Quarantine Diary #19 4/1/2020

I remember the first year I was old enough to create an April Fool’s Joke; I was about 7- or 8-years-old.  I was still short enough so that to get things from the upper cupboards, I needed to jump and hoist myself up to the counter, then pull up onto my knees, and then I could peruse the shelves for what I wanted. Cookies and boxes of Lifesavers were on the left. Plates and glasses on the right. There was probably healthy stuff there, too, but fifty years later I have no visuals on where the cans of vegetables were.

Anyway, I had read of THIS AMAZING APRIL FOOL’S DAY TRICK!  One could switch the sugar and salt in the sugar bowl and saltshaker! I did this. By myself. Quite enterprising for a little kid, I think.  

That very day my dad sprinkled a spoonful of salt - thinking it was sugar - on something he was about to eat. Maybe cereal. I was quivering in excitement.  

Dad made a terrifying face, ran to the kitchen, spit it out, came back in an angry rage.  My dad was skilled at anger, so this was no joke.

He looked at all of us and asked what happened. 

I must have squeaked out a “It’s an April Fool’s joke, Daddy.”

Nothing more happened so I guess he calmed down. He did love me, I knew that. I really had not expected such towering anger. 

I’ve not played many jokes on people since.  It’s just easier this way.

…

Money related - because income and outgo is on nearly everybody’s minds these days.

Here’s an irony: Coronavirus is more dangerous for us who are over retirement age. BUT if we were lucky enough to retire with social security and a partner who also gets social security and we had some savings and also a secure place to live – then right now (other than the uber rich) we are the most economically secure people in the country. So we’re the most in danger but we’re also the most secure.

And because we are not naïve- not everyone who is retired is secure. Nomadland review  

Len and I make economic decisions every day. I think now more than ever it’s valuable to share how we are saving and how we are spending.

Today I made a whopping profit of $4. I thrift-bought six cocoa fiber plant basket liners a few months ago for a dollar each. Sold them today on eBay for $10 (buyer pays shipping).

The entire profit of this sale will be spent on Peeps via this week’s grocery order.

…

At noon I watched part of an Andrew Cuomo press conference. Like others are saying, I was encouraged and heartened that there is this guy who is honest and responsible, informed and well-spoken, who is answering good questions with thoughtful answers.

It sucks and is evil that people are dying, and our economy is in freefall because of the slipshod malfeasance of a gameshow host and his administration. None of us will turn away from this, right?

Yet this afternoon the sun came out.  Warmth and light won against our last few (relentless) days of depressing clouds. I went for a walk to drop the eBay package in the PO lobby drop box. Came home and now I’m finishing writing this while drinking a Spotted Cow.

One day at a time, right?

…

Saw this tree and laughed out loud. Good haircuts are overrated.