"Murphy was an optimist!"
A day in captivity March 31, 2020 7:36 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeWhat have I done today?
- Cooked breakfast of bacon, sausage, and egg
- Worked a 8 hour stressful job in which my productivity was shot to hell by bureaucracy and a sluggish Internet connection
- Fixed a problem for a client
- Had an angry moment with a child for which I regret
- Researched house wiring for electrical improvements in our home
- Filmed a video
- Refurbished a broken shop light
- Cooked bratwurst, fried tomatoes, and a chocolate cake
- Climbed in the attic to trace electrical circuits
- Talked politics with the wife
- Talked politics with the Internet
- Performed garden research in preparation for planting
- Settled in to read books and watch tv with the wife
Today goals March 28, 2020 10:26 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeToday I plan to deep clean the house, run some electric circuits, make our raised beds, cut some shelving, put down some flooring in the basement, and build a website. Cooking and caring for the family too.
add a commentSafer at Home Order for Knox County March 23, 2020 1:43 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Daily Life, Of InterestAnd Knox County is locked down.
“To further combat the spread of COVID-19, the Knox County Health Department has issued a Safer at Home Order — directing all residents of Knox County stay inside their homes, and immediately limit all movement outside of their homes beyond what is absolutely necessary to take care of essential needs.
…
YOU CAN …
• Go to the grocery, convenience or warehouse store
• Go to the pharmacy to pick up medications and other healthcare necessities
• Go to medical appointments (check with your doctor or provider first)
• Go to a restaurant for take-out, delivery or drive-thru
• Care for or support a friend or family member
• Take a walk, ride your bike, hike, jog and be in nature for exercise — just keep at least six feet between you and others.
• Walk your pets and take them to the veterinarian if necessary
• Help someone to get necessary supplies
• Receive deliveries from any business which delivers
YOU SHOULD NOT …
• Go to work unless you are providing essential services as defined by this Order
• • Visit friends and family if there is no urgent need
Maintain less than 6 feet of distance from others when you go out
• Visit loved ones in the hospital, nursing home, skilled nursing facility or other residential care facility, except for limited exceptions as provided on the facility websites.
Is this Order mandatory? What happens if I don’t comply?
Yes. This is a legally enforceable order.”
National Emergency – Day 8 March 21, 2020 7:01 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeToday the household stress was tangible.
The 14-year-old escaped to the park and rode his bike for 10 miles. That was good! Cathy had the opportunity to escape the house.
I spent the day cleaning the basement which is why I took this week of vacation. Finally made a dent!
Amy keeps herself sequestered to her bed.
Tommy sleeps through the day then works the evening at Dominoes then games through the night.
In short, we maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Made a loaf of cinnamon bread.
And my very first homemade lasagna. It should not have taken half a century and a worldwide pandemic for me to learn how to make lasagna.
Tonight, date night! The stay at home edition.
National Emergency – Day 7 March 20, 2020 9:39 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeBegan the day with an outing to have a meeting with one person. Saw another stranger at the Starbucks drive-thru. Other than that, it was just my immediate family in the house.
Spent the entire day working in my budget. My budget was so fine-tuned in October but then my software changed with an update and I had to basically begin again with a new paradigm. This was cathartic but not in the spirit of my 4th day of vacation which I had want do be furious progress on the house.
Last day of vacation? Rain in the forecast. More computer time. I hope to accomplish something on the house today.
National Emergency – Day 6 March 18, 2020 11:21 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeThe entire day of vacation day 3 was spent on the computer programming. Then I drove my son to work. And tried to buy some PGA for cooking but apparently everyone bought all the PGA to make hand sanitizer. My evening was spent cooking, budgeting, and invoicing.
add a commentNational Emergency – Day 5 March 18, 2020 12:27 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeThis was also vacation day 2 for me. A vacation I intended to use working on the house.
My nearly 102-year-old grandmother’s assisted living facility is on complete lockdown. Despite repeated attempts to call her, I cannot get anyone to answer the phone. Why doesn’t someone put an Amazon Echo device in her room so I can use the drop-in feature?
I made a one-hour drive around Knoxville to pick up free food as encouraged by my big boss who is footing the bill. Thank you! Many people appear to be going about life as normal.
The rest of my day was spent working on a webpage that I cannot seem to get to load in less than 112 seconds.
add a commentKnoxville: Knox County Schools providing food to children March 17, 2020 6:02 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Of InterestEmergency Feeding Information
While Knox County Schools is closed through April 3, 2020, out of concern over COVID-19, the district will be providing breakfast and lunch to any child 18 and under at no charge. Due to federal regulations, food cannot be distributed during an anticipated closure such as Spring Break; therefore, meal distribution will begin Monday, March 23, 2020.
Throughout the closure, meal distribution will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 10 am-noon. The district will be providing two days’ worth of meals to be distributed on Monday and Wednesday, and a day’s worth of meals on Friday. Breakfast and lunch will be distributed at the same time.
The meals will be available at one of 25 designated emergency school feeding sites via drive-thru or walk-up for children to consume at home. There is no dine-in option. Children must be present to receive meals; however, families may pick up at any distribution site regardless of enrollment. Additionally, no proof of income is required. Extra meals cannot be provided if additional children are not present.
Distribution of meals will occur near the main entrance of each school feeding site. These include:
• Austin-East High School: 2800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Knoxville, TN 37914
• Bearden Middle School: 1000 Francis Road, Knoxville, TN 37909
• Bearden High School: 8352 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
• Beaumont Magnet Academy: 1211 Beaumont Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921
• Belle Morris Elementary School: 2308 Washington Pike, Knoxville, TN 37917
• Carter High School: 210 N. Carter School Road, Strawberry Plains, TN 37871
• Central High School: 5321 Jacksboro Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918
• Dogwood Elementary School: 705 Tipton Ave., Knoxville, TN 37920
• East Knox Elementary School: 9315 Rutledge Pike, Mascot, TN 37806
• Fulton High School: 2509 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917
• Gibbs High School: 7628 Tazewell Pike, Corryton, TN 37721
• Green Magnet Academy: 801 Lula Powell Dr., Knoxville, TN 37915
• Gresham Middle School: 500 Gresham Road, Knoxville, TN 37918
• Halls High School: 4321 E. Emory Road, Knoxville, TN 37938
• Inskip Elementary School: 4701 High School Road, Knoxville, TN 37912
• Karns Middle School: 2925 Gray Hendrix Road, Knoxville, TN 37931
• Lonsdale Elementary School: 1317 Louisiana Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921
• Maynard Elementary School: 737 College Street, Knoxville, TN 37921
• Northwest Middle School: 5301 Pleasant Ridge Road, Knoxville, TN 37912
• Pond Gap Elementary School: 4530 Papermill Dr., Knoxville, TN 37909
• Powell High School: 2136 W. Emory Road, Powell, TN 37849
• Sarah Moore Greene Academy: 3001 Brooks Ave., Knoxville, TN 37914
• South-Doyle Middle School: 3900 Decatur Road, Knoxville, TN 37920
• South-Doyle High School: 2020 Tipton Station Road, Knoxville, TN 37920
• West High School: 3300 Sutherland Ave., Knoxville, TN 37919
We encourage families to continue to be proactive in reducing the risk of COVID-19 by not congregating at the school site.
More information related to the extended closure may be found at knoxschools.org/covid19update.
add a commentNational Emergency – Day 4 March 16, 2020 10:25 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeThis day was spent working. I’m fortunate to have a job that allowed me to work out of the basement in various stages of disrobe (get that picture out of your head) for 12 years. So, I worked all day long on a frustrating optimization project. I improved the code I wrote 4 years ago but ultimately it came down to a data issue.
I had a one-hour outing to make a run to Kroger (grocery), Barnes and Noble (a chocolate chip cookie), an adult store (lube and wishful thinking), and CVS drive-thru (medicine). Okay, one of these is made up.
I finished the evening making a screencast for another client and watching an episode of Locke and Key with my wife. An amazing show aside an amazing woman!
add a commentNational Emergency – Day 3 March 15, 2020 12:15 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeMy wife made me rethink our family’s status in this pandemic.
My MIL works with the general public in a demographic that believes coronavirus is a hoax (are these the same people who believe we never landed on the moon?). She came to the house yesterday for social visit after shopping at Costco.
I went to hot yoga yesterday to sweat in a sealed-up room recycling the air of 20 people crammed together and will probably go a couple of times again this week.
My wife remains isolated in the house but is in contact with all of us high-riskers.
My eldest son works the cash register at a pizza joint that has run out of cleaning supplies and all his coworkers believe this is a hoax. He is spraying Lysol on the pen and cash as he interacts with the customers.
My eldest daughter works at an airport.
My middle son is on mandatory work from home. He lives with my MIL and joined her at Costco and the social visit yesterday.
My youngest daughter is house-sitting for my eldest daughter and hanging out in the Asheville mall.
My youngest son is addicted to working out at the YMCA.
We are not going to escape this plague.
add a commentNationa emergency – Day 2 March 14, 2020 11:04 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeSince I work in technology, this Saturday, I continue working.
My wife is already irritated at my presence and wishes I would go back to the office.
add a commentNational Emergency – Day 1 March 13, 2020 9:34 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Of InterestToday, the president of the United States declared a national emergency in response to a worldwide pandemic. The pandemic is decimating Italy. China is in bad shape. This is playing out like a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Of course, many Republicans are calling the whole thing a hoax. They’ve their minds.
I’ve spent the past half a decade trying but failing to make our household self-sufficient but I’m in the wrong tax bracket. It’s very difficult to garden and generate your own power and supply your own water when you work night and day and barely scrape by.
Amy is in Asheville house-sitting for her sister and her SO who are camping in the woods. Those three are safe for now. Tommy is working at Dominoes dealing with the general public so he cannot self-isolate and is the highest risk of being patient zero in our home. Evan is out of school for Spring Break but wants to go to the gym every day. We are going to have to work on him to convince him that tasks like chopping wood are just as good as the gym. Noah is on mandatory “work from home.” We haven’t let Cathy out of the house in a year so she is used to being shut-in and will lead us through this. I’m on vacation for the week.
What next? I’m spending the evening cooking food.
