No, I’m not infected. No, I’m not a carrier. And no, I’m not sick.
#yet
However, today, I went to Iowa City to pick up my daughter from college. She’ll be home, go back to Iowa City to work, then, we’ll see. Her college and all Iowa Regent Colleges (our other daughter at Iowa State) will go to online/distance learning for at least two weeks. Almost all of the cases of the Covid-19 are in Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa.
#ugh
We are working to convince her to stay back here, along with our other daughter simply because both colleges will have a plethora of cases following spring break. One daughter has a friend going to Texas for spring break. Another traveling to Flordia, another to Mexico. All of these kids are not going to practice self-isolation, not going to practice social distancing, and they are not going to pay attention to the virus.
#collegestudentsaregross
Last night, we attended our Brown Swiss Banquet. We sat side by side with a whole bunch of people, eating family-style, laughing and talking, not worrying about the virus. Today, as I went to Walmart, there were along MANY people moving around in tight groups. No toilet paper, no Clorox wipes, no flour. At Aldi, people were running around crazy! No flour, no fresh things, many many people with no regard to social distancing.
#scarystuff
Tonight, many people out and about in Northeast Iowa, very few six feet away from each other in the taproom we went to.
If Covid-19 makes in here, there’s going to be so big issues because right now, we aren’t taking this seriously.
The Life of a Conflicted Teacher 
March 14, 2020 at 11:07 pm
I think it’s going to be hard to convince some people that the reason things are closing as precaution needs to be taken seriously. I have zero plans of going anywhere this weekend. If we do have to report next week to work I will go home for lunch instead of going out and limit the amount of interaction with co-workers. I think the mindset is “It’s not here therefore I’m safe and the social distancing doesn’t apply to me.” *sigh* Stay healthy and safe!
March 14, 2020 at 11:12 pm
Many of my activities in Denver are shut down. The school district for three weeks, my church (over a thousand people per service), Weight Watchers, my Community Bible Study Group. I’m not even able to see my mom who is 86 years old and in a senior living center. I’m surprised to hear people are not taking it seriously in Iowa.
March 14, 2020 at 11:23 pm
#hilarious
The style here, not the theme. Although, it’s real and sometimes dealing with reality at its worst is funny. What I mean to say is that the way you wove your interior monologue using the ultimate in viral communication is perfection. I wish you well in Iowa. I feel we were similar in Chicago (and surrounding suburbs where we are) until about 2 days ago. However I am completely ignoring all the St. Patty’s asses barhopping in the wake of both big parades being canceled.
March 16, 2020 at 10:45 pm
I have a nurse friend from the Chicagoland area and she’s worried about the mess at the airport. Let’s hope that people wake up a little more and see this with a different lense. Otherwise, I’ll need a new Netflix show! 😀
March 17, 2020 at 11:00 pm
I mean, yes, I hope they do too, but I am always down with giving or getting a new Netflix rec. 🙂
March 18, 2020 at 8:56 am
Not sure if you have Hulu, but White Collar is one we have watched a lot of over the last few months. Netflix, a lot of rewatching: West Wing, Republic of Doyle, Star Trek the Next Generation, Supernatural, and finishing up Stranger Things 2.
March 15, 2020 at 12:09 am
I’m glad you are not infected, not a carrier, and not sick. It is a worrisome time. There are places I go to and see the worry and panic, and then there are other places that seem unaffected. People react so differently to things. Thank you for sharing with honesty.
March 16, 2020 at 10:42 pm
This is so true! Our time out Saturday proved that we still have some learning to do! Today seemed a bit more real with our schools being canceled for the next four weeks. I’m hoping this shakes some people up.
March 15, 2020 at 12:29 am
Thank you Darin for your slice. I share many of your feelings and thoughts. I have been talking to people here in the US and Spain, and as you say, some people are very self-fish, and don’t act with solidarity. Probably many of them, even if they get the virus, they are not going to die, but are putting in jeopardy the lives of people that are more vulnerable, not only due to death but also due to the fact that they cannot afford to be in quarantine for 14 days and they might lose their jobs while the rest were drinking and partying in Florida or Mexico. Some people will be only take it seriously when they or one from their close circle get infected. So sad. You stay safe, and healthy. I hope you convince your daughter..
March 16, 2020 at 10:40 pm
>Some people will be only take it seriously when they or one from their close circle get infected.<
This is so true! I'm hoping that stories that are circulating are making people stop and think!
March 15, 2020 at 5:06 am
My daughter is home from Michigan State. They have one case and just put out a note that they are online for the remainder of the semester. (It had previously been until April 20th – Right before Finals) college students- so she decided to visit a friend at Saginaw Valley State University and was getting her “St . Patrick’s outfit ready….” yeah- I am not seeing social distancing in that outfit. 😐🤨
March 16, 2020 at 10:38 pm
A couple of days to reflect, people might see this as a problem, something to be taken seriously. I hope we continue to view this as an issue and that it helps.
March 15, 2020 at 5:07 am
Social distancing is to protect yourself. I’m finding it hard to let many Lagosians understand this
March 15, 2020 at 8:28 am
We Iowans are an independent group, and social distance is a way of life, but family and friends are extremely important, so you don’t say no to a social invitation. It will be interesting to see how this changes over the next few weeks.
March 15, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Interesting indeed
March 15, 2020 at 5:16 am
We went through this in Estonia, not being worried because it didn’t seem to affect us. Now we have a state of emergency and so many rules and restrictions. I hope these were instilled in timely manner and we will do better than Italy did.
March 15, 2020 at 8:25 am
I think people are starting to realize this is real (my daughter pointed me to a Reddit thread from Italy), but we Americans are experience learners. We have to be smacked in the head for us to realize, “Maybe that is a bad idea.” We’ll see.
March 15, 2020 at 6:08 am
It’s interesting to hear this from another perspective. Before we closed on Thursday, I was already worried about going out to eat and the stores. I haven’t been to a public place since I went to the grocery on Thursday night.
March 15, 2020 at 8:24 am
There’s a story on the Guardian about how those of us in the midwest “don’t see the fuss”. I see this a lot in my classroom and saw in last night (of course, there we were too). We’ll see as this hits closer to home how attitude change. We are making plans for when school is shut down and how/where our daughters will go as well. Strange times we live in. Strange times indeed.
March 15, 2020 at 1:31 pm
This made me laugh…#collegestudentsaregross
The rest made me worry. I’m worried what will happen if we don’t take this seriously.
March 15, 2020 at 11:09 pm
And today, we have no school for the next 30 days. If people weren’t taking it seriously before, they are now! 🙂
March 15, 2020 at 6:17 pm
It is so hard. I am trying to convince my teenagers that it is going to suck for a bit while. It is time to think about others.
March 15, 2020 at 11:06 pm
> It is time to think about others.<
It is exactly that time. Time to put those most vulnerable, those in need, and those who could use our support the most, in the front of the line. 🙂