June Bug

I saw a Twilight Zone as a kid that scared me for years. Some kids discover a portal to another universe in the wall in their bedroom when their little dog accidentally goes through it. Yesterday, Mr. JB discovered A Million Ways to Die in the West. It was great watching on the side while surfing the internet on the laptop. Some broad humor, some raunchy humor, some satire, lots of silliness. The owner or the mustache store dies in the end, but the protagonist sheep farmer gets the girl he should be with rather than the one who left him for the mustache store owner after the bad guy husband of the girl he gets in the end is killed by a bullet dipped in rattlesnake venom, a trick the protagonist learned when captured by Apaches but he speaks fluent Apache so it's all cool, and the girl he originally wanted wants him back but NO! he's gonna stay with...anyway. Key line: "Somebody always dies at the fair..." Old episode of Fargo popped up on the DVR and we've got quite a bit of Better Call Saul queued up. Mr. JB discovered Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (zippy! singing! dancing! perky protagonist!) and (last night) Dispatches from Elsewhere (weird and somewhat existential). Today we're gonna solve how to get Amazon Prime on TV and I'm gonna binge watch Bosch. We've also got a 1,000 piece jig saw puzzle of a floral arrangement that is only 20" x 26" completed, so the pieces are each about the size of a thumbnail. Its a great time for organizing, purging (throwing out and giving away whatever), garage reorganization except when the non-cleaning/purging spouse is home, it's harder, as in, Oh hells no, I've had that ______ (T shirt, Monopoly, cooler with no lid, 8 track cassettes, Walkman, all grade school homework) since 19___ or 20___ and no WAY it's going to _______ (Goodwill, trash, recycling). Alternatively, just make lists about doing that stuff; you don't have to actually DO it. I have two books to finish (Wayfinding and Trump's Generals) and another to start (Endurance). Austin public libraries are closed, so no worries on returns.

Wheatsville on Guadalupe has excellent fresh guac.

Yes, I truly fear our entire economy will be in tatters by the time this is over and it's devastating for the tourism economy in places like Moab. We drove through Moab a few years ago, it was an absolute crush of traffic with more motels being built at the north end of town. I'd guess the economy of Moab is probably 98% tourism these days and it's somewhat seasonal. It can get pretty damn cold there in the winter. I had the experience of driving through Moab more than once before it was "discovered," which more or less coincided with Raiders of the Lost Ark and the explosion of the climbing scene. It was a dusty little nothing of a cattle ranching town in the middle of nowhere, with a little boom during the long past uranium mining years. Hope it doesn't go back to that. However, if the COVID-19 crisis resolves a bit by summer and people are back to travelling, places like Moab will revive, but at a reduced level. Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, based out of Moab, still has active trip departures after April 18, with the caveat that things could change on short notice.

It's the CATS!

Watch the Lincoln McConaughey ice fishing ad carefully. I realized that it was edited in a way that made it seem as though he was on location. Pretty sure he wasn't. I am so terrible at picking out good avocados that I finally defaulted to store-bought guac. It's not my go-to fave food though. Sprouts was out of Brown Cow cream on top, chocolate on the bottom yogurt; that made me briefly sad.

Thanks for these clarifications; I defer to you expertise and stand corrected on all counts! Also, for some reason I confuse measles with chicken pox as the source of shingles. I received the polio vaccine in the first year, 1955, probably in a sugar cube. Also, what's the status of small pox vaccinations? Is it only for travel to some countries? Many years ago I crossed from Mexico into Guatemala at a remote border station. When I showed my passport with proof of small pox vaccination, the Guatemalan crossing guard said he didn't need proof of vaccination because small pox was "fin in el mundo." Shopping update from this morning, Friday, March 20. Thanks to ATXZJ for the Sprouts tip. Sprouts and Trader Joes all good. Sprouts not crowded and well stocked except no TP or avocados. Got to Trader Joes about 5 minutes after opening. Much less crowded than on a Friday at 4 pm, but nobody's spending time looking at stuff. Didn't check on beef supply at Sprouts, but the beef section at the far end of the case at Trader Joes was bare. My guess is these stores are not crowded because there are groceries at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Sam's Club, COSTCO, Target, HEB and Randalls all close to each other. Up until three years ago, geese were these awesome birds in formation, flying high, heralding a change in the seasons. You'd head this faint sound, look up and there they are. Ya know, UPLIFTING. Then we went to Pittsburgh to begin the Great Allegheny Passage ride. Geese were hanging around everywhere, pooping on everything. It took awhile to connect what I was seeing lying around with geese. But, of course, awesome, amazing birds. Honk.

Or a goose. Dear lord, their poops are huge. I don't know if they offload on the wing, though. I got nailed waiting for the light to change at 183 and Georgian by one of the many small birds that hang out on the power lines. Citation? I want to know what kind of good luck I'm in for.

The first time I went there I realized it was filled with refugees from Whole Foods.

Good to know. A week ago they were business as usual and not very busy. When did you go there?

Shopping update as of 4:36 pm on THURSDAY, March 19. Went out for a spin and decided to bike through the Domain (pretty deserted) and check out the Domain Whole Foods parking lot. Very few cars, like "Where is everybody?" . From a very respectful 8' distance, I asked two ladies unloading groceries if they had any trouble finding anything and if the store was fully stocked. No trouble finding anything and the store was fully stocked. Seniors (me) can shop for an hour before the store officially opens. I'll be there at 7 am tomorrow to stock up for two or three weeks. Jeebus I hate to support Jeff Bezos these days, but I don't want to go to HEB and I want to get some fresh produce. Might be time to start a separate Instant Pot thread. Back in the day on Mojo, I recall a winter crock pot thread.

Austin Bike, I got a notification from MediCare on Tuesday or so that MediCare has now approved tele-appointments. Not realizing that, I had just called and left a message at my primary care physician's office to see if I could do an appt by phone. It all worked out -- I talked to her yesterday and she was able to prescribe appropriately. She's safer, I'm safer and her office assistant is safer. She's a solo practitioner with a waiting room the size of a postage stamp; I really didn't want to go in. She does have great magazines, though. Anyway, it's safer to talk by phone if possible, rather than sit in a waiting room with potentially sick people. I truly hope your father, and all of us, stay well through all this. I take it seriously. How seriously? I'm getting ready to update my will (no, nobody is getting written out), set up advanced medical directives and have a second person lined up with medical power of attorney in case my husband is unable to carry out those decisions -- no extreme measure or life support. Just hoping to survive until a vaccine is developed or an existing medication is found to be effective.

Wanted to address a few things in your post -- nothing personal. Measles isn't bad unless it's bad. Please don't ever think it's an innocuous illness; it's one of the most contagious illnesses around. You don't see the potential for damage because who gets measles anymore? By 2000, it was almost eradicated in the US. It's incredibly bad for infants, the immuno-compromised and those who acquire it in adulthood. It's suppresses the immune system for quite a long period of time after the illness has passed (immune amnesia). It can rear it's ugly head much later in life as shingles. Fortunately a recent, 96% effective vaccine (Shingrix 2-shot series) has been developed for shingles. Any person over 60 should be getting it. The vaccine is MMR, Measles, Mumps, Rubella. Rubella can cause devastating birth defects and miscarriages if acquired during early pregnancy. These are all viral illnesses. Unlike bacteria, there is, as far as I know, no virus that is beneficial to its host. Moving on to polio. It, too, is caused by a virus. Polio still exists in various parts of the world and polio vaccination is still recommended and required in some areas of the US before a child begins school. The polio vaccine was introduced in 1955. Every parent in the US was incredibly grateful for this; polio was an utterly terrifying disease when I was a young child and every one of us knew what an iron lung was. Every school-aged child was vaccinated. I've known three people who survived polio as a child with subsequent disabling conditions. Polio is another illness that can re-emerge later in life as post-polio syndrome, which can also be disabling. Anti vaxxers. Gah. Rant off. Going for a mellow bike ride.

According to Ryan Leech, "Can a wheelie save the world? No. But social distancing can, and practicing wheelies can encourage social distancing. That's why we're giving away our 30-Day Wheelie Challenge course." Here ya go: https://learn.ryanleech.com/free-wheelie

From the TPWD Pedernales Falls webpage.

The clothing company? There are a ton of them advertising on facebook. They can't all survive. Or did you mean the tour company Western Spirit? They've been around for quite awhile and I think can survive this. They're based in Moab. They have a covid-19 plan posted on their web site now: westernspirit.com/covid-19/ As of now, they've cancelled all trips with a departure date prior to April 18. Everything after that is still a go, pending whatever the heck happens next. We rescheduled from May 4 start date to October 10.

Update: Canyonlands and Arches National Parks are closing down tomorrow, Saturday, March 38. Moab and Carbon, Emory and Grand counties are shut; all lodging can be rented only to locals and essential visitors. These three counties cover a lot of area. Non locals are also banned from camping on public or private property (see below). That said, current visitors will be allowed to stay until the end of their reservation and then have to leave. They cannot extend a reservation. This will be a massive hit to their tourism-based economy & is coming in the middle of Spring Break week for a lot of people. All Moab hotels, lodgings ordered to close to non local visitors. You can link to a pdf clarifying the nature and extent of the closures here. The part specifying that there is to be no camping on public or private lands, unless you are a primary resident (live there) or an essential visitor, is on page 4, section 3. Moab is an isolated place with a small hospital (17 beds). They can't do critical care and have no resources to respond to serious COVID-19 cases. Grand Junction would be the closest major hospital and that's almost two hours away. The locals may love it because they aren't dealing with the tourist crush.

Sweet Jebus, it really is a thing GRAVEL JOSHUA LADY SHORT SLEEVE JERSEY No idea what "other bags" might refer to.

I'm concerned about how e-bikes affect the time frame for the onset of the post-apocalyptic dystopia, although we might need to factor in corona virus at this point.

Curious about this--was his injury so severe that he required heli medevac? Is helicopter access so available in Austin that it's easier to fly him out than wheel him out on one of those all terrain stretchers with one big wheel?

Thank you! I didn't know I needed that. John Mulaney may be the funniest human alive.

Well, yes and no. Immunity drops to a certain degree with every decade starting at 60. Being active and in good shape helps in all ways, but I do know my immunity isn't what it used to be and it takes a bit longer to bounce back from illness. I do NOT want to get this shit. Interesting article from VOX that discusses the issue of age and vulnerability. Why Covid-19 is so dangerous for older adults. I'm also deeply concerned for us collectively. Were I to be careless and become ill, I'd likely infect a number of other people, including my husband. Were we to require hospitalization or other health care, we'd then endanger health workers and possible care givers and anyone who came into contact with us. My sense is that we are in the calm before the storm at this point. Community acquired infections are popping up in unlikely places. Matagorda County on the coast had it's first case. Someone was diagnosed in Yoakum, Texas (between Cuero and Halletsville). If any of you have seen pictures of (I think) O'Hare, hordes of people returning to the US were packed shoulder to shoulder (think Japanese subway scene during rush hour) with some waiting 4 - 6 hours to get to the baggage carousel, and then another 2 - 4 hours to clear customs. Insane. No fever screening, no screening for those returning from heavily infected areas, no masks provided. Zero. Perfect conditions for the transmission of disease. Testing is either unavailable or a total cluster ****. Honestly, I'd face palm over this BUT I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO TOUCH MY FACE WITH MY HANDS! Baylor Scott and White is providing drive-up testing at a site near the Domain. You sign up through their patient portal (requiring confirmation by text and email), then fill out their online patient screening questionnaire, and THEN they (human, algorithm?) decide if you get tested. If you pass the threshold, you drive over to the location and get the test. Your sample is then sent to the state for testing and at some unspecified point in the future, the results are provided. Gah. Anyway, link to the KXAN article: Drive-up Corona Virus Clinic Opens in North Austin Chief, earlier this morning I read about cytokine storms. Not a good way to go. If you survive, a possibility of permanent lung damage. I'll raise my elbow for a distant elbow bump if I see y'all on the trails.

They had Fever Clinics, which helped them identify patients. When someone tested positive, they aggressively tracked down every person they had contact with every place they had been and monitored those people. Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in pfd format. WHO=World Health Organization, as opposed to The Who, who just cancelled their Nottingham show due to corona virus.

We're taking self quarantining seriously since we're both way into the high-risk demographic age wise. Corona virus likes to park and go to work in the the lower respiratory tract of old people. Older people with COVID-19 in northern Italy (heart of the pandemic) were dying from acute bilateral interstitial pneumonia and it's not a good way to go. If you survive that, there's potential for permanent lung damage. Cycling and walking means we're not house bound. Really hoping this new corona virus is like others in the corona virus family and tapers off in warm to hot weather. Nobody knows, though. It's summer in Australia and people are getting sick there. Pedal on, y'all and and stay safe, well and happy.

We do have an unused Reba sitting around somewhere, and haven't moved to Boost yet. I'll evaluate that as an option.

Thanks, AB. I checked the PUSH site; for Fox, they only work on Fox 36's from 2015 and newer. Mine is a 32 and may be older. I'll check in with my go-to guy, Joe at Monkey Wrench.