Oh, I Think So

The US Embassy in Tokyo has raised the threat level to yellow which is don't come for nonessential travel if you have a chronic illness or are an older person.  I have no chronic conditions.  I am an older person. My drop dead last date to cancel was to be February 27th but it's now February 28th. I'll get to work early tomorrow to see what vacation I can have in October or early November.  I will see what precautions the Japanese government sends out about the illness.  I will see if there is waiver from the carrier.  I'll investigate what hotel bargains I can find. In honor of this epidemic, I've acquired approved face masks.  If I don't go there and it comes here, I am all set. Regardless of go or no-go, I am taking the next weeks off.  Unless I don't.  Ha.  You have to read to find out.

The Americans evacuated their citizens on the Diamond Princess and they will complete -- or extend -- their quarantines in California.  Forty Americans contracted the virus on that floating petri dish.  Hong Kong has done the same.  Britain doesn't want to do it yet.  But things are being carefully controlled and Japan had things well in hand or as much as things could be had in hand when you've a cruise ship -- which viruses love -- and 2,000 people. The Cambodians were not as careful.  They let almost everyone go and then found someone with the virus as they went to Malaysia.  Retesting there, the 85-year-old husband and wife were sent immediately to hospital for isolation.  Those who were still on the ship have to remain on board and those who were not tested or asymptomatic were sent home.  This is a colossal slip up because on a cruise ship if there is one, there are two or twenty or 221 as there are in Japan thanks to the cruise ship epi...

The coronavirus in China has already started its path to devastating world economies.  The supply chain from auto parts manufacturers in China can't get product to Hyundai in South Korea and so Hyundai has shut down production.  South Korean workers get laid off.  Hyundai dealers around the world can't get cars and if you have nothing to sell, you can't make money.  If you can't make money, you can't get groceries or pay your mortgage or, well, you get it. At work on Friday, with tongue in cheek my coworker said to me, "No reported cases in North Korea!"  I said, "Because they're dropping like flies and Kim Jung-Un is on a respirator in Switzerland."  "But no reported cases!" he exclaimed.  Correct!  Nor will there ever be.  When 250,000 to 3.5 million -- they will never tell for sure -- died of the North Korean Famine, also called the Arduous March or the March of Suffering, did we really know the scope of it?  Nope, because of ...

About five or six years ago, I tripped over my nemesis, an uneven Chicago sidewalk, and fell down.  Unlike my fall three years ago where I hit my head and trashed my favorite glasses -- which I believe saved my life -- I had my hands out that time and sort of stopped the fall although my purse smashed so hard that it broke a mirror deep inside a cosmetic pouch.  I also sprained the living crap out of my left hand and the muscles below my thumb.  I wore an Ace bandage -- clips and all -- for several weeks.  I've had hand surgery that required wearing an Ace bandage and thanks to take first aid in my early 20s, I am quite adept at putting a figure-eight wrap which is very secure and also firm.  Admittedly, when I first did this decades ago, if I wrapped it too tight, I had to unwrap it and wrap it up again, sometimes three times because if it's too tight, you are working against the point of it.  You want support, not painful squeezing. So like that Bunion-...

I went to the podiatrist who advised that my left foot hurt because I have a bunion.  My foot does not often hurt when I walk on it unless the shoes are ill fitting (i.e. one old pair of winter boots which I've now retired).  Occasionally, yes, but mostly my foot pain wakes me up at night.  She said I should get an orthotic.  They got in touch with my insurance and advised that it would cost me $500.  I've decided to be happily in denial.  I dashed about today in my cute little black booties and my foot did not hurt at all but last night it woke me up to make its presence known.  It was a painful little SOB, too, and when I got out of bed and walked on it, it stopped, just as it always does.  How does a bunion make the arch of your foot hurt when you're not walking on it?  The bunion doesn't hurt, the arch hurts, and I am sleeping, not sleepwalking. A few years ago I had horribly painful corns.  You ever had a corn?  Those motherf...

All these fascinating impeachment goings-on!  I was so pissed off during the whole Clinton thing -- dude could not keep it in his pants -- that I didn't pay as much attention as I am now.  It's fascinating, this whole thing.  Delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate.  Congressional managers -- i.e. the prosecutors -- were selected.  The Senate was sworn in, each as impartial jurors.  Mitch McConnell being impartial?   Lindsay Graham?  Ted Cruz?  Yikes, yikes, yikes.  This means that they have not already decided.  Yikes, yikes, yikes. There are too many managers where I work.  Even the most low-level of them think there are not but that is wishful thinking, looking at it from the sub-basement. "Breaking Bad" is back coming up to the new season of "Better Call Saul," being shown back to back on Sundays. It BB holds up as well as when it was first on and is still as nerve-wracking.  "Homeland" has bee...

Week off!