Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[ChocolateMouse]

We actually had a record number of trick or treaters this year. XD Five. I recognized every costume that was a character. Optimus Prime, Black Panther, Naruto and Orochimaru, and a VERY wee child in a witches hat and tutu.

I actually bit the bullet and made a plauge doctor mask and coat in 3 hours (helped I had the goggles, pants, and hat already) and made a very passable plauge doctor. Bonus points - the plauge doctor outfit is WARM.

Then I used my not-yet-a-kiln firebricks and built a firepit in our front driveway by stacking them. And we lit a big bonfire and burned a ton of our scrap wood with nails in it that I can't use in cooking fires. We had some pals come over and sit 6' away and we ate pizza and cookies and soul cakes with one person washing their hands and serving everyone else. We told spooky stories around the fire in between trick or treaters. When they showed up I told kids to stop, I could sense the imbalance from their humors a whole six feet away, and I put candy in their bags with tongs and told them they had too much miasma and needed more bile. And we drank mead out of plastic goblets shaped like skulls held by hands. (Again, someone was designated for serving.) Everyone wore masks if they were doing anything but stuffing their face a substantial distance from everyone else.

After trick or treats were done we watched The Lighthouse - which was SUPER bizarre - and ate leftover candy. Then we talked a little and our three guests went home. What a great night! I had a lot of fun.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Halloween trick or treating was cancelled by my neighborhood. My neighbor across the street set up their usual candy give away spot, but I doubt they had any takers. There are a lot of older homeowners on my little deadend street and it seems no one else participated. All the towns around me are "red zones" for the virus now. I've been restocking for the past two weeks since the daily infection rates have been going up dramatically. My daughter is moving in with me next month. She's in a small apartment and is now getting alerts from her apartment complex when someone tests positive. Since she works from home it's a little unnerving, claustrophobic and apparently not so healthy now. Here she will have over half of an acre to take her dogs out and just be outside herself without having to come into close contact with anyone. Of course there's me, but when I do go out for anything I make sure that I spend less than 15 minutes in close proximity to anyone. This is still a semi rural area and the population is less dense so it's easier to social distance. Like most of you, I have already voted. I don't have any plans to go out on election day or for a least the rest of the week. People are getting a little crazy from Covid and this election. So I'll just hunker down for a while. I'm glad many of you were able to enjoy Halloween this year. Of course, now I have all this leftover candy.....

 

[IamRainey]

Since she works from home it's a little unnerving, claustrophobic and apparently not so healthy now. Here she will have over half of an acre to take her dogs out and just be outside herself without having to come into close contact with anyone.

Sooo fortunate that you can give your daughter more space and peace! I know my backyard has kept me sane so undoubtedly this will make all the difference for her! This extended sequestration business must be AWFUL for apartment dwellers even without a red condition and constant alerts. I bet lots of people who were never bothered by it before are developing claustrophobias and depressions.


Halloween went very well here. We had few Trick or Treaters but those who came helped themselves to candy in a most reasonable and responsible way. It was such a successful approach that I'm saving the plant stakes I used to support the "clothesline" and the decorated clothespins for future years.

I'm sure it will be different in a higher traffic year but this approach solved several issues. We had an undisturbed dinner. And no one approached our door. This is significant because T or T'ers in our neighborhood come in swarms. We get 6 or 8 little ones crowded in the tiny area outside our front door that's up 3 steps from the hard pavement driveway. I'm always terrified that someone will fall being pushed back down the stairs, unable to even see the steps in the crush.

So, provided we have a virus-free Halloween next year, we'll put up the same set up and set up a chair or two outside so we can refresh the offerings and greet the T or T'ers. At the same time, they'll be able to help themselves from 20' or so of offerings uncrowded and without being jostled to death.

So glad my daughter suggested this approach to me. Meanwhile, we have about 2/3 of our candy left over when I'm on a strict diet. And that includes those lollipops and sour candies that got switched out.


Concerning other local Halloweens, Beverly Hills on the other side of the local mountains from us outlawed Trick or Treating. They said they would have officers on patrol and intended to arrest anyone attempting to Trick or Treat! BH is, of course, a very affluent community. I'm sure they're besieged every year with T or T'ers who drive in from other communities. (We are too but it's $10 or $20 worth of candy so what's the problem? If you're giving, you're giving, no?) So I can understand their reluctance to face an onslaught of new viral exposure.

So, anyway, I'm curious to find out if they actually made any arrests and how that will go.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

We didn’t have any trick-or-treaters, a few people on our street decorated houses. Daughter and her bubble friends still asleep out in the tent, they had so much fun. DH brought home a fire pit so they made s’more‘s outside in the backyard. All in all a good night, so important to create good memories for kids right now to offset the not so good ones!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

A normal Halloween here is when we sit outside our front doors and greet the trick or treaters. It only last for about 45 minutes. I like to think on the glass half full side and appreciate how many people got so creative to make Halloween special this year. Good job to all of you.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

View attachment 2392993View attachment 2392996View attachment 2392997View attachment 2392998View attachment 2393000View attachment 2393001

These are amazing!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Nobody bothers to come to our street anymore. Too dark and only 8 houses. They go to the park district & schools for organized parties. Don't know if that still applies with the virus

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday when I was a kid. Just once I went out in my 20's to see what it felt like. wasn't the same .

BTW I am very petite and tried to disquise my voice .Plus I was a cone head(if you recall from Saturday Night live) and no one knew what that was. Kids kept far away from me.

Old enough to remember the coneheads! I believe it was the original cast!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Adding to the note about my husband's direct experience, here is a study from Vanderbilt University that finds a clear difference in hospitalizations between counties where mask wearing is the norm and counties where it's not encouraged.

I also heard an interview with a local Pasadena infectious disease specialist yesterday. She said there's already evidence that the flu season for conventional influenzas is significantly lighter because of mask wearing.

Well it definitely makes a lot of sense from a medical standpoint. Just from my personal experience, no one in our family has even had a sniffle since March when we went into fairly strict quarantine in our home.
Kid has been going to in person school since August and they have to wear masks at school. I have her wear goggles as well.
Even though she has a lot of exposure to other people because of the protocols they are following has not managed to bring anything home. The school has been great about keeping us informed. So far so good knock on wood…

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Sorry for all the back to back posts! Catching up after not following for the last several days

 

[ChocolateMouse]

In slightly gloomier news, there's reports all over the area of cops with no masks handing out candy to kids for the sake of photo ops. :T A lot of people straight up cancelling halloween just to keep other people safe and our cops can't even be bothered to wear a slip of fabric over their face. How fragile and sad.