March 2020: When Covid disrupted our lives

 Friday, March 13, 2020

Photo by Retiring Guy

New York Times, 3/11/2024

Ordinarily, the Sport Bowl in Middleton Wisconsin is packed on a Friday evening, with people crowded around the bar and every table filled.  They serve a great cod fish fry.

This was the last time my wife and I went out to dinner until early June, when we belatedly celebrated our 34th anniversary at our favorite restaurant.  Which closed three months later and never reopened.

By the summer of 2021, we were vaccinated and felt fully comfortable dining out.

From a letter written to my family in Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 14, 2020.

The world has changed so rapidly this week. As soon as one announcement is made, a qualifying or more definitive statement is released, such as with NCAA basketball. Conference tournament games to be played in empty arenas. No plans to cancel March Madness. NCAA tournament games are to be played in empty arenas. Big 10 cancel its conference tournament after one day. (As did all other conferences.) March Madness cancelled. 

Then a wide net is cast. All spring sports are put on hiatus. 

As for public schools, rumors swirled earlier in the week that Madison and other district planned to extend their spring breaks. Yesterday Governor Evers announced that all schools, public and private, would close on Wednesday – or is it Thursday – through April 5, leaving open the possibility of an extension. 

Wisconsin State Journal, 3/14/2020

JoAnna worked from home yesterday, spending more of her time on conference calls – with the Governor and his staff and with the Department of Workforce Development leadership team. Not to mention numerous one-on-one phones calls. Based on the determination made by the Governor’s office, all closings will close starting Thursday, but the news release sent out by staff specified 5 p.m. on Wednesday, which resulted in the confusion you see illustrated in the above headline. JoAnna was incensed over this misstep. It’s troubling that Evers’ staff, collectively, appear more bumbling than competent. 

“I am SO happy I’m retiring,” she reiterated. “In fact, I wish I could leave right now.” 

“But that would look as though you’re just walking away at the wrong time,” I cautioned, even though I knew she was just blowing off steam. 

Meanwhile, Andy has moved toward a restrictive, almost fearful response, giving the much-used phrase of late, “out of an abundance of caution”, a vigorous workout. He declined our invitation to join us for fish at the Sport Bowl yesterday evening. (Not nearly as busy as it usually is on a Friday, which allowed to practice proper social distancing.) 

Three Covid cases were diagnosed in Sun Prairie yesterday, remotely affiliated with Andy’s workplace. Nonetheless, his company is going to offer employees the option of working remotely, a decision driven by the statewide school closings. I texted Andy a little while ago to get a sense of how he’s doing. Sounds like he plans to be a hermit today. He didn’t give me a flat-out ‘no’ when I invited him to dinner since JoAnna and I will probably cook out tonight. 

His response: I know I don’t want to be a hermit but idk I still worry. It’s so hard to decide with so many conflicting reports. 

Andy, I fear, is getting too much unfiltered information from social media and his group chat, in particular, which is a politically diverse group of UW-Milwaukee friends – lacrosse teammates, for the most part. One of the Trump fanboys in the group suggested that all of this will blow over by Monday. 

 “He must be watching a lot of Fox News,” I suggested to Andy when he shared this tidbit of nonsense with me. 

Over by Monday? Yeah, right!

Related posts:

It appears that Trump's handling of the pandemic resulted in the deaths of many of his MAGA supporters.  (3/11/2024)

Dear New York Times, How does my life look now?  Pretty much like it did in December 2019.  Best, Retiring Guy.  (3/11/2024)

Four years ago, the Covid pandemic cratered the movie box office.  (3/11/2024)