April 29, Day 51 down the rabbit hole with the rest of the Wonderland freaks.
Upside of Corona: So apparently some people are starting to share stories about some okay things that have become unexpected consequences of this lovely virus, like family dinners and new family rituals. So, in that vein, last weekend the coconuts and Evan were down with their combined pack of untamed yellow dogs, who were running around the yard, excitedly leaping through brambles and thorn bushes as if they had been raised up from their wheelchairs by a revivalist healer. Sadly, the coconuts and Evan weren’t quite prepared for the high energy shenanigans and had to put the dogs back in the house. In the meantime, little coconut Bridget had the idea of a family tie dye festival in the side yard. After a few less than fantastic practice rounds with old tee shirts, Bridget and Kelsey made some nice hoodies. I had an old, stained Orvis sweatshirt that I decided could use an upgrade, but I think it ended up looking more like Bonnie and Clyde’s death shroud than anything resembling high fashion.
Add to that the fact that we actually sat down at the dining room table and had three straight dinners together, including an apple pie baked from scratch by head coconut Kelsey, and I’d say we had a pretty, pretty nice weekend. Now, having a family dinner may not seem like anything special to any of you, but Kelsey and Bridget have always complained that the Bigelow family never, in their entire lives, had a sit down meal with the family. While I would like to protest that fact quite loudly, the sad truth is that it might just be true. Sigh…
Pushing the Reset Button: There are an awful lot of horrid things happening during this time of Corona. But one has to wonder, as we slowly crawl our way through, if some good things might actually come from it. I was reading about an NFL general manager who just completed his team’s draft and he was saying how easy it would be to adjust their usual draft preparation process in the future based on his experience this year. He was usually never home during that time. Had to be out interviewing and evaluating. But this year he was with his family the whole time, doing things by video, with his kids running around and playing. And he didn’t think it made any difference. So why not be more present with those he loved? Hmmm…. Would that be possible? Could home and family re-emerge as something of importance in our lives? What a concept!!!
By the Way: I’m sure you were (absolutely not) wondering whatever happened to our Mega-Roll hunt. Answer below:
Orange You Glad Orange Baby is Back:! Okay, so it was clearly too much to hope that OB would actually recognize that his daily dose of Corona news conferences were too much for the country to bear. After all, an addict is… um…. well… an addict. And so, just like that he was back a couple days later. OB cannot go for more than a day or two without his look-at-me-ain’t-I-something fix. Whether a return to his daily routine will become anything other than a complete disaster is still up for history to decide, but boy, that guy is a glutton for punishment. As we have learned over the years, just when you thought you reached the bottom with him, there is a whole new basement below, stinkier and smellier than the last basement you couldn’t believe was there. So, after actually suggesting ingesting disinfectant as a potential cure for Covid, imagine what the next basement is gonna look like!
Covid Craziness: Hey, I’m adding a new segment today based on my shopping trip to the grocery store. Crazy things people are doing that are probably (maybe) because of our current life and times. Like: a) the grocery clerks who are all wearing masks, but have them pulled below their noses (and that is helpful how?) or, b) the lady in the right lane of a four lane road at a stop light with her left blinker on, who then actually turns left in front of everyone behind her (???) or, c) last, but clearly not least, the Vice President of Wonderland, mini-OB, touring the Mayo Clinic without a mask, in defiance not only of his stupid Corona task force, but of the clinic’s own rules (which begs the question, why did they allow that?). Nice job of modeling behavior! How do you trust someone who doesn’t even trust his own guidelines? Well, I suppose it is Wonderland after all…
Shout Out: Okay, so I made fun of some of the grocery clerks, but most of them were doing the right things, full masks and gloves. And most importantly, they were there. They showed up. Stocked the shelves (mostly) and rang up orders. And did it while putting their lives and families at risk and for not a whole lot of pay. And, by the way, what does it say about our Wonderland country when the lowest paid people are the most essential? Stay safe people.
Semi-Thoughtful Musings 