Friday Pandemic Postcards

Garden and Camera

RantMom is VERY excited. She and others in her community got to go walk in their garden either Wednesday or Thursday. There was a staff person with each resident to help about the #SocialDistancing, but RantMom was thrilled.

RantMom also wants lessons about how to use the camera on her cellphone. This is one of those circumstances illustrating why it is glorious to also have a land line. RantMom asked tonight but both RantMom and RantWoman agreed that a lesson will go better earlier in the day tomorrow or the next day. Plus RantWoman is also giddy from getting out into the sunshine too.

Today's Mask situation.

Blue splotch pattern with
orange grosgrain ribbon ties

Based on the newest CDC advice, RantWoman has resolved to try harder about masks. RantWoman now has two home-sewn masks as well as multiple bandanas and some motivation to try the option with scarf and ponytail holders that she demoed the other day. Today RantWoman wore a lovely print number sewn apparently from old pajama bottoms and strung with exuberant orange grosgrain ribbon in casings along the side. RantWoman was surprised how much calmer the mask made her feel even though she spent most of the trip with pretty steamed up glasses. Grosgrain ribbon is also a little tricky because it is so slippery.

Pink Scarf with
white geometric pattern

RantWoman had trouble with the ties loosening and the mask slipping down on her face. RantWoman also does not want to think too hard about the need continually to be pulling the mask up around her face with her dirty fingers. The mask did not last on RantWoman's face quite all the way home, but RantWoman wants partial credit for making it as long as she did.

Courtesy area

RantWoman really did need to travel today. RantWoman is perfectly well aware that if she is going to complain about the ADA courtesy area of the bus being virtually unusable, one alternative is just to #StayTheFHome. Today was sunny enough that RantWoman basically made an effort to be a good sport, enter through a back door, cope with other passengers.

Some days, especially if RantWoman is, for instance carrying groceries, RantWoman  really appreciates it when drivers can kneel the bus. RantWoman also appreciates not having giant steps from back doors sometimes all the way to the street instead of the sidewalk. Some days RantWoman and Thwack have had drivers open the front door. Today none of the drivers on buses RantWoman rode did that. One result: RantWoman wound up either having trouble about other passengers and #SocialDistancing or sitting far enough back that it was hard both to hear stop announcements and for RantWoman to find her away past all the maskless people with their faces in their phones to the exit.

RantWoman generally prefers to sit facing forward but RantWoman also needs to sit far enough forward to hear the stop announcements. And other passengers were doing a lousy job of #SocialDistancing. And RantWoman is also really glad she now has mask options as well as a hat to keep glare away and fight anything that comes down from overhead..But RantWoman considers the whole experience considerably less than she would hope even considering multiple circumstances.

Takeout with car optional:

After fetching mail, RantWoman stopped at a nearby grocery store. On the way RantWoman noticed a lovely Food Truck. RantWoman is not super aware of food truck migration practices. The food truck was in a parking lot but there are multiple bus stops nearby, so RantWoman decided that counts for ped-friendly car optional possibilities for takeout. On the other hand, the fact that RantWoman could find the food truck in the parking lot does not mean that task would be doable for all the people RantWoman knows who have a lot less vision who might need either good directions from the food truck staff or help from one of the navigation apps, Aira or BeMyEyes.

Also on the car optional list, because both of bus stops nearby and decent sidewalk: the Burgermaster at 100th and of course the Dick's on Broadway, if they are open. For RantWoman's many vegan and vegetarian friends, both places do veggie burgers at least.

Pollen update:

RantWoman finds it reassuring to know the pollen count is high again. That accounts for itchy watery eyes and somewhat more nasal drip than average. It also appears to be time for RantWoman's annual season of some kind of slightly crusty evidence of irritation around her eyes.

Postscript: the microwave.

Among several devices in RantWoman's life proving less than reliable in the midst of pandemic: RantWoman's microwave. RantWoman sets some arbitrary cook time. Regardless of what time RantWoman sets, the microwave runs for about 10 seconds, emits a small electronic whimper, and quits. RantWoman got the microwave secondhand for free a number of years ago, so RantWoman can handle the reality that its functionality is probably coming to an end. 

RantWoman embraces this situation as an opportunity to...drum roll please...replace the annoying flat panel display with an appliance that has tactile controls. RantWoman even used the Google to look up options. RantWoman is liking what she sees on the Target website. RantWoman is seeing several options. RantWoman is seeing the suggestion that the microwave could be shipped to the downtown Target store. Visiting that store would be a great excuse also to go get some piroshky at Pike Place Market.

But wait a minute. If RantWoman is going to look at only one microwave, RantWoman can just as well have the microwave shipped to her house and find another excuse to go eat piroshky. What RantWoman really wants though is the opportunity to visit a store, TOUCH more than one microwave and try out the tactile controls. If RantWoman had sufficient financial options, RantWoman could probably pick two and plan on sending one back after trying it. That is not really an option for RantWoman. Welcome to the mail order economy. Stay tuned for the next chapter.