COVID-19: Splendid Isolation in Purgatory

Two years ago my posting was entitled:

     MY FINAL BLOG







I showed a photo of my book signing from my very first blog on April 29, 2008.  But on May 3, 2018, Kilauea Volcano erupted again, this time headed for Puna.  So I felt compelled to report on this local outbreak.  Well, two years later, here I am with an ongoing pandemic.

From Worldometer, I have adjusted this table to show how new deaths best determine the phase of COVID-19:

DAY     China   Italy   USA   Spain   Germany   S. Korea  WORLD

May   1         0    269   1897      281          113               1        5624
          2         0    474    1691     276            76               2        5215

No good or bad news of any particular significance.

I don't remember ever being isolated in one place this long.  Luckily, I haven't had any serious illnesses or spent any time in prison.  The closest was basic Army training.  But even then, we now and then got a weekend leave. 

Here at 15 Craigside, residents can't leave the premises at all.  If you do, when you return, they quarantine you in your room for 14 days.  Of course, I can understand why.  We are all old and many with more than one pre-condition.  The good news is that, so far, there has been no COVID-19 case here.  We want to keep it that way.  Here are some photos of our isolation:

Someone here came up with an idea to convert those white paper bags that held our delivered meals into Cranes for Hope.  The idea links with Sadako, who made these cranes when she learned she had leukemia from the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima.  Unfortunately she died, but these cranes became a prominent display at the Hiroshima Peace Park.  More than 10 million cranes have since been donated to the Hiroshima.  About our cranes, the bags are now brown, so no more cranes.

Actually, quarantine or not, my current life remains in splendid isolation.  While the only times I go out of my room--where I need to wear a mask--is to use the exercise room, throw trash away, have my morning temperature taken and pick up my mail, I do enjoy watching television and have found a way to continue to enhance my meals, which are delivered to us three times/day.

How do I get ingredients to improve the dishes here?  We are allowed to order from Foodland and Long's every two weeks, but no alcohol.  Plus, I have an angel out there who gets me wagyu beef, sake, o-toro and other necessities of my current life.

You can scroll down to the end, for you will see more photos than necessary, so I can delete them from my desktop.

That was a typical delivered breakfast.  Below, you would think this spaghetti and meatballs with salad should be sufficient.  However, I improved it with basil, onions, garlic and wagyu fat:

While 15C supplied the rice, I used my eggs, natto, ikura (salmon eggs), tsukemono (two types of Japanese pickles), hot sake and beer:

My TV, view, plants and fish keep me entertained and in continued euphoria:

These basil leaves are gigantic.  That's a quarter.

You will see more and more of these when the beaches re-open, a trikini:

Billboard's #1 hits of 1971, in six minutes or so.  Pearl and I are still in Louisiana, and Creole Cajun Zydeco sounds are the Hawaiian music of Hawaii.  The LSU marching band with our fight song.  Harry Toups (recent photo) worked with me in our bio-lab, and he was a proud member of that band.  Half a century, and we're still regularly communicating, with his wife Margaret.  After a successful professional career, Harry is back in the Chemical Engineering Department and running their laboratories.  Here is Tiger Rag.  Geaux Tigers!

Something special about Louisiana are those weekend festivals.  In addition to Mardi Gras, there are 400 festivals.  Jambalaya, crawfish, Chochon de lait...

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