All things Corona Virus

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,366]

3 hours ago, laylalex said:

Sort of a crossover with the Derailment Exempt thread, but I need some input:

 

So we have decided that we need to have a night or two away, mostly for my sanity. Trying to decide between a few options -- do we go up the coast (thinking Santa Barbara -- too many fires now to go further north) or do we go out to Palm Springs and do the luxe in the desert thing? I am so unsure about whether it's safe to travel right now. And then I worry I'm being overly safe, overly cautious. I know we have some intrepid explorers out there (I am thinking of you @OriZ and @Voice of Reason) -- would you go for it, and if so, which would you pick? Santa Barbara will be temperature cooler, but PS has the option of mineral springs.... 

 

I asked Alex what he prefers and he said he wants to go wherever I will be, which was totally useless but completely sweet.

How bout my boy, poor Alex, and his ment well being. 

[Ban Hammer 13,109]

3 hours ago, laylalex said:

Strawberry blondes are both useful AND sweet. Just sayin'.

said by alex.
i'll take best pizza recipes for $200.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

5 hours ago, laylalex said:

Sort of a crossover with the Derailment Exempt thread, but I need some input:

 

So we have decided that we need to have a night or two away, mostly for my sanity. Trying to decide between a few options -- do we go up the coast (thinking Santa Barbara -- too many fires now to go further north) or do we go out to Palm Springs and do the luxe in the desert thing? I am so unsure about whether it's safe to travel right now. And then I worry I'm being overly safe, overly cautious. I know we have some intrepid explorers out there (I am thinking of you @OriZ and @Voice of Reason) -- would you go for it, and if so, which would you pick? Santa Barbara will be temperature cooler, but PS has the option of mineral springs.... 

 

I asked Alex what he prefers and he said he wants to go wherever I will be, which was totally useless but completely sweet.

Well, since you asked.... why limit yourself to CA?  Why not go someplace far away to which you've never been?  A drive up PCH to someplace in OR, stopping to marvel at the majestic redwoods, or head out West to Meteor Crater  or the Grand Canyon, perhaps Las Vegas (we are likely headed there next month). Maybe drive old Route 66?

 

This is hands down THE best time.to travel.  Less traffic, less people.  Don't let ole 'Rona dissuade you.  If you have the time, go see Yellowstone. 

 

There's also a great train trip across the US that is very cheap.  https://www.seat61.com/UnitedStates.htm

Edited August 23, 2020 by Voice of Reason

[laylalex 7,282]

6 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Well, since you asked.... why limit yourself to CA?  Why not go someplace far away to which you've never been?  A drive up PCH to someplace in OR, stopping to marvel at the majestic redwoods, or head out West to Meteor Crater  or the Grand Canyon, perhaps Las Vegas (we are likely headed there next month). Maybe drive old Route 66?

 

This is hands down THE best time.to travel.  Less traffic, less people.  Don't let ole 'Rona dissuade you.  If you have the time, go see Yellowstone. 

 

There's also a great train trip across the US that is very cheap.  https://www.seat61.com/UnitedStates.htm

We only want to go for two nights tops. So the Friday and Saturday nights, or Saturday and Sunday. It's partly because this is really, really pushing the limits of my comfort zone, for better or worse. I have an anxiety disorder to start with, and while in normal times I love travel, right now travel is something that I am having a hard time with. (And a topic in therapy.) So baby steps right now. Even two days is pushing it. I'm not saying it's completely rational, it's just how it is. If I want to enjoy myself and relax -- the point of this vacation -- I wouldn't be able to get there. Not yet. Also he has work on the Tuesday and he needs his setup to work properly, he says (many screens).

 

So it's really only a few places. I wanted to go glamping at El Capitan but they're booked. So the hunt continues! Thank you so much for the recommendations though, which I'll add to my notepad. We've done PCH a few times, from Marin to Malibu, and it's one of our favorite drives. I thought his heart would burst with joy the first time I drove him south on it. It's so spectacular and reminds me why I love it here so much. Unfortunately fires are making a stay much north of SB kind of unappetizing right now, air quality isn't good.

[Dashinka 24,109]

20 minutes ago, laylalex said:

We only want to go for two nights tops. So the Friday and Saturday nights, or Saturday and Sunday. It's partly because this is really, really pushing the limits of my comfort zone, for better or worse. I have an anxiety disorder to start with, and while in normal times I love travel, right now travel is something that I am having a hard time with. (And a topic in therapy.) So baby steps right now. Even two days is pushing it. I'm not saying it's completely rational, it's just how it is. If I want to enjoy myself and relax -- the point of this vacation -- I wouldn't be able to get there. Not yet. Also he has work on the Tuesday and he needs his setup to work properly, he says (many screens).

 

So it's really only a few places. I wanted to go glamping at El Capitan but they're booked. So the hunt continues! Thank you so much for the recommendations though, which I'll add to my notepad. We've done PCH a few times, from Marin to Malibu, and it's one of our favorite drives. I thought his heart would burst with joy the first time I drove him south on it. It's so spectacular and reminds me why I love it here so much. Unfortunately fires are making a stay much north of SB kind of unappetizing right now, air quality isn't good.

Death Valley.  It has cooled down a bit, and the views are beautiful.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

US is at ~3.0% mortality rate. The highest states I can see are NJ/CT (8%), MA (7%). 

 

NY is 4.5% without NYC, and NYC itself is over 10%. So you can see the places that are driving those numbers up.

 

Beyond that, I'd say by the end of September, barring another massive outbreak especially among the elderly, should be under 3. By October we'll have a month of school data for the places that opened, and November, two months, for those voting in person. If it follows the trends with children we've seen, it's going to look extremely bad for the places that stayed locked down.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds

[laylalex 7,282]

48 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Death Valley.  It has cooled down a bit, and the views are beautiful.

I have a new idea! I've been looking at little cottages near Big Bear -- the weather is supposed to be nice and cool that weekend (48F for a low!). I found a few Airbnb options with their own hot tubs, grills, full kitchens, etc. Now I just have to wait for this St. Johnstone v. Hibernian match to be over.....

[Boiler 44,855]

Come to Colorado!

 

Where Californians are only slightly less despised than Texans.

[Neonred 3,514]

5 hours ago, Boiler said:

Come to Colorado!

 

Where Californians are only slightly less despised than Texans.

LESS despised???

[OriZ 3,157]

21 hours ago, laylalex said:

Sort of a crossover with the Derailment Exempt thread, but I need some input:

 

So we have decided that we need to have a night or two away, mostly for my sanity. Trying to decide between a few options -- do we go up the coast (thinking Santa Barbara -- too many fires now to go further north) or do we go out to Palm Springs and do the luxe in the desert thing? I am so unsure about whether it's safe to travel right now. And then I worry I'm being overly safe, overly cautious. I know we have some intrepid explorers out there (I am thinking of you @OriZ and @Voice of Reason) -- would you go for it, and if so, which would you pick? Santa Barbara will be temperature cooler, but PS has the option of mineral springs.... 

 

I asked Alex what he prefers and he said he wants to go wherever I will be, which was totally useless but completely sweet.

Either or would work for me. I think now's a great time to travel, just got back 8 days ago from being away for 37 days. Was on 13 planes and in 12 different camps/resorts during that time. I think it's safe to conclude by now(I don't think another 6 days are necessary) I made it back in one piece. Go, have fun.

 

16 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Well, since you asked.... why limit yourself to CA?  Why not go someplace far away to which you've never been?  A drive up PCH to someplace in OR, stopping to marvel at the majestic redwoods, or head out West to Meteor Crater  or the Grand Canyon, perhaps Las Vegas (we are likely headed there next month). Maybe drive old Route 66?

 

This is hands down THE best time.to travel.  Less traffic, less people.  Don't let ole 'Rona dissuade you.  If you have the time, go see Yellowstone. 

 

There's also a great train trip across the US that is very cheap.  https://www.seat61.com/UnitedStates.htm

I was planning to go to Vegas in Oct(Thanks for reminding me to cancel the hotel reservation)...but I have a buddy who lives there who says still no shows, cirque fired everyone, this, that, well we don't go for the casinos so if no shows it's a no go for me. 

 

I agree this is the best time to travel. Airports are almost empty, planes aren't full, you get your bags in 2 minutes, destinations are empty. Some places we stayed in we were the only ones(they literally opened for us). In others, we were the only foreigners. In others, we were the only Americans. In Florida, the hotel was about 30% full. 

 

One thing I found out though is google knows way too much about you.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by OriZ

[laylalex 7,282]

6 hours ago, Boiler said:

Come to Colorado!

 

Where Californians are only slightly less despised than Texans.

If the drive didn't prevent it, maybe.

 

Al asked if we could go back to Berkeley for the weekend, since our neighbors across the street there had an Airbnb studio in their backyard. I looked into it and they are only letting it to people forced out of their homes by the fires. 😕 However there are other places nearby, and maybe going "home" isn't such a bad idea. I keep thinking about this doughnut and how much I would like to have another...

 

I am working up to traveling farther afield. It comes down ultimately to risk appetite, and I am a naturally very risk-averse person, even before all of this. Coupled with my ongoing and mysterious migraine issues, I want to stay close to home until we narrow down what's happening with me healthwise. Eventually, I will push further out. I am also thinking about a solo trip at some point, get away from here midweek while he does work. Nothing stopping me, really, unless the health news is bad.

 

In actual coronavirus news, the good news is that cases here in LA County have been falling for a few weeks now, ever since things tightened up again. Crucially hospitalizations are down by quite a bit. This is SO satisfying to see. People are taking wearing masks in public seriously -- the cops in SM can cite you now for not wearing one, but I haven't been following the news as to whether this has actually happened. We were in Mid-City and WeHo today and pretty much everyone we saw was wearing one when walking on the street and there were others around. 

 

The other big news has been that the LA mayor the other week announced that the DWP would cut off power and water to some of the party houses in the Hills that are frequent offenders when it came to gatherings -- we're not talking 20 people milling around, more like over 100 people in close proximity, NO masks, getting drunk/high. There was another house shut down, some Instagram/TikTok kid throwing his 21st. Sucks for him, but they had been warned before, more than once. They were given a chance to abide by a public health order and they blew it.

https://www.vulture.com/2020/08/la-mayor-cuts-power-at-bryce-hall-noah-beck-tiktok-house.html

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Just reserved a Cancun all inclusive resort for later this year, dates are wide open.  $499 for 6 days/5 nights, $99 to hold, balance due when dates are decided upon.

[laylalex 7,282]

This is awful, and for me drives home that I'm doing the right thing by having a very, very small wedding in October:

Quote

 

A wedding reception in Millinocket, Maine, led to 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 

One woman who did not attend the event died on Friday after being infected with COVID-19 after coming in close contact with a guest, the Portland Press Herald reported. 

Sixty-five people went to the August 7 reception, which was largely indoors, Maine's CDC director Nirav Shah said in a press conference on August 20. The venue, "Big Moose Inn," exceeded the state's limit on indoor gatherings, which is 50 people, Shah said.

The median age of infected people among the outbreak is 42, but there's a wide range from four years old to 78, Shah said on Thursday. Most of them reported symptoms about 4 days after the reception, but roughly 13% were asymptomatic, he added. 

 

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/a-wedding-reception-spread-coronavirus-to-53-people-killing-one-2020-8

[Boiler 44,855]

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/the-scene/weddings/a32238538/how-to-plan-a-zoom-wedding/

 

How to Plan the Most Elegant Wedding on Zoom

A step-by-step guide to hosting a virtual wedding that's still incredibly chic and memorable.

[Dashinka 24,109]

9 hours ago, laylalex said:

This is awful, and for me drives home that I'm doing the right thing by having a very, very small wedding in October:

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/a-wedding-reception-spread-coronavirus-to-53-people-killing-one-2020-8

So a big question, if this was restricted to the mandated 50 persons, would this have definitely not occurred?