Raven West
♦ April 2, 2020
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Does anybody know what time it is?
Does anybody really care?
COVID–19 detriment:
One of the very first casualties of the COVID–19 was my calendar and my watch. Before social distancing, I had a set schedule that I followed from the time I woke up till the time I went to bed.
From Thursday through Sunday I was a Brand Ambassador handing out samples of Qunol CoQ10 and Turmeric at Costco. I woke up at 6 am, made coffee, ate breakfast, watched the TV shows I’d recorded the night before, showered and dressed at 8:30, left at 9 scheduled my breaks at noon, and 4pm, lunch from 2 – 2:30 and got home at 6:30 pm. For the past 2 years I knew what day it was and what time it was.
March 13 – Friday the 13th we were advised that Costco was discontinuing all product demonstrations “until further notice”.
My biorhythm clock was already messed up with the time change on March 8th, but now everything was off. I’m wide awake at 2 am, fall asleep for a few hours, then wake up at 5am! Even though I have no reason to get out of bed, I’m so full of energy I can’t get back to sleep!
On the Positive Side:
I have more energy than I’ve had in years! I’ve dusted all the furniture vacuumed, washed the windows, disinfected the bathroom and am finished by 11 am! My apartment is spotless for the first time in years!
COVID–19 detriment:
Hair salons are closed.
I had planned on taking a day off to visit my hair stylist for a haircut and color enhancement, and make an appointment with the nail salon for a mani-pedi. My appointment was next week, but now “next week” might be next month, or longer! 
(I’m sure once social distancing has been lifted, it won’t be the bars, restaurants or movies that will have long lines, it will be all the hair and nail salons and barber shops people will be waiting for hours to get into!)
On the Positive Side:
Without using a blow dryer, my naturally curly hair not only covers all the grey, it shrinks to a decent length without having to cut it, saving me time drying my hair and I also have time to polish my own nails for about $2.50 saving both time AND money!
COVID–19 detriment:
Grocery stores
Once upon a time I had to wait on-line and show my ID to get into a swanky nightclub to prove I was 21. Today, I have to wait on-line at seven o’clock in the morning at Ralphs to show my ID to prove I’m 65!
(I did hear that grocery stores were limiting the toilet paper packs to one per man and two for women. Makes sense – women do use twice as much!)
When I worked at Costco, I could enter through the employee back entrance before the store opened and, once the registers were cleaned and ready, I bought what I needed with no problem. I also found a lot of great wine that pretty much filled my shopping cart.
On the Positive Side:
Last week I went to Vons. Not only was there no line outside, but not very many people inside. While many of the shelves were empty, I found everything I needed in the kosher section and Passover aisle. No matter what the calamity, Jews EAT. Jars of Gefilte fish were on sale for $4.50, with an expiration date of November, 2022. I bought five.
Usually one box of Matzo is around $6.00, but for Passover an entire case is only $5.00. Matzo lasts at least 40 years, so the Exodus story tells us. Even though the regular pasta section was empty, there was plenty of packages of egg noodles and, no surprise, lots of sour cream and cottage cheese for noodle kugel. Found me a nice chicken and 2 dozen eggs, so now we have enough food to last until the 4th of July!
Happy Pesach!
COVID–19 detriment:
Family
Our family plans to meet in Houston next week for Passover had to be cancelled, but Passover comes every year and we’ll have plenty of opportunity to celebrate for years to come since we’re all healthy and plan on being so for a very, very long time.
On the Positive Side:
Before COVID–19 I was lucky if I heard from any one of my three daughters once a month and even then it was usually either a text message, or one little emoji. Now I’m getting three or more phone calls a day, (sometimes as early as six o’clock in the morning since one of them lives on the East Coast!) with at least one or more video Facetimes with my daughters and my grandkids! Live and in person! Ya gotta LOVE modern technology, especially now.
Since my husband retired, nothing much has changed in his routine with or without social distancing. We’ve been together 40 years this October, and I’m sure we’ll make it to celebrate our anniversary!
COVID–19 detriment:
I’ve been cooking a lot more and eating a lot more. Those five pounds I lost last month have found me again, but they won’t be hanging around for very long.
On the Positive Side:
With all the cooking, I’m constantly washing dishes, which means I’m also washing my hands 10 times a day or more!
Lastly, on a VERY positive note:
I now have the time to finally finish the novel I stated in 2011. I’d always planned on finishing “Vashti’s Daughter” but between work, social obligations and meetings, there was never enough time.
Now, I have nothing BUT time. With nowhere to go, nothing to do, I can finally do what I love the most – WRITE. Which is also why I’ve been posting a lot more to this blog these past few days than I’ve posted since I started way back in September of 2009!
While it seems that the COVID–19 nightmare has gone on for months, in reality we only started home isolation and social distancing about three weeks ago. (We probably should have started a lot sooner, but that’s a discussion for another blog) And while it seems that the current situation will be on-going forever, this is NOT the “new normal”, it’s only the “new temporary”.
It might be a difficult situation for now, but we’ve survived a lot worse and we will come out of this better, stronger and more POSITIVE than we were before the world came to a screeching halt.
In the meaning, I have a book to finish!
Enjoy!
Raven West
♦ March 24, 2020
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People need people – At a time when humans need humans the most, we are forced into isolation. After every natural or man-made disaster, be it hurricanes, floods, fires, tornadoes or mass shootings, the masses rush to comfort one another in the streets. Strangers meet in the dark with candles to light up the night. Worshipers of every faith flock to their places of worship where they hug each other and cry. There is strength in numbers.
Today that number has been reduced to zero. The more we isolate from one another, the weaker we get. We’re “social distancing” our bodies to protect ourselves from physical harm, but the emotional and psychological ramifications of extended isolation will contribute to heighten anxiety and stress that can be much more physically harmful in the long run.
People need people – and while communicating with modern technology is a way to keep some businesses alive and some employed and educated at home, it’s no substitute for human contact.
The reports tell us we should have two weeks of provisions to get through this crises, but even going to pick up provisions can be just as psychologically damaging when shelf after shelf is empty.
We’ve all seen this in Florida, Texas and other states immediately before a hurricane strikes. We have time to prepare. The storms pass. The disaster is over in a day or two followed by the clean-up and recovery. There is an end game we can all see, plan for and look forward to.
Not this time. Report after report tells us the virus is spreading. There is no cure, it might take up to a year for a vaccine. Everything is closed. Stores are going out of business and the stock market is going down the drain. People will run out of money in a month and be forced out into the streets when they can’t pay their rent or utility bills.
Worldwide disaster, worldwide destruction and worldwide collapse. We’re ALL ALONE together!
PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE!
On the up side –
Mass shootings have become non-existent. With no one going out, the schools closed, entertainment venues and places of worship empty, well you get the gist. No masses, no mass-shootings. I’m sure there are several very disappointed psychotics out there wondering what they’re going to do with all those guns and extra ammo.
Armed robberies are also WAY down. The stores that might still be open have no customers, thus they have no money in the cash registers to steal. Unless it’s toilet paper. Drive by shootings are also at an all-time low – there’s no one on the streets to shoot! Parties have been cancelled, no one is leaving home.
Whether or not domestic violence is on the rise is a possibility. Without a job to go to, or schools to drop your kids off, being locked in your home with only your significant others over the long run can easily get on your nerves!
On the economical side – women don’t need to buy make-up, hundreds of dollars saved right there! Dry cleaning bills drop because you can wear the same clothes every day and no one cares. Also huge savings in water bills since you don’t have to wash your clothes and who cares if you stink? Except those you’re stuck in the house with.
There are still a few stores that remain open for “essentials”. Love living in California where you can buy beer, wine and any hard liquor in the grocery stores and pharmacy! Definitely essential. (I hear Bev Mo delivers).
People need people. When this is all over, and eventually it will be, we will meet again in person. In the meantime, I have a huge stuffed teddy bear who gives great hugs!
P.S. I do hope no one takes this too seriously, but if it makes you feel better writing insulting comments, go right ahead. Just PLEASE use proper grammar!
Author Raven West 
COVID–19 An Optimistic “Bird’s Eye” View
Raven West ♦ April 2, 2020 ♦ Leave a comment
Does anybody know what time it is?
Does anybody really care?
COVID–19 detriment:
One of the very first casualties of the COVID–19 was my calendar and my watch. Before social distancing, I had a set schedule that I followed from the time I woke up till the time I went to bed.
From Thursday through Sunday I was a Brand Ambassador handing out samples of Qunol CoQ10 and Turmeric at Costco. I woke up at 6 am, made coffee, ate breakfast, watched the TV shows I’d recorded the night before, showered and dressed at 8:30, left at 9 scheduled my breaks at noon, and 4pm, lunch from 2 – 2:30 and got home at 6:30 pm. For the past 2 years I knew what day it was and what time it was.
March 13 – Friday the 13th we were advised that Costco was discontinuing all product demonstrations “until further notice”.
My biorhythm clock was already messed up with the time change on March 8th, but now everything was off. I’m wide awake at 2 am, fall asleep for a few hours, then wake up at 5am! Even though I have no reason to get out of bed, I’m so full of energy I can’t get back to sleep!
On the Positive Side:
I have more energy than I’ve had in years! I’ve dusted all the furniture vacuumed, washed the windows, disinfected the bathroom and am finished by 11 am! My apartment is spotless for the first time in years!
COVID–19 detriment:
Hair salons are closed.
I had planned on taking a day off to visit my hair stylist for a haircut and color enhancement, and make an appointment with the nail salon for a mani-pedi. My appointment was next week, but now “next week” might be next month, or longer!
(I’m sure once social distancing has been lifted, it won’t be the bars, restaurants or movies that will have long lines, it will be all the hair and nail salons and barber shops people will be waiting for hours to get into!)
On the Positive Side:
Without using a blow dryer, my naturally curly hair not only covers all the grey, it shrinks to a decent length without having to cut it, saving me time drying my hair and I also have time to polish my own nails for about $2.50 saving both time AND money!
COVID–19 detriment:
Grocery stores
Once upon a time I had to wait on-line and show my ID to get into a swanky nightclub to prove I was 21. Today, I have to wait on-line at seven o’clock in the morning at Ralphs to show my ID to prove I’m 65!
(I did hear that grocery stores were limiting the toilet paper packs to one per man and two for women. Makes sense – women do use twice as much!)
When I worked at Costco, I could enter through the employee back entrance before the store opened and, once the registers were cleaned and ready, I bought what I needed with no problem. I also found a lot of great wine that pretty much filled my shopping cart.
On the Positive Side:
Last week I went to Vons. Not only was there no line outside, but not very many people inside. While many of the shelves were empty, I found everything I needed in the kosher section and Passover aisle. No matter what the calamity, Jews EAT. Jars of Gefilte fish were on sale for $4.50, with an expiration date of November, 2022. I bought five.
Usually one box of Matzo is around $6.00, but for Passover an entire case is only $5.00. Matzo lasts at least 40 years, so the Exodus story tells us. Even though the regular pasta section was empty, there was plenty of packages of egg noodles and, no surprise, lots of sour cream and cottage cheese for noodle kugel. Found me a nice chicken and 2 dozen eggs, so now we have enough food to last until the 4th of July!
Happy Pesach!
COVID–19 detriment:
Family
Our family plans to meet in Houston next week for Passover had to be cancelled, but Passover comes every year and we’ll have plenty of opportunity to celebrate for years to come since we’re all healthy and plan on being so for a very, very long time.
On the Positive Side:
Before COVID–19 I was lucky if I heard from any one of my three daughters once a month and even then it was usually either a text message, or one little emoji. Now I’m getting three or more phone calls a day, (sometimes as early as six o’clock in the morning since one of them lives on the East Coast!) with at least one or more video Facetimes with my daughters and my grandkids! Live and in person! Ya gotta LOVE modern technology, especially now.
Since my husband retired, nothing much has changed in his routine with or without social distancing. We’ve been together 40 years this October, and I’m sure we’ll make it to celebrate our anniversary!
COVID–19 detriment:
I’ve been cooking a lot more and eating a lot more. Those five pounds I lost last month have found me again, but they won’t be hanging around for very long.
On the Positive Side:
With all the cooking, I’m constantly washing dishes, which means I’m also washing my hands 10 times a day or more!
Lastly, on a VERY positive note:
I now have the time to finally finish the novel I stated in 2011. I’d always planned on finishing “Vashti’s Daughter” but between work, social obligations and meetings, there was never enough time.
Now, I have nothing BUT time. With nowhere to go, nothing to do, I can finally do what I love the most – WRITE. Which is also why I’ve been posting a lot more to this blog these past few days than I’ve posted since I started way back in September of 2009!
While it seems that the COVID–19 nightmare has gone on for months, in reality we only started home isolation and social distancing about three weeks ago. (We probably should have started a lot sooner, but that’s a discussion for another blog) And while it seems that the current situation will be on-going forever, this is NOT the “new normal”, it’s only the “new temporary”.
It might be a difficult situation for now, but we’ve survived a lot worse and we will come out of this better, stronger and more POSITIVE than we were before the world came to a screeching halt.
In the meaning, I have a book to finish!
Enjoy!
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