Day - 1333

Thursday, April 30, 2020

I read through Grandudes this morning and brainstormed revision ideas with Chris from 10:30-12:30.  Very good.  It's nice getting back at it with a good script for Fred to consider. Along with Word, I’m using OneNote, which helps me organize.

I was finally able to get through to the International Bahn Office to cancel our sleepcar train service from Munich to Budapest.  We were only allowed a 50% refund, which is maddening.  Anyway, that was taken care of.  All refunds have been issued except for our Lufthansa airline ticket from Prague to Munich for May 13. I'll take care of that next week.

We were supposed to fly to Munich today and travel Europe for two weeks.  Oh well, so it goes.

We had a Zoom chat with the Petty family at 7 p.m.  Uncle Bob and his family were there.  It was fun, though only one person can talk at a time and when you have more than 7 or 8 people the conversation feels a little stilted.  Still, it's great seeing everyone.  There were some conservative minded relatives so we didn't talk politics too much.

Speaking of politics...The election.  It's coming up.  Only 187 days before Dooms Day.  If all plays out properly, this could be a very therapeutic event for all rational, reasonable, normal-thinking citizens.  I want the orange menace gone so desperately that I'm pretty all-in on November's outcome.  If Team Orange and Russia figure out a way to cheat their way to victory, I'm not sure what kind of game plan I can create that doesn't include a total disconnection from all national politics going forward.  I'm not sure how one preserves and sustains healthy thinking if this joke wins reelection.  Trump fatigue is real.  I don't believe there are more insane votes than rational voters, which is why I don't see him winning in November.  But as we know, anything is possible, and this country enjoys a sizable patheticness that I struggle to understand.  It's a country engaged in self-sabotage.  We'll see how engaged it is in its own destruction this November. 

Day - 1334

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

I tackled a list of chores and items that took all day.  Productive.

Gradudes reading / revisions
Aaron Sorkin Masterclass - first 4 episodes
City of Girls - read latest chapter
Bridge - study
Food - prep a pot of spaghetti sauce
Stocks - study
Refunds - Europe trip
Zoom Meeting - Michael Bell
Violin practic - Bach

I have books to read, a script to revise, journals to update, and emails to respond to.

My Trump fatigue is off the charts.  I'm counting down the days to his removal.  I'm all-in on the expectation that he will lose.  I have to be to keep my sanity.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  We'll find out where we are as a country on election day 2020.  Either we're in agreement with Trump's vision of the country, or we'll repudiate such a dark, dsyfunctional, fraudulent perspective.  If 2016 was a fluke, we'll know on election night.  If 2016 represented the new normal, we'll know on election.  No excuse if Biden loses.  I don't think he will, however.  I think Biden will win and Trump will go down in defeat.  

Day - 1335

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Day - 1336

Monday, April 27, 2020

Day - 1337

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Day - 1338

Saturday, April 25, 2020

We went to Home Depot this morning and the line was so long to get inside we decided not to go in.  Alice wanted more soil for planting.  Turned out we had enough for two extra plantings of Sugar Daddies. We watched an hour of Gangster Gardening on Masterclass...excellent. 

In the afternoon, I studied bridge conventions and played a few hands, getting into the bridge mindset.  Apparently, there were several cheating scandals involving the top players in the world.  I don't get that.

I can't bring myself to read or watch Federal Coronavirus updates because they're so pathetic.  No surprise though, considering how ill-equiped Orange Mussolini is to run a country.  We you say landslide in November.  I did watch Cuomo's response to Moscow Mitch's idea that states should go bankrupt.

McConnell is amazingly evil.  He may just lose in November.  We'll see. Hard to trust Kentucky voters on this one though.

Day - 1339

Friday, April 24, 2020

The stock market continues to carry on as if nothing is happening across the country.  The other shoe is still on.  Waiting for the Boom on this one.

Read some Katherine Mansfield.  Plotting ideas.  Played several practice hands of bridge.  The weather has been beautiful this week.

Watched an MTT episode of Keeing Score and Beethoven's Eroica Symphony No. 3.  So good.  There are many episodes I haven't seen.  MTT is such a good teacher. 

Day - 1340

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Day - 1341

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

In the writing zone again. First up, Grandudes, with La Strav provoking.  I love using OneNote to organize my thoughts.

Finished season 2 of Sex Eduation.  Very good.  The finale and Romeo/Juliet performance was a bit over the top, but still, what a series.  So well done.  Otis and Maeve are destined never to be together.  The writers got Maeve's mom right.  Nothing but deception and disappointment.

Had another orchestra Zoom meeting tonight in which we broke into break out rooms for small projects.  I'm in the Brandenburg 3 camp.  I'll have my piece part ready by the weekend.

Day - 1344

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Up very early this morning to take care of a long project that took most of the day.  Not much time for anything else. 

Day - 1345

Monday, April 20, 2020

Day - 1346

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Day - 1347

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Day - 1348

Friday, April 17, 2020

Our orchestra has put out a new challenge to combine recordings of everyone playing the first movement of the Brandenburg No. 3.  I'm enjoying practicing the trickier measures.  There's something about Bach that's so grounding.

Reading City of Girls and watching both Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood masterclasses.  Very inspiring.

Today flew by.

Day - 1349

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Thinking about Grandudes as I watch Sex Education, a TV show on Netflix.  It's very funny, well acted, well done. 

With the teen story, it's all about dressing up the familiar types and situations, making it all seem fresh and new, even though everything at that time is known to all. 

I stumbled upon this on YouTube and it made me laugh.

Day - 1350

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Day - 1351

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Worked from 8:30-10:30 and 3-4:30.  Gardened with Alice for an hour.  Didn't practice today...maybe tomorrow.

I enjoyed Obama's clip endorsing Joe Biden.  I'm delighted the primaries are over and we've selected our savior to defeat the Orange menace.  What began in South Carolina continued on Super Tuesday and beyond.  It's so similar to what happened with John McCain in '08.  The Dems seem ready to win this one.  They should.  Not excuses in this election.  Everyone's prepared to go out and vote for Joe.  Trump loss will feel like the fall of Hitler and Stalin.  Then comes the work of rebuilding, reshaping, after this pandemic.  Many things will change, including a heavy lean-in toward socialist tendencies, which is ironic, given the landscape only a few short months ago. 

Had pork chops for dinner.  So good.  Alice flips them every 2 minutes 4 times and they're always cooked to perfection.

Drove back to Oakland around 9 and rolled out the garbage cans onto the curb.  Went to bed early.

Day - 1352

Monday, April 13, 2020

Day - 1353

Sunday, April 12, 2020 - Easter

Work up around 7, had breakfast and went to Home Depot for gardening supplies for Alice.  HD was empty...easy to shop...no lines.  Easter Sunday is the right time to shop for anything, except groceries.  Safeway still had a line 30 minutes long.  But not Starbuck's.  I picked up a mocha to go at the Westlake location. No line at all.

Back at home, I read bridge books and my Warren Buffett book on Financial Reports.  Boring stuff but I like it.  It will take a few weeks to feel solid with my and Kevin's bidding convention card again.

I helped Alice plant her sugar daddy peas, big kanuna green beans and spinach.  Going forward, gardening will be the way to go.

We had a wonderful dinner (Alice's delicious ribs, rice, zucchini and mushrooms) while watching 60 Minutes.

Before bed, I watched a couple of great YouTube videos that explained the financial markets and the situation we're facing.  The first one was with Chris Martensen and Matt Taibbi.  Really interesting...two super smart guys talking about the rigged economy and how the stimulus money will go to corporations and connected rich folks before hitting the accounts of average joes.

The next video was an interview with Lyn Alden, whose newseltter I follow.  Equally interesting stuff.

Went to bed late, around 11:45 p.m.

Day - 1354

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Woke up at 6 and cleaned up from last night, running a sink of dishes, stacking books into neat piles, and picking up clothes and dishes from the couch.  After cleaning, I packed up or the week, then took a shower around 7.

I finished the soup Alice made and cleaned out the jar.  I left the house around 8:30 with a bag full of good intentions, my silent and rental violin, and basil for tonight's deep dish pizza we're planning to make.

Arrivined in SF around 9:30 and the first order of business was to figure out what Alice could apply for for coronavirus relief.  The CA Unemployment Insurance website isn't yet set up for gig workers, so I wasn't able to finish Alice's application.  I did update her CalJobs resume and updated her login information.  I finished with everything after lunch.

I took a short 15-minute nap, then started baking.  Alice wanted another batch of oatmeal and raisin cookies, but before starting on the cookies, we got the pizza dough ready for our deep dish pizza tonight.  We used the bread machine to kneed the dough.  It worked great!

After the dough was ready, we made cookies.

I love oatmeal and raisin cookies.  They're so damn good.  I love how they feel in my hand, all the bumps and grooves and biting into raisins and oats is just a satisfying thing

When the last batch of cookies came out, we made our pizza sauce, from this YouTube recipe:

then made deep dish pizza from this Youtube recipe:

Oh wow, were they ever good.  We made a large deep dish with sausage, mushrooms, and three kinds of cheese, then a smaller thin crust pesto pizza.  Both were incredible.  No need to go out for pizza anymore.  We got this!

Over dinner, we watched a documentary on Netflix.  This one looked good...

...and it was.  Afterward, we cleaned up the kitchen, then I banged out a few journal entries before bed.  Today went by so quickly.  That's what happens when cooking in the kitchen.

Day - 1355

Friday, April 10, 2020

Up at 7, then worked from 8:30 - 11.  Nothing too big, just small jobs.  I wanted to cook a few dished for next week, so I braved the line at Trader Joe's.  I left the house at 11:30 and got home around 12:30.  I prepped and cooked chicken stew and Chicken Tikki Masala.  I had one job in the afternoon from Lauren, an IPD assembly that wasn't too bad. The afternoon flew by and before I knew it it was close to 6 p.m.  I connected to Zoom with Jeff, Steve, Kevin, Neal and Tom to play some poker.  WA state does not allow PokerStars in the state, even for free, so we had to find a poker app to use and play that worked.  Tom found this:

It did the job.  We needed 30 minutes or so to get the hang of it.  We may play a tournament next week. We ended up playing until 9, then called it a night.  I watched a Youtube or two, then went to bed early. 

Day - 1356

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Another round of edits for a tedious job that took all morning.  We had a firm meeting this afternoon in which we looked at various scenarios impacting the bottom line of the firm.  For worst case scenario, layoffs will occur, probably in Winter or early next year, but the likelihood of that happening is about 25%.  The more likely outcome is everyone stays on, no bonuses or salary increases this year, and we tighten the belt.  Still, reviewing all possibilities made everyone feel nervous.  Slowly catching up. 

Kevin and I played a little bridge tonight.  I made a few rookie mistakes.  It happens.  Perhaps with a little more practice I'll be quicker.

Day - 1357

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Just when I was completely caught up, I received a very tedious project that will take all afternoon to complete.  Ouch, it was a drag!

Played an hour of bridge with Kevin before connecting online to our Orchestra Zoom meeting.  About 35 musicians were online.  Unfortunately, our conductor Marty's connection wasn't too good, so the meeting wasn't as successful as it could have been.  It's frustrating for the orchestra that we can't get together and rehearse.

Day - 1358

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Day - 1359

Monday, April 6, 2020

Very busy at work, wrapping up Dave G.'s 25 doc job, along with Stephanie's Excel redline job.  I was downstairs in the Airbnb suite most of the day.  Alice practiced her ukulele in the afternoon.  I love listening to her practice and sing.  After dinner, Kevin and I played an hour or so of bridge, playing hands, then talking about the hands we played afterward.  It a real challenge for me to remember things immediately.  I forget who has what and how many cards are out there.  Maybe my brain will get better over time.  I sure hope so.  

Day - 1360

Sunday, April 5, 2020

We went to Safeway early in the morning.  There were lines in every store it seemed. Alice needed coffee beans.  We went to Noriega first, but the line was too long to get into the store.  So we went to Diamond Heights.  Also a long line.  I didn't have my mask with me, so Alice waited in line for 45 minutes.  I should have brought my phone with me.  The rain and wind started to pick up.  Finally, she was out of the store with several bags of whole beans. When Alice goes out for supplies, she loads up for years.  I love it.  She bought seven bags of coffee beans!

We were home by 9:30.  I talked with Kevin for two hours about bridge.  We signed up for ACBL membership for three years.  It will be very good for my brain to get back into bridge.  We talked about the bidding conventions we used to play, and played 8 hands on BBO Bridge.  Very instructive.  We'll get back into it soon enough.  With my renewed membership came this surprise:

Sweet! I'm only 8.5 points away from Club Master.  How fun!

I set up a work station (command center) downstairs.  Alice needed her dining room back.  Alice had a folding table downstairs that is pretty big, so doing my thing in the Airbnb will work just fine for the next few months. 

At 3, the gang caught up again for an hour.  Looks like we'll be able to run a home game poker night on Friday at 6.  Love it!  You can download Pokerstars.net and play for free.  You can also organize Home Games.  It's possible that we can play cash games and tournaments at the same time.  And have our Zoom Meeting on as well.  Wonderful.  I'm really looking forward to that!

Connor's Patreon site is fantastic.  He's so creative and musically inventive.  He mentioned a great video by The Real Tuesday Weld that I absolutely love:

Just fantastic!  They have more like this.

Work is too busy right now, considering we're only supposed to work 3.5 hours per day.  Hmmm.

Before bed, I spend an hour reading news, catching up on all things coronaV, and wondering how the world will look when this is behind us.  1930s?  Repeat of 2008?  Or something altogether new and different and unpleasant?  I don't see much upside going forward.

Day - 1361

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Fun, food-friendly day in Shelter-in-Place San Francisco.  I made walnut and date bread, oatmeal and raisin cookies, and chicken tikki masala.  The bread is baking now, but I can say the cookies were scrumptious and so was the chicken masala.  The can't-miss recipe we use is so good!

The cookie recipe I used came from allrecipes.

We went to Irving Street earlier, for meat, vegetables, and raisins.  Most folks are wearing masks and gloves.  We certainly are. 

It rained throughout the afternoon.  I studied a bridge book I hadn't read in a while.

At 6, my Oakland gang had a group game night and social party on the app HouseParty.com. 

Fun!  We chatted and played games for an hour or so. 

Made bread after dinner.  Really good!

Day - 1362

Friday, April 3, 2020

Day - 1363

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Day - 1364

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Went to Sprout's at 7:15 and picked up chicken thighs, plastic wrap, orange juice, butter, milk and onions, then picked up a Starbuck's mocha next door.  Sprout's was empty and well stocked.  Only a handful of shoppers were inside.  I wore gloves and a face mask.  It was warm, sunny spring day.

I came home around 8:30 and logged on.  I'm only working 3.5 hours today, and every day through April.  That gives me time to do other things, like Masterclass.

I'm watching two Masterclasses, Steve Martin and Joyce Carol Oates.

Both are excellent.  For some reason, Masterclass was giving away a free subscription, so I send one to Chris.  I think he'll like it a lot.  I learning invaluable lessons from the pros.  Great practical stuff.  I'm a junkie for these kinds of things.

Chris sent me a link to the new George Saunders short story in the New Yorker, Love Letter.

George Saunders, Love Letter

I found this story very powerful and a call to arms.  It's a big wake up call to seize the moment while we're still in our pre-election period.  The reality of our situation is Trump cannot, must not win reelection.  It just cannot happen.  The only result of that is doom.  He has given us everything he has to offer.  There are no further ideas, gears, creative sparks left in this man.  All that is left is a continuation of distractions and a rounding up of damages, ill-conceived grievances and petty impulses. He is an exhausting dysfunctional example of greed and cowardice, and the country needs no more of him.

Work was steady today.  I had two projects to complete.  Erika, the Center and I had a short meeting about yesterday's update on work hours, etc., afterwhich I had a "coffee" date with Lillian and Maria on Zoom.  That was fun!  I enjoy catching up with people on Zoom.

I organized my apt., planned tomorrow's cooking routine (chicken stew and bread), and played 90 minutes of bridge after dinner with Kevin.  I'm enjoying spending a few extra hours each day engaged in activities I haven't done in years, like playing bridge.  I even hauled out the old bridge books from the garage.  They're old and probably outdated, but will serve the purpose in the interum.  If Kevin and I get into it, we can update our bidding conventions.

Finished a long day with an update from Chris Martensen:

Tomorrow, it's a full day of Grandudes and stock/company reading.

Day - 1365

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Some interesting news this morning when I logged into work.  Our firm is accessing a portion of the two trillion in federal aid given to small businesses as a result of the coronavirus.  As a result, from April 1-28, all of us are asked to work 3.5 hours and log 4 hours per day as emergency cornavirus leave.  So for the next month, I'll work from 8:30-10 and 3-5 each day.  That frees me up to write.

We had another firm meeting at 1 p.m. to explain everything.  I'm in.

Practiced Bach and Schumann today, which felt good. 

After work, I played bridge with Kevin for an hour.  That was fun!  I wouldn't mind getting into bridge again.

Listened to today's Chris Martensen video:

He's so good.  Indispensible. 

Planning a writing routine for the month of April and May.  I'd like to revise my entire portfolio and come up with new material.  Chris and I will begin with Grandudes, which we read last week.  It's a fast, fun script that I think can play really well given our present times.  We certainly have endless material. 

Left SF for Oakland tonight.  I'll be back in SF. Friday.

Day - 1366

Monday, March 30, 2020

Work was pretty steady today, taking up most of the day.  I didn't listen to much news.  Instead, I listened to music.

Hillary Hahn is one of my favorite contemporary violinists.  She's just awesome, a true virtuoso and so thoughtful.  I love her interpretation of nearly everything!

Alice made such a fantastic dinner tonight with the pork chops we bought at the store yesterday.  So good.  I made brownies for dessert.  They were good, too!

Listened to Chris Martensen again.  He's keeps me current on all things coronavirus...I can't listen to the news right now, so he makes a great substitute.

Day - 1367

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Today went quickly.  And it was a lot of fun.  The Bham gang had a really enjoyable happy hour starting at 3 p.m.  Everyone was there.  By there, I mean Zoom Video.  It was great seeing everyone.  We chatted and hung out until 4:30, when Neal, Karin, Ron and Jeni's D&D game was about to begin.

Zoom Happy Hour - Jeni's photo

Afterward, I Face Timed Brenda Arend, and later in the evening after dinner, played JackBoxTV with them for an hour before bed.  It's fun interacting with people online.  For the next two months, it's our immediate present.

Alice and I completed our second meditation this morning.  Peaceful and pleasant.

Many tasks to take care of tomorrow:

1. Read Grandudes w/ notes
2. Begin Pachinko, book I'm reading for book club with mom and Chris
3. Begin Self-Made NetFlix mini-series, movie club with mom and Chris
4. Read SeekingAlpha articles, overview of portfolio

New Coronavirus video from Chris Martensen:

Great info on sterilizing masks.  Chris has been on top of mask wearing from the beginning.  Such great information on his youtubes.  I appreciate him so much!

Day - 1368

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Made cinnamon rolls today.  So good!

They were just as good as bakery cinnamon rolls.  So good.  The recipe is here:

Alice wanted to begin a 21-day mediation program.  So we started with Day 1 today.  It lasts 15 minutes.  I don't tend to meditate, but I do see the advantages.  It's a good thing to do every day.

What will the markets do next week?  I'm sensing another big drop soon.  This shutdown is going to be historic in terms of tripping up the economy.  I don't know how we get out of this one.

Day - 1369

Friday, March 27, 2020

Day - 1370

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Day - 1371

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Prince Charles has Covid-19.  This thing is everywhere, in every community, every network.  But as far as I know, it's not here in my apartment or in Alice's house.  We're safe so far.  I haven't been to a store in over a week.  The only time I go outside is to move garbage cans to the curb or do laundry.  I can manage an inside routine indefinitely, so it's not really a problem, but I do miss not going down the street for lattes and pastries.

I watched five episodes of The Morning Show after dinner tonight.  I like this show.  I like the realism of the drama and chaos.  I loved the fight between Alex and her daughter inside her daughter's dorm room.  That felt real.  I like watching Billy Crudup play this smart, smarmy sociopath.  Lots of good things going on in this show.

So many things to do.  I'm reading too many books at one time.  

Day - 1372

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

I had a training session to give this morning for the Center ladies, Best Authority and all its hidden secrets.  The connection went out twice, which was frustrating, but at least I gave them all the info they needed.  As our shelter in place becomes the norm, I'm finding myself listening to less and less of the news.  It's the same story each day, only with larger numbers.  The lack of preparation and lack of supplies are surprising on one hand, but also how this country rolls.  When you look back in history, we've always been caught off guard and scrambling at the beginning of events.  Things get better once we get things going.

We made pizzas for dinner with homemade dough and pizza sauce.  We made three pizza total.  I thought there'd be leftovers.  Wrong.  We ate every slice.  These zzas were delicious!  I think our favorite was the pesto pizza.  So good. 

I headed back to Oakland around 8:30.  I'll stay a few days, work and write and read and practice violin and organize.  There's certainly plenty to do with so much time on my hands.  

Day - 1373

Monday, March 23, 2020

Another week at work from home.  I was given permission to visit the office this morning to pick up my personal laptop, web cam, thumb drive, a few books, and my headphones.  Alice drove me.  The office was a ghost town.  No one was there.  It was like a scene from one of those end of days movies where only a handful of folks survive.

The coronavirus is all anyone can talk about.  Congress is gearing up to pass a 2 trillion dollar stimulus package.  2 trillion.  Wow.  Printing more money. 

I get my daily cornavirus update from Chris Martensen six days a week.  From the beginning, he's been a great resource.

Today went quickly.  In the evening, I watched the first episode of The Morning Show on Apple TV.  Alice has a one-year subscription with her new Apple device.  Pilot is very good.  I'm looking forward to watching it.

Day - 1374

Sunday, March 22, 2020

A quiet, sunny Sunday in which I read a few pages of Warren Buffett's Interpreting Financial Statements, along with Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates.  I texted, checked in with the family, and hung out with Alice in the back yard, soaking in a few extra moments of sunshine before the coming rain.  I didn't spend too much time online reading the news because, really why bother.  The news is just like yesterday, only more so. 

My a yummy lemon cake with only five ingredients:  almond flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.  It was really good. Even Austin liked it.

Day - 1375

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Back in San Francisco today, baking bread, eating bread, making tacos, eating tacos, reading the books I have and old scripts like Grandudes, which I hadn't read in a decade and holds up very well.  Chris and I will revise it to today.  I see lots of possibilities with the Grandudes, especially now that high schoolers today are more distinct than ever.  The typical high school movie of my generation just feels different now, perhaps because the times are so different.  Rather than graduating high school in the late 50s, then can come from the late 60s, which has it's own form and iconic details.

Little if any news today.  Everyone needs a break once in a while.

Day - 1376

Friday, March 20, 2020

After dinner, I looked over the latest articles and reports in the New York Times and Washington Post, and actually had to stop reading them because they were too dire, too real, too depressing, too full of doom and gloom.  Chris Face Timed just as I was turning off the apps, and it was perfect timing to connect with a face I know, even though he's more than a thousand miles away.  We're all caught in the crazy reel of one very weird scifi film where the danger is out there, but doesn't seem too dangerous, but is when you read reports, see YouTubes from Italian hospitals, and watch the numbers exponentially grow by the day.  It's like a movie from the '50s with no budget for special effects, one of those psychological thrillers that keeps most people off the streets.  Some people still go for walks around the lake, order lattes and go shopping in the afternoon. Not me.  I'm all in with the shelter in place for the next two months.  No need to risk it.  No lattes.  No walks around the lake.  None of that.  Just here in Oakland reading, writing, thinking, watching, working, and at Alice's reading, writing, talking, making yummy food, and hanging with my sweet adorable wife. 

We had a firm meeting online today.  Our managing partner Andrew mentioned to everyone that back in 2008 Hanson Bridgett didn't lay off a single employee during the recession, and today they aren't planning to lay anyone off as well, assuming this will only last two months or so.  Even those workers who cannot work from home but cannot work in the office will receive full pay and no fear that their jobs will be gone.  That's pretty amazing. There were a few questions people had, including mine about stopping by the office to pick up additional equipment (web cam, thumb mouse, my personal laptop, books from work, etc., ... I can schedule a pick up time and go to the office on Monday).

In the evening, I watched a few YouTubes about today's news, and also watched Trump's press conference, in particular the questions he was asked, and his answers.  By now, everyone had everything they need to know about this man, his limitations, his dysfunctions, his narcissism, his ability to ignore reality and create his own.  He's a type, a predictable tool with maybe twenty or so standard phrases he uses to explain everything.  We all know what they are because he says them every day.  Let's all hope that by November he will be rendered to history and to future generations to judge.  Was he worse that I'd imagined?  No, he was exactly what I'd imagined, though I'm relieved he's less capable of strategic thought than I'd imagined. He's simply out to protect the Id, the Trump ego, that's all.  Nothing more than that, which in a way, is our saving grace.

Day - 1377

Thursday, March 19, 2020

There's talk of a temporary hopeful drug, chloroquine, that might help stop the more sinister effects of the coronavirus.  We shall see.

The numbers continue to rise.  I'm keeping track of the numbers from Italy, UK, US and CA on an Excel spreadsheet.  They continue to double every 3-4 days and look to increase by a factor of ten every two weeks.

I watch the news, read, take on a few tasks, work when a job comes in, read some more, then watch the news again.  It's difficult to take it all in when everything happening and changing and deteriorating so quickly.

I listen to Chris's podcast every day for a daily briefing.  He's so good.  I don't know how he does it.  We'll see what the results are for this promising miracle malaria drug that is supposed to manage the coronavirus.

Later in the evening, I watched a movie on Netflix.

Great effects.  The story was all right.  Went to bed around 11 or so, then up at 2.  Watched news an hour, then back to bed.

Day - 1378

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Very good discussion on Chris's YouTube channel with Dr. Peter Boghossian, professor at Portland State University and author of "How To Have Impossible Conversations."  I like the tip of asking, "What would need to happen in order for you to change your mind?"

The numbers continue to climb and our world has changed so drastically so quickly that it doesn't even seem real.  Staying at home and doing my thing is something of a default, but being forced to do that day in day out for the next two months is Twilight Zone surreal.  I'll get things done and keep things clean, but it's unnerving to know how everything will play out.  It seems apparent the country is not prepared for this, and no surprise the Trump Administration flounders daily with mixed messages and constant chaos.  That won't change.  It's only a matter of time before Orange Mussolini says something so outrageous and inappropriate for the times that even his most loyal defenders can't defend.  The sooner he's gone the better.

I'm doing nothing with my 401k portfolio but I am studying good deals that should return handsomely down the road.  I'm glad to see the consequences of stock buy backs of companies that are now asking for bailouts are being called out big time.  I watched this 20-minute piece on Boeing before bed.  So sad to see this once impeccable company fall prey to Wall Street greed.

Had a great chat with mom today, and Dorian.  Work was steady but not too bad.  Work is never too bad when I'm working at home.  I'm so lucky that I'm with a firm that has us all set up. Lots of silver linings in this otherwise unsettling time.

Make a big pot of chicken stew, which I ate throughout the day.  Picked up a Starbuck's mocha in the afternoon.

Alice wanted me to talk with Austin about seeing Hannah.  So I did.  I told him he and Hannah had to come up with a plan over the next two months that didn't jeopardize Alice's and my shelter in place isolation.  He wasn't able to go back and forth from our place to Hannah's and back again, because there's no way to monitor Hannah's family.  So either he won't see her for two months, or he'll have to stay with her at her house for a few weeks without anyone in Hannah's family seeing anyone else.  I'm not sure if he got it, but at least it was said.

I have my books and many manuscripts to keep me occupied.  So much to do, and so many companies to study, so I'm okay.   

Day - 1379

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Up at 7, showered and ready for another day of work in the Sunset.  I had a few jobs that took about two hours or so.  Other than that, it was watching the news, reading articles listening to blogs.  There's not enough time in the day to listen to and watch everything.

After dinner, I headed back to Oakland for a few days.  I brought the garbage cans downstairs, unpacked some things and then watched a movie Nicole's been asking me to watch all week:

Good movie.  I didn't know Steven Soderbergh directed.  I enjoyed it.  Many of the details are spot on.

Day - 1380

Monday, March 16, 2020

Up at 7 a.m. and working from the dining room table at 8:30 a.m.  I have my work laptop set up, Jabber, and my Surface pro as a second monitor.  It works just fine.  Since this is the official first day of everyone in the firm working from home, some folks who haven't set up their home office yet are anxious and frustrated that they're unable to get what they need.  I've been on Jabber and WebEx to help walk secretaries and attorneys through small technical procedures.  Within a few days, it will be the new normal for the firm.  We're lucky that we migrated to a dynamic workforce last year.  Other firms are scrambling to get people to work from home, buying laptops and monitors and setup equipment.  I'm anticipating work will never be the same again after this is all over.

In the early afternoon, mayors from San Francisco, Oakland, and other Bay Area cities announced Shelter in Place Orders effective tomorrow for the entire Bay Area.  Everyone must stay home unless there's a necessary reason to leave (getting groceries, supplies, working as an essential worker, etc.).  Eventually, all big areas will shut down.

We stayed home all day, but did go out to the beach for 30 minutes to soak in the sun and enjoy the clear weather.  This global pause we're experiencing, which will likely last two or three months, will change us all.  We'll adapt because that's what humans do, but for some it will be challenging.  The markets will adapt as well, and perhaps we'll adjust more together the good side of human nature, rather than the selfish, greedy impulses of our nature, which always gets more press and attention.  Already with the Trump Administration, there's been a forced shift away from the economic crisis in favor of the health crisis we're in.  This is a health crisis after all, but with our obsession with the markets and money and business, Trump and his minions have been glued to the falling markets and repercussions of having everything shut down from mid-March through June.  There will be a significant financial toll on so many small businesses and large businesses that are heavily leveraged.  If credit is available, it will at least be cheap to acquire.  I wish I understood more about the fake, illusory monetary system we're under and how the Fed can print print print endless money without facing any consequences.  Are we in for a real reckoning soon?  The Fed reduces the rates 1 point to close to zero, and the next day the Dow loses 2200 points.  Hmm.

Day - 1381

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Up at 5:30 a.m. to go to Safeway this morning for ingredients to tonight's dinner.  Wow.  Many shelves are bare.  The onions and potatoes...gone.  Rubbing alcohol...gone.  Dishwashing liquid...ah, about 12 or so bottles that were just stocked, so I grabbed one.  And a 12-roll of tp, which was also recently stocked.  The soup section...gone.  I've never seen grocery shelves so empty.

I treated myself to a Starbuck's mocha inside Safeway, then returned home to self-isolation.  I hopped on Facebook for the first time ever and shot out emails and texts.  I'll continue to do that throughout the day.  It's a good time to take a break, reflect on everything, catch up on things and connect with the peeps I care about.

Afternoon:

Face Timed with Jill and Chris, spoke with Kevin, and even connected with a few old friends on Facebook.  Things are getting very real very quickly.  It's all happening so fast.

This pic gives me pause:

I listened to the latest daily update from Chris Martensen:

He states infection is increasing by a factor of 10 every two weeks.  That means two weeks from now 1 million people will be infected with the coronavirus, and a month from now 10 million people will be infected.  That's mind blowing, but also the way exponential numbers work.

One great way to handle all the craziness is to eat and cook wonderful food.  We made a delicious lamb shank in red wine sauce with garlic mashed potatoes.  It was so good!  We'll be doing that a lot this month and April.

Day - 1382

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Packed up and drove into SF this morning.  There was an accident on I-580 toward the Bay Bridge, so it took an hour to get there.  Once at Alice's I stayed put, setting up my laptops on the dining table and absorbing news and more news.  It's going to get bad.  It's already bad, but it's going to get worse.  I Face Timed with family and talked with Nicole on the phone.  We're fully stocked with food and supplies.  Alice has cancelled her Airbnb guests through March and April.  Good thing I like to read.

Day - 1383

Friday, March 13, 2020

The markets are recovering today after a total beating yesterday, down 2k points.  Brutal.  The new normal sure impacts everything.  I'm not even looking at my portfolio this week.  Why torture myself.

I left the apartment today to get quarters for laundry.  The parking lot at Trader Joe's was completely full at 2 p.m. with a line all the way down the on ramp.  Insane.  Picked up quarters and nothing else.  Managed to complete two loads of laundry and clean a bit while working.  Ended up being busy in the late afternoon.  I can see working from home being the new normal going forward. I can see the next two months really changing so many things.  I'm ready for it.  Change is good!

The coronavirus continues to play its course.  Really enjoyed Chris Martensen's YouTube today:

Day - 1384

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Home today, working and cleaning and updating blogs, etc.  As the world adjusts to the new normal, I'm pretty much doing what I've been doing the past two weeks, watching the news, listening to my coronavirus updates...

...and checking in with family.  I was hoping to catch up on more blogs and begin updating my Twitter account, but after dinner I crashed and veged in front of the TV before falling asleep before 9.