respublica

Just when we think we've seen it all

This campus has had its issues with outsiders (locals) over the years, but today takes the cake. I looked out the front door and saw two guys with metal detectors in our side yard. They would sweep the detectors around then stop periodically and stoop down to dig. I knew they were not our people and this was pretty bold to come onto private property and do this. I texted our facilities director with a photo and he sent security over. They then had to leave.

What the heck?

 

The fear is still with some people

We heard an expression the other day relating to the virus shutdown and coming opening up of many things. What we need right now is to "Flatten the Fear". 

How this will happen is for the opening up of businesses and such with no real issues. Little by little we will flatten the fear so many of us have when we have to go anywhere. The other day I had to go to Schnucks during the 6 a.m. hour and there were very few other customers in the store. Most of the 3 or 4 others were old men. I came across one old guy who I could tell immediately was scared to death to be out and in contact with others. He looked horrified if anyone headed toward him and would abruptly turn his cart around and go the other way. I saw him do this several times, also with me.

At one point I was going past him north and south while he had turned west into the snack aisle. He got about 6 feet into that aisle when he saw another man begin to come down that aisle from the other direction. He got so rattled that he jerked up, grabbed the cart and began backing up fast. But he didn't know what was behind him and in his hurry, he crashed into the shelves which hold the Pringles and other snacks. That scared him even more, probably because he'd have to stay put and pick up what had spilled. 

So, we have a ways to go before we've Flattened the Fear. I truly hope that day will come before too long.

An example of current affairs

From the Belleville News Democrat today, a T-shirt created quickly and for sale. Certainly most people will understand the sentiment.

But lest we forget or ignore this, remember a news article I linked the week before, most of the people who reserved places in the Ozarks for Memorial day weekend were from Illinois. Knowing this, lots of St. Louis and Missouri people were rather ticked off that they were the object of criticism.

Being entertained during the virus shutdown

Sports directors for radio and often TV have used St. Louisans love for baseball in general and Cardinal baseball specifically, to replay games from the past. Mostly these were games of some significance, winning games, that we remember. But, really, this has become a constant thing and I wonder who really enjoys listening to all these past games. It makes me miss real time games that much more. I've come across Dale watching old games but even he, a real baseball fan, isn't all that excited by them.

What Dale does love is watching old movies which pop up on obscure stations. This was Man Week on some channel which featured all manner of war movies, one even based on the Revolutionary War. Others were men at war with the world. Lots of shooting, bombing, screaming, etc. And these movies are all long. I mean long. One lasted almost 4 hours.

What's old is new again these days.

Oh, and, one more new entertainment thing is rating the home basement or office rooms from which TV news anchors have been broadcasting their portion of the news. We've seen a lot of basements and offices recently and I confess we've studied them with a critical eye as well.

News we don't want to read, but do

It seems Chicago is being plagued by an increase in rats coming into homes looking for food. "With bars and restaurants empty, rats are being spotted in residential areas, including homes, yards, and even cars."

They're being called the Coronavirus rats because with so many bars and restaurants closed there is a lot less trash so rats are looking elsewhere for food. Frankly this creeps me out, especially learning they're even going into cars. Throw out those fast food cartons in the back seats people! The rats are even beginning to eat each other!

This is Chicago, I hope the same aggressive rats aren't around here.

Mattresses turn to fall this morning

Ladders 38

Mattresses 37

Anyone else?

Since the country shut down, each week I've seen a huge increase in daily junk email. Maybe not junk to the senders, but email after email comes to my in box from companies wanting to sell me something. I spend too much time deleting while hoping I'm not doing this so fast that I miss real emails from people I know.

And they're back

Late May and early June are when we start seeing and feeling the darn biting gnats. Every year around this time they come. They''re small but their bite is as itchy as it's possible to be. I made the mistake of forgetting about them this evening and sat out on the front porch. I was bitten almost immediately and am now paying the price. I have to remember to spray on Vanilla Body Spray before I go outside. It's the only thing that these darn bugs don't like and we have bottles of them in both houses and in the golf cart and car.

But it won't work if I don't put it on.

What a weekend

We spent the Memorial Day weekend in Collinsville attempting to get some work done on the house before we move over for good. Dale got distracted and involved with making his bookshelves which are turning out nice and probably necessary since he has hundreds of books. He wasn't satisfied with just shelves, he had to make frames along the basement walls with what I call troughs at the bottom. He then began setting in old seminary faculty homes windows as doors to the shelves. The book cases will be in the troughs and behind glass.

See what I'm up against? And this is just the beginning of bookshelves. He plans to run them almost all around the basement. 

I trimmed bushes and pulled up carpet and tack strips. The carpet and pad wasn't too bad, but the tack strips, ugh. That was only upstairs, the main floor carpet will be done (I hope) by the flooring people. Also, today the painter came and began work on the upstairs bedrooms. After that will be new carpet up there and the main floor carpet pulled out and the hardwood underneath refinished. Then we will be ready.

It was odd to be over there this weekend and no Memorial day parade. First time for that and it was missed.

Packing them in

Lots of news about Missouri's opening up business and resorts today. The main news report we've seen over and over this morning is all the people packed together in pools and bars and restaurants in the Ozarks. Actually a pool may be a fairly safe place, they are chlorinated and in the sun. But who knows.

I would like to understand just what makes so many people think it is a good idea to head for these places on the first weekend they open and a Memorial Day holiday weekend as well. Do they not realize how many people they will brush up against at this time? It's hot and sunny which is good, they say, for killing the virus. But it won't kill the virus if it's on someone you are right next to in these crowds.

I don't get it. But I would like to think everything will be ok and we don't see a future spike in the Coronavirus.