all that's past is prologue...

We really use each room in our home, especially on the main floor. Bu the library, which has books and a comfy couch close to a computer charger, and the large monitor that we watch movies on in place of a TV, is perhaps the most snug gathering spot in the house.

It's also often the messiest:


So our plan for today, since yesterday and the release of the PPP loans almost killed me for work, as to get that space both organized AND deep cleaned.

Honestly, the books were in pretty good shape and only needed a little re-jiggering. But our magazines, including years of Old House Journal, needed some help, so we started with those.



Once we got the books better organized we were able to get the set of silver and the 2 sets of silver-plate together (I guess if this ever ends we need to have more dinner parties.) We were also able to take the various bags and boxes of photos and organize them to be scanned, plus clean out other bags of things that had been dumped there. We cleaned through t…

Here in MN, it's only been a few days since the stay-at-home order, but we've been in more-or-less self-quarantine (minimal going out, social distancing when out) since March 14. Which, in the scale of things, might be a very small portion of how long we're confined.

And there are a lot of things I miss.

I miss cocktails (and taprooms). Of course, there's plenty we can drink here. Patrick went to Lawless today and got a to-go kit and it was lovely and gave some sense of that. But I don't miss the drinks as much as I miss the atmosphere, the sense of going out with Patrick for a special drink, taking the dog to the taproom. I miss sharing that experience.

I miss yoga — and Viv, and Joe, and chex mix, and every part of Yoga and a Pint. Viv has a subscription model, and we have been doing yoga at home. It's a good online course (though we can't get the playlist right. But it's still not the same.

I miss seeing friends. Zoom happy hours are nice, and allow …

So sometimes, when, say, you are at home a lot more than usual you notice you have pantry moths. And then you wander into your pantry and think "I wonder where those moths are coming from?" while simultaneously admiring that you are so wonderfully prepped for situations where you have to shelter in place, because your pantry is so full of delicious food.

And then it hits you like a load of bricks that the moths are coming out of said food, and have somehow gotten into tightly sealed containers and bags. And so you start to clean through it and realize that sure, you were ready for a pandemic — 3 years ago when all of this food expired.

(the side shelves had been packed as well, but I always forget to take before pictures)


It actually took us a couple of days to clean through things, to decide what we did not need, and to, sadly, throw away a lot of food. I'm still trying to suss what to do with the food we just don't want, so if anyone wants a bottle of sweet potato …

(I warned you I was fired up today).

As you may have noticed, a lot of my mind has gone towards 1) flattening the curve, and 2) the seemingly opposite goal of reducing the catastrophic economic effect on small businesses.

According to the governor's press conference yesterday, 123,000 people have applied for unemployment, and I think there's a lot more to come.

And I know for a fact that the reason that small businesses are afraid to close are 1) so they can continue to employ their workers, who they feel a responsibility for, and 2) because there is no/little help for business owners. The businesses that are still open don't want to be open, they just don't see another way. The ones that are already closed are terrified.

So what if we (as a city, state, or country, likely the city or state) enacted this plan:

1) A small (under 3.5 million? Higher budget? Lower?) business registers with the city/state/feds as "temporarily closed for COVID-19." (I don't kn…

(wow, as I post this I realize how very much the world has changed since my last post — going out with sled dogs and eating a buffet styled brunch in a crowded taproom seems like a whole different world from where we are now...)

A lot of people I know are filing for unemployment right now. A record 95,000 people applied for MN UI on Monday, and I expect a lot more to. I've had to help clients furlough staff this week, and it has been excruciating.

The state is handling it pretty well, all things considered, and are funneling people towards quick web applications if possible. The governor eliminated the "waiting week" so people can get funding faster. The catastrophic economic effects that this COVID-19 virus is having on this country are unprecedented, and I think it will only get worse before it gets better.

What I've been musing on all week (similar to the thought in this article from Forbes), is the extraordinary — and currently somewhat invisible — effect that th…

What a great day!

We started out today with a dogsledding brunch at Birch's on the Lake. I was really sad not to be able to make it up to Wintermoon Summersun this year, and I had wanted to see the Beargrease or the Excelsior dog races but no dice. So when I saw this event come up I knew it was a poor substitute, but jumped on it, and it was really fun! There was still ice and snow on the lake, and though it was hot for the dogs they were eager to pull. We had fun riding and had a great brunch. What a lovely venue; I will for sure be back. Gosh I love sled dogs!



We came home for some quick rest and for me to get a grant in, then headed to night 2 of Beatrix's show. She had quite the fan club, and it was fun to see how it's changing and evolving. Last show tomorrow is at 2pm!



She went out with a friend after the show and so we got to hit the FeMNist Night Market and to grab some quick drinks at Stacked Deck, which is one of our favorite breweries.



And tomorrow, we get to ge…