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I surprise myself — there are almost 2000 words in this post, 14 images, and 2 videos. This is my view of the main items on my mind this week and it’s written for my benefit. There is some organization to topics covered but it’s possible there’s some rambling, also. If you like this post or at least you’re not sorry you looked at it that’d be fine with me.
I highly recommend the 2 videos, and I can shamelessly recommend them because I had no part in creating them. They’re both near the bottom of this post.
Santa Barbara County Statistics
Here are the most recent statistics from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD): April 1, 2020, 6:30 pm PDT. Ummmm … thanks for asking. For those who want more than a glance, the graphic is much more readable if you click on it.
| # Positive Results | 111 |
| Recovery Status | |
| Recovering at home | 65 |
| Recovered | 23 |
| Pending | 6 |
| In the hospital | 17 * |
| *In the ICU | 13 |
The short table on the left is also from our SBCPHD yesterday, breaking down the 111 total number of cases.
We’re into our 2nd fortnight of isolation, 2 weeks and a few days after 1st post in this series. CLICK HERE TO SEE FIRST POST
On March 14, we learned we had 9 cases in SB county, apparently based on professional judgements. Next day we had our first confirmed case — because we finally got some tests available? This doesn’t really contradict stats from day before? Situation is changing fairly rapidly.
Our first confirmed death in Santa Barbara County occurred just last night.
How do things look today in your life, Paul, around home, say?
Well, Paul, here are some smallish things, Paul.
Our cats are needier: they follow us around a little more closely, and they jump into laps more readily.
We’re washing clothes more. One of us is anyway.
The internet seems troubled and we’re contributing. The TV kept updating or showing us a black screen for a while. Then we roll eyes, yell naughty words, and display obscene gestures, as needed. (Whadyamean, does it help?) And then whenever I did a speed test our download speed seemed fine (image below). Last night we saw smooth TV operation for about 3 steady hours of streaming. So they’ve completely fixed whatever might have been going on, right?
We’ve learned to use two new video apps this last week to do our share of bumping up the demand on internet bandwidth: Zoom, Marco Polo.
Our gophers seem to be more active. Maybe the higher anxiety levels of humans around them are inducing increased gopher anxiety and activity. They may be also thinking that that black cat that spends sooooo much time near their recent work is up to no good — he might be increasing their anxiety. Yeah, whatever, unless that cat brings a gopher into the house we’re not getting involved with the little guys. Actually last summer he did bring a gopher into the house! The gopher was very dead and we think the cat did this to show his mom what a good boy he was!
Ooooops! Property tax. Almost forgot. Even under normal conditions I’ve been known to forget! Delinquent if not paid by April 10.
Toward the end of a day I’ve been known to say where’s all this time that’s spozed to be on my hands? Where did today go?
A perfectly respectable download speed as long as it doesn’t vary much 
Lotsa gopher activity; lots. That’s my shadow in the lower right. Left arm gives you an idea of scale. Crumby photo but I had to try. Without all these anxious, active gophers our “lawn” woulda been greener; even our lawn. Maybe they’re hungry after hibernating through the harsh Southern California winter.
On a rational level it’s obvious to me that for various reasons I’m in a much more comfortable and much less risky position than many, many others.
Yes, at 78, I’m in a high risk category simply based on age, but aside from that I really have little to worry about or fuss over.
So much for being rational. I also can tell I’ve got a general, low level, anxiety cloud over me.
Life is different now for sure. There are many, many loose ends — maybe I dislike loose ends more than I think I do. Except when I’m making a grocery list, I’m not accustomed to even thinking about TP, favorite food items, drinking water, to name a few. The iPad class I lead is cancelled for now, there are still a couple of loose ends with TJ’s flower donations, a group trip to Catalina Island has been cancelled, our May trip to Las Vegas and June trip to Seattle probably won’t happen, and there’s no word on what Mason’s high school is gonna do about his graduation.
Yes, I’ve been affected but it just doesn’t feel as significant as what others are dealing with. It still feels like my day-to-day life hasn’t changed much.
I’m not worried about a job or keeping the lights on next month, not just because I’ve been able to avoid checking on my retirement accounts. Grocery delivery is more expensive than shopping ourselves but that seems minor. I’m not concerned about a compromised respiratory system unlike friends dealing with asthma, chemotherapy, or COPD. There are no additional people around the house. I don’t have small children (or medium or large) to entertain, keep sanitized, threaten my sanity, or provide for.
This could be a bit depressing, but so far I haven’t been lower than gloomy. (Wonder what Chris would say?)
Good water still is available at our taps, electrical service is just fine, gas is nicely supplied to our stove, clothes dryer, and wall heaters, trash is picked up on its usual schedule, internet is at least pretty good, the sun still shines, and someday we’re all gonna realize our toilet paper supply is adequate.
My general health is pretty good. In December and February we spent a bundle on new eyes and ears for me — actually, cataract surgery and hearing aids. Together, though, they cost about half as much as a new car and they’re more significant and useful than a new car.
I keep coming back to the feeling that I’m fortunate.
Interesting events
Jamile’s lawyer called Chris last week and discussed the possibility of her release. As in many states, Hawaii has released many of its incarcerated residents. We didn’t get a sense of how likely this is for Jamile. Jail or prison is not a good place to be during this pandemic.
We’ve heard from Jamile that some of the items we’ve sent have reached her and at least one of her buddies. The photos I picked off her friend’s Facebook site and printed had arrived, and several books Chris sent via Amazon had also arrived.
Well, I’m not exactly interested in dying right now for any reason, but I don’t want to die without my affairs in better order. In addition, if I die in the next few months I will not have gotten our money’s worth out of my new eyes and ears. We’ve both received great benefit and pleasure in the couple of months I’ve had them, but, as Kathleen Turner so famously said in The Jewel of the Nile, “I want more!”
To help me think about this better I calculated two rough estimates of my chances of dying in the next six months.
First, from the coronavirus:
(30% chance I’ll contract Covid-19) X (4% death rate if I contract disease)
= About 1.2% chance I’ll die of Covid-19 during this pandemic)
This is about 1 chance in 83. If there’s a factor of 2 uncertainty here, which is entirely possible, then this estimate suggests chances from 1 in 40 to 1 in 200 that I’ll die from Covid-19.
Second, from “natural causes”:
Using the 2016 CDC mortality tables (most recent easily available tables)
for an average U.S. 78 yr-old white male (my age group):
9.5 year life expectancy (half of us in this category will be dead by 2029),
and 4.6% chance of dying during year from 78 to 79,
= about 2.3% chance of my dying in next six months, which is about 1 in 43.
Looks to me as though those estimates have come out about the same, given the uncertainties. There is about same chance for me dying from Covid-19 as from just being an old white guy!
I’m still working on what I’m gonna do with these estimates.
Groceries: list of March 14
Of the 16 items on list:
5 — normal supply;
4 — severely limited;
7 — all out.
Latest order arrived about 7 pm last night March 31;
25 items on list
20 got just what I requested (or very close)
3 good substitutes
2 Nada (no disinfecting wipes and no hand sanitizer; no surprise there)
=> Situation may be improving
Day brighteners and where would we be without senses of humor?
Peter’s visual puns
The three photos below:
- Chris is ready! Gonna do a little shopping.
- Memorable scene for both of us from Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia. Shutterfly was pleased to remind me of all the photos I uploaded of the event in hopes I might buy more prints or even another copy of the photo book I made.
- Deliveries here are real bright spots, especially the coffee! It arrived one morning last week just as I was getting up — very nice way to start day. I hope all these delivery people are being properly cautious. Yeah, how safe are those guys? I’m sure we’ll see some statistics soon.
She’s ready! 
Thirteen years ago, March 2007, Chris and I were among the thousands who walked across the Sydney, Australia, Harbor Bridge wearing a neon yellow hat. The occasion was the bridge’s 75th anniversary. 
Renactment of home deliveries
This is a link to the Atlas Obscura video about a scrotum. Yes, a scrotum. It definitely brightened my day. It’s a couple of minutes long, which might be more of a commitment than you were looking for.
BFF Laura from TJ’s called at 8:15am this morning. Turns out I’m the only volunteer from various charitable organizations still collecting flower donations from TJ’s. How ’bout that?! The pickup should be OK for me — by the time I arrive the grocery carts holding the flowers have been processed and are all ready to go, I can keep the 6 foot distance, and then leave out their way-back door. Shouldn’t be any riskier than senior hours. Must say I’m still not completely comfortable with the operation.
Well, I’m not really completely comfortable interacting with anyone, anymore. Chris is still OK, though.
Final three recent images:
Ballet in Times Square
Ebola handshake (screen capture showing I didn’t make this up!)
Fart humor
It may be hard to see her facemask 
“Ebola handshake” is not my invention 
Not far from Archie McPhee store in Seattle.
