Old ways.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

Sometimes, it's really, really good to know some of the old ways. Because things are about to get really, really bad for a lot of folks.

I don't think most people have internalized yet what COVID-19 is going to do to their ideas of normal life. We're luckier than most, because we're relatively isolated already. We've been using the last three or four weeks to stock up (NOT stockpile, and if you're doing the latter you should stop it right now, because you're hurting yourself as well as others). A couple of years ago, we used one of the leftover Lowe's cards to buy an inexpensive chest freezer to put in the studio. We've half-filled it (because there are only two of us, and we do not need to buy out the stores, even if we could afford it), and we're stocked with meat and canned goods and supplies. Most of it stocked long ago, because we order beans and rice in 30-lb bags once every 2-3 years, and buy flour in small bulk, and other staples. We have always bought cleaning supplies and paper goods in the big sizes, and that lasts us a good long while; fewer trips into town needed that way. Wings turned elk meat into jerky, above. About the only thing we still need to get is gas for the generator, should everything really go to hell. And it could.

A lot of folks alive today have never lived through any kind of isolation. We both come from cultures that have experienced extreme isolation at times. Also from places where, not that many decades ago, winter weather could isolate you for days or weeks on end. And when you lose power for days or weeks on end? You can also lose access to clean water, to say nothing of heat and light. So while other folks are fighting over hand sanitizer that should be left for folks who really need it (like doctors' offices! our doctor can't get masks, gloves, or more hand sanitizer now), we're thinking in terms of infrastructure.

Doctor's appointments for each of us today, routine, with scrip refills and so forth on deck. More prep. And yes, they're down to their last bottles of hand sanitizer, and they cannot get gloves and masks now, thanks to selfishness and greed, and so very soon, it will be possible for folks to get sick or injured and their medical care will not meet basic sanitary standards. Colonialism at its finest. And this is private practice. Don't even talk to me about IHS; it's been absurd for weeks.

The other issue today, which our doc has resolved for us, is Wings's oral surgery. We already knew that COVID-19 was here in NM (how could it not be?), but the first three cases were confirmed officially this morning. For a diabetic in the age group hardest hit by this virus, with multiply-invasive mouth surgery and the attendant risk of infection? We thought we knew what the answer should be, but our doctor had no hesitation in confirming it for us: Push it back to July at least. Preferably to October. And since the whole point of undergoing such an ordeal was to prevent infections, there's no need to invite one given current circumstances. The oral surgeon is paid in full in advance. They can wait until it's safe.

Still, there's the constant need to bring in income. On top of the pressures that accompany Wings's dental work, it's going to be costly for other reasons. Between the tow and the garage bill, we had to shell out $700 cash that I had already allocated for other expenses. That's $700 on top of the regular bills for the month, most of which are due this week. Probably another $300 before we're done for today and tomorrow, for medical and prescription costs. So I have to make up four figures' worth fast, which means I've got to start bringing in some scratch from sales, subscriptions, everywhere and anywhere I can, especially since we don't have a fix on Wings's recovery time from all this slated for next week. We'll have a major new piece up tonight, so please share it, because we need help to make sales. The links are here:

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All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.