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Week Five of Self-Isolation  -  07 April 2020

Week Five of Self-Isolation - 07 April 2020

| April 07, 2020

Pictured above (and elsewhere in this post): Photos from Anderson Field, North Valley

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ABQ Weather or Not

Part of staying healthy, while you're staying home, is to take a break and get some fresh air. But..with the current pollen count, if mulberry is not your friend, be careful. And remember, it is NOT OKAY to burn (stoves and protected grills only).

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This Week's Soundtrack

RIP Bill Withers: CLICK HERE

...Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on...

Songwriter: Bill Withers

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This Week's Religious Calendar

Easter Week

Passover

Music from St. John's Cathedral - Listen here

A Prayer for Passover in the Era of Covid-19 - Click to read

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COVID-19 / The Week in Review

  

The Surgeon General says the week ahead may be our Pearl Harbor Moment - but this past week wasn't exactly "smooth sailing."

Confirmed cases in NM have risen from 281 to 686 in the last 7 days. The Governor has extended our Stay-at-Home to April 30th.

Going to the grocery store is strongly discouraged, and we are now wearing masks when we go out.

There are still 7 states without Stay at Home orders: Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah - it's interesting to note that all have Republican governors. I say that because Republican governors were among the first to shutter schools - Mike DeWine (OH) and Larry Hogan (MD).

And Dr Faucci is puzzled by the fact that a nationwide shutdown order hasn't been issued.

The big story of the past week is the 70 day lapse between when the White House first was warned and when it first acted. No doubt that will remain in the news through the November election. The difficulty most people seem to be having is either who to believe or what the version is today, as it keeps changing.

And again, the tragic unpreparedness throughout the country's health systems is difficult to witness. Not enough ICU beds, not enough ventilators and first responders lacking basic PPE. (Voices from the Pandemic  - a series from the Washington Post, read more here)

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iDEAS

Make your own COVID-19 mask - The Thicker, the better

From a bandana: VIDEO

Mayor Keller on Using a Scarf: VIDEO

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iCook

Ina Garten's Sour Cream Cornbread - This is YUMMY!!!

Editor's Note: Easy to make and a half loaf is a welcome sight on a friend's doorstep.

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iWatch

Netflix: UNORTHODOX - A four-part series about a girl leaving a Hasidic community. The Israeli actress, Shira Haas, is amazing.P

Also on Netflix: THE ENGLISH GAME - the story of the invention of football and two 19th-century players on opposite sides of the class divide.

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iRead

The Pandemic Is A Portal
By Arundhati Roy

Published in the Financial Times and free to read (CLICK HERE), the author/activist shares her look upon the Western world and her own country with style and great sense: How coronavirus threatens India -and what India, and the world, should do next.

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iDo - I am:

  • Urging all my friends and family to vote absentee in their Primary elections (see below)
  • Taking an occasional cat nap (with Kermit and Otto - see above)
  • Attacking my Inbox (that is almost as clogged up as the Albuquerque sewer lines - please do not flush those Hands-wipes, throw them in the trash) and hoping to get it to a manageable message level (200?) by the 15th. That's roughly 250 deletions/day. UGH.
  • Making hand sanitizer:

  When this runs out...

Based on the ratio recommended by the CDC
A homemade sanitizer could be made with:
—0.67 cups (161 milliliter) of isopropyl alcohol
—0.33 cups (79 ml) of emollient
—essential oils for aroma (optional)

The CDC recommends that sanitizers contain 60% to 95% alcohol in order to eradicate germs. Sanitizers work best on clean hands (use soap on greasy hands).

  • Watching way too many dog and cat videos and Tik Tok 
  • Using ZOOM to stay in touch - I think the sound quality is better than FaceTime or Skype

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DON'T FORGET: June 2nd NM Primary

At this point, it looks like there will be in-person voting for the June Primary. However, perhaps the safest way to cast your vote is by using an absentee ballot. And it couldn't be easier - just visit the Secretary of State's portal and apply:

 CLICK HERE

Check it out - because if any of your info is incorrect, you must change is BEFORE MAY 5TH.

Once you're up to date, you have until May 28th to apply for a ballot - but why wait?

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Parting Shot

Shelter.

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p.s.

 

Please don't forget.