Welcome to our new world. At 12.01 this morning they have placed seven bay area counties in isolation/quarantine. We have been ordered to shelter in place for three weeks.
My one niece goes to college in Monterey and has decided to just stay in her apartment for now even though school is online. My one sister had coincidentally just switched over to working at home for her job. My other sister who works for a psychiatrist is working from home taking calls and doing her office work on her computer. My other two nieces are at home. My parents are laying low and trying to stay clear of danger. Even the stubborn old mule(my dad) seems to be behaving. There is no messing around with this nightmare.

This is going to be fun…not. I now feel blessed to be at the tail end of our neighborhood right near the bay and natural walkways. We are allowed to walk alone or with family but have to stay 6 feet away from everyone else. Our walkways are just not that busy and I am going to put on a mask and gloves and head out in a bit for a stroll. It is super cold this morning but the sun is shining so it will be good for a little vitamin D. Here is an update. I donned my mask and gloves and walked around the lagoon. Saw some people a little too lax on the rules. A group of 10 people walking together…HELLO! I told Lovie to go for a walk and he has just returned and he says that the lagoon is a little busy. There goes my lagoon theory that I shared earlier in this paragraph. I am adding to this blog as the day goes on so that is why it is changing. Oh shit. The neighborhood kids are also playing outside with their friends. I wonder how long it will take people to get serious about this disaster. They are allowed to issue a misdemeanor if you break the rules. This is so weird.

The boy is coughing badly this morning. He does not seem feverish but he is chesty. I will watch him carefully. The problem with him is that he is always chesty in spring because of his allergies. He took his allergy meds and seemed to calm down when his breathing was easier. I know that he gets panicky when he cannot breathe. He always worries me because he did have that bad bout of pneumonia 11 months ago. This shelter in place is going to get old quickly with a 20-year-old who wants to go and visit the ex-girlfriend and fully understands why we can’t but you know…he is 20. It is going to be an interesting three weeks.
Yesterday we got the news that NYU is closed until the fall and that they will be boxing up the kids belonging and mailing it back to us. He does start the rest of the semester online next Monday.
I had my first appointment with not Jean on facetime yesterday. It is not that weird to have the appointment online. It went well and it helped to talk through some of my fears and how to deal with the panic attacks that have been creeping in this week. I am going to go back to weekly appointments for now so I can try and keep progress going without this Covid 19 thing wreaking havoc on my mental health.
Well, there is not much else to check in with right now. I hope you are staying safe. Look after yourself and your families. Love and Peace from Shut Down Day #1