CG, that’s so scary. I’ve seen quite a few people who have run out of basics and are calling anyone that has the stuff they need hoarders. I find it really insulting that someone calls us hoarders because we made responsible choices...but I have stayed out of the conversations because I’m not putting a target on my head.

https://www.businessinsider.com/homemade-mask-using-hydro-knit-shop-towel-filters-better-2020-4

The people in this article did some tests on what the best filtering materials are...this brand of blue shop towels rated the highest. I ran to Harbor Freight this morning to get some and they were limiting it to one package because they had a huge run on them this morning. I have a friend who is making the homemade ones with pockets and I’ll cut the shop towels for liners. That way they can be washed.

My son just called and told me a man he roomed with several years ago passed yesterday from the virus. He was only 32....no major health issues but my son says he used to smoke a lot of weed.

As of Friday Costco is only allowing 2 people per card into their warehouses. 

Amber,

papers for what? To get back into Florida?

Hope you gave a wonderful day! 

I haven’t actually turned anything official in yet...because I was thinking the same thing.

6 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

 

How did that go, Dogmom?

 

...heading for the feed store soon, potting soil forgotten and we don't have 'dirt' in these mountains..    But wait!  We DO have a lot of well-composted stuff from the horses.  No new stuff added for ....almost 6 months.

 

MtRider   

Im a little tired. All this online meeting thing is a new thing to me...and it hurts my brain. I’m having to learn how to create a Webex meeting and a Google classroom...none of which I will use when I retire mid June. We planned for a few hours what we’ll be sending home for the first two weeks (thankful that there’s only 9 weeks of school left). And we’re meeting Monday to figure out how to create videos.   But....I’m grateful I have income coming in.

Ann....

5 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

DD1 is school teacher.....don't know how HI is handling that except the schools are out... But likely she's covered.  Hard to reach that dd....doesn't answer anything but texting, which we don't have.

 

MtRider   

If she is a public school teacher she is likely getting paid.

Nearly half of all patients at one Kaiser hospital believed to have coronavirus

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-25/suspected-or-confirmed-coronavirus-patients-fill-up

We have lambs ears...although I hope we never get to that point.

Welcome back SueC! Yep...MrsSurvival has always been the best thing out there...

Today I’m actually going back to work (no kids...but will be social distancing in the classroom with my aide). We are now considered essential workers. Yesterday we had several hours of online meetings to figure out how to create some sort of educational system at the preschool level...we decided on creating a weekly packet of activities to be picked up by families when they come get their lunches the district is providing and teachers are going to do a circle on video (songs, stories, etc) for the children to view at home. This will be interesting...I have no problem doing all of this in front of 3 year olds...but for some reason the thought of doing this in front of a video camera....well just not thrilled.

I let the animal shelter know that I’m not going in to volunteer for a while. Feels too risky for me to be going in even with all of the precautions they are taking. They are trying to get as many animals into foster homes with the thought that at some point volunteers won’t be able to go in at all. I’m waiting to hear if they need me to foster a dog. 
Stopped at Costco to pickup a food saver...and there was a line! Never seen that at my Costco before....and they had two Sheriff’s trucks outside. I decided to go the Target right by Costco to see if I could get one there cuz I did not want to stand in a line just to get inside. Well....Target was sold out of food savers...none to be found. Unbelievable. So I went back to Costco and got myself in line. Turned out be a good thing. While I waited my 20 minutes a manager was walking up and down the line reassuring people and said there was a second truck that showed up with....guess what?! Toilet paper and paper towels! Lol! Serendipity..... I decided to some because oldest son hasn’t been able to stock up on anything because as a Lyft driver his income has dropped to almost zero in the past two weeks. He has applied to a bunches of stores who are looking for overnight stockers, is delivering for places like grub hub and also applied for a special driver task force Lyft is creating to give drivers a way to make money.

i got an email from my district that they’ve decided we need to figure out how to create a way for our preschoolers to continue their education....so tomorrow we’ll have an online meeting to figure out how to get materials into the homes. The idea being teachers will create individual packets for the week for families to come pick up at the school site. And doing videos where we are reading stories/doing songs for the kids to view. This should be interesting.....

My county just announced its first death....

Many of the stores in my area are starting to do this...I think Michaels is either going to or has already started it. It’s a way to adapt instead of going out of business.

Hi Deb! Good to see you back! Praying for you....

So this morning I went into my classroom to get photographs of my children to create their end of the year books even though I might not get to see them again. Today was the last day to get into rooms before they start cleaning. I had planned to stay about an hour and get a few other things. While there my director and the secretary were in a meeting with higher ups...they came out and called the other teachers for our program (6 classrooms total). We were told there is a very high chance we aren’t coming back...since I’m retiring it was suggested that I clear my room because we might not be allowed back in until fall. Ended up spending 5 hours shutting down my room (would normally take several days). Had several moments as I realized I wasn’t going to be able to say good bye to my students (I was out sick the week before schools closed) and that I was pretty much walking away for the last time from my room I’ve worked in since 2001. Wasn’t the way I planned to go out.

While I was cleaning out my director came and told us to take home any snack items, cleaning supplies and paper goods in our classrooms (per our assistant superintendent)...went home with a number of paper towels...soap...gloves...and more. 
And...while there we all got an alert that my county is doing a shelter in place as of midnight tonight.  You could just see the stress level on everyone’s faces.

One good thing...when I went out of work on March 5 I had a talk with the para who works with me and the young teacher in the classroom next to me and gave some suggestions about stocking up and why. Today the young teacher said thank you for the advice...she had  called her sister right after I left and told her to go to the store. Her sister gave her a hard time and said she was overreacting...but she went anyways. This teacher said her family would have been without so many of the things you can’t get now if they hadn’t shopped back then.
It has really opened her eyes.

Hubby and I did one last shop...Costco was almost empty...of people and many of the things people needed.
 

I’m exhausted.......

https://apnews.com/a342998638cdccb56172a1663e8d6edf
San Francisco Bay Area counties issue shelter-in-place order for 7 counties.

This is what my local Costco looked like this morning. The crowds have thinned out since Thursday I think because a lot of stuff isn’t available. As I was going in the door person kept saying they had no paper goods or water at all...and several people just put their carts back.

Schools are closed until April 12...now California is calling for bars and clubs to be closed and restaurants to operate at 50% capacity to allow for social distancing. 
My 85 year old mom lives in a big seniors residence and today they have said no visitation all...all residents are to stay in their rooms and all meals are being delivered to their rooms.

Hi Pixie! Yes I remember you! Welcome back!

Jeepers, I’m getting all ebooks for now.

Yep. Even got one from the library and the movie theater.

So my district has decided to close our schools until April 12. Lot of panicked people in my area.

Yes I read about the possibility of it coming back a second time. Scary. I just saw a work email pop up saying my district is having an emergency school board meeting at 9am. Hoping they make the right choice and close things down. I just heard that two more teachers are out sick at a different school.