Today the defecation hit the oscillation rotator.
Recap: telework sucks. I start working earlier and finish working later with fewer breaks for non-important things like breakfast, lunch, coffee, or fun conversations with others. I live in Bavaria which locked down restrictions before the rest of Germany and then went on total lockdown before the rest of Germany, too. Only essential stores open (grocery, butcher shops, bakeries, drugstores, and doctor offices). You can go to work or an essential store but that’s it. Exercise outside alone or with members of your household is allowed but no more. No meetings of more then 2 people. Violators are subject to up to a 25.000 € fine. That’s nearly $30,000 to those of us that don’t call Euros Monopoly money. Side note, Germans obey the law.
So this morning, first thing I got hit with was that a guy that is regularly on my job sites and in meetings with me and my staff passed away over the weekend. He tested positive for COVID-19. By the end of the morning I found out he went to the ER with an illness and passed the same day. Then they tested his blood and found antibodies (antikörpers in Deutsch) of corona though they did not classify his death as corona-related. I had one guy who was in a room with the deceased but it was brief and despite the fact that they needed to connect that day they did not. My guy is home on leave (unrelated to the pandemic) and has a head cold after working in the forest for two days. The highs here have been in the mid to low 40s recently.
Sobering day to say the least.
Another friend was supposed to fly back to Germany today but one or more of her flights was cancelled. I got a rescheduled flight for her that is a booger-bear of a flight: Mobile to Atlanta to New York to Amsterdam to München. Only 35 minutes in Atlanta (it’s just the busiest airport in the world) then 55 minutes in Schipol (greatest airport on the planet bar none). She’s going to kill me when she gets here, but she’ll do it in person—after the curfew, she’s German.
Then we’ll top it off with getting a notice about a friend. I know him from Scouts, Junior High, High School, and my gosh the trouble we got into in band. Anyway a year ago he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized into his liver. He’s been in treatment and needs a new liver. Today I saw a notice that said he and his wife need extra prayers. I stopped praying for a few other people to make sure their prayers went through.
Writing is cathartic. It’s painful when it’s fiction and for fun, but the rest of the time it’s cathartic. Well maybe I’m trying to will it to be. I have found that in life whether you expect the best or expect the worst out of any situation more than likely you get exactly what you expect. I’m so optimistic I’m amazed my blood type isn’t B Positive. I still think John McCain has a shot at President and I refuse to update that joke just because he’s dead. But sometimes life tries really hard to get you down. Having said all of that there is truly only one way to end this post:
Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how’d you like the play?