COVID day 57

I missed the 4 million mark a few days ago (Sunday I believe)  now we're edging up on 4.5 million just a few short days later... how scary is that?  

The US is edging up there too at almost 1.5 million... 

Germany is still doing well - with restrictions being eased this week.  I should post what they are easing now... They now allow zoos and parks (not sure what they are allowing).  They are, however still insisting on masks in stores now.  I finally relented and bought some better fitting masks.

The good news is the Germany is still very low overall - we're lower than Russia, UK, Spain, Italy and France.  

What else?  

Germany is easing restrictions slowly.  They are opening salons and parks and zoos....  I don't remember what else.

Suffice to say that things are still VERY weird.  Masks are still required everywhere you go - e.g. stores, business.  BUT they are opening... so I guess that's a plus.

First day back to work.... a step in the right direction

Today is Day 49 of isolation. I have started to rotate my people into the office and that includes me. I was thrilled about it until I actually went in!  Ha!  

By 9am my boobs were itching from wearing a bra for more than a few hours and by noon I wanted a nap.  BUT I made it through. 

COVID news today: 

I’m not sure why my pictures are ugly today. I existed them and cropped them but they’re still not ahowing the edited version. 

Anyway. The world is well over 3,000,000. Scary eh?  

The USA is scary they are well over a million. They are now easing restrictions. Why are they scary?  Here. This is the daily new cases. See how they are even?  They are just staying steady with the amount of new cases. 

Here is Germany....  

They’re doing great. Why?  See the daily new cases... they have dropped considerably. 

They are just now starting to reduce restrictions. And just barely. Shoot they have cancelled Oktoberfest for crying out loud. I have hopes Germany will do well. The USA?  Hum.  I wonder. 

COVID today - day 41 telework

World Numbers

And who knows if these numbers are real?  China wasn't counting properly for a while and they increased their numbers overnight by half... but we're still not convinced they are the true numbers.  I guess we'll never know.

I have been out of my house three times since this started.  I went to the commissary (and a few other stores while I was out) once, work once, and the market once.  Yep, that's the extent of it... not even going on walks... which I really SHOULD do.

The states are at $1.00 per gallon for regular gas in some spots which is sad since they really can't go far.  I guess our gas is the same price here in Germany, but I haven't been to the BX in 41 days to purchase gas, so I have NO idea!

- Schools have been closed since mid March and are teaching remotely on-line. This will continue for the rest of the school year.

- There are lines / tapes inside the stores to keep people 6 feet apart.

Here in Germany the German stores have plexiglass cases over the cashiers. As of today Germans are required to wear masks for the first time.  Until now it's been optional.  Now they are required to go into stores and/or public transportation.

- Bars and restaurants only for home delivery & pick-up.

I haven't used this ever here, but it's the same in Germany

- Parks, beaches and walk-in places are not accessible to the public. But will begin to open Monday.

Germany never really closed walking areas to my knowledge mostly because their whole country has walking paths all over.

- All sports competitions have been cancelled.

- All festivals and entertainment events have been banned.

Germany cancelled spring fest AND OKTOBERFEST.  Talk about a shock to the system.  Linda, Gail and Suz are coming this winter for the Christmas Markets... and right now we have no idea if they will happen or not... sad, but true.

- Weddings, family celebrations and birthdays have been cancelled. Funerals limited to 10-20 people.

- People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays!

- Young kids can’t understand why they can only see grandparents & other extended family and friends on a screen or thru a window if someone visits in person.

- Hugs and kisses are not given.

- The churches are closed or online.

- We have to stay away from each other more than 6 ft.

- Shortage of masks and gloves in hospitals.

These are a hot commodity around here and there are lots of folks making them and selling them.  I have resisted so far as I think it's a short time requirement... I have one fabric mask left over from cancer treatments and a few paper ones from then as well... I will be using a mask when I return to work - but only when I go outside I believe.

- There are fewer ventilators than there should be. (personally I think this statement is wrong - I think there are fewer than we needed in this instance, but this is a weird instance)

- People are wearing masks, some places even REQUIRE that you wear them to enter! People are even making their own masks for sale or donation to medical facilities!

Germany the mask is required and has been required to enter the BX or Commissary for a few weeks now.

- Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person.... IF you can even find them!

Commissary here continually runs out of cheese products.  Not sure why that is, but there hasn't been shredded cheese when we have gone into shop for the last 4 weeks.  We bought block cheese... we have the technology to shred our own.

- Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24 hour stores are even closing by 9pm)

See prior post on how the Commissary is handling it here.. there are set days for all shopping.  The Shoppets and quick stores are stocking more milk and such, but you have SET days you can shop at the main stores.  Period.

- Store check outs, pharmacies and even fast food drive thru windows have added plexiglass between employee and customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!

see above about plexiglass cages around the german cashiers.  I think they had the same at the commissary, but honestly it's been about 3 plus weeks since I have been.

- You can't find isopropyl alcohol easily. .. supply per person is limited.

- Australia, USA and Europe have closed their borders.

True - travel bans are still in effect.  

- Fines are issued for crossing the border without a valid reason. (Transport workers, Essential services etc)

- No one is travelling for leisure. Airports empty. Tourism has the worst crisis in history.

Super Sad times.

So.... June 13th 2017.  A day that lives on in infamy... or at least abject terror.  I found out I had cancer and in a weird twist of fate I got a call from my Sister-in-Law Laura called to share that she also had found out she had cancer as well and was breaking it to the family. 

We had long talks about treatments, the rigors of chemo, the fears of what was going on in our bodies.  I was lucky in that my cancer was stage 2b.  Laura's was stage 4.  She had breast cancer that had metastasized to her bones. 

So why the picture of an envelope?  Today, this day I got a letter from Laura... and it was also the day I found out that she had passed away.  Talk about a happy/sad confusing letter to get.  I was a blubbering mess because as usual her concerns were never about herself in her letter.. it was for David.  They well and truly loved each other.  David was her sole and primary care taker until the very end.  Hospice had only been called in a day or two prior to her passing. 

I have so many GREAT memories with Laura.  Our All Girls Weekend trips, My trips out to see them; I had taken a trip to see them in the 80s and continued to pop over to see them even through just a little over a year and a half ago - I had a work trip to Dallas area and took a day to drop in and visit with them for a bit. 

I will miss Laura's laughter and our talks... 

COVID today

Day 30 of lockdown (aka day we were sent home to telework)

Today (well, yesterday really) Germany announces their plan to return to normal:

Chancellor Angela Merkel is moving forward with plans to slowly start returning Germany to normal, allowing some smaller shops to reopen next week and children to begin returning to school in early May.

Most of the restrictive measures will remain in place at least through May 3 and many aspects of public life will be limited for weeks and months to come. Restaurants, gyms, and bars will stay closed indefinitely and no large events such as soccer matches, concerts and festivals will be allowed before the end of August at the earliest.

Germany will need to ease restrictions in “small steps,” Merkel said in Berlin on Wednesday after consulting with the country’s 16 state leaders. “We have made some progress. But I do have to stress that this progress is fragile,” she added. “This is a situation in which caution is the order of the day and not foolhardiness.”

Germany’s latest virus figures appeared to justify that approach. The number of new cases climbed for the first time in a week, while the daily death toll increased, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The counts as they stand today:

 And while the US numbers look horrific, the new daily cases really are leveling out.  The amount of care provided in the states is still tenuous at best and there is still a concern for overwhelming the health systems when opening up to the new normal...

Currently the new normal seems to be opening hair dressers and smaller stores... then opening schools again.  So we'll see just how much really opens up here.  I know they are stating that there will be no large gatherings in the US for the rest of the year.  Now we have concerns about our planned Christmas Market Trip... it may be a historical trip instead.  Sigh.  Best laid plans of mice and men, eh?  I guess I can find out if we can transfer those flights to different times as they are military purchased flights... 

Our trip to Vegas in August may be a very interesting one if they have not opened much and have no large gatherings authorized there... we may just be flying in, looking around and leaving again and heading north to see family instead.  Hard to know for sure just what this will look like.  I guess it may not be good to have bought tickets early in this instance, eh?  

Oh, well, we'll work with what we have as it all moves forward - we still have 7 months until they are supposed to be here and it can all change tomorrow.  Here's hoping it all works out and markets are still active and possibly less crowded just because there was a virus and folks are scared off... would make getting around and through them much easier :)

We're all still teleworking however the plans are being drafted to return to work... so it's coming... too soon for some and not soon enough for others... but it's coming :)

Corona Virus - life goes on

On February 15th there were 16 cases in Germany and 15 cases in the USA
On March 16th there were 7,272 cases in Germany and 6,344 in the USA
today April 9th  there are 223,296 cases in Germany and 434,927 cases in the USA

World:

Germany:

USA

A lot of fluff from the internet but probably well worth remembering in the years to come I'm sure: 

Just so I never forget..... April 2, 2020

-Gas prices in Massillon $1.39.
-School delayed till May 1.
- Stay at home order extended after 3 weeks to May 1st
-Self-distancing measures on the rise.
-Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
-Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
-Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
-Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
-Entire sports seasons cancelled.
-Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
-Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
-No funerals
-No masses, churches are closed.
-No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
-Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
-Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
-We are to distance from each other.
-Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
-Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
-Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
-Shelves are bare.
-Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
-Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
-Fines are established for breaking the rules.
-Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
-Press conferences daily from the President and the governors. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
-Government incentives to stay home.
-Barely anyone on the roads.
-People wearing masks and gloves outside.
-Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
-Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
- Russia sends supplies to the U.S.

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status?

One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.

We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.

We are all one! 💜

So - how are things in Europe?  Well, things started to go downhill starting in February.  Right as I was coming back from Naples things were getting "weird".  People were concerned ... we were told we could pick up masks if we were concerned ... I picked up one but didn't use it.  We flew through Paris.  there were a LOT of people in the airport, but honestly I wasn't too concerned.  So - off to Naples.  There were thoughts of concerns as Northern Italy was really having a hard time right about then.  There was a lot of talk about the virus and instances growing ... we still didn't think anything about it.  BUT some of our team flew back through Milan on the 14th of February.  They were quizzed on exposure, etc. but they weren't actually quarantined or anything.  So... time goes on... Italy just kept getting worse, and worse and worse.  

Sadly Italy has a very large older population and they were decimated.  It's been so very sad.

So - what was it like in Germany?

All non-essential personnel were all sent home after work on March 16the  (really I should have been essential, however they didn't have my job coded correctly so I went home).  We weren't sent home to sit on our keesters, nope, we were sent home with laptops to work from home.  So, today being the 9th of April - how has that been?  

It's been 23 days... Butch was worried that I was going to be a slave driver (sort of like he was when I was the at home mom perhaps?).  I have not been.  I honestly don't care what he does during the day - I go down for coffee and breakfast - grab it and head on up to the office to work.  I come down for lunch - spend about 1/2 hour down visiting, eating lunch and heading back up to the office to finish the day.  Fun times....   I have settled in... the first week was rougher than I remembered when I had cancer and was working at home, but I've remembered how it's done.  I have settled in.  

Grocery shopping and such - well, that has been interesting.  We had already had a good shopping trip before they shut it all down - I went to the store for some basics on the 16th just before we were sent home.  So - we had enough to get us through the first week... 

 Our base was having weekly "town halls" on facebook where they will tell us what is going on.  First they were telling us, stay at 6' distance, don't gather in more than 10 people.. Then it went down to just two people at a time.  Then threats of fines if you were caught out and about with more than just your family.  Then just before April, they shut down shopping to specific days as things started to get serious and we started having infections on base.  And so it began. 

Closed days were used to sanitize and prepare for the next round of shoppers.  Butch had gone before they set the days for shopping.  Lucky me was nominated to go on the first colored shopping timeframe.  I decided NOT to go on the first day of our color... I opted to go 2nd day and leave work a little early to be able to shop before everyone had left work.  yeah, I don't know that it did a whole lot.  The commissary didn't have a few things we needed, but they had the basics.  I grabbed all I needed and headed to the OTHER base to get mail.. .thought "well, I'll go pick up a few of the things they didn't have at the main commissary..." NOPE.  They had ONE lane open - 10 people in front of me and I have milk in the car.  I opted out.... put everything back and was making my way out and the poor cashier thought I was mad... nope... just not willing to let my milk go bad!  So I ditched out and headed to the local store to get coffee and ice cream.  :)  Its the important things you prioritize - ha!

So I vote Butch go on the next trip... I vote I just stay home and work :)

Here's hoping this is all over by the end of May... but probably not... more to come as things progress... 

Day 9 - Homeward bound!

6am flights need to be avoided from here on out!!

 Mont Blanc with the sun coming up...

I ordered a full French breakfast - the salmon toast was not what I expected it to be... but I did take a nibble.  I didn't like it  It wasn't horrible, but my co-hort in crime was MORE than happy to get it for breakfast!  

 Breakfast in Paris.

And with that I'm back in Stuttgart and back to the real world... no more breakfast, lunch and dinner cooked for me... BUT I still get dinners... so I'm happy enough with that!

Day 8 - 13th of Feb

Looking  up through the front of the ship - who knew this was right up the hall from me? NOT me!!

This is looking back towards my room - the one you see open?  That is just outside of my door - my door is just to the right of the one you see open at the end of this short hallway.

 This is a picture of my door entry - looking from where the door is open in the picture above.

And this is us leaving the boat... Yep, I was a tourist and took a minute to stop and take a picture of everyone coming down the gangway.

 sitting on the bus - headed back to the base from Gaeta Italy!  Bye Mount Whitney - thanks for the adventure!!

Once we got back to base we dashed out to a small eatery just off base - they had Gnocchi.  I hadn't had any in so long I ordered that and some Bruschetta.  Everything was tasty!

Day 7 - the 12th

It was time to leave Malta - bye Malta!
A lot of us were on the deck to witness leaving.

Being pushed and pulled into position by tugs and having the military with the 7mil machine guns at the ready - really does make you aware they are NOT playing.  After the USS Cole it makes me feel better.  They had guards posted any time we were docked as well - walking the deck.  Makes you think twice about being safe while you're in a foreign country.  I did feel safe, by the way... just makes you think twice about being a true target and makes you behave on your best behaviour while out and about.  Not that you shouldn't be always as a guest in someone else's country.

 There is a pilot boat tucked up under the back... picking up the pilot who gets you out of port.  I did find out that they cost an estimated $250,000 for every time a pilot is needed to bring a big ship into port.  The cruise ships are three times bigger than our ship - which is surprising.  BUT they are paid well for what they do!

 Back to open ocean.
I was on the deck above the wheel house - attempting to watch the sunset in the gale force winds... I huddled down below the wall for a bit, but it was way too cold and blustery for me!!

Pictures for Liz.

Here is the light switch in the bathroom - you'll note it's a three way.  down was for red lights at night, up was full lights and middle was off. 

The shower in the head that I used while on board.  Yep - one very small shower, but it wasn't told to us to do "Navy showers" so it wasn't horrible.  The water was pleantiful and hot, what more could you want?

 The sink in the main head - not sure where the potty picture went but just picture black toilet seat tucked into a corner similar to the sink.  The door had locks on both sides for when you left it wasn't left swinging in the waves.

 Never knew it was a CHT system... so "chit?" hahahaha!  Sorry!  Couldn't resist!

 I have NO idea where my picture went of the hall way in the red lights... maybe it didn't take...

Day 6 - 11th of February

Today was a work day for me for most of the day but I did get to escape for dinner.  I found a battle buddy - aka someone to go off the boat with as we go in pairs at a minimum.

We were just in time to watch the cannon's shooting off at 4pm - fun times!

  

After the cannons finished we headed out to see some sights - we were told there was a good walking area near the Hard Rock Cafe in St Julians.  They lied.  Well, there were lots of "gentlemen's clubs" and a few restaurants but nothing of note that we would want to eat at - most of them were bar foods.  And we saw the Holiday Inn there as well - it was cute for sure!  The beach there was very spongy with some sort of palm debris that washed up.

 Warnings at the beach.

On the way to where we knew there were other areas where there was better food we ran across a fish pedicure place.  Too fun!  I begged John (battle buddy for the night) into going with me for just 10 minutes.   He had tried to talk his wife into going in Greece but she wouldn't go - so he decided to go and see what it was all about.  It was quite interesting!  Fun times!!

And everywhere you go American fast food has taken over - between McDonalds and the like there was a Pizza Hut.  Funny, eh?

This time we ate at a restaurant right next to the one we went to the first night - this one was Gululu.  It was quite tasty with rabbit spaghetti.  I also had an appetiser with fried cheese and sundried tomatoes.  It was quite tasty on their crusty breads!

The rabbit spaghetti was pretty tasty as well.  We also had coffee and desserts - mmmm.  Gotta love it.

We took a cab back to the top of the wall, or so we thought - the taxi driver had NO idea where he was taking us and we ended up somewhere weird where we had to hike HILLS again - did I tell you exactly how tired I was of hills and swollen knees and HILLS?  yeah, my knees were twice the size of what they should be and I was starting to limp at times... I'm OUT OF SHAPE!!  BUT I did it... I made it back up the hill - panting and miserable, but made it.  Then we were going to go through the town a bit, but decided to just walk down to the boat as we had already had dessert...so we wandered down to the boat and got back on... and called it a night...

Isn't this a great shot of the boat all lit up!