March 18: Day 2 - Doing our best — Reasonably Well Adjusted

Morning: Breakfast, blah, blah, blah. Who cares.

11am: Join online group of friends from my LA days for a streaming Richard Simmons exercise class. There are some technical hiccups, but since I exercised for more than two minutes, still broke a sweat AND got to say “hi” to some old friends. Total win.

12-1pm: Joined a livestream for job advice and questioned wisdom of publishing a blog that a potential employer could find. Was advised to go for it and have embraced that. So kids, let’s all hope any future employers who may stumble upon this enjoy my sense of humor.

I have been called to ACTION! My neighbors have organized those willing to do shopping runs for our at-risk neighbors who need to stay indoors. I’ll do my first shop today or tomorrow. I am ready. I am equal to the task. I will wear my finest sweatpants AND shower.

I’ve never successfully flirted (read: got a date) with men at the grocery. Sadly, this is not the time. If I leaned in with a jaunty “hey, does this look ripe?” the guy could recoil in fear of not maintaining the 6 feet of distance.

3:24pm I’ve just done some measuring. If I leave my front door open and a neighbor walks by and stops to chat, we will be EIGHT FEET apart if they stand in the doorway and I remain on the couch. Stop laughing, this happens. Neighbors must walk by me to access the laundry room. #citylife

3:43pm Posted website link to Facebook. God help me.

4:47pm Friends are liking this so I don’t have to hide my head in shame. Shew! Meanwhile, the confusion here rages on regarding outdoor activities. The officials in San Francisco, Berkeley, etc. have deemed it ok to go out for a run, a walk, etc. etc. Meanwhile, a CNN anchor & Doctor were very upset Tuesday night at footage of runners and walkers along the Embarcadero. This is tough. People should stay inside, yet we have been told outside is ok. Shelter-lite?

Two sides:

1) “We are being told being outside is ok.” It’s fine to walk, run, and even some parks are still open. This is ever changing.

2) It’s a pandemic. Look within and use your own common sense. If you are running and there are dozens of people on the sidewalk think to yourself, “is this a good idea?” and turn around. Run toward home, find some empty streets. We have plenty of them. The Financial District is pretty up for grabs right now. I bet there’s an app for that.

As we’re witnessing Italy, France and Spain now at the epicenter and completely locking down their cities, you see why. We’re all here trying to do our part, trying to be good, but also stir-crazy and need some fresh air.

Some people have toddlers stuck <shudder> in small apartments and they have my utmost respect. Ever tried to chase a toddler and tire him out in a 500 square foot apartment? That shit is rough.

5:25pm Crap. Do I have to cook real food?

5:45pm Quick walk down the bike path around the corner. Not many people out, but if someone passes you, you’re definitely only 1-3 feet apart.

6:02pm Coronavirus cases per the San Francisco Chronicle:

California: 852 - Bay Area: 412 - US Total: 7,769

Shelter in place order counties in Northern CA: San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano. I may already be outdated on this. If you’re worried if wine country has shut down….it has. This list encompasses everywhere that’s commutable to San Francisco and then some.

7:07pm Had a long phone catch up with a dear friend. I explained all the reasons why one should not call it the “Chinese Virus.'“ This kind of language can stoke the existing racism in our country. Let’s use the terms “Coronavirus” or “Covid 19” and avoid unnecessary problems. Racism has real world consequences. Fin.