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The Virus Blog, Day 3, Dimondale, Michigan
This is the first entry of this virus log, but we have been on “lockdown” for three days now. We are Ken, Brooke, and Gabriel. I am 51. Brooke is 48. Gabriel, Brooke’s son is 14. I am a media freelancer and writer who is used to being at home for long stretches. Gabriel is homeschooled. Brooke is a high school ceramics teacher. Governor Whitmer has closed the schools for three weeks but for us, it may be a month due to spring break. That started on Monday. So far so good. We’ve gone out as briefly as possible to load up on groceries and anything else we think necessary. Yesterday I bought about $150 in vodka of various qualities and sizes. Alcohol is a good commodity to have around. Utilitarian and tradable for barter should that become necessary. I don’t drink much anymore. Brooke likes wine. We have a generator and our water is from a well. Yesterday was really nice out. We took advantage of it and started working on the garden. I think we are going to try to plant more than last year. We chatted, at a safe distance, with the neighbors to the north yesterday. They are about to get some chickens. We plan to trade them tomatoes for eggs. They all seem well as does our neighbor to the south. Brooke and Gabriel have health insurance. I do not. The state changed their programs, long story short, and now I am at the whim of my better health choices. Frankly, I have no faith in any system these days anyway but I may regret not reaching out to the state again to reinstate what shit coverage they do offer just in case. Ingham county has better care than the state so that’s the plan really, not much of a plan. Like the GOP always tells us, “don’t get sick” but then makes sure they have pensions and health care for life after 4 years of “work” as a “representative.” Change is coming.
