New Hires

My teaching assistants were great this term, but since we're all only online now and I don't see them anymore, I hired these guys (for the price of two fake-beef chewies).

Legg Day

Legg Park hike; some glimpses of the river, but mostly muddy and ordinary. Scout and Huck loved it, and At and Nu approved of our shorter outing. Lots of distance between us--L and T, B and L, and KP.

And OK--it appears that health care workers seem to be getting sicker from coronavirus--I had noticed this from bits of news, but thought I was just sensitized to notice those bits because Big A works in the E.D. But no. So I've been expressing some panic, anxiety, and fear over here. (understatement)

Yogis/Doggies

I turned around after a yoga sesh yesterday, to find Scout and Huck had been following along (well, kinda ;) ).

And while that was a nice distraction, I'm beginning to appreciate how long this pandemic might last and how intense the health costs might be for us, for so many people. I'm prepped for all sorts of eventualities, so now's the time I begin to worry about people I don't know and things I have zero control over.

I wish I could live through this thing in a yoga trance.

Rambles

Today's ramble was to Lake Lansing, and I may have rambled back to FB too...

The day so far

Checked in with MIL, who wants to visit; made breakfast twice, because we're trying to keep Big A and the kids somewhat apart; refilled At's asthma prescription and asked about hand sanitizer but was told (very kindly) they too were out; went on a hike to Rose Lake with L and T and R to break in my new hiking boots, got lost and hiked longer than we were prepared to, but I have nowhere else to go and loved it; came home and did some calming yoga with my birthday tech (Mirror); found Big A awake and hanging out in the office he's carved for himself in the basement--again because we're minimizing Big A's time with the kids--and got a long chat and lots of hugs; and hence finally to shower.

Love in the time of Corona

I couldn't completely give up on family dinners, so this is how it is now with Big A on one side and the rest of us clustered on the other side.

It was a strange day that felt like the beginning of a war. The email cancelling in-person classes after today had come in at midnight, so I knew driving in that it was the last day. Then I got stuck in a convoy of military trucks on the highway, and it felt like being in the middle of a post-apocalyptic movie. I hammered out an asynchronous schedule for next week; had Big A order At to come home asap; attended a service at the chapel for graduating seniors who are absolutely crushed that commencement is "postponed," and teared up a few times myself; met with my Friday class and let them vent about having to go home/their dashed hopes for choir-band-track/fears about the virus itself; followed the senior playing bagpipes around campus for a while; heard singers practicing "Loch Lomond" on the steps of the library; and then made my way home. I have the feeling all the sweet details of campus life are going to come back to haunt me as this disruption intensifies.

Going(s) on

 Found this as my advisee S and I walked over to the registrar's office, and it gave us both a chuckle.

We've been told that we'll suspend in-person classes after April 3rd; and the delay has colleagues anxious, and students cynical that the date was chosen because it's the last day to request a housing refund.