CORONA MYOPIA (published 4-26-2020)

Introduction

My 4/19/2020 article still stands: COVID-19, Unconstitutional "Govrmint" Restrictions, and Facts. (By the way, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I continue to stand, sit, and sleep at least six feet apart at home, since we “fear” “govrmint” spies! I carry a tape measure, at six-foot extension, to ensure compliance.)

Under that article from six days ago, my COVID-19-approved friend, “Anonymous,” who is known well to me, entered two fine comments on 4/23/2020! He and I are kindred spirits in thought on “Corona Myopia” (as I now have coined the phrase) and on many other subjects. “Good show, as always,” Mr. “Anonymous!” (The Fox News folks, in the evenings, pass from one show to the other, using the same wording.) By the way, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, close family and friends (whom I will determine), and “Anonymous” are the only ones permitted to use “Corona Myopia” without my expressed written permission. No, on second thought, you all use the phrase widely, as long as you give me credit for having coined it. Okay, let’s get back on track here!

Definitions

Myopia secondary meaning: “a lack of foresight or discernment: a narrow view of something” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myopia). The Greek is muōps, by my education in Koine Greek: muein “to shut” and ōps “eye.” When you blink your eyes, literally, you are myopic.

Corona is of Latin root. The word has many uses. The root meaning is crown, such as in a garland or crown on one’s head, the northern lights, the circle around the sun, the crown or top of a tooth, etc. Coronavirus refers to a family of cold viruses. The COVID-19 virus is in the coronavirus family of cold viruses. (I don’t need to add references, as this should be common knowledge.)

Corona Myopia Defined

I now define my term. I have coined it by this entry today.

Corona Myopia, by definition, is “the incorrect and blindingly narrow focus on the COVID-19 cold virus that causes a lack of discernment, judgment, and wisdom and leads to the failure to apply common sense.” Mr. Webster has my written permission to place my definition in his dictionary.

Corona Myopia Number Crunching: Stay with Me!

(1) My above-mentioned 4/19/2020 article, COVID-19, Unconstitutional "Govrmint" Restrictions, and Facts, is a good starting point.

Today, I offer further number crunching. The following numbers are from 1/1/2020 to 4/26/2020, at approximately 3 PM EDST.

(2) 2020 USA 5.5825% daily COVID-19 deaths of the total deaths: USA number of deaths (not including COVID-19 deaths) per day: 7,755. Note: 4,842 deaths today, so far, showed at my check. The number went up during the time I was on the website.

I assume that the total daily death count, minus COVID-19 deaths, of 7,755 is based on 1/1/2020 to 4/25/2020 daily numbers. This is a total of 116 days. On each day of the 116 days so far, 7,755 people died in the USA from various causes that do not include COVID-19 deaths.

899,580 deaths are 7,755 daily (minus COVID-19 deaths) deaths times 116 days so far in 2020 (1/1/2020 to 4/25/2020). (Information is via https://www.indexmundi.com/clocks/indicator/deaths/united-states.)

NOTE: Tennessee TOTAL deaths, from 1/1/2020 to 4/25/2020: 21,721, which divided by 116 days is 187.25 per DAY. (Information is via the same website. This, apparently, does not include COVID-19 daily deaths.)

The website (stated previously) has, “Note: Numbers on this page do not include deaths due to COVID-19. Our estimates are based on deaths reported before the pandemic started. Check our coronavirus section for information about daily and total deaths caused by the virus.”

Their Coronavirus Section (as of 4/26/2020, approximately 3:15 PM EDST): Total 1/1/2020 to 4/26/2020 (approximately 3:15 PM) COVID-19 (coronavirus) deaths:

USA: 53,189 divided by 116 full days (1/1/2020 to 4/25/2020) is 458.52 daily. (Again, how does 0.52 of a person die? I still don’t round my calculations.)
Note: The USA deaths are not broken down by state.
(Via https://www.indexmundi.com/coronavirus/.)

The mathematics, by factoring from 1/1/2020 to 4/25/2020, establish USA daily deaths at 7,755 (not including COVID-19 deaths), plus 458.52 calculated COVID-19 daily deaths, totaling 8,213.52 daily deaths. 458.52 USA daily COVID-19 deaths divided by 8,213.52 daily USA deaths indicates that 5.5825% of all USA daily deaths are by COVID-19.

(3) “Pneumonia and Influenza (P&I) Mortality Surveillance”

“Based on National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) mortality surveillance data available on April 23, 2020, 11.4% of the deaths occurring during the week ending April 18, 2020 (week 16), were due to P&I. This percentage is above the epidemic threshold of 6.9% for week 16.” (Exact header and comments are via https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ - S2.)

Note: 11.4% of all USA deaths, from 4/12-18/2020, were from pneumonia and influenza. Where has the media been on this topic?

(4) 1/1/2020 to 4/23/2020 Total USA Deaths: 876,585 by reason:

Note: It is very hard to find a 2020-to-date list online that does not focus on COVID-19 only.

I found what I could via https://www.pameas.org/deaths; last update: April 23, 2020, 3:00 PM EST. The information appears to be sufficiently valid.

Total USA Deaths: 876,585
Heart Disease: 199,898 (22.8% of deaths)
Cancer: 184,971 (21.1% of deaths)
All Medical Errors: 77,186 (8.8% of deaths)
Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases: 49,461 (5.6% of deaths)
COVID-19: 48,868 deaths (866,148 cases, 5.6% mortality rate of cases; 5.5% of total deaths)
Strokes: 45,195 (5.15% of deaths)
Alzheimer’s Disease: 37,483 (4.27% of deaths)
Influenza: 34,377 (3.9% of deaths)
Diabetes: 25,800. (NOTE: I’ll stop here. You can do the rest of the math!)
Non-Opioid Illicit Drug-Induced Deaths: 22,844
Accidental Poisoning: 20,005
Kidney Disease: 15,633
Suicides: 14,564
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 12,421
Deaths from Firearms: 12,280
Septicemia: 12,022
Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis: 11,785
Accidental Falls: 11,219
Alcohol-Induced Deaths: 11,060
Parkinson's Disease: 9,868
Medication Errors: 2,779
Obesity-Related Deaths: 2,390
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): 1,759
Accidental Drownings: 1,145
Deaths during Pregnancy, Childbirth, or the Puerperium: 373
Train Accidents 235
Boat Accidents: 214
Surgical Errors: 123
All Natural Disasters: 110
Lightning Strikes: 16

The daily, often repeated and updated, tally of COVID-19 cases, recoveries, and deaths by world, nation, state, and city has created Corona Myopia! Where is the daily report of cases, recoveries, and deaths for heart disease, cancer, influenza, pneumonia, etc., etc.? I rest my case!

Corona Myopia Logic

Whew! All that number crunching takes time. Again, I am not unsympathetic to the family and friends of all those who have died this year, by any means, including COVID-19.

Mr. “Anonymous” made good points in his two comments under my 4/19/2020 article. The reasoning is by logical association, which is an inductive form of reasoning that is often valid. My 4/19/2020 article, cited above, used the same reasoning. Since the political powers that be have stifled to a great degree our God-given human rights in many ways due to the COVID-19 cold virus, then the political powers that be could continue to stifle our God-given human rights to various degrees due to many other reasons.

For example, many (they could give you the daily number counts) are dying from driving, overeating, smoking, not exercising, heart disease, cancer, pneumonia, influenza, etc., etc. They (i.e., political powers that be) could, or even should, by the argument from association, restrict many other God-given human rights. Let’s enumerate a few:

1. No one drives, except for “govrmint”-approved and regulated purposes.

2. The speed limit, as Mr. “Anonymous” says, is reduced to 20 miles per hour.

3. Overweight folks who don’t exercise are required to follow a strict “govrmint”-approved and regulated diet and exercise program, which is monitored by ‘govrmint’ bureaucrats.

4. Everyone stops smoking and drinking alcohol, as regulated (according to my prior statements).

5. Stop murdering unborn children. Now, this measure must be taken! We shut down the nation to save lives, but is it okay to kill unborn children in the context (i.e., by abortion)? It’s insanity, of course! The USA 2020 total to date, 6:38 PM, is 276,502 murders of unborn children (i.e., abortions), via http://www.numberofabortions.com/, which is a rate of 20.8% (via https://worldpopulationreview.com/).

6. Etc., etc., ad nauseam.

Conclusion

Do you understand my point? I thought so. I know that I have convinced even the most skeptical reader! The Corona Myopia glasses are off!

To future readers, wake up, America! Join the others, who have taken off their Corona Myopia glasses, before the nation kills itself economically!

COVID-19, UNCONSTITUTIONAL "GOVRMINT" RESTRICTIONS, AND FACTS (published 4-19-2020)

Introduction

Patience awaiting this article is now rewarded. I delayed a now-upcoming 169th hike on House Mountain to publish this article.

January started as “China virus, also known as coronavirus.” February became “Coronavirus!” March turned into “CORONAVIRUS, also known as the COVID-19 virus!!” Now, April is “COVID-19 VIRUS PANDEMIC INSANITY!!!” Are you noticing how the fearful hype has been building?

COVID-19

“Formerly, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV.’” “COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and may [sic] different species . . . . This occurred with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and now with the virus that causes COVID-19.” Source quotes are from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html. Note that “may” should be “many.”

We know the symptoms all too well, due to the almost daily media focus. By the way, don’t forget to wash your hands, not touch your face, and cough or sneeze into your handkerchief. Please wear a mask, even if driving alone, as I have seen several times, and disinfect household surfaces, even while quarantined at home!

Unconstitutional “Govrmint” Restrictions

I found Executive Orders, Governor Bill Lee, numbers 14 to 28 (15 total orders) with the subject line “COVID-19” in them at https://sos.tn.gov/products/division-publications/executive-orders-governor-bill-lee. That is the count at the date of this entry. Not taking time to read them all, I read most of Executive Orders 22 and 23. Those executive orders closed the parking lots at House Mountain!

Executive Order 22 refers to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-2-107(e), which I found at https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/tennessee/tn-code/tennessee_code_58-2-107.

Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-2-107(e) is a small part of a huge code that contains a great amount of “govrmint” gibberish. Your eyes may burn out, trying to read it all. In effect, this code grants the governor, under various conditions, powers equal to what any Russian tsar once had!

I have The Constitution of the State of Tennessee, Revised November 4, 2014. It is 26 pages. I read every page. I searched every page for the phrase “executive order.” The phrase does not exist in the Tennessee Constitution! I searched the word “order.” The word is present, but the word “order” is not associated with any type of special executive branch power.

The Tennessee Constitution does not grant executive order power. The governor takes executive order power. Logically, the conclusion is that the governor does not have constitutional power to issue any executive order in the State of Tennessee.

Of course, I know that lawyers and legal scholars out there will scoff at my logical reasoning. They will call my reasoning simple and uneducated. These lawyers and legal scholars had better not build a straw man argument, by attacking the man (me) and not the man’s (my) position. If they try that rebuttal, I am able to defend my position quite well.

My stands for freedom, as a free citizen of the State of Tennessee and of the United States of America, were made recently by my three acts, which follow.

First, on Good Friday, 4/10/2020, I hiked House Mountain for the 168th time. Second, the next day, two other men and I gathered and did not stay six feet apart. We did some target shooting at the homeplace. The two articles from Passover Sunday, 4/12/2020, have the details.

My third, and most recent, action was on Thursday, 4/16/2020. I “clocked out” from working at home at 3:30 PM. I drove to the back door entry at my barber’s shop. By means of a clandestine arrangement that we had established the week before by phone, as a free man in a free country, I got a haircut from my fine barber!

My barber was concerned enough by the unconstitutional closure of various “not essential” businesses, such as his. He asked me, as well as several other clients, to park around back. That way, the law would not drive by, catch him cutting hair, and arrest both his client and him. Of course, my barber cuts hair by clandestine appointment now. He takes one client at a time. No one is waiting in a chair to be next in the barber chair. He schedules clients an hour apart, so he can disinfect his barbershop. He wears surgical gloves and a mask. He, however, still cuts hair! His business is down, naturally, since he cannot, by the unconstitutional executive order, expect his daily walk-in clients.

My barber is a microcosm of the total economic disaster that has befallen our nation, due to the unconstitutional (federal and state) restrictions on a free people in a free nation. I remember, as a teenager, the 1970s oil embargo and the gas rationing. I remember the 9/11/2011 attacks on this nation. I remember various economic recessions and how our nation overcame them. Ronald Reagan’s recovery from the Jimmy Carter recession stands out.

I fear no man or no event. For many, this COVID-19 insanity is a frightful time in this country. Many fear the virus. Others fear how the federal government and the various state governments are restricting, unconstitutionally, the freedoms of a free people. What? Church assemblies, face-to-face, are subject to fines and/or arrest? What? I can’t get a haircut, unless arranged clandestinely? What? I can’t park in the parking lot to go hiking?

I stand my ground, as a free American and as a free Tennessean! I will not back down. Join me?

Facts

I hear the reaction of some. You say that we must stay at home, not work, and do no more than the essential to live. This will keep down the body count from COVID-19. We must kill the economy to save lives.

Well, to those who react accordingly, here are the facts for the State of Tennessee.

Leading Causes of Death, 2014–2017:
Source: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/vital-statistics/death/2017/LCD-TN%2bAllCounties2014-17.pdf:

Note: The State of Tennessee, apparently, can calculate to 2017 only, which is two years behind the times. Data is only from 2014 to 2017, four full years.

Total deaths: 268,881 divided by 4 years divided by 12 months is 5,601.68 per month. How does 0.68 of a person die? I won’t round up or down.

Top five leading causes of death calculated:

-- Heart disease: 1,298.27 monthly
-- Malignant Neoplasms (i.e., cancer): 1,189.23 monthly
-- Chronic Lower Respiratory: 357.85 monthly
-- Accidents/adverse effects: 339.20 monthly
-- Cerebrovascular disease: 287.33 monthly

Note: The eighth leading causes of death calculated are:
-- Pneumonia & influenza: 135.48 monthly

Traffic Deaths, 1/1/2020 to 4/16/2020:
Source: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/safety/documents/daily_04162020.pdf:

-- 01/2020: 74
-- 02/2020: 88
-- 03/2020: 75
-- 04/2020 (as of 4/16/2020): 32
Total so far from 1/1/2020 to 4/16/2020: 269
Note: From 1/1/2020 to 3/31/2020 is three full months. This calculates to 79 deaths a month.

Tennessee: COVID-19 Total Deaths as of 4/19/2020, 2:55 PM: Source: https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=symantec&hsimp=yhs-ext_onb&o=hp&prt=SSS&ver=3.11.3.7&tpr=111&chn=store&guid=e59a1b19-f318-4952-a6e6-ee655f693441&doi=2019-10-25&doa=2019-06-22&p=Tennessee+COVID-19+death+total&geo=&ctype=&installsource=&v:

-- Deaths are 145. The link also shows the number of cases and the number of recovered cases, as if this matters.

On 4/18/2020, at 5:35 PM, I did the same search. I found 142 deaths. Thus, there were three more deaths today, so far.

I can only assume that the Tennessee COVID-19 deaths are from 1/1/2020 to 4/19/2020, at 2:55 PM. I sympathize with the families of those who passed away. I hope that those deceased had taken up the Good Lord’s gift offer and were ready to go. Crunching numbers, as I am doing now, does not mean that I am unsympathetic to the COVID-19 deaths.

Summary of deaths, by reason, in Tennessee:

-- Pneumonia & influenza: 135.48 monthly. This is 2014–2017, calculated as the eighth leading cause of death.
-- Traffic deaths from 1/1/2020 to 4/16/2020: 269.
-- Total COVID-19 deaths (assume 1/1/2020 to 4/19/2020, 2:55 PM): 145.

Conclusion

The conclusion is logical. We all must stop driving. The Tennessee “govrmint” must force, by unconstitutional means, a free people to stop driving! The rationale is that more people have died from vehicle accidents than from COVID-19 in 2020. If we use the same illogic as the “govrmint,” we must reach the same conclusion, regarding driving, as we do about working, dining out, gathering closely with friends and family, getting a haircut, and so forth.

Do you agree? If so, I know why. If not, use your logic to explain why not! I dare you! By the way, the hypothetical rebuttal that the unconstitutional executive orders, to stay at home and so forth, have kept the COVID-19 death total down is mere speculation. There is no data to support the hypothetical rebuttal. Note: Since heart disease takes 1,298.27 monthly (2014–2017, calculated), logically, the “govrmint” could mandate, by executive order, that folks start eating right and getting plenty of exercise! That is the logical conclusion.

Stay free and live free, Tennesseans and Americans! I have spoken.

Homeplace, Target Shooting, & Yard Work on Saturday, 4-11-2020 (published 4-12-2020)

Yesterday, Saturday, 4/11/2020, the weather was cool enough and sunny. The morning frost was refreshing! With power in my body, I drove up to the homeplace in Hawkins County. Soon after I arrived, my good friend “Gator” and my youngest brother showed up. Later, our good neighbor from across the road came by on his 4-wheeler to visit. I shook his hand! “Govrmint” spies, in this “new normal,” did not catch us shaking hands.

We set up targets and did some target shooting! The last time that I “pulled a trigger” was on 4/20/2019, the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Yesterday, I was determined to target shoot again! Further, I am determined to target shoot more often this year! The three of us had a great time, target shooting and talking!

Afterward, we cleaned up trimmings, which my youngest brother had cut back just after he arrived. He used his gas-powered trimmer. The yard now looks a little better. I must do more work to get the yard back to how it looked before my “life event” on Tuesday, 3/29/2016, about which I have written before.

The arrival of my youngest brother was delayed due to the unfortunate passing of one of his wife’s aunts. It was fortunate for her, however, since she, as a Christian, went to her heavenly home. The unfortunate point, for we who are still in the temporal realm, was that she passed away on the weekend of Resurrection Sunday.

 

From the above, my 2006 Frontier was included in the photograph. The view looks west from the backyard. I had piled a few sticks from the yard into the tailgate. Other hand tools for yard work and a bottle of water, which we didn’t shoot, were also in the tailgate. The yard had been moved a few days ago. I highly recommend T&C Lawn Service! We have used their service for several years.

 

The above is a good photograph, taken with my trusty Samsung, not semi-intelligent, phone camera! (Over the years, I have used that phone camera to take most of the photographs on House Mountain.) The view looks southeast, with most of the back acreage in view. You might be able to make out our target shooting location. It is in the back and middle of the image, near the closest trees and before the tree line. It is to the right of the fishpond.

Of course, this article is being published on Resurrection Sunday (“Easter” to most folks). Yesterday, I noticed the wind increasing and a few clouds, which brought today’s rain. So, today, here I “sot” (as Dad would say) writing.

By some twist of logic, the “govrmint” thinks it is wise to close churches to face-to-face worship but keep open grocery stores, liquor stores, and so forth. I have heard that some preachers have been arrested or threatened with arrest for practicing the God-given right to worship in face-to-face congregational gatherings.

I understand “illegal” church assemblies. We held them in Russia during our time there from 1994 to 1999, when the Russian Orthodox Church used the Russian government to try to restrict us. They lost. God won. We were on God’s side. Stay on God’s side. He is the majority. Even if you stand alone, you are in the majority. I hope to get around to writing about the coronavirus, now called the COVID-19 virus, soon, maybe later today.

Oh, by the way, I have big news! The birthday of my brother, closest to me in age, was last Thursday, 4/9/2020. It was a remote work day for me. We played phone tag a couple of times. Today, I finally reached him by phone! We talked for about 45 minutes, starting at 4 PM! His family and he were enduring the “COVID-19 insanity” well enough. He remembered how “Gator” saved his life when we hiked Devil’s Nose Mountain in Hawkins County back in the 1970s. I gave him the phone numbers for “Gator.” I am glad that I helped them reconnect.

168th House Mountain Hike on 4/10/2020: Good Friday and My Deceased Mother-in-Law's Birthday (published 4-12-2020)

Two days ago, on Good Friday and being off from work, I had to hike House Mountain, since I still have power in my body. The will in my spirit will remain, even after my physical death, when I will be hiking heavenly mountains!

The anniversary of my deceased mother-in-law's birth also fell on Good Friday. My 168th House Mountain hike on Good Friday was in her honor. Of course, as a free American, the parking lot closure was irrelevant. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman drove me to and from “my mountain” in our 2008 Honda Civic. (I had to apologize to my 2006 Frontier for not taking him.)

Please enjoy the following photographs:

 

The one above is a bit blurry, for which I apologize. I have taken better photographs at the location. I was on the ridge trail, heading east. I had already hiked up the west trail to the west bluff, which took 34 minutes.

Just as I started up the west trail, I met a family hiking up as well. The husband and wife's young son was hiking with two walking sticks braced to his arms. His nickname was “Big John.” Big John, about eight years old, was doing fine, and I told him so! Never give up! I know.

The above image was at a rocky area along the ridge. I was getting close to the upper middle bluff. I had already passed by the lower middle bluff.

Over six years ago, on Christmas Day, 12/25/2013, I was hiking House Mountain for the 99th time. Alone and near the lower middle bluff, I spoke by cell phone with a good man who owns property on the north side of the mountain. He told me that a game warden and he had been on his property near the lower middle bluff a day or so before. With credibility, he stated that they both saw and heard a mountain lion near the location in the above image. They finished their work and left the area quickly. I have hiked through the area many times since, thankfully, without seeing a mountain lion.

 

 

Ah! In the above image, I was at the upper middle bluff. The view looks west. The west bluff, where I timed my hike up, is visible in the distance. The weather was cool and sunny. This Appalachian Irishman had prayer and worship time with God, as I have done many times. Remember, in the long term, the “good, bad, and ugly” (with an apology to Clint Eastwood) will be placed into everlasting perspective once we reach our heavenly home! Once again, I concluded that it was better for God to have created the temporal realm than to have refrained from doing so. Do you know what I mean? You may understand. If not, please ask me sometime! In brief, it is better for me to exist than not exist, despite life's unpleasantries.

 

My wife, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, awaited me after my hike. I had called her when I started hiking down and out. She parked along the side of the road, to the right and not visible in the photograph. A few other vehicles, not captured in the image, were parked farther down and to the right.

Along the trails, I did meet a few brave Americans who, in defiance of the governor’s unconstitutional order, hiked as free citizens anyway! Yes, we exchanged sarcastic barbs! Stay free!

The above image shows a section of the “govrmint's” attempt to prevent free people from hiking freely in the woods, which never close! You cannot park in the upper or lower parking lots, but you can still hike! How can you close the woods?

Sunday, 4/5/2020, Update (published 4-6-2020)

Well, howdy to “millions” of readers! Okay, I’m a day late, publishing today instead of yesterday. I man had to eat supper last evening!

Three weeks have passed since my last article. You must have been “sitting on pins and needles” awaiting this entry. At long last, here it is! Enjoy!

On Monday, 3/16/2020, Mrs. Appalachian started her work-from home every-now-and-then reality as a vice-principal and teacher. The Sevier County School System is closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus, or, as it’s being called nowadays, the COVID-19 virus. At first, the school closure was for two weeks only. Well, we will see if face-to-face classes resume this fall! For now, my wife is teaching online.

Tuesday, 3/17/2020, St. Patrick’s Day, was a fine day for any Irishman. After my workday, a fine friend since grade school, nicknamed Gator, called! We haven’t talked or visited in a few years. His wife and he are back in my hometown now! Great! Oh, the day also included the every-four-week chiropractic “tune-up” adjustments for my wife and me.

On Saturday, 3/21/2020, my friend, nicknamed Gator, drove down here to visit us! His wife decided to stay home. We visited, drank coffee, and talked as two mountain men do for about three hours! As long as Gator and his wife are nearby, we will see more of each other now! Afterward, in anticipation of starting to work from home, I purchased and brought home an L-shaped desk and a couple of other items for my home office.

The next afternoon, Sunday, 3/22/2020, and the weekend afterward, Saturday and Sunday, 3/28-29/2020, I assembled the L-shaped desk. It was a 33-step process that is almost completed. The missing bottom panels for two desk drawers are supposed to be on their way. I fought Office Depot/Max by phone until I was blue in the face, but I won! Modern, robotic, and insufficiently staffed “customer support” is not what it should be nowadays!

Tuesday, 3/24/2020, on my father-in-law’s 82nd birthday, was my last day of driving the 16.4 miles one-way to the office in Maynardvegas! Utilizing a borrowed card table for three days, I have been and am working from home since Wednesday, 3/25/2020! It is much easier to walk a few steps from my bathroom to my home office than to drive to and from work. Driving, I pass twice the crossroad where, on 3/29/2016, the 18-year-old, uninsured female failed to yield to my right of way and almost killed me.

On Saturday, 4/4/2020, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I, in my 2006 Frontier, went to Lowe’s, very bravely, to purchase items for the flowerbed. Afterward, again, very bravely, we bought groceries at the local IGA. Oh, yes, everyone was trying to stay six feet apart. Some were wearing masks. We were not. It was too warm! I suppose that we survived!

Yesterday, on the afternoon of Palm Sunday, 4/5/2020, the parking lots at my beloved House Mountain were closed! Huge trailers and signs blocked the two parking lots. Thus, I did not take my 168th hike that afternoon! I thought about parking on the shoulder to hike anyway. No one can close the woods! Wisdom dictated, however, that an officer might have placed a ticket on my truck windshield or towed him off while I was in the woods. Instead, my truck had a Gibbs wash, and I helped my wife work in the front porch flowerbed. Oh, by the way, Molly, our “old puppy,” loves her new front porch flowerbed resting spot! It's called “Molly's Corner.” She dug herself a place to rest there. With her front paws, Molly did a disruptive digging job into the immaculate work that my wife and I had done. Thanks, Molly.

My next article will focus on the coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) from a historical perspective. Until then, I hope that this country doesn’t die economically as we try to avoid a nasty common cold virus.

It's supper time! Y’all keep turning right and going straight out there!