Day 12 - LA County moves into yellow tier

The CDC reversed their position…

So now the CDC says that “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing EXCEPT where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations including local business and workplace guidance.” Oh…Rochelle also says everyone has to mask on planes, trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation…uh, so basically everywhere.  What this really means is that people don’t have to wear masks indoors if they don’t feel like it.  Note that I don’t say “vaccinated” people, because the general public has no way of knowing whether or not the unmasked creepy guy in the beer aisle of your grocery store is actually vaccinated (Spoiler: he’s not). 

Individuals can say they’re vaccinated, but we don’t know for sure because we don’t have a national “vaccine passport” mandate. Statistically, it’s the dirty, white, un-vaccinated, Republican male, wearing a MAGA hat and supporting Stop the Steal who will be the first to remove their masks…and infect us all with the South African variant. Great. The national Nurse’s Union is going ape-s—t over these guidelines and has denounced the CDC’s new lax standards on masking.

Note: [Spoiler Alert] On Saturday, the CDC will walk their guidelines back when it comes to schools saying that schools should maintain recommended Covid-19 “layered mitigation strategies”, including masks for the rest of the school year.  By Sunday, Rochelle will do the morning talk-show news circuit, explaining that her whiplash approach [it was only two weeks ago when she was urging us to fight the good fight and continue wearing masks because we’re not out of the woods yet] was due to emerging science and she made a pact to the American people that the CDC will always adjust to the latest science.

Since when? And what emerging science is she referring to? I hear an important paper with 33 authors was published today, Friday, in a well-regarded, peer-reviewed Journal, about…something…but I can’t seem to source this information. And if Rochelle really wants to uphold her “oath”, why isn’t she citing the MIT study that says social distancing is ineffective? That’s “emerging science”, too.

Why does ANYONE continue to listen to this crackpot agency? Just last month, the CDC said social distancing was good at 3 feet apart FOR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS. Yet, according to the CDC, ADULTS still need to maintain 6 feet  of distance. It’s so obvious that the CDC changed the social distancing school requirement so they could pack the classrooms again.  It had nothing to do with science.

This agency is so politicized – everything they say is a lie. Just two weeks ago, the CDC was telling everyone (even vaccinated people) to wear masks in public settings… anywhere they’re around other people…even outdoors.  Rochelle tried to defend the CDC against accusations that the agency is politicized and simply trying to further the Biden Administration’s political agenda by saying because of “the science” it is now safe for vaccinated individuals to unmask EVERYWHERE.

Again, what science? “The science” hasn’t changed…other than the MIT study showing that social distancing is bullshit and doesn’t work. Why isn’t Rochelle telling us about that science? The CDC has done yet another about-face, in deference to Biden’s first 100 days agenda, with Fauci jumping on the bandwagon and reverting back to basically what he said at the beginning of the pandemic: “Masks don’t work.” Last week, Fauci said we needed to keep wearing masks and social distancing until at least 50% of the population is vaccinated. Now, he’s telling us to take them off. Why is anyone still listening to that guy?

My fellow Americans…do you really believe that the vaccine will provide you with 100% protection from the virus? From every variant?  If you do, you’re stupid. Scientists say - NOT the CDC - that masking is as effective as the vaccine and the only other preventive measure that truly works in mitigating the virus. The CDC just told us not to do it anymore.

5/14/21. Friday

9:30-10:00 - I wake with a start. I had the strangest dreams…in one dream, my teeth were falling out and in another dream, L. was the victim of a human trafficking ring in Florida.

Up and I go downstairs to say good morning to the animal.  She’s still sleeping but rolls over on her back so I can rub her tummy three times. She grabs her toy and we go outside.  Still tracking the rat scent…she’s distracted and doesn’t want to do her business. I stand around way too long waiting for her to go potty. Finally, she does her business and we return inside: cold-cuts for her; coffee for me.  I go upstairs. I weigh 99 pounds today.

10:00-12:00 – Blog posts.

12:00-1:00 – Shower. Lotion. Covid-19 uniform. Light make-up.

-L. surfaces.  Today’s Mothers Day/Birthday gift are three dozen red roses and dark chocolate-covered marshmallows from Traders Joes!!  The roses are absolutely beautiful!  I break them down and put them in several vases.  It looks like a flower shop in my kitchen – I love it!

1:00-2:00 – I eat a chicken salad from Trader Joes that B. gave me on Wednesday and read a Money Diary.

2:00-3:00 – Gardening. I sweep the patio and trim various plants.

3:00-4:00 – B. arrives with two mouse traps.  Using apples and almond butter as bait, we place one trap strategically in the crook of a tree where the rats keep climbing and another trap on top of the wall.  I hope this works.  Fingers crossed. B. leaves.

4:00-5:00 – I take the dog for a walk.

5:00-7:00 – More gardening.  Continue sweeping and trimming, then I hose down the Astroturf and pressure-wash all of the terra cotta pots that B.’s daughter, J., gave me in preparation for spray painting. 

7:00-9:00 – More blog posts.

9:00-11:30 – I have a French Cinema assignment that’s due at midnight and I’m really cutting it close.  I have to post my response to a question regarding a film I haven’t seen yet. It’s called Le Fil [The String].  I need to get started.

-So, I watched the movie and it’s about two gay men who fall in love. The sex scenes are so explicit, I’m blushing – I think this film would have an “X” rating in America - and I have to avert my eyes. Not because I’m homophobic - I support the gay community and they’re better parents than most hetero-couples - but because, according to L., I’m a “prude” who hates watching any type of sex scene, whatsoever.

11:30 – 12:00 – I have to post my response to the Discussion Board ASAP so I quickly prepare several paragraphs, edit everything, then post at 11:58 p.m.!!  Just in time! I made it!

12:00-12:30 – Next, I have to complete and show proof of Continuing Education [it’s called Flex time] at College No. 2, the same as College No. 1, but the deadline for College No. 2 is tomorrow. This information is  submitted through Cornerstone, yet another website that is not user-friendly.  I struggle with it for awhile, then am finally able to log the hours for the Distance Education class I completed through College No. 2.

12:30-1:00 – L. is overwhelmed with all of her assignments, upcoming due dates, and important tasks that she has to complete. I set a time limit of 10 minutes so we can efficiently and quickly attack each issue and we end up problem-solving all of her agenda items. One of the solutions involves ME writing a speech for L., AS WELL AS the outline of the speech. I’m supposed to use a specific template from her textbook to prepare the outline.  It’s a “persuasive speech” and the title is Why I Should be Promoted to Manager at the Art Studio. This assignment is due on Sunday, at 11:59 p.m, so I have some time to complete it.

1:00-1:30 – Kitchen duty. Take the dog out (the apple pieces are still in the mouse traps - darn). Lock up.

1:30-2:30 – I do an Insanity – Cardio Pylometric workout.

2:30 – 3:00 – Recover.  I have a glass of champagne and work on a blog post.

3:00-3:45 – Nighttime routine. Bed.