COVID (04/19/2020)

After four weeks of self-isolation and social-distancing, everyday life has changed. Many now live vicariously through social media. Others have enjoyed playing board games and cards. Some partake in singing. I have viewed friends doing everything from cooking breakfast, configuring jigsaw puzzles and learning to juggle - knives. Things that intrigued us in our childhood have piqued our interest once again.

By the time I reached the front door the bell was replaced by a large pounding on the door and shouts of "open up please, it's the police". When I opened the door, I was astonished to be greeted my neighbor and two police officers.

Weekdays have all become Saturday. My favorite day is Tuesday. This is the day that the trash truck arrives. I find myself anxiously anticipating the roaring engine from the big red truck that I view from our bay window. When I was a small boy my friends and I used to follow the truck down our driveway watching the men dump the metal cans into the back of the garbage truck. We held great anticipation for the moment when the men would activate the condenser and the garbage would be packed into the back of the truck as if it was being consumed like a scrumptious meal.

There was nothing fancy about those brown trucks in the 1960's, but we all enjoyed seeing the men standing on the back of the truck as it rode down the rear driveway. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this job was the illusion that the trash men only worked one day a week. Tomorrow - street cleaning day!

I have used this "downtime" as an opportunity to re-connect with family and friends. I have recently phoned one of my childhood buddies who now resides in South Florida. I haven't spoken to him in quite some time so I was naturally disappointed when the call went to his answering machine. The next day I received a phone call from Florida and assumed it was my phone call being returned. Ironically, this call was from another childhood friend who I had not spoken to in many years and also resides in the Sunshine state. My original phone call was returned the following day.

Normally we keep the number of times we dine out to a minimum. One reason is economical. Eating out often can be expensive. Another is for health reasons. Generally speaking, when you eat out the food is not prepared in the healthiest of manners. A side dish of vegetables usually arrives saturated with butter. Cheese is also used liberally. When I order an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds, I always ask for two egg whites on a plain muffin no butter and no cheese. This seems like a simple request; however, I am amazed at the number of times they get my order wrong. Food eateries usually provide meals with an abundant amount of carbohydrates. This gives the consumer a feeling of being full while indulging in extra unneeded calories.

Against my better judgement, we have been ordering take out twice a week. One reason being is that we want to support local businesses during these difficult economic times. Another purpose is to boost morale in the household and provide our daughters with a sense of autonomy. Each member of our family gets to choose one take out meal per week. They also get to pay the bill.

Trips to the super market have become an anomaly. Stores are limiting the number of customers that can enter the building. This has created lines of people standing six feet apart to comply with social distancing. Shoppers are also required to wear a mask. Once inside it can be difficult finding items on your list. Toilet paper, for instance, has become scarce. This bewilders me since the virus does not attack the digestive system.

I have many hobbies that help keep me occupied. I try to set aside different blocks of time during the day for reading, house projects and exercising. I have other interests as well.

When I was young, I was fascinated with World War II battleships. I preferred Revell models which I purchased from the local hobby store along with modelling glue and Testors oil paint. To my surprise these model kits are still available. I placed an online order and after a few days found myself back in the ship building business. Constructing plastic models is a tedious process that teaches patience. Often, one can only assemble a few pieces at a time to allow the modelling cement adequate time to dry. This works in my favor as I have an abundance of time at my disposal.

Our family tries to keep day time television viewing to a minimum. Night time is whole new ball game. We have been engaging in a new fad known as "binge watching." This method enables you to watch a series that lasted eight seasons in a few short weeks. The advantage is that past episodes stay fresh in your mind. Thus far, we have binged on Mad Men, Homeland and our new favorite - Dexter.

For comic relief I have returned to "yesteryear" to view re-runs of the Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres and The Munsters. Perhaps I am seeking a simpler time when people conversed personally instead of through "text boxes" and "dot com machines". Ironically if we did not have access to such devices there would likely be very little social interaction.

Overall, my family has adjusted well to the self-isolation. My wife keeps busy by cleaning the house, reading, and preparing meals. One night a week she joins a "Zoom" session with her work friends. Zoom is a new way of socializing by connecting with others who share a common interest. On the computer screen it resembles the blocks from the old game show Hollywood Squares. Each time I walk in on a session I expect to hear Paul Lynde snickering one of his short salty one-liners.

Our oldest daughter is scheduled to graduate from Temple University this spring. She completes her school work on the computer that her professor generously lent her through the end of the semester. She also cares for our new house guest. Initially she invited him to stay with us two days during the week. Gradually two days became three, then three turned into four.

Having a guest is not a problem. His easy-going manner has helped to make his stay an enjoyable experience for us all. He is not a picky eater and appreciates my wife's cooking. Sadly, our new friend has lost his hearing. He is deaf in both ears. We communicate with hand signals and this works quite well.

Over the past few weeks, we have become very close. He has accompanied us on strolls in the park and has joined us for several country drives. However, late last night he crossed the line when he snuck into our bedroom and attempted to accompany me and my wife in our bed. What do you do when a seventy-pound pit bull jumps in your bed? Roll over and play dead.

Perhaps the person having the most difficulty with this crisis has been our youngest daughter. She is a social person by nature who craves personal interaction. She was devastated when she learned that the school where she works would be closed for the remainder of the school year. To fill this void, she has participated in online chat sessions with her friends. She has also produced a reading video for her students on the YouTube channel.

To pass time our daughter has decided to stay up very late at night and sleep until early afternoon. One night I awoke at 3 A.M. and decided to venture down the stairs and see just what she does at this late hour. To my relief I discovered that she was innocently listening to music on her cellphone. Reassured, I went back to bed only to be awoken by the sound of our door bell twenty minutes later. By the time I reached the front door the bell was replaced by a large pounding on the door and shouts of "open up please, it's the police". When I opened the door, I was astonished to be greeted my neighbor and two police officers. He told me that he had witnessed a car park in front of our house and observed the driver creeping around to the back of the house with a flash light. He noticed that the intruder then went to the front and was attempting to reach into the window of my daughter's bedroom. At this time my daughter appeared from her bedroom and submitted a full confession. She had placed an order for take-out and instructed the delivery person to bring it to her window knowing that receiving a delivery at this late hour was frowned upon.

There are a few things that I have missed during this pandemic. Attending movies has always been a favorite past-time. Last Christmas we were gifted a membership to the Ambler movie theater. This is our favorite place to watch a movie. The theater was built in the 1940's and looks today very close to the way it did in the past. Now the only thing we are watching is the date on our ticket approaching its expiration.

Many state parks have been closed. One such park that I hike is a six-mile loop surrounding a picturesque lake. It provides an opportunity to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. There is also plenty of pace for social distancing. I am told that the park is scheduled to re-open shortly. Why it needed to be closed in the first place shall remain a mystery.

I am an early riser and enjoy morning trips to the fitness center. These are now closed. I have tried to order exercise equipment for my home but they are in short supply. In its place I have taken to doing push-ups, sit-ups and other calisthenics. I have even resorted to building arm strength by grasping the branch of an old maple tree and pulling myself over the tree limb.

During these changing times there are things I thought I would miss but did not. I now participate in church services through the internet. I find myself paying closer attention to the readings and gospel messages while not being distracted by those around me; unless someone is frying eggs in my kitchen early Sunday morning.

To my surprise I have been able to do without watching live sporting events. In its place I have viewed games from the past. I have a DVD series of all of the Super Bowls going back to the beginning. I have noticed that the game has remained basically the same while the culture has changed.

During this pandemic we have paid a tremendous price. Numerous people have become ill and some have died. Old-age homes are isolated, preventing residents from being with loved ones. The economy has taken a large hit forcing hard-working people to collect unemployment and wait in lengthy lines for food. We have lost the friendly hand shake and the warm hug. However, some good has arisen during this hardship. Air pollution levels have dropped. Families have become closer, engaging in conversation and enjoying meals together. People have returned to using the telephone, some have written letters. Although formal religious services have been suspended it has been reported that people have returned to prayer.

This too shall pass. In the mean-time I will continue to partake in my new favorite past-time - watching men riding in big red trucks collecting the trash.