Intimidated and stimulated

"Maybe I will be cleaning the basement again today. Right now, my basement is cleaner than most operating rooms. But that's okay - I will stay stimulated and clean it again. And again. And again."   

I am confused and conflicted. I am all dressed up with nowhere to go. What? Like how so? First off, gas is now at the lowest price it has been in decades. I could fill up (if my tank was not already full), but then I could go.....where? Can't go on a trip, can't go visit friends, can't go out to eat. And here is the clinker. On the news this morning, some group of deep thinkers said if we don't have a viable vaccine soon, this new life of isolation will not last 18 months - it will last 24 months!

Today, many of us are waking up to find out the stimulus checks have started hitting our back accounts. That is the good news. Now - where are we suppose to spend it? For example, by definition, a "stimulus" check is to be used to stimulate the economy. Other than Amazon, where in the heck would one spend it? Most of the big box stores are closed. Restaurants are closed. Like I said before, travel is out of the question. I would have much preferred for those who are still working to have a tax holiday instead of these stimulus checks. That would have made more sense.

Yesterday, I addressed how unprepared this country was for this uninvited COVID - 19 event. Lots of knee jerk reactions to how we are dealing with it. In my opinion, shutting down almost 100% of the country was one of worst knee jerk reactions. Giving people a stimulus check of $1,200, is like fly poop in the pepper, compared to allowing most to earn a living. The United States is the engine which powers the world. Our economy is second to none. To allow our engine to sputter like this is dangerous - not just to us, but also to the entire western world. 

We need to have cooler heads prevail, and soon. The strong and independent nature of the American people are not fit to being involuntarily isolated. Putting it another way, the natives are getting restless. Not a little restless, a lot of restless. Yesterday, it was announced the mega huge wave pool at one of the local regional parks is going to be closed for the season. Really? Why decide that now? There is still snow on the ground. Are we that sure this virus will still be ruling our lives over the summer? What is next - no baseball season? No football season? No state fair? No going up north? What kind of a crap summer is this going to be? Meanwhile, we do have our stimulus checks, sitting in our checking accounts, doing nothing.

South Dakota has a governor who can stare this thing down and call it for what it is. Even though the giant Smithfield processing facility in Sioux Falls is now closed down due to COVID contamination, she was matter of fact about it. "We will get it cleaned out, get the proper mitigation installed in it, and then re-open." She thinks that closing down her state would have been non-sense. While other governors were flinching, South Dakota's governor kept her vision focused. Meanwhile, our governor is hiding under his desk.

Well, time to go. Have to have breakfast so I can get ready for another day of being here. Maybe I will be cleaning the basement again today. Right now, my basement is cleaner than most operating rooms. But that's okay - I will stay stimulated and clean it again. And again. And again.