Read chapter 26 here
April 21, 2020
Our governor has yet to follow your governor’s lead as far as face masks are concerned. And after my only experience wearing one, I have to confess that I’m thankful for that.
Last Thursday, JoAnna had an appointment at the Red Cross to give blood. Not just blood, actually, but also platelets, a process that involves separating them from the red and white cells and then returning the latter to the donor’s bloodstream. (Sounds like what I did on a weekly basis for about a year in Buffalo to earn some extra money.) She thought her visit would take up no more than a couple of hours.
“Let me ask you something,” I said, a bit hesitantly, while she was getting ready to leave. “Would you have a problem if I take you there and then drive around to take some photos of various construction projects for my blog?”
I thought she might consider my request, if not dangerous, a nonessential activity. Which it is, of course, but one that involves extensive social distancing. Even in
pre-pandemic times, I rarely came within hailing distance of anyone while on these excursions.
“No, I don’t have a problem with that,” she replied matter-of-factly.
I detected no hint of concern or questioning in her voice.
I’ve been taking these excursions since the early 2010s, when a construction boom transformed neighborhoods and business districts throughout Dane County. In the process, I have created a visual record of various construction projects — homes(teardowns in particular), office buildings, apartments, schools, streets and highways, to name a few – from start to finish. These post, represented by a handful of ‘before and after’ photo pairings, comprise a considerable percentage of updated posts on Retiring Guy's Digest.
I returned to the Red Cross then minutes before our prearranged time of 1:45. I passed the time writing a section of my weeks letter, composing an email to myself as I usual do, later cutting and pasting it into a Word document and adding photos and other illustrations. With no sign of JoAnna by 2:15, I wondered if I should enter the building and check on her progress. I decided to wait. After her previous visit, she complained about how long it took for red and white cells to return to her bloodstream. I figured it was more of the same. By 2:45, I became a bit worried.
“Do you have an appointment? asked a middle-aged woman, most of her face covered by a cloth mask, as I approached a table set up in the lobby.
“No, I’m just here to check on my wife,” I explained.
After taking my temperature and verifying that JoAnna’s name was on the list, she handed me a face mask, probably the cheapest model available, and directed me
into a large room set up with blood donor beds for giving blood. As soon as I put on the mask, my glasses fogged up to the point where I could barely see where I was going. I took them off so they could clear up, but the lenses immediately fogged up as soon as I put the glasses back on.
Another masked woman told me that JoAnna was just about done.
“Do you want to see her?” she asked.
Under the circumstances, I didn’t think that was necessary or advisable and was surprised even to be asked the question.
“No, thank you, just tell her that her husband will be waiting for her in the car,” I replied.
If it comes to the point in Wisconsin where it’s necessary to wear a mask to enter a store or other building, I need to find one designed to keep my glasses fog-free.
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