Going Back to Work

I know parents of school-age children won't like to hear this but the 2020-2021 school year is just around the corner. Tomorrow is my first day back at work for the new school year. I'm excited to see my coworkers and a glance at my inbox makes me a little anxious. The first day of school is 5 weeks away. Let's do some updates, shall we?

Racism in the US
I'm disappointed that the push to make real changes to end systemic racism in the US has really slowed. The only changes that seem to happen are symbolic and don't really help. It's great that we are analyzing if confederate statues should be kept and if so where they should be (it makes me think of El Valle de los Caídos in Spain) but that won't change how Black people are treated. I'm proud that my church is starting a book study that I hope will help each of us evaluate how racist we are. Some background info: we are a predominantly white, older (median age above 50), conservative Episcopal church. I think many of us have racist thoughts/tendencies that we don't even recognize. I'm very hopeful that this book study will start some introspection that will lead us to be more welcoming to BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) so that we can better represent the community where we are located. The world is a mess and this is one area where I feel like we need change to improve everyone's lives but it's so damn hard to get that change.

COVID-19
My county has 2,137 confirmed cases (.5% of the population) and 14 deaths. Yes, it has been 2 months since I last updated the numbers here on the blog but even with that in consideration our numbers are growing much more rapidly than before. It feels like everyone is now discussing how schools will open. The federal government says that schools must be open 5 days a week and it sounds like they are implying that it must be in-person. I say f*ck them; very little of our funding comes from them and they are NOT taking into consideration the safety of doing that. It is up to states and individual school districts to decide how to open. Today I watched a short video with Governor Cuomo's plan for opening schools in New York. If in an area the infection rate is under 5% (averaging the past 14 days) the schools will open. If at any time the infection rate is above 9% for any 7-day average, the schools in that area will close until the rate gets below 5% again. I really like that his plan is completely based on data. I'm not sure about the number choices but it looks like they came from the WHO. The TEA (Texas Education Agency) has said that schools must re-open and must give the choice to have on-campus instruction within a few weeks of school starting. Right now the infection rate for Texas seems to be over 15%. I think this is foolish. I think that we should look at it county by county or even smaller sub-populations. For example, my county is doing pretty well all things considered. We will probably be ok if we open our schools (knowing that some families will choose to have their children do remote learning) but I would not feel the same way if I lived in Dallas county (just shy of 35,000 confirmed cases and a population of more than 2.6 million which means over 1.3% of their population is confirmed positive).  I will be interested to see what the numbers look like in 4 weeks.

On a personal note, my husband and I may have been exposed to COVID-19. A friend of ours was taking care of his parent who has COVID-19. The friend did not tell that to us when we invited him over for dinner. A week after the dinner he informed us that he had tested positive for COVID-19. We went into self-quarantine and will stay under quarantine until it has been 14 days since our exposure. We have had no symptoms and the 14 days is nearly up. I contacted my doctor and they said that if we show no symptoms in 14 days then we are ok to go back to "normal". That means social distancing (6 ft or more between people), wearing a mask in public, and washing our hands frequently.

The Sunroom
We have gotten SO much done since I last posted about the sunroom! First of all, we sprayed texture on the ceiling. Here's a "before" picture:

No texture, lots of patches

Texture sprayed and my ingenious way of protecting the air vent while keeping the cool air coming

Dried texture (which, admittedly, you can't really see well in a photo)

We painted the ceiling to match the almond color of the rest of the room but I forgot to take photos of that. Honestly, it's just a ceiling. Next up my spouse starting building the counter. It's important for you to understand his DIY moto: If I'm going to take the time to build it, I'm going to over build it. This counter (with cabinet underneath) has no hollow points and is bolted into the wall for support which means it doesn't need additional legs for support.

The beginning of the base of the cabinet

Our dog, Loki, enjoyed sneaking into the dining room thanks to this whole in the wall.

Support in the wall so that the cabinet will "float"

See? No hollow places. The counter has LONG 2x6's in it.

Loki quickly found his own little "cave"

Then Matthew built the half-wall between the sunroom and the dining room so that the dogs would stop getting into the kitchen and stealing our sponges. Unfortunately I forgot to take a "finished" photo so you get an "in-progress" photo for now.

I think that's plenty for now. Next time I'll show you how much better the water heater closet looks and hopefully we'll be ready to show the nice finish on the top of the counter! We poured the epoxy for the counter top but ran into some issues. It may be finished in a week, it may be another month. Oh the adventures of DIY! 

Since today is an election day, I would like to end my post with the same prayers I had in my last post. Please go out and vote to make your voice heard!

A prayer for those who influence public opinion:

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the oppressed:

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-Clare G. S.

Black Lives Matter

For the past week or so I've been trying to gather my thoughts. Once I heard of the murder of George Floyd I knew that I wanted to write a post here to speak out on what is happening in our nation but I didn't have the words yet. I think I've found them.

Every time I read of another black person unjustly killed, I get sick to my stomach. I pray for them, I wring my hands, I read about what happened, but I never know what to do. There was something about George Floyd's death that punched me in the gut. Maybe it's because of how painfully clear it is that the police were completely in the wrong. Maybe it's because the minutes leading to his death are out on the internet for anyone to watch. Maybe it's the fact that imagining being him, lying on the ground gasping for air and begging for help from the people whose job is to help but were killing him, is beyond imaginable. For whatever reason, this death seems to be the one that is spurring me to action.

First, take a moment and empathize. Not sympathize but empathize. Imagine that everyday since you were born you look around the world, you look at the news, and you hear about people who look like you being killed in ordinary, everyday situations. Not in war, not in fights, not when doing a dangerous job but when simply trying to live their life. Imagine being told subtly in underhand comments and sometimes blatantly that you are not worth as much as other humans. Imagine having people, your friends!, defend the little phrases that undermine your worth. "Well, but ALL lives matter". Yes, but whose lives are we losing right now? "Not all cops are bad" Of course not but we have too many that are bad and use their power for unjust actions. "It's awful that people are rioting and looting". Can you imagine protesting peacefully (taking a knee, marching, etc) over and over again but nothing changing? Can you imagine a whole group of people being pushed to the point that the only way anyone will listen is with violence? Can you imagine having to constantly defend your right to live in peace, without fear of being killed in your own home because the police broke down the door to the wrong address? Can you imagine wondering who will be next? Will it be your aunt? Will it be your friend? Will it be YOU? I can't imagine that.

Now, are you filled with righteous anger? Are you filled with a deep pain and sadness that God's children are hurting? (Christians: our religions tells us that we HAVE to help our siblings. Is your faith alive if you don't have the works?) Ok, let's use that to make a positive change. Here are some ideas on what we (privileged people/people in power) can do:

• Listen to the black voices in your community and in the world. Amplify them (My friend, Chloe, started me thinking about what I need to do)
• Speak out against racism and acknowledge the racism that you have. 
• Donate (money, time, or talent) to a group that is helping the black community. Here are just a few:
• Campaign Zero - researched-based policy solutions to end police brutality in the US
• Freedom Funds - Google "freedom funds" or "bail funds" and your city/area to find a group to donate money to help with legal costs and bail for those arrested for protesting.
• Black Lives Matter 

I suddenly realize that I don't know how to end this. Lately I've been turning to the Book of Common Prayer when I feel a bit lost so that's exactly what I just did. I would like to end with two prayers. The first is for those who influence public opinion; the second is for the oppressed.

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-Clare G. S.

The Sunroom is Usable

Look! It's been less than a month and I'm writing a post! *gasp* What insanity is this‽

Work
There's not much to report here. I'm doing my best to get student records so that teachers can put in grades and wind things up for the semester. It's nice to be able to go on campus without having to check with the principal first. I'm still working mostly from home with a trip or two to the school each week to print records, mail papers, etc. I'm expecting to start working everyday on campus next week since people will be withdrawing their students if they are moving over the summer. Our superintendent announced yesterday that we will have an outdoors graduation ceremony in mid-June for our graduating seniors. Since there is construction just outside of our football stadium our nearby university is allowing us to use their football stadium. To follow safety regulations, each graduate will only be allowed 2 guests and the guests must have a ticket to enter. It happens to be that the graduation is on my last day of work before my summer break so it will be a celebration for me as well!

Health
There are now 220 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in my county with 131 recovered and no new deaths. I still wear a face mask when I go to stores or when I'm walking the hallways at work. I had lunch at a restaurant today. I was nervous but I know that I need to slowly increase the risks I'm taking. Things are looking pretty good for my area. On a more personal note, my husband and I are doing well. In late March and early April I was having panic attacks and it was pretty frequent that I was on the edge of an attack. I'm really glad to report that my disposition is much more even and I usually have enough energy/motivation to do my work along with housework. Unfortunately my sleep health is still off. The past week was especially bad and I don't know why. Last night I slept well so hopefully it was a fluke. I also seemed to have caught a 24-hour stomach bug or something recently (my only symptom was really bad nausea) but I'm doing just fine now.

Home
We are continuing work on the sunroom/solarium (seriously guys, help me think of a name for this room!). The brick is now cleaned and sealed. Man, that sealant stuff stank when we put it on but it was worth it! The brick now has a nice gloss to it and the mortar doesn't come off if you brush against it.

It's hard to show off the finished product since it's clear

We hired a company to pour a polyurea floor. It came out great and it should last decades!

Before any flooring

Finished floor!

My husband also re-finished the closet door and it looks a million times better!

This is a mid-point photo. I forgot to take a "before" photo.

Finished and glossy!

My husband also repaired and painted the section where the old porch ceiling meets the new ceiling.

Lots of caulking and wood putty to fix holes and such

Much more uniform!

You can tell that we are starting to fix the old porch ceiling. My spouse has put in screws to help secure the boards. I have learned how to spray wall texture and we should be doing that soon. After the texture is up and dry, we'll paint the ceiling and that part will be finished!

This is what wall texture looks like when you first spray it

We still need to do the following:

• Texture the ceiling and paint it
• Build the counter (that will be 99% my spouse, he's great at building things with wood)
• Clean the closet (such as wiping down the walls, patch holes, repaint the walls, etc)
• Build shelves for the closet (again, this is a spouse thing)
• Move the fish aquarium to the new counter
• Move-in the birds

I can't believe that the room is so close to finished! I am really excited to have a guest room so that family can actually spend the night at our house when they visit. The dogs already enjoy the sunroom and I think the birds will really like having huge windows and being able to watch us while we are in the kitchen and living room. I hope all of you are doing well! If you can think of what to call our new room, please tell me in the comments!

-Clare G. S.

Opening Up Texas

Plenty has happened in the past month. I'll try to keep this orderly.

Work
A week or two after my last post our school decided to mail out the students' paper packets. We had so many people who didn't come pick up their packets for multiple weeks and it was a bit annoying to store them. Mailing packets of course meant the literal cost of packets went way up. However, I think it was worth it because it insured that everyone would receive their packet even if they were at work during packet pick-up/drop-off time and if their address was incorrect it forced them to contact us and update their information. In case y'all didn't know, schools really appreciate having up-to-date phone numbers, physical addresses, and email addresses! It is VITAL during this time of remote learning.

Our principal has now shifted the paper packet work to a couple of the Assistant Principals and their secretaries so it is no longer part of my job. I can't say that I'll miss it! I'm keeping fairly busy with student enrollments and sending/receiving student records. This past Friday I was on the team that assisted with handing out senior graduation things (cap & gown, cords, National Honor Society stoles, etc). We had people drive up and a staff member asked their graduate's name. We had pre-printed papers with grad names which they then put on their dash. When they drove around we were able to see the grad's name and grab their things. It went well, all things considered. It took about four hours to serve around 400 students. The biggest issue we had was students who had not paid for their cords and did not have cash. We were able to have them pull to the side and pay online via their smartphone and then show us the receipt. I survived with only a minor sunburn!

Friend with COVID-19
My family friend who was diagnosed with COVID-19 is out of the hospital! Of course they are not yet out of the forest but things are looking good. I am determined to stay optimistic and continue praying. So far they (and possibly their spouse) are the only people I know personally who definitely had COVID-19.

Texas is Opening Up
The big news of the hour came from Texas governor Abott who announced yesterday that the state will start re-opening. I found these helpful graphics from a nearby city:

Since this is my blog I'm going to give my two cents. Looking at the data I can find for my county, I think this plan is smart for my county because less than one half of one percent of the population has tested positive. However, I think it is unwise for all other counties to open-up. I believe that each county needs to look at their case numbers, death toll, and how full their hospitals are. If their hospitals are anywhere near struggling, they need to continue sheltering in place. My county has a population around 350,000 and we have had 165 confirmed cases with 3 deaths. It looks like we can loosen the restrictions slightly and re-evaluate the situation in two or three weeks.

Personally, I probably won't be going out more than I already do (about once per week to work and the grocery store). I think that many people will do the same which means that things are only going to change a little. That's exactly what I want to see: small changes taken slowly so that we have time to collect data and analyze it. I really wish we had more testing and better transmission tracking but we have to play the hand we are dealt. My spouse and I agree that it would be very interesting to see more tests for antibodies since data seems to show that a large number of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic. Even if we find out that a great majority of us have the antibodies, I do not regret our sheltering in place and having an abundance of caution. From what I'm seeing, we successfully flattened the curve . . . for now. It is important that we don't get antsy and suddenly re-open everything all at once. From what I understand, that happened with the 1918 Flu*.

From the CDC website. Please note this show the UK and it shows both flu and pneumonia deaths

According to the CDC, that third spike was caused by large celebrations for the end of World War I. You can read more about the 1918 Flu timeline here. As always, please consider what is best for you and your family. Please respect other people's decisions and above all, be kind to each other. No one is going to change someone else's mind by attacking them and their beliefs.

Our House
My spouse and I have started some big work on our house. Two weeks ago a company came out and built another room on our house! I am calling it the "sunroom" because it has a bunch of windows and therefore sun. It's a bit pretentious but I honestly couldn't think of a better name for it. My spouse knocked out the old window and we will be building a half-wall in its place. The goal is to have a long counter with a large aquarium that can be seen from the sunroom and from the kitchen. Right now we are repairing the brick work and we are going to seal it to keep moisture out. Next will be adding the flooring. It looks like we will be doing an epoxy because it is very durable and we will need that since this room will mainly be used by our dogs and birds. We also need to repair the hot water closet because it used to be an outdoor closet but is now indoor. It is definitely showing its age.

So many windows! The roof is at an angle although it looks flat in this photo.

Well this post got a lot longer than I meant. I really need to update this blog more often! You'd think with all this time at home that I would write more but life is weird. I feel stressed all the time about small things, I sometimes don't sleep at night (I keep waking up and I'm convinced that I have to stay awake for some reason or I wake up and think that I need to wash my hands immediately), and some days just doing the bare basics (get up, get dressed, eat, check email) is the most I can do. I am learning to be very flexible with myself because there are days I am super motivated and I can get all the work for my job done plus laundry, dishes, and a small home project (like cleaning my desk). Other days I find myself eating granola bars all day because even cooking a box of macaroni and cheese would require too much effort. Life is weird, y'all. It's really weird.

-Clare G. S.

*Side note - I'm sure someone noticed that I prefer to call it the 1918 Flu and not the Spanish Flu. Calling it the 1918 Flu is more accurate because that is the year we started to see cases. Spain was not the origin of the flu but was more likely to have reports in the newspapers due to censorship in other countries who were part of World War I. In the same vein, I prefer to call the current pandemic COVID-19 because it is an accurate description of it. Yes, I am confident COVID-19 originated in China but I have heard that people of Asian decent are being attacked because people think Asians are spreading it. If there is even a small chance this is true, it's not worth re-naming the flu to something like the Wuhan Flu. COVID-19 is a clear name so that's what I'll be using.

A bag of sugar on my chest

A couple of years ago I was lying in bed discussing with my husband if I needed to go to the urgent care near us. I was in my late 20's and I was having chest pain. Nothing severe. I told him it felt like someone had taken a 2 lbs bag of sugar and placed it on my chest. It's a bit bothersome but it wasn't alarming. I did some googling and thinking and decided that it was probably just an esophageal spasm (I have acid reflux) so it was best to just let it pass. Eventually it did pass and it took me a while to realize that my diagnosis was completely wrong. Apparently I get this pain in my chest when my anxiety is higher than usual and doesn't go back down. Lately I've had that pain in my chest for days at a time. I've made a super fancy graph for you to better understand what I'm talking about.

The green line is what I imagine a normal person's anxiety over the course of a day. The purple line is what my anxiety is going through the same events. The orange line is my base line anxiety currently. 

There is a silver lining here. I have found that doing video chats with my friends and watching really entertaining tv shows/movies make the pain in my chest go away for just a little while. I really hope that all of you have found things that keep that bag of sugar from taking residence on your chest.

This past week was interesting to say the least. A dear family friend has COVID-19 and I'm very worried for them because they are in their 70's. Their spouse is showing symptoms as well. I am hopeful for them because they have access to medical care and are not in a city that is currently overwhelmed by cases.

I "went back to work" as well last week. Since I'm an essential employee I was required to be on campus Tuesday and Thursday. The biggest part of my job now is enrolling students and getting paper packets of homework ready. All of our high school students have school-issued Chromebooks but many of our students do not have access to wifi at home. The school made a Google form that the parent could fill out requesting a paper packet. If they couldn't fill it out on their phone, they could call the school office and we would fill it out for them. Well, apparently we did not get the word out well enough because we had about 40 parents request packets but over 100 came to pick them up. We explained the system when they picked up the packet so hopefully next week will be easier. We gave families 3 pick-up times: 1.5 hours on Monday and a total of 7.5 hours on Tuesday. During that time the parent gave us the student's name and we handed them a packet. On Thursday last week the district announced that we have too much contact with the public; we are no longer allowed to physically pass the packet to people. Instead, we will have a table with the packets on it. The packets are clearly labeled with the students name. The parents will have to, one at a time, find their student's packet and take it home. Of course this solution is not perfect but I'm glad that I will be able to stay much farther away from people. During the packet pick-up I was careful to wear gloves and sanitize my hands before and after putting on the gloves so that I at least knew it was unlikely I would catch anything from the public.

I hope that you all are taking care of yourselves! Please remember that your new "normal" might not look like other people's "normal". During this time, different people need different things: a schedule helps me but maybe it overwhelms you, starting a project around the house increases my anxiety significantly but it really helps my husband during uncertain times, I don't care if what I'm eating is healthy or not because trying to plan a grocery run is overwhelming but it might give you a sense of peace to know that you are well nourished. You do you, boo.

-Clare G. S.