the past couple of months. My sister sent me a text this morning saying that she is trying to make the work schedule for her restaurant next week, and how difficult this is with the wild uncertainty around the possibility that they will be forced to close again because of the virus or what the Sahara dust storm may do to the air quality. Oh yeah, apparently on top of everything else there is a dust storm coming into the Texas Gulf, which is essentially blanketing the atmosphere with a choking dust.
The only thing worse than being a restaurant owner right now in Texas is being a bar owner as the bars have been forced to close again because of the virus. There is a protest happening next week over the bar closures. I am sure that some people will belittle and judge this as they sit at home working and receiving a pay check. I just do not understand how we could be moving backwards on the road of recovery. People should have a choice. If bars want to be open and people want to go there, that should be their choice. The grocery stores and protests pose a way bigger threat than a bar. I find the stripping of our freedoms to be disturbing, and I do not believe that the closures are in anyway reducing the spread of the virus.
I am one of those people that is blessed with the ability to work from home and continue to earn a living. I believe the ability to make a living is a basic freedom, and I do not think that those who have not been stripped of this ability should pass judgement on those who have or think that they know what people in different situation should say or do.
When is this madness going to end? I definitely would have thought that the shutdown would be completely over by the end of the summer, and now it is evident that is not true. I also thought that the drop out of the stock market was behind us; now I am sure that there will be another big drop. I was sure that Trump would be re-elected, and he would lead us economic recovery faster than we could have imagined. I now doubt all of this, and I am worried about what the job market will be like when Brainy Bird graduates from college in five years.
What this post is saying is that there are so many positives to embrace and be thankful for, but this should not mean burying one’s head in the sand and being obtuse to plights of others in this world of uncertainty. I am not overly interested in the opinions on the shutdown from those that do not own small businesses. My Facebook feed is filled with these opinions. Again, if you do not feel safe – stay home!
It occurs to me that my blog is becoming as redundant as Facebook. For the next 50 days, I am going to challenge myself to write about something other than whatever is in the headlines. Do not think that I am burying my head in the sand and ignoring what is going on in the world. To the contrary, I am thinking and praying about it everyday, but words in this blog cannot change anything, just as words on Facebook cannot change anything.
So what will I write about? Hmmm….we will see.