And yes, Alanis Morisette, I actually know what that means.
This is the DEVELOPMENT mentioned in the previous post, and some additions to earlier comments.
Good news/Bad news. Not a joke. Really good news/Really bad news.
Good news: Nick went down into the basement for who-knows-what (more wine, probably), but just came back up clutching seven new respiratory masks, seemingly unworn. Four are green. Three are official n95s.. In their packaging.
Bad news: They've been down there at least 14 years (last real work we ever did on the house). The new green masks are printed with a warning that they not for reuse and unsafe anything but dust. OK, no green masks. And then…Packaging or not, it looks like mice have managed to pee on the n95s.
On the inappropriate good news side (for comedy purposes only), we now have a choice: Covid? or Hanta?
On the very bad news side: I don't think we can give these away to people who might really need them.
And this leads back to the nature walk thing--an even better view than mine from my friend, an ER doc:
You know, there are two groups where I get insanely angry in a second.
ONE, are these entitled throngs who always seem to be laughing? I have so far stopped myself from saying "YOU won't get a vent - and YOU....", though I actually long to do that.
TWO, are the people in 95's in the grocery, especially IF THEY'RE WEARING THEM WRONG—not fit to face, wearing BELOW the nose. I have so far stopped myself from ripping them off.
More important than my own take, is the responders' medical angle in rage (I know other ER docs)--I never thought of the triage possibility that doctors hold in their hands (must also be enraging--in the imagination--to know that you have the power and can't use it). Or the n95 abuse, but again made aware not only of waste of resources in general but resources on the undeserving.
That's the real crux of the feeling--living with the sense, in your face (literally, too), every day, that some people are undeserving. As in, in the actual moment of rage, I really DO want ordinary (not political) people to die or get sick without medical attention. In contemplation, I simply wouldn't mind. I think I am not an evil person. But not sure, and this is depressing.
I am sorry that I seem to have brought this around to me.
On the flip side, people doing the right thing--Job Lot again (and thanks again to my ER friend):
https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/COVID-19-ceo-message
So even if you don't like the quality of the bird seed, support Job Lot if you can.