stuck at home with Corona virus?

[phil]

Perhaps what some do is get married in some distant place, then they can invite everyone they want, knowing that most will cancel, but all were included in the invitations. That way they get what they really want, close family and the friends that couldn't come can opt out politely because of costs, time etc.

[awomanwithahammer]

Tennessee's governor has steadfastly refused to institute a mask mandate, but he did give authority last week to county mayors to institute their own, since our rate has spiked. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are in the neighboring county to us, and they just made the top 5 list for the fastest growing rate of infection. Not surprising, since both are completely open for business, and videos show tourists packing in with nary a mask in sight. So I was surprised that their county mayor just made masks mandatory. We're still waiting on our mayor to make a decision. I will be shocked if he does mandate them. This is a strongly red state, therefore masks are a threat to our individual rights, and besides that, this whole virus thing is a hoax and no worse than the flu and a plot to take over the gummint!

My daughter is immuno-compromised and is terrified to go back to work. She works in an outdoor outfitter store in shoe sales. So she is forced to be in close proximity to actual people who refuse to make any concessions whatever to public safety. Her daughter is a senior in high school AND she has a three-year-old with special needs. Our schools are planning to go back at the end of this month with a combination of in-school and online classes. My granddaughter wants to go to school and my daughter is agonizing over whether to let her.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm incredulous that people are so selfish.

[Lily left the valley]

phil, I just found out the shower is going forward because they could not get the desposit back. However, they are looking into moving the event outdoors on the property, as well as somehow setting up a zoom for those that cannot/will not attend. As to the wedding itself, they are holding off on sending out the official invitations (a save the date was sent months ago) because they are trying to decide what to do, whether downsize or outright cancel the gathering and just have a civil registry on the date.

Bonnie, I very much understand your frustrations. I have friends and family in similar situations in other states. (And we do have a few freedumb fighters here as well--we are in a purple city & county after all.)

Considering the fact that Sean works his essential service job in one of the early know hotter spots population percentage wise, we consider ourselves lucky that if we did get it, we've been asymptomatic. I have pre-existing lung issues which has been in the back of Sean's mind this whole time. (Yes, people still go outside to take their mail or parcels directly from him--no social distancing, and often no masks even after they were mandated! It also took the PO a month before they told carriers they could insist people not approach them--normally that's frowned upon--and some still didn't listen or got hostile about it. I think that was soon after an entire post office's staff--PM, clerks, supervisor and carriers were out sick or quarantined.)

And of course...the weirdo fireworks at all hours for weeks on end didn't help frayed nerves either. We're one of those towns where it's been happening, and tonight is actually THE FIRST since Memorial Day weekend that I haven't heard a single one. I hope that trend continues because it's been making the poor kitties lose their minds. I've nearly burned through an entire tin of catnip (and it's not a small tin!) Our neighbor to the east had a baby just before this all broke out, and she's not been getting much sleep either.

Rant away! I certainly haven't held back much.