24 Hours of X-treme Anxiety
Mar. 13th, 2020 10:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cjlasky7No, no! I'm fine! A bit of a scratchy throat, but otherwise...
Everything around me, though....
(Wait, this is where you came in the last time.)
When I last posted, approximately 25 hours ago, I was still recovering from my root canal--sulking in my living room, unable to summon an appetite. Then, at approximately 9:30 p.m., my wife received the e-mail from my son's school: they're shutting down for at least a week for "deep cleaning."
This was my big fear when the Corona virus hit: his school would shut down, and I would have to stay home to supervise his "remote" education. I informed my bosses immediately, but I knew this was a hard sell. My branch has two people on vacation next week, and they need me there. Period. My manager told me we'd discuss it in the morning, but I was afraid my luck had run out.
In the morning, I took my son to school. He had a half day, so I had to pick him up at 12:30. We'd planned a trip to the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan after school, and I wasn't going to disappoint him, no matter what my employment situation turned out to be.
I also had a morning visit from RotoRooter to fix our upstairs bathroom sink. So while I was trying to pin down my manager on the phone (for a conversation I did not want to have), I was checking to see if the plumber was flooding my bathroom.
After the plumber finished (and left with a chunk our monthly budget), I cleaned up the bathroom, and barely made it out to pick up the boy. On the way there, I finally connected with my manager....
Surprise! I was NOT fired.
He was shockingly empathetic. He was perfectly fine with me coming in on Thursday night to close our "late night," and my usual Sunday shift. Why did I get to keep my job?, I wondered. Are too many employees in my situation, and firing all of them would decimate the company? Would firing me be grounds for a lawsuit?
Whatever. I'll take it. (Now I can focus on helping my son do school.... without the school.)
With that trauma neutralized, my son and I could enjoy our trip to the city. We hit our usual spots--The Strand, Forbidden Planet comic book store, Barnes & Noble, and Union Square Park. Yes, we had plenty of hand sanitizer.
Back home, and finally able to relax again. Let's hope next week is just boring.
Everything around me, though....
(Wait, this is where you came in the last time.)
When I last posted, approximately 25 hours ago, I was still recovering from my root canal--sulking in my living room, unable to summon an appetite. Then, at approximately 9:30 p.m., my wife received the e-mail from my son's school: they're shutting down for at least a week for "deep cleaning."
This was my big fear when the Corona virus hit: his school would shut down, and I would have to stay home to supervise his "remote" education. I informed my bosses immediately, but I knew this was a hard sell. My branch has two people on vacation next week, and they need me there. Period. My manager told me we'd discuss it in the morning, but I was afraid my luck had run out.
In the morning, I took my son to school. He had a half day, so I had to pick him up at 12:30. We'd planned a trip to the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan after school, and I wasn't going to disappoint him, no matter what my employment situation turned out to be.
I also had a morning visit from RotoRooter to fix our upstairs bathroom sink. So while I was trying to pin down my manager on the phone (for a conversation I did not want to have), I was checking to see if the plumber was flooding my bathroom.
After the plumber finished (and left with a chunk our monthly budget), I cleaned up the bathroom, and barely made it out to pick up the boy. On the way there, I finally connected with my manager....
Surprise! I was NOT fired.
He was shockingly empathetic. He was perfectly fine with me coming in on Thursday night to close our "late night," and my usual Sunday shift. Why did I get to keep my job?, I wondered. Are too many employees in my situation, and firing all of them would decimate the company? Would firing me be grounds for a lawsuit?
Whatever. I'll take it. (Now I can focus on helping my son do school.... without the school.)
With that trauma neutralized, my son and I could enjoy our trip to the city. We hit our usual spots--The Strand, Forbidden Planet comic book store, Barnes & Noble, and Union Square Park. Yes, we had plenty of hand sanitizer.
Back home, and finally able to relax again. Let's hope next week is just boring.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 03:29 am (UTC)I almost went to Barnes & Noble this past Monday, when I was out to see my sister. She's in a nursing home, and I figured they might not allow visitors at some point soon. I passed the store on the way home, but decided I had plenty to read at home for a couple weeks if absolutely necessary.
Tucson schools are still open, but the district where I lived near Phoenix closed as of today. I think there have only been 10 cases total in this state.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 03:33 am (UTC)Curious though - if your son's school closes wouldn't your wife's? I mean they are thisclose to closing the NYC public schools, wouldn't that affect her? I know he's in private school - so he might stay in school, while she gets out of it?
Although you do bring up an interesting dilemma - while everyone else around me is begging the Mayor to close the schools, my brother wanted the Duchess County schools closed - you're worried about them closing. I think a lot of people who want them closed aren't thinking about some of the issues regarding that - such as child-care for working parents, and in the cases of poor students, free lunch/breakfast programs. NY State did take measures to provide the free lunch/breakfast programs for the students in the quarantined New Rochelle.
Some good comics came out on Wed - I get them digitally. All books are digital now, due to space concerns. Which ones did you get?
Let's hope next week is just boring.
You and me, both. To date, the best and least scary day all week was my birthday. I need to go to the park and watch geese more often. There's something oddly calming about watching geese.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 08:25 pm (UTC)I was somewhat willing to walk away from my job because: 1) my son needed me more, and 2) I'm not the main wage earner for my family. I had wiggle room that a lot of people don't have.
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I'm not sure how much longer DeBlasio can hold out, though.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 09:46 pm (UTC)If you take the kids out of school - there are nurses and doctors and lab technicians that may have to stay home. That's a big difference between people who work in bodegars, drive a car service, etc.
As he put it - NYC is a very tightly populated city with a lot of kids in it. The kids stay home, so too do many of the parents -- and not all of them have that ability. You were terrified of having that conversation with your boss, think of the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, conductors..etc.
A lot of people, per usual, are thinking only about themselves and their kids, and not seeing the broader picture. Most humans don't - that's the flaw in our thinking. We really think that we are the lead actor in the play, when in reality, we're in an ensemble cast of over a billion. And no one is the lead.