My attitude has somewhat changed...

Easter Sunday. April 12th 1:15pm. Start of Week 4 of voluntary family quarantine.
532,339 cases of the coronavirus, Covid-19 in the United States of America.  21,418 Deaths.  2,074 American Deaths were reported on Friday April 10th alone 783 Deaths of those occurred in the State of New York.

My attitude has somewhat changed to an eery calm.  

Over the past week or so I've kind of separated a bit from the obsessive following of the staggering daily numbers or the anger that iT's voice brings out, as the salesman in chief sells his snake oil cures and belches his public endangering happy talk.....  Breath in for 4.... Hold for 7....... Exhale for 8........  Instead I find myself grateful. Grateful for having a job that I can work from home, and Most grateful for the time I get to spend with my wife and baby.

I've been cooking a lot.  Taking pictures of everything, especially the baby (standing, eating, crawling, smiling, making a face....). I started to work on some video. Been Zooming, FaceTiming and Facebook living with family and friends.  The Zoom has been having security problems.  Virtual meetings are getting "porn bombed".  Crazy.  Beastiality popping up at Board meetings.  It'd be funny if it weren't so sad. How long will we be in this weird virtual reality?  I guess that's it.  It feels like waiting.  Somehow I feel less anxious now that the "apex" for our area may be here.  I would think I would be more anxious being we may be currently in the worst of it.  251 deaths in the State of New Jersey on April 20th alone.  783 in the State of New York on the same day. But the news of the rate of new cases going down gives me almost a feeling of a light at the end of the tunnel.  

If the current projection based on the current rate holds, the US may be looking at 60,000-80,000 Americans dying instead of the 100,000-200,000 the last projection based on the last rate had projected.  I believe that shutting down New York City...  Let me type that again.  SHUTTING DOWN NEW YORK CITY had an effect on the spread of the Virus as evidenced by the current slowing of the rate of new cases there. SOCIAL DISTANCING IS WORKING. New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade was cancelled all the way back on March 17th.  All of these projections are based on current numbers, most of which are coming out of States that may be ahead of others when it comes to the timing of the Virus.  New York's new case rate slowing and possible Apex passing does not mean that Florida's is.  With the lack of a National Policy (outside of the 2 flyers) Governors need to be trying to get ahead of the Virus like the Governor of New York and California and Washington and New Jersey have.  I am afraid for the people in the States where they are not, especially the ones with population centers and/or tourist destinations. Testing in some areas is not where the State of New York's is, which affects the accuracy of their numbers. In general, the number of confirmed cases is assumed to be much lower than the actual number of cases, especially considering those who are assymptomatic. Not testing only makes that disparity greater.

So what do we do.  We wait. We breath. We Stay Safe. We Stay at Home. And We try to Stay Sane. Check in with family and friends.  I know I owe a few a call or video chat. Make a nice pasta, some soup, maybe chili, another meat loaf, banana bread....  Watch talented people famous and not do their thing in their living room from my living room. Watch too much TV. Write. Hang with my Wife and Play with my Beautiful little girl. And appreciate just how lucky a guy I am.

Please Stay Safe. Stay home.

David Calamoneri

And Happy Easter!

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  

- Jesus, "The Beatitudes", Mathew 5:3-11