Oh, I think seeing people's faces matters a lot. I desperately miss seeing people and being close to them. When this is over, I'm going to turn into a hugger! When numbers are super low, I'll go maskless at friends' houses, or at certain social gatherings, but for things like stores, I'm fine with masking. In fact, as a teacher, it might be nice to shop anonymously sometimes, like in the underwear section of TJ Maxx 😃

I'm with you. I am super careful not to spread germs when I'm sick. I never went to the level of wearing a mask during flu season, but I probably will wear one in stores in the future when there are lots of viruses circulating. I'll feel comfortable about it thanks to all the masking we've all been doing. I already didn't go out to eat much or spend time in crowded places during flu season, with the exception of the grocery store. I'm not sure about work, since I'm a teacher. Sometimes I'm completely distracted all day by thinking about the puking, sneezing, snotty kids that are surrounding me. Although... I really like getting lattes at my local coffee shop. I miss that social time so much. Hmmm... I agree with the others who have posted that wearing a mask when you know you're sick is a considerate thing to do. The fact that a mask also protects me is a bonus. I'm hoping that mask wearing won't be considered too weird once this is all over. Now that we have cute masks that don't look too clinical, hopefully people will understand that I'm either mildly sick or just choosing to protect myself, and not give me the side-eye.

I'll make sure they do that. This has been the easiest cat until this year, when she's had something new and strange every month or two. She's normally the most chill animal on the planet. Sleeps quietly all night... just wants to cuddle every time I sit down... and now this! I feel like a horrible pet owner for not being able to fix this for her.

Ordering a fountain now! Well, they didn't culture before the two courses of Clavamox, and then did after that and found ecoli. I assume they picked an antibiotic that's appropriate.... hopefully! I hope she just needs a longer course, but at this point, it's been an entire month of antibiotics.

You're probably right. Sigh.

Thanks guys. She's at the vet now 😞 I do mostly wet food, but some dry still. I should just pull the plug and never let her have dry food. She does like the plain baby food, but the vet said to lay off pure meat because that much protein is hard on kidneys. Latest kidney bloodwork showed "moderate" kidney disease. They said there's not too much we can do other than do lots of water. They did do Xrays last time at the vet (about a week ago) and didn't see anything. It does seem like the antibiotics are working... somewhat. I mean, she goes from very upset and peeing blood to being her normal self. But as soon as she's off them, she's in pain again in a few days. Maybe they just need to use a nuclear option of antibiotics? That makes me nervous for many reasons, but we have to do something. Do you think my house is contaminated with ecoli? Or is there usually ecoli in cat stool, and it was just a random fluke that some ended up in her urinary tract?

Plus, I'm wondering.... if this is some kind of antibiotic resistant e-coli.... can it spread to humans when I change the litter? When she walks on our couches, rugs...? Eek!

My sweet Maggie has been on and off antibiotics since September 1st. First they gave her Clavamox, twice, which helped a lot but didn't make it go away. She had symptoms a couple days after both courses. So they did a culture, found ecoli, and switched to Enrofloxacin (sp?). She did 7 days of that, seemed great for 5 days, and just now was meowing, pawing, in the litterbox, drops of pinkish urine 😞. My DH is dropping her off at the vet now. I feel so bad for her, and I'm also scared and frustrated! Is this something that will eventually be untreatable and kill her? We've spent about $1,000 on vet bills in a month, and she seems no closer to being better than when we started. She is 15, has thyroid problems (treated), and moderate kidney disease, which she has special food for. Ugh. I know a cat UTI is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, considering the state of the world, but I've been analyzing every pee and meow for 36 days and I'm about done in 😞

Yeah. I find Chris Christie likable, too, despite not agreeing with most things he says. I hope he gets well soon. However, it's just so crazy to think that all these people, who are smart and successful, are going to events where they are close together, without masks, and then it's some big surprise when they catch COVID. I wonder what kind of psychology is going on here. Especially since it would be a big deal if something really bad happened to one of these people who are in positions of great responsibility.

I live in a smallish town in Maine, and previously lived in a slightly bigger but still small town in a different state. It's a night and day difference, but not because of the size. The larger town had more people, but it didn't have any amenities other than the grocery store, there were no book shops or clothing stores, and it was just a drag. The main street was run down and had lots of empty store fronts. Now in this smaller town, I have at least one of everything that I could want. DH and I made a list of things that we really wanted from a town, and luckily were able to find a place to rent in one that fit the bill. On our list we had: at least one coffee shop where we could sit and work, a nice grocery store, library, bookshop, a handful of restaurants that we would enjoy, within driving distance of certain outdoor areas, etc. Having the list helped to narrow things down. In our bigger but worse previous town, I went into the library the day I moved there. I was so excited to meet new people and become part of the town, and went up to the librarian at the counter and said, "Hi! I just moved in and I'm so excited to get a library card!" She just looked at me without smiling and said, "Do you have identification?" Ugh! Right away I had a feeling... hmmm... these may not be kindred spirits. I suggest going into shops/library/restaurants to get a feel for the culture in different towns. In addition to the town having the things you need to fit your lifestyle, I think it's the particular area/neighborhood that makes the difference. My neighborhood is mostly middle aged to elderly people and I LOVE it because noise of any kind makes me crazy. I'm fine with lawnmowers and people chatting with friends on patios, but any kind of unexpected party, random loud music... no. My skin crawls just thinking about it! It's hard because you can't control your neighbors. You could move to the country and have someone super loud down the road, or you could live in a neighborhood with .3 acre lots, like mine, and never hear anything. We're trying to decide if we should buy our current house in the lovely neighborhood, despite the fact that the house is too small, or risk buying something bigger with unknown neighbors. Could you make a list of towns you like, or potential towns, and just go cruising every weekend? That would be fun 🙂 Moving during a pandemic is actually a pretty good idea, at least for selling your house. My friend put her house on the market and it was sold in three days. We're not even in a super fancy location. Houses around here are going for $10/20k more than the selling price because out of staters are wanting to move. Of course, that makes it hard for buyers, but if you're going from a hot market to a less hot one, it could really work out in your favor. You could be somewhere better by Christmas!! 🙂

I love IKEA and Wayfair.

Agreed. We need to be okay with people as they are and not judge.

OMG, that's exactly what my DH says. I say, you gotta try to at least talk a little. He says, why should I have to adjust to the world... why shouldn't the world have to adjust to ME? I think trying on both sides could be a good compromise. He tries to chat a bit, and we accept a bit of chatting and then don't get on his case when he's sitting there doing his crossword puzzle. (Which is what usually happens, and we're totally fine with it.)

If you try to engage him in conversation, what happens? Like if you ask him about his life? My DH is kind of... awkward around my mother. He's not afraid of her, or trying to be rude, but he hardly talks at all. They don't have too much in common other than both being nice people. It's extremely hard for him to make "small talk," and in fact he hates small talk, and thinks that the existence of small talk is ridiculous. He always says, I'll talk when I have something to say, and if not, I just won't talk. With certain people, he won't STOP talking... and sometimes won't notice that the other person is ready for him to stop. My opinion is that he actually thinks small talk is difficult, but he doesn't say that, he just says that it's stupid. Maybe he has some social thinking deficits, who knows, but it's definitely apparent that he talks less to her than the average person would. However. He wouldn't ever say something under his breath around my mom. When she talks to him directly, he responds normally and politely. If she happens to say something about politics, all of a sudden he has a lot to say! The fact that he doesn't do small talk kind of bugs me... I think it's rude to some degree, and that he should exert himself more to practice... but I would be upset if he did the under-the-breath thing. Like @Scarlettsaid, either say it or don't, don't whisper it. I wonder if your daughter thinks it was off, too.

This is why, if I ever moved out of this neighborhood, I think I'd want to live in a house where I can't see or hear the neighbors. Just in case.

Perhaps a bit better here today. Still having diarrhea, bit not quite as bad. Possibly because he's not eaten much for the past day and night. Still hydrating, eating bland things. Might try plain yogurt. I appreciate you all more than I can express! 🌻

Ah.... Thanks for clearing that up. He says he has some slight chills. Normal temp. Finally fell asleep on the couch though. Poor guy.

Yes. Definitely!

I agree with everyone. Out of curiosity, how much time do you think would be appropriate for a kindergartner to spend on Zoom each day? Would 10 min of letters, 10 min numbers/ counting, and a read aloud be enough? From what I see of K students, 20-30 min is about all they can do, focus wise, especially on a Zoom lesson. Sometimes I find Zoom meetings almost unreal.... I know the people are real, but it doesn't feel very real. I wonder what a 5 year old thinks...

I agree with you about the doctor... But I know he won't go during Covid 😕 He realized that he had pizza sauce on Monday and yesterday night, that I didn't have. I kept the leftovers in the can in the fridge... Maybe I food poisoned him?? Interesting about your tomato allergy. DH gets hives and a constricted throat from white potatoes, another nightshade. I've wondered if he should avoid all nightshades. He doesn't love tomatoes unless they're sauce or ketchup. Ugh! Maybe it's eggs, tomatoes, or I food poisoned him by not storing the sauce correctly 😭

Thanks, I changed it. It's the opposite of good! So far nothing but gut stuff. Ugh. Everyone talks about being "intolerant" to different foods... But I agree this is concerning. Every other time has been just an annoyance....

Oh wow.... I didn't know gut stuff could be an allergy... Rats!

Is it an allergy if it doesn't involve hives, throat swelling, etc? He has an actual allergy to blackberries with hives, etc. I guess I don't understand the difference between allergies and food intolerances... If there is a difference?

In his early thirties, DH developed an intolerance to eggs after having been able to eat them with no problems. He would have some minor digestive distress for a couple days and then feel fine. well, last night he decided to see if eggs still bother him, and boy do they ever. He's had horrible diarrhea all day and feels just awful. This is a much bigger reaction to eggs and he's ever had. I've been giving him bananas, rice, and he had a couple bites of chicken with dinner, and lots of liquids. Are there any great remedies to help him feel better? I feel so bad for him.

Bummer!