Alan Skeoch

Author: terraviva

  • alan…day 4 correction

    CORRECTION…THE FIGURE WAS 313 NOT 3133…WITE AN ERROR…BLAME DAMN SMALL BIFOCALS WHICH MAKE PROOFING DIFFICULT
    ALAN

  • Day 4 covid-19 March 16, 2020

    Hi,


    COVID  19 VIRUS REPORT
    Day 4:  March 16, 2020

    alan skeoch


    1)  MacLean’s Insider reports Canada now has 3133 confirmed cases of Cod -19
    which seems to me to be expected but MacLean’s says “has not slowed down”.
    The plan is to slow down infections and thereby lower the statistical curve … hence
    reduce pressure on health care system.  A big spike in the curve will overpower 
    our ability to handle the epidemic and increase the death toll.   All death toll is among
    seniors with many in their eighties … Marjorie and I are in this category so we
    are taking things seriously.

    2) Airports are receiving panic flights of Canadians from abroad. That will soon end.
    Those who fail to get home will just have to “hunker down” in a foreign land.

    3) Justin Trudeau closed the Canadian border today…exceptions 1) Canadians returning
    “Come home right now, no guarantee if later.”  2) U.S citizens  (open border at present but
    that may change.


    4) Donald Trump finally admitted the situation is dire in the US.  He asked ALL Americans
    to isolate themselves in there homes except, of course, for hospital and vitapservices.
    Trump seemed shaken on TV…like he was not really in charge…seemed weak and evasive
    the political cartoon on the editorial page of the Star shows three images  of Trump
    “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil”



    5) Our street is empty…and it is rush hour.

    6) Garbage and Leaf collection normal.  Marjorie outside rakkng rotten leaves…getting ready for spring.
    Water supply is not threatened it seems.  We was our hands 10 to 20 times a day…that’s a lot of water
    Sam phoned
    to say that Metro grocery chain store is now rationing certain things to prevent hoarding.

    7) What happens to our pensions?  the stock market has plummeted. The value of our pension
    depends on investment profits.  No profits now.  So what does that mean for our pensions?

    This is our street, Glenburnie Road, picture taken at 6 p.m.  No traffic…yet it is  rush hour.

    8)  We do not know one single person who has got Covid 19.   Yet everyone is in a state of subdued panic.

    9) Apparently my next  visit to the doctor will not be face to face.  It will be a virtual kind of thing…perhaps telephone or video.   Effort
    to keep Covid 19 from spreading.   Amazing how fast we have distanced ourselves from each other.  Brave New World.

  • alan…day 3

    Hi,
    ALAN SKEOCH COVID – 19 This is Day 3 (March 15, 2020)
    Hard to believe the world could change in an instant but it has. We are hived away waiting for the arrival of covid-19…must be one of the four horseman of the ————— (forgot how to spell the word).
    Having a coffee, looking out the window. Something nagging at my mind as I look out. Got it. No traffic. And all the world stood still.
    Store shelves empty according to TV. Focus of the empty shelves seems to be on one product…toilet paper. Curious. Laughable. Perhaps tragic.
    Gabriela sent an email saying she had registered us with Longo’s food delivery system where they bring food ordered and leave it on doorstep then take money from an account. No human contact.
    Gabriela also ordered Marjorie to cease going to the Salvation Army thrift store. “The things will be there when this is over.” We will see if Marjorie can resist the urge to thrift shop. Doubtful. I just made an odd mistake…instead of thrift I typed theft. I wonder if there will be a breakdown in law and order as this Pandemic spreads across the face of the earth?
    Gabriela made another sinister comment about young people should schools be closed (as Nolan’s school). “Parents will not know what to do so will leave kids with grandparents who are most susceptible to Covid-19. Perhaps a fatal decision. “If you are over 70, stay in your home. Make no human contact until he virus passes by.”…”You know Alan seems to have lung trouble…colds and coughs.” Hard for me to say this but that comment gives some idea as to how the world has suddenly changed. There is a bit of a silver lining in that people, i.e. Gabriela and others, seem to be worrying about each other more than usual.
    Trouble on the horizon however.
    In North America the gap between fact and fiction has narrowed even more. Who can remember President Trump’s last lie when he just continues to spin lie after lie. Makes any action he takes questionable just at the time we need firm and clear and informed leadership. My greatest fear is not Covid – 19. It is the possible re election of Trump. A certifiable narcissistic lunatic with the power to destroy society as we know it. .
    What will we do? Marjorie will cook. I will write stories and go to the farm alone…no human contact. We are in a prison of our own making. Not a bad prison. But this is only Day 3.
    Movie business will likely be in some kind of hiatus but we have heard nothing. Two movies on … one in North Bay and one at Scottsdale Farm. The need to entertain humanity may covert movie industry into a necessary service. Remember the term ‘bread and circuses’… Movies are really circuses designed to quell the the potential chaos of a world gone mad.
    alan skeoch
    P.S. How are we today? Just fine. A little antsy to get out but no problems yet. Yes, I have a cough but had that long before this recent terror event. Must avoid Covid – 19 if we can.

  • Talk about the end of time

    TODAY CANADA SHUT DOWN
    alan skeoch Friday March 13, 2020
    Today the city shut down
    Today social events shut down
    Today sporting events including curling shut down
    Today schools shut down
    Today air travel shut down
    Today Marjorie’s bridge clubs shut down
    Today Loblaws was ringed with shopping carts…not quite shut down but close
    Today the loaded shelves in normal times were empty…shut down
    Today the medical centres were mobbed…slowed down
    Today dentists began to reconsider their profession…would that viral containing mouths were shut down
    Today parliament shut down
    Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was virtually shut down
    Today the zoo shut down
    Today the library shut down
    Today the museum shut down
    Today the art centre shut down
    Today the white collar crowd were sent home…shut down
    Today the blue collar crowd were NOT shut down
    Today the garbage was collected
    Today the buses were running
    TODAY A LITTLE THING SO SMALL AS TO BE INVISIBLE MANAGED TO SHUT DOWN CIVILIZED LIFE ACROSS THE PLANET.
    Today the pharmacies were packing pills…some lives were shutting down
    Today the paper was delivered
    Today a coyote slipped into our back yard….and sat down
    Today the clouds were black, the trees were bare, the ground was gray…Today the planet shut down.
    Today I had a cough…but no temperature, no weakness…no Covid-19 to shut me down …yet
    “Shut up, Alan, …pipe down.”

  • LMARJORIE AT FUJLL SPE…Stonehooker Brewery Feb. 29,3020

    STONEHOOKER BREWERY REPORT

    alan skeoch
    Feb. 29 2020

    “I WOULD like to introduce Alan  at the Stonehoker extravaganza.”
    “Unusual to have a wife introduce her husband.”
    “Maybe so, but I want to do it.”
    “All yours.”

    (So Marjorie spent 2 full months…January and February…prepare her introductory speech.  Normally
    introductions  take 4 minutes max.  Marjorie spoke for 20.5 minutes and  ended the speech doing
    a South Korean ‘gangam style’ dance which startled everyone.  At the 15 minute mark Andrew tapped
    his watch.  Marjorie was just warming up and pointed to the timer she had beside her at the lecturn.
    Turned  out the timer did  not work.  The audience was amused … good spirited … tearing up a  bit (tears)…
    and attentive.  She took over the show.)

    The guest speaker, Marjorie’s husband Alan, put his speech  aside.  There was no point in giving two speeches.

    “I knew Marjorie was a bit nervous,” Alan told the audience, “because this morning she put onions in the porridge.”

    “Nolan, how did you like the party?”  (Nolan is one of  the grandchildren)
    “Do you want to know the best part of your speech, Grandpa?”
    “Not sure…”
    “It was when you told the audience about the onions in the porridge.”
    “I knew I had been pre-empted then… for sure.”