A Corona Virus Blog
Like millions of other Americans, I have taken to Spring Cleaning. So I am attacking my shed first. Its time to get the garden hose out, test my clippers, and check the mower. I did purchase an inexpensive green house ($40), with the hopes of growing a few vegetables (you’ll need seeds).
It was great to hear that cases and deaths in NY/NJ are slowing down. But this doesn’t appear to be an indication that any stay at home orders are going to be removed.
As expected, U.S. jobless claims are skyrocketing.
The Department of Labor released its monthly jobs report at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday. Here were the main metrics from the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
Everyday my USPS mail person delivers mail and packages to me. Our garbage collectors show up twice a week to pick up our trash. UPS, Amazon and FedEx delivery are also getting bring us the supplies we ordered.
Today, I printed a sign to thank these people. It’s a simple gesture to let them know that my family appreciates what they are doing for us.
Thank you to all of the supermarket workers, trucker drivers, transit workers, doctors,nurses, EMS workers, mechanics, police, fire,reporters, politicians, health aides, caregivers, pharmacies, gov’t employees. I probably missed a hundred folks.
New Jersey is now up to 16,636 confirmed COVID-19 cases, up 3,347 since the last reported tally. Coronavirus-related deaths went up to 198 statewide, an increase of 37. Among that number, 288 law enforcement officers have tested positive with 477 out on self-quarantine.
Today was make homemade pasta day! This is a great project to do with the kids. They get to discover that pasta doesn’t come from a box! If you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own pasta sauce. Disclaimer: I am not a chef!
As for making your own pasta, everyone should have the basic ingredients in their kitchen’s. Every recipe I came across listed the same ingredients. Just make sure that you follow the measurements.
I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix the the flour and salt. Then I removed the mixer bowl and added the eggs. I used my hands to form the ingredients into a soft dough. Then I removed the dough on to my (cleaned) countertop.
At this point, the kids cleaned their hands and started to knead the dough. (Ooops, Add flour to the counter before you start kneading!) Let them have fun. After a few minutes of kneading I placed the dough in a bowl and let it sit for 30 to 40 minutes. Then I placed the dough in a zip lock bag (its what I had) and placed it in the fridge over night.
I did have a manual pasta machine at home. You can find then in the range of $29-$50. Most models allow you to set the thickness and pasta type you want to cut. The more expensive models have a wider variety of pasta shapes. Find the right spot to use your manual pasta machine will require a little work. We looked at a few locations and ended up in the dining room.
Have a flat pan ready to hold the pasta you make. And a little extra flour will keep it from sticking. Then its your choice to store the pasta or place it right in to a pot of hot water. I did.
#staysafe #staywell
Well its like working in now. I am stretching more than ever, using my exercise bands, resistance bands, lots of push-ups and some outdoor jogging (which I haven’t been doing as much).
I added two new toys to my workout. The JayFlex Cross Grips and a jump rope. The JayFlex Cross Grips are great and easy to use. UPDATE: 4/1/20: I am hearing that these are on back-order, just find another, not as cool pull up bar. You can easily mount it on a door frame, get your workout in, remove it and store it. You can also use it to do push ups. I will caution that you will probably want to wear gloves while using the cross grips. So far, I like them.
And my low tech jump rope. I only lasted 20 seconds on my first rep. But I’ve worked up to to a minute per rep and I’m trying for 2 minutes. Yes, I need to set goals.
The highlight of the day was family game night. The game, Monopoly. My youngest wiped everyone out and loved every second of it. Sometimes its good to sit down and play a board game.
We also played a few games of Jenga! Oddly enough no one wants to play me in Scrabble.
#staywell #staysafe
I had to remind my kids that I was/am a gamer. Sure I might have started off playing Pong, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Scrambler, Defender, TECMO Bowl, Spy Hunter, trust me I can go on. I can’t imagine how many quarters I deposited into video arcade games during the early 80’s.
My eldest is an NBA 2K fan and I serve as his training buddy. We have a late night basketball battle everyday. The cool part is that he enjoys playing with me and he isn’t surprised when I win.
My youngest is a Fortnite fanatic. Admittedly, it has taken me a while to get up to speed on this game. It required a time investment and tutoring by my kid, coupled with lots of YouTube videos. The good news is that I am almost there. I have been deemed good enough to play Duos!
#staywell #staysafe
Each day of isolation with your family can really put your relationships to the test. As we all search for creative ways to pass the time, I wanted to share a great family activity that I used on Day 15.
While cleaning up around my house I kept coming across boxes filled with pictures. There were pictures from all of our family trips to Disney, Hershey Park, Puerto Rico, Amsterdam, Mallorca, and weekend trips to the Jersey Shore. I collected them all and ordered a Multi Picture Frame Set from Amazon. The black frame set was only $25.
The plan was to entertain my family (for as long as possible) by going through years of family photos to select the ones that they wanted to put into the frames. We sat on the living room floor and shuffled through hundreds of pictures. It was great to hear, “Dad do you remember this” or “that day was so awesome”. We spent almost three hours reminiscing, laughing, and reflecting on the good times.
My one mistake with this project was that I forgot to order picture hanging hardware. So I had to order, Command Picture Hanging Strips, $7.25.
