Day 21 - Los Angeles lifts its vaccine mandate. A vax card is no longer required.

Airplane filtration systems are extremely effective…unless you’re sitting next to a Covid carrier.

Since Floridian Judge Mizelle overturned the federal requirement that masks must be worn aboard airplanes, in airports, and on public transit, Flight Attendants are relieved they no longer have to enforce masking and, thus, can avoid being punched in the face by MAGA supporters. The Airlines jumped on it – masking is optional and passengers are no longer required to mask. 

Not to worry, though, because air filtration systems on airplanes are exceptional. Modern airplanes have cabin air filtration systems equipped with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air filters) which means cabin air circulation is constant: “Air flows in and out of the cabin continuously and total airflow to the cabin is supplied at a bulk flow rate equivalent to 20 to 30 air changes per hour.” Unless a Covid carrier is sitting next to you or directly in front of you, at which point, you’re f---ked.

Dr. Kimberly Shriner says “We need to learn to live with this virus”, which means rolling the dice (or playing your “risk cards”), getting on a plane, and sealing your fate:  “Mama needs a new pair of shoes (or an N95).”   In other words, “Learning to live with this virus” translates into gambling with your own life.  I love how the onus is now on us, the individual. At this point in the pandemic, we’re supposed to assess our own “personal risk factors” and if you die or get Long Covid, similar to if you’re poor or have a medical condition, well, that’s on you…under capitalism’s rules, you didn’t work hard enough and if you’re sick, it’s because you’re a weak person. Gotta love that good, ol’ fashioned, American ‘rugged individualism.’

4/20/22. Wednesday

7:30-8:00-I’m up so I go downstairs to say good morning to the animal. She’s asleep so I sit next to her and rub her tummy three times, before cueing her to go outside. She grabs her toy and we head to the patio where I stand around, waiting for her to go potty. Return inside and coffee for me, cheese for her. I go upstairs.

800-915 - Shower. I sit in the shower, drink my coffee, and ice my eyes. Spa day. Lotion. Make-up and I curl my hair. I put on basic gray leggings and a blue athletic t-shirt.

9:15-9:40-I make a poached egg on sourdough bread and put it in my lunch bag

9:40-6:00-B. arrives and we go to his house for ”patio coffee.” B. has donuts and coffee and I eat my poached egg. We chill on his patio, talk politics, and later, watch a few Bosch Legacy episodes. Then, B. takes me home.

6:00-9:00-I take a nap

9:00-11:00-Awake and I go to work.

-I check email at College No 2 to see how my students are doing the first week of their fully online course. It’s been live for just 3 days. I have some of L’s Pirates Booty while checking in on the class.

-I print out two extra credit assignments from my highschoolers. The struggling student did NOT write a 2-pg response to one of the five prompts that I provided. Instead, she submitted a poorly structured, but plagiarized, essay on…something?? I can’t decipher the topic because I couldn’t get past the “Old English Cursive” size 14 font that she used. Think of Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales for a moment...now picture scrolls from that time and now you know what this student’s paper looks like.

I email the extra credit assignment and directions to the student with the prompts she is supposed to use and tell her to try again.

-I update tomorrow’s class content in Canvas and pack tomorrow’s lecture notes in my Filofax.

Life Admin.

-I order a “Trek pole” (walking stick for hiking) and the book, Digital Minimalism, for this month’s Bookclub read.

-I order assorted Lara bars from Walmart so I can sample and pick my favorites.

-I make a life insurance payment.

-Mr. Cooper (my mortgage company) says I’m $55 overdue on my mortgage

-My Spectrum bill arrived and it says I owe $40 and yet I have a $40 credit.

-I receive an emailed bid for $480 from Artistic Drywall to repair my kitchen ceiling. I confirm and ask “Tim” if we can schedule a time. He says he’ll call me.

-I missed my Tuesday hiking group because of my high school gig, so I print out the email for their last location. Maybe I’ll hike it on my own…

11:00-12:00-Kitchen duty. I defrost mixed frozen vegetables for lunch tomorrow and pack my lunch bag. Then, I ready my coffee.

12:00-12:45-Nighttime routine. Bed. I set my alarm for 5:00