Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 102,513,690

U.S. deaths: 1,117,983

U.S. hospitalizations: 43,547

U.S. serious/critical cases: 4,455

Worldwide infections: 665,018,467

Worldwide deaths: 6,697,442

Shelby County infections: 290,036

Shelby County deaths: 3,546

Hello again, and Happy New Year. May 2023 be everything you dream.

In our house, the spaghetti sauce and meatballs are simmering on the stove, and we’re about to open a bottle of wine. Now that’s Italian.

Today will be the last day of this journal, which began on March 19, 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic.

The experience of writing this journal over the years has taught me much. But now the pandemic is over, as COVID-19 has become a virus that few fear. While COVID is not totally preventable, it is treated fairly easily, and that makes all the difference. Still, it’s nothing to take lightly. Note that there are currently over 43 thousand Americans hospitalized with the disease.

Thanks to all the people who read these journals and were so encouraging. It felt good to know you enjoyed my work. I may upload more journals in the future, but without the focus on COVID.

It’s a beautiful January 1^st in C’ville, sunny and 74 degrees.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 100,209,101

U.S. deaths: 1,102,668

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,868

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,745

Worldwide infections: 643,131,783

Worldwide deaths: 6,626,100

Shelby County infections: 282,307

Shelby County deaths: 3,503

How about the weather event in Buffalo, NY? That town got bombarded with six feet of snow. Hard to imagine how a city can even function in those circumstances.

Here in Collierville, it’s clear and 28 degrees with no threat of snow.

I’m going to take some time off from posting this journal.

I’ll be back soon, though.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 100,162,519

U.S. deaths: 1,102,505

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,881

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,755

Worldwide infections: 642,882,080

Worldwide deaths: 6,625,526

Shelby County infections: 282,307

Shelby County deaths: 3,503

It’s been a good first day of Thanksgiving Break. I got a lot of things done around the house and spent a lot of time resting and watching college football.

But in the late afternoon, I got the blood pumping by bundling up and going out for a run. While I ran, I thought about a good book that I read a few years ago, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami.

Here’s a preview:

An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible way they intersect, from the incomparable, bestselling author Haruki Murakami.

While simply training for the New York City Marathon would be enough for most people, Haruki Murakami decided to write about it as well. The result is a beautiful memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of vivid memories and insights, including the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in athletic pursuit.

I won’t be running a marathon anytime soon, but I definitely identify with the connection between running and creativity.

Tonight, it’s a frosty 27 degrees in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 100,156,325

U.S. deaths: 1,102,439

U.S. hospitalizations: 28,028

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,803

Worldwide infections: 642,579,276

Worldwide deaths: 6,624,737

Shelby County infections: 282,307

Shelby County deaths: 3,503

Continuing my memorable-journal-entry series, here is one from Monday, April 6, 2020. On that day we enjoyed one of our first public outings as a family after quarantine hit.

Here ya go:

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 337,392

U.S. deaths: 9,652

Worldwide infections: 1,289,010

Worldwide deaths: 70,599

During this dangerous time, here are some people and groups I’m thankful for:

—Medical professionals, for putting themselves on the line every day, often with inadequate resources.

—Essential-services professionals like police and firefighters.  Their work goes on without complaint in the face of this plague.

—Grocery-store and retail employees, restaurant workers, package deliverers.  These folks make little money and have few job protections, but they keep showing up and making our lives bearable.

—Journalists and news media whose goal is the pursuit and reporting of truth.  Outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post are giving non-subscribers free access to all coronavirus coverage.

—My wife, Erin.  I could not dream up a better mother for our children and dog.

There are many others for whom I am thankful, and I’ll continue to post those thoughts in this journal.

It is a beautiful day in Collierville!  Sunny and 72 degrees!

Last night, our family went to Shelby Farms and went around Patriot Lake.  It was a gorgeous night, and many people were out exercising.  The vibe was upbeat, even with so many people wearing masks. Erin and I were on foot. Levi zipped ahead of us on his Razor; he even lapped us at one point. Max was on his hoverboard.  After the walk, I threw the football with Max on the grassy part of the lakefront.  He would make up routes and pretend he was Michael Thomas and I was Drew Brees.  On our last play, I threw a 20-yard out-and-up, and he caught it for a touchdown.  We won the Super Bowl.  I’m thankful for moments like that, too.

Comments invited below.  Take care.
_____________________________________

You know it’s an old entry when Saints fans are still imagining Michael Thomas making winning plays.

Tonight it’s partly cloudy and 34 degrees in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 100,108,704

U.S. deaths: 1,101,843

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,704

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,747

Worldwide infections: 641,973,913

Worldwide deaths: 6,621,864

Shelby County infections: 282,307

Shelby County deaths: 3,503

I’ve been keeping this journal since Thursday, March 19, 2020, just a few days after every American’s life came to a screeching halt.

Between now and the end of 2022, I’m going to re-post some of the entries that I remember most.

Here is the entry from the first day of TC’s COVID-19 Blog:

Collierville, TN

Today I’m starting a journal during a pandemic called COVID-19, the strain of coronavirus that began last year and is currently sweeping the planet.

In the U.S., we have just surpassed 11,000 infections and 170 deaths.  In Tennessee, there are 160 infections.

Around the country, many people are under voluntary quarantine, as the disease is highly contagious.  Some places, like the San Francisco area, are under more stringent lockdown.  Many businesses are closed.  Many people are working from home.  The municipal public school system I work in is closed until at least March 30.  In other states, like Kansas, public schools have been shuttered for the remainder of the school year.

My family’s situation:  Max and Levi, nine and seven, are home.  We can’t travel, go to the movies, or eat out.  They can’t play with their friends, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that people reduce or eliminate unnecessary human contact.  On non-stormy days, we go outside to play football and basketball, ride bikes, and walk, but only with one another.

Erin, my dear wife, is still working at her engineering office, but her work has come almost to a standstill.  It may be just a matter of days before she too is home for good.

Our puppy, Squash, is about eight months old and doesn’t seem to care.  I’ve seen reports saying that dogs are unlikely to get the virus, and that is so much for the better.  He loves going for walks whenever we can.

No one I know has ever experienced anything like this, which is one of the reasons I’m documenting it.  I will try my best to be objective in my writing, and I hope readers will enjoy it.

I encourage readers to comment below.  Be kind, please.

________________________________________________

Tonight, it’s clear and 29 degrees in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 100,054,794

U.S. deaths: 1,101,370

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,704

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,751

Worldwide infections: 641,544,502

Worldwide deaths: 6,620,063

Shelby County infections: 282,307

Shelby County deaths: 3,503

Well, another TC birthday has come and gone, and it was a great one. Lots of well wishes and gifts from students, and a lovely dinner with my family at J. Alexander’s.

Erin and I recommend the Southern Salad.

At work, you can feel the excitement in the building as the holidays approach. Two more days till Thanksgiving Break.

It is clear and 40 degrees tonight in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 99,974,387

U.S. deaths: 1,100,631

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,662

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,609

Worldwide infections: 641,008,181

Worldwide deaths: 6,617,997

Shelby County infections: 281,673

Shelby County deaths: 3,497

Tonight, as I exited a store, I saw that someone had parked outside their designated lines and made it difficult for me to get into my vehicle.

Angrily, I thought, This bleepity bleep doesn’t know how to park!, and I almost screamed those words into the Collierville night.

Then I caught myself. I took a few deep breaths and reassessed the situation.

No, I thought. This person does know how to park; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to acquire a driver’s license. This person was probably in a hurry, or maybe has fallen into careless parking habits, and with luck will realize the error of their ways, amend them, and have a long bright future of excellent parking.

There you have it: my Mr. Rogers thought for the day!

It is cloudy and 42 degrees tonight in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 99,935,041

U.S. deaths: 1,100,296

U.S. hospitalizations: 27,943

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,637

Worldwide infections: 640,601,913

Worldwide deaths: 6,616,337

Shelby County infections: 281,673

Shelby County deaths: 3,497

What is it about Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”?

My ten-year-old and I were jamming to it in the car on the way home from wrestling practice tonight. Such a catchy groove.

And it always stirs up my own internal conflicts about the South. It’s a region with an awful, embarrassing history, yet I’m proud to be a lifelong Southerner.

NPR published a nice story about the song a few years ago called “Unfurling ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ a Tapestry of Southern Discomfort.” The story hits a lot of right notes, if you’ll pardon the pun.

The verse that always gets me is

In Birmingham they love the governor (Boo! Boo! Boo!)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth.

In four quick lines, the band denounces segregationist governor George Wallace, then shrugs its shoulders at the criminality of President Nixon.

It’s a pretty sophisticated statement, if you think about it. Yes, there is racism in Alabama, as there is everywhere, and we don’t like it. And yes, Nixon is a criminal. Everyone in power is a criminal. Are you so innocent, dear listener?

Regardless, we love our home.

It’s cloudy and 46 degrees tonight in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 99,898,467

U.S. deaths: 1,100,127

U.S. hospitalizations: 28,130

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,617

Worldwide infections: 640,366,833

Worldwide deaths: 6,615,451

Shelby County infections: 281,673

Shelby County deaths: 3,497

Today I’d like to recommend a book called Scythe, by Neal Shusterman. It’s a young-adult novel that takes places many, many years in the future. Humans have evolved to the point where there is no sickness, injury, or death. The only problem is that planet Earth can’t handle all the people since nobody dies.

So there’s a special crew of folks called scythes whose job is to murder people at random just to keep Earth inhabitable.

How imaginative!

It’s a sharp, funny book, and a little scary too. Best part: It was recommended to me by a student.

I love it when that happens!

It is clear and cold tonight in C’ville. The temperature is 31 degrees.

Comments invited below. Take care.

Collierville, TN

U.S. infections: 99,895,236

U.S. deaths: 1,100,125

U.S. hospitalizations: 28,071

U.S. serious/critical cases: 2,630

Worldwide infections: 640,155,485

Worldwide deaths: 6,615,019

Shelby County infections: 281,673

Shelby County deaths: 3,497

It’s hard to believe that LSU won the SEC West today. They went to Fayetteville and slogged through a 13-10 victory in the cold weather.

The headline was their true freshman linebacker Harold Perkins, Jr. He should be an All American this year. Just dominant. I try never to exaggerate, but old Harold reminds me of Lawrence Taylor. He could end up being that good.

Today he had eight tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles.

He was in high school this time last year. Today he won the game for the SEC West champions.

It’s a cold and clear 33 degrees tonight in C’ville.

Comments invited below. Take care.