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Social Distancing

Man, what an odd time to be alive.

I keep having to remind myself that nearly everyone in the country is going through the same situation. This means that we are all in this together.

As Caitlyn and I had been conversing through the past week, there are quite a few things on our minds as far as how society moves forward from here. Think about all those people who couldn’t work from home for whatever reason, suddenly, everyone is now expected to work from home if you are able. How suddenly being lazy is the most productive thing you can be doing for your country.

How quickly the “rules” change when they have to.

As a teacher, one of the things that has been hardest for me is moving to full online courses with my students. As teacher who thrives on the social interaction, remote learning is going to be a learning experience for all parties involved. Luckily, I had most of the tech skills needed to put together some pretty fun YouTube videos for my students. I tried hosting live sessions last week but I think students at this age are still a bit reluctant to join a live video chat with their teacher, instead opting for a video they can watch when they wake up at 2pm. So…I just make videos now. I guess I always wanted a real reason to put together web tutorials, now here’s my chance.

With the future uncertain, we may watch these kids log on before watching them walk across a digital stage. Or make a new account to download prom on their phone.

I feel bad for this year’s graduating class, and college seniors too. They may be deprived of the final rites of passage into adulthood. C’est la vie.

Caitlyn and I have been doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing. Hanging at home and only going out when necessary. Our days consist of lots of dog walks, a lot of time in front of a screen and books. With so much free time, I should be grateful to be able to do all the things that I wish I could do “if only I had more time.”

I’m reading 1984 again. I started a while back since the seniors were reading it for school and I thought it would be cool to be able to talk to them about the book. With the future uncertain, I’m in too deep to stop now, we’ll just have to see what happens to Winston in Room 101 with O’Brien.

Carter looking cute as ever. With a walk everyday, I’m sure that he’s happier than he’s been in a while since we’re home all the time.
I always liked these old-timey street lamps in my neighborhood. I love the way the incandescent light reflects on the few leaves within it’s range.
A few weekends ago, we also visited Caitlyn’s family before the family unit suggestion. This is Maya, Leo’s daughter. It must be weird (or not) experiencing this pandemic. Suddenly, you’re not allowed to go to preschool anymore or go to the park. I feel for all the kids mental health.
Last weekend, these people had a white tent set up in their front lawn, shucking all warnings of large gatherings. From what I saw, there were quite a few people there hanging out. I guess this is why there are talks of an enforceable curfew in the near future. People just can’t wrap their heads around the severity of the situation. Everybody thinks it can’t happen to them until it does. I’m guilty of that too.
Caitlyn and I took a drive through Old Towne Orange in the middle of the day. It was a ghost town, for 3pm save for a few people sitting on the benches. So odd.
Same here. Notice the sparse amount of cars parked on an otherwise bustling city center.
This lady probably thought I was a weirdo for taking this photo. I sat and watched her peer into the window of the ice cream parlor. I thought about posting that image but I like this one better, especially the contrast of red/blue.
Pigeon Carcass that we’ve been watching decompose on our walks.
Our neighbor, Cecilio. He’s pretty much the only person I talk to on our street for more than a few minutes. I get to practice my crummy Spanish with him and he’s happy to have someone to talk to. He used to pace down the street to get his blood moving because he would get dialysis three times a week but two weeks ago he had a kidney transplant. In this new society, it became a double edged sword. He’s not visiting dialysis anymore, lowering his exposure to random sick people but since he’s on meds that compromise his immune system, he’s at increased risk on infection. I wish him a speedy recovery.
On Saturday morning, Caitlyn and I braved the lines of Costco. I’m trying to bring my camera more places when I do go out to capture the spirit of the times. This pandemic is a significant historical event. Kids are going to be reading about this in history books. As I walked the line, I saw this guy in a USA jacket and thought to myself, this is the one as I snapped the shutter.
Caitlyn getting some last minute advice and ready to power through Costco and handle business.
When you get to the front of the line, they have a little board to tell you what to expect when you get in there. Since they are controlling the lines, it’s surprisingly pleasant to shop there. Very few people, tons of inventory. This is the Fullerton location. I’m sure that all of them are not this organized.
WATER!!!!! Look at that kids face on the right side of the frame. People were losing their minds over this shit. Just because there’s a virus going around doesn’t meant that the water will be shut off.
What an odd sight. I never realized just how huge the floor is for the lines at Costco. Without all the people occupying the space, it’s immense. You can see the worker in red waving me off from taking a photo. “Excuse me sir, you can’t take photos in here.” I put the camera to my face, waited for the guy in the cowboy hat to be mid step, took my picture and said, “Why not?”

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