SELF-ISOLATION, DAY 18

I should have started earlier today. I’m very tired now. My dog had her Vet visit and had blood drawn and I won’t know for a week what the results are. So, frustrating.

So, work was very busy. The store was not very busy but more people have called out, “self-quarantining” it’s called. Can’t blame people in a way, although, as I have said, if I decide to stay home for 1 week or 2 weeks, to avoid contact, even though I feel well, then others have to do my job. Sure, there is a conflict. And evidently the Pres. Said that people should wear face-coverings while out, or working I presume, but I would like to know where the hell they are? Sorry, I said I am tired. The two guys I sometimes worked with unloading trucks in the evening, I believe they both quit. I worked with 2 college kids and an assistant manager tonight. I don’t have to, but it would be like just leaving them in the lurch. Not right; to me anyway.

Well, I am really beat. I will be ok. I just need sleep. I am not sure why I keep writing this but I just do. It is a really unusual time. Hang in there everyone.

David, April 3, 2020

This cellar dweller pulled out a special beer for the church book club discussion of How To Be An AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi.

A bomber of Begyle Brewing’s “Dr. Dreidel’s Imperial Chanukah Porter, from 2015.” I wanted something big enough to stand up to the tough conversation that lay ahead, but approachable enough for anyone to drink, especially after this challenging and enlightening read.

Begyle’s barrel-aged collaboration with, brewer and chef, Cleetus Freidman was just what the doctor ordered. Silky, rich, boozy, but just the right amount of all three. Great lacing on the glass, light smoke on the nose, and smooth sailing on the palette.

I love that porters aren’t as viscous as stouts. Brewers don’t seem to barrel them as much, so when they do, I’m buying and trying. This one was aged for nearly five years, and on this night, it’s drinking well.

Dr. Dreidel’s Imperial Chanukah Porter, from 2015, definitely helped cut the deep conversation, and so did the monster cookies that Bud made. They might be the best cookies I’ve ever had? Wait a second, didn’t I give those up for lent?

Man, if only I was there when they had this variant night at Fountainhead, 5 years ago! Ancho Chili? I need a time machine.

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“’The CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure,’  the US president told reporters on Friday. ‘This is voluntary. I don’t think I’m going to be doing it'”              [The Guardian]

‘It’s wise to wear a mask,’ says the CDC.

‘It’s not the law. Do it voluntarily.’

When asked, would he do it,

Trump promptly said ‘Screw it.

It wouldn’t be flattering worn by me.

A salute to things that go right.

Tough times make opportunities to step up. So some thumbs up are in order.

Thumbs Up: Political Showcase Division

Has there ever been a more Laurel and Hardyesque appearing duo than JB Pritzker and Lori Lightfoot? The rotund Governor and the tiny dynamo of a Mayor talk sense while neither downplaying the severity of the state’s and city’s situation or pushing us to panic. We may not need all those beds at McCormick Place now, we may wish it was filled with conventioneers instead of the Army Corps of Engineers, but there is some comfort in knowing the City that Works still works, and the state is right behind. Keep up the good work Governor, and we may forgive you for those ripped out toilets at the mansion.

Thumbs Up: Product Placement Divison

Remember our missing puzzle piece? The puzzle is a product of Ravensburger, a German company with a customer service division in New Jersey. We emailed them about our 99.9% puzzle, and a day later received a pleasant response from Asley, a customer service rep. We are being offered a choice of another copy of the same puzzle (no guarantee it won’t have the same problem, she says) or a brand new puzzle of our choosing. All we have to do is mail in the barcode from the box with the defective puzzle and the name of any puzzle we would like in replacement. Our “code” is in the mail and while we know that puzzles are in a tight supply right now we look forward to one day receiving 1000 pieces of “Disney Vintage Posters” or “The Beatles: Albums.”

Thumbs Up: Travel Division

Isn’t it ironic? Last fall Barb and I booked a tour of China and Hong Kong for this May. At the time, my main concern was the student demonstrations in Hong Kong. We knew by February that we would not be making our trek around the world but wanted to see how our travel partners would handle the situation. The good guys? United Airlines sent an email yesterday, giving me the option of changing my flight or canceling at no cost. The United website couldn’t handle the cancellation, but a call to customer service (minimal on-hold time) resolved the situation. No fees, no penalties, no remorse. Sometimes I’m glad United is our Hometown Airline.

Our other travel partner, tour originator Abercrombie & Kent, we are not so happy with. Even though the tour is canceled, they refuse to refund our deposit. Credit towards a future trip in the next year just isn’t the same as having that money in our pockets. Bad PR for them and I wonder how many travel companies will survive. At least we were not on a cruise. Those poor people…

Thumbs Up: Internet Division

I’m not plugging any particular spot here. Just a thumbs up to the miracle of connectiveness. Through the wonders of technology, Barb can play Mahjong with her friends and have her book clubs, I can have virtual laboratory meetings and contribute answers to my team on Remote Pub Trivia Night (Weezer, Baja Men, and Brooke Shields were my winners this week,) and the family can anticipate our interactive virtual Seder next week. It’s not quite being there–but it is still a blessing.

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photo credit: tricky (rick harrison) Woo via photopin (license)

As you know, all live, attendable events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. While you can’t go out to attend a music event, the events can come to you. Many performers are streaming concerts online. Unfortunately, I don’t find out about most of them until too late to include in the schedule article, if at all. You’ll just have to monitor your emails, if you are on their lists, and Facebook postings.

Here’s what we do have:

Tuesday, April 7.

Songs for Easter on Folk Festival with Lilli Kuzma, 90.9 FM, or www.wdcb.org. 8 PM.

Wednesday, April 8.

Happy stay-at-home Passover Seder. I hope the angel of covid 19 passes over your house.  If Aliyahu Hanovi comes to your door, make sure he washes his hands and wears a mask.

Friday, April 10.

Grace Pettis streams online at www.facebook.com/gracepettismusic. 7:30, and scheduled for every Friday for the foreseeable future.

Sunday, April 12.

Here’s an idea: Hide the Easter eggs by the textbooks that your kids were supposed to be studying while cooped up at home. They will never find them there.

As we have little to offer in the way of events to attend, these schedule articles may go away for a while. We’ll see.  However, I’ve got a plethora (or two plethori) of concert photos in my phone, and because I am stuck at home like the rest of you,  I may post pictures or slide shows of concerts from the last year or two. That’s after I finish cleaning out my home office, which is in week two of the project, clean out the garage, patch up the garage ceiling, etc, etc. In the mean time, stay safe at home, and take 10 minutes to fill out your census form online.

In my last two posts, the focus was on activities to do with your youngster(s) while working at home. I am going to write more on that topic in future posts.

In response to the prior two posts, someone wanted to know my favorite activity with toddlers. The activity I have in mind happens during downtime–before or after worktime.

So, I’m going to take a break from writing about working from home and explore this activity with you, which is taking a walk. This will still be relevant to those of you who are working at home with toddlers, as it becomes especially important to spend your time with them when wisely when you’re not working. You will benefit as much as your child.

Since the weather is getting nicer and daylight savings is in effect; let’s do it. Forget about TV and videos and get outside, you both deserve it.

You will enjoy the fresh air and you will be amazed to discover all the learning that happens when a toddler takes a walk.

Walking for an Adult is About the Goal

Most adults, including myself, tend to see walks as goal-oriented activities. We are focused on the end. Typically, there are two reasons we take walks.

1. To get to our destination. (And, the sooner we get to the end, the better.)
2. To exercise. (And, the faster the walk, the better.)

This is NOT true for children. Let’s go on a journey with the toddlers.

For a Child,  Walking is About the Journey

Unlike adults, children have a huge list of reasons for taking a walk. (Even though they can’t verbalize them, yet.)

When a child takes a walk, they see the journey as important. If we follow the child’s lead, we will find that it’s the experiences along the way that interests them. Children are curious about their world. They seek to discover, explore, create, problem-solve, and understand. Getting to the end is our adult agenda. The young child is ready to learn along the way.

What a Toddler Sees and Its Value

Here are just five possible examples of what a toddler may ponder, discover, or explore during the walk:

1. She may see some grass and wonder what it might feel like if she slides the tip of the blade across her arm, her leg or her cheek. All the while, she is learning all sorts of information and new skills—for example, how to categorize similarities and differences.
2. Or, perhaps, curious about that blade of grass, she may crumble it tightly in her fist. Wow—look at her, only a toddler, yet already beginning to build an understanding of cause and effect.
3. Perhaps, she hears a noise. She may keep turning her body to find the source. (Please, don’t interrupt her. As adults, we are often interrupters.) If the adult is quiet enough, she may hear an even quieter sound—perhaps a neighbor’s chimes—and challenge herself to discover the direction it is coming from. She is already refining her observation skills.
4. She may see a small hole in the dirt and wants to know how to make it bigger. She may try her hands, but finding they don’t do the job as well as she wants, she may look and look and look for a solution. You may see she is frustrated. WAIT, she’s ok, she’ll find what she wants. Finally – aha! After maybe 5 minutes she finds a small branch near the tree to dig, dig and dig. Look at her, testing her problem-solving abilities! She did it all by herself. There is nothing that feels quite as good as being able to figure something out by yourself. INDEPENDENCE is what healthy toddlers seek.
5. Maybe, there is that large tree in the front yard. Guess what? Your toddler has been intrigued by that tree every time you pass it. Today she is going to get to EXPLORE it. This walk (journey)  offers a great opportunity to do this. What does the bark feel like? How does it feel to sit under it or to lay under it? She has so many ways to challenge herself with that tree, so many possibilities that we, as adults, would have missed. For I, her mom, thought it was just a tree to rush by to get to the mailbox. She, my child, knew to stop and savor it.

Conclusion

Today, during these crazy times, I hope you can take a stroll around where you live. Both the front and back yards work. You don’t need much space. If front and back yards are not good options for you, find a place that is as private as possible to explore. Of course, if you must go to a more public place, please wash hands before and after the walk, be cautious of face touching, and maintain sufficient social distancing from others.

My next post, coming out soon, will include my experience of taking a walk with my daughter when she was a toddler.

The two Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant Acadia, along with many other restaurants and bars closed due to the Coronavirus, have, by necessity, found creative ways to stay in business and help feed those sheltering in place.

The closures of restaurants across America has left many chefs and farmers with food and produce piling up with no where to go.

The expression ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ coined by the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates in 400 B.C. fits today’s world in ways we couldn’t have imagined several weeks ago. 

Acadia’s Open-air market

Ryan McCaskey, chef and owner of Chicago’s Acadia, has instituted some novels ways to help both industry employees and people in need.

McCaskey has turned the parking lot behind Acadia (1639 S. Wabash Ave.) into a free, open-air market on Saturdays during the pandemic.

He has distributed food from the restaurant (along with donated food from suppliers and local businesses) that would otherwise have spoiled–creating a win-win for all.

The market, open from 1:00pm. to 3pm. on Saturdays (free for industry employees), in past weeks has offered  seafood, including shrimp, cod and 700 oyster, bratwurst, pork chops and a heaping supply of oranges.

“We were busting at the seams with food,” Mr. McCaskey said. He said items available this Saturday will range from caviar to toilet paper. There will be proteins, canned goods, dry goods, dairy, produce, etc. We will supply some bags, delis, containers, but we encourage people to bring something they can use to transport goods back home. He also asks that you take what you need but be considerate of others and leave goods for the next person.

Acadia is also offering curbside pickup. Acadia’s bar offers Chef Ryan McCaskey’s Bar Snacks which consisted of small bites, showcasing some of Acadia’s greatest hits in just a mouthful at a fraction of the price. Curbside pick up orders can be placed through contacting the restaurant directly at (312) 360-9500.

MORE

Many other restaurants are offering curbside pick up and delivery–here is a sampling:

WoodWind (259 E. Erie St., 18th floor)

• For those located at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and in neighboring areas, WoodWind is offering an express counter with sandwiches, soup, and snacks for takeout. The counter offers options like a Mediterranean Veggie Wrap ($8), Yogurt Parfait ($4), and Butternut Squash Soup ($4) for takeout. Additionally, snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and chips are available for ($2), along with various fruits for ($1). The select menu ranges in items from $1-$8.
• The counter is located on the second floor of the Lavin Family Pavilion. It will be open daily from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 

Seoul Taco (River North: 738 N. Clark St.; Hyde Park: 1321 E. 57th St.; Naperville: 206 S. Washington St.)

• The Korean-Mexican fast casual restaurant features dishes inspired by traditional recipes from Chef/Owner David Choi’s childhood. Menu items include the Kimchi Fried Rice Burritos, Tacos, Nachos, Quesadillas, and Gogi Bowls, Seoul Taco’s take on the classic bibimbap dish. All menu items can be customized with any of Seoul Taco’s protein options: Bulgogi Steak, Chicken, Spicy Pork, or Tofu.
• Seoul Taco offers takeout and curbside pickup options at all three Chicagoland locations. Delivery is also available via Caviar, DoorDash, and UberEats.
• For more information, please visit www.seoultaco.com

Portillo’s (Locations throughout Chicagoland)

• The iconic Chicago favorite will be offering a limited menu for drive-thru and delivery orders. All of Portillo’s classic menu items, including Chicago-Style Hot Dogs, Italian Beef Sandwiches, and Famous Chocolate Cake are available for ordering.
• Guests can order Portillo’s for delivery by visiting portillos.com or through the Portillo’s app, available for download online via iPhone or Android.
•  Customers can find the Portillo’s location nearest to them by visiting portillos.com/locations.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib  and SideDoor (100 E. Ontario St.)

Prime rib and horseradish mashed potatoes @ Lawry’s

Lawry’s The Prime Rib and SideDoor are offering 20% off all orders for curbside pickup and third party delivery between the hours of 4:30-8 p.m.

Chicagoans can get a full menu that includes fare from both Lawry’s and SideDoor with appetizers including Crab Cake, Chicken Wings, Poutine, Buffalo Cauliflower, and Crispy Pork Ribs, sandwiches including the Prime Rib Sandwich and Knife & Fork Pastrami, as well as Lawry’s signature steaks, lobster, salmon, and roasted prime ribs of beef.

The classic steakhouse also offers signature sides including mac and cheese, fried brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, the Famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad, prime rib chili, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and more.

Lawry’s The Prime Rib also offers family-style prime rib dinners for four, half prime ribs (serves 6-7), and whole prime ribs dinners (serves 12-14) with all the prime rib dinner fixings. See the full menu here. Diners can order by calling 312-787-5000. Available between 4:30-8 p.m. at 100 E. Ontario St.

Farm Fresh

Another pickup/delivery option is to shop “The Green City Market’s virtual market.” Nearly 30 farmers are participating–some with delivery options, others offering pickup. I ordered from Alden Hills Farm and was delighted with the ground beef, roast, chicken, eggs and fresh baked bread that was delivered in person from Wisconsin to my door. Looking for an Easter turkey–they’ve got you covered. I will be trying other vendors soon and will report back.

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As far as I know in the history of the world nobody has ever died because they ran out of TOILET PAPER. Imagine a few short months ago somebody writing a column on the front page of the NY Times, (that “Great Lady”) about Toilet Paper, wow. Thanks to Kate Murphy for at least trying to come to grips with the hoarders of the world of Toilet Paper. No doubt the Coronavirus Pandemic is having a universal effect the world over on people’s basic health and financial situations.  However, another complete surprise has the world’s anthropological behaviorist salivating and that is the universal panic buying of toilet paper which has spread around the world as rapidly as the virus itself.

Even though there have not been any serious disruptions in the supply (mostly a surprise) it has been very difficult to find on store shelves. We have all seen it for ourselves stacks and stacks of toilet paper piled high on those carts, sometimes two carts. I enclosed the photo below for those who had to leave Mt. Everest and are just now reaching civilization. In most stores, the food supplies, for the most part, are readily available, but boy! try finding something to wipe yourself once the food is fully digested. This mysterious phenomenon is even more baffling when one considers that COVID-19 symptoms are primarily respiratory not gastrointestinal.

I guess the world’s fascination with TP goes back to 1891 when most Toilet Paper historians ( and believe me there are plenty now) credit Seth Wheeler who received a patent on rolled and perforated toilet paper. Above is the original drawing of his invention presented to the patent office. As one can clearly see the flap comes over the top and down the front thus leaving no doubt how the roll was intended to be loaded. I have actually heard people discussing which is the proper way, I would estimate on more than 50 occasions. Case closed, Seth showed the way.

Before toilet paper was invented by Mr. Wheeler, or readily available, people used seashells, leaves, corn cobs, animal pelts and I’m sure several other devices. Indeed every once in a while the question comes up, what do combat troops who are out in the bush and away from any type of ablutions use when it comes to mother nature?  One thing I will tell you, we did not carry rolls of toilet paper to go along with 55 pounds of weapons, ammunition, food, and a variety of other vital supplies. TP was not a priority, to say the least. It was one of the above. Our NY Times author Kate Murphy goes even deeper in her story and reports the ancient Greeks and Romans (who developed a great habit of recording everyday life) used small ceramic disks and also sponges impaled on the end of sticks which were then plunged into vinegar or salt water for the next persons use.

As we can see from Seth Wheelers original diagram,  manufactures might have added dyes, print’s, perfumes, and soothing aloes, but TP has pretty much remained the same for 129 years and as we can see from recent events probably won’t be going away anytime soon. Unless of course, we count the introduction of WET WIPES which were originally intended for infants which are now marketed aggressively to adults. Wet Wipe sales have soared to $1.1 billion annually, worldwide, up 35% from 5 years ago. Imagine a squad of Marines carrying a pack of DUDE WIPES along with their weapons and ammunition.

Kate Murphy has reported that these wipes which are heavily advertised as FLUSHABLE (see above photo) have begun to coalesce with grease in many city’s sewer systems to form blockages as big as airliners. Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out how many Lobbyists are greasing our elected politicians on behalf of the Wet Wipe industry? Screw city’s sewer systems, probably until we are all wadding ankle deep in our own crap will someone catch on. Most experts agree that toilet paper is less sanitary than water. Bidet’s or toilet attachments such as Washlets or Tushy’s are the way to go according to experts. However, even in France where bidets were in abundance are no longer installing them due to space and cost. So Tushy and Washlets may very well be the future.

On a personal note, I remember back in 2005 the Chicago White Sox had a Japanese second baseman by the name of Tadahito Iguchi who was a Tokyo resident. When not traveling with the White Sox team. He loved the City of Chicago and everything about it, except (you guessed it) his custom toilet that he left behind in Tokyo. (SEE ABOVE PHOTO) He missed it so much he had it shipped to Chicago and then all was right in the world. Indeed the Japanese have cornered the market with their toilets, heated seats and temperature-controlled water,  and other instruments that make going to the toilet equal to a nice hot shower. Who knows maybe someday in America there won’t be any paper or flushable wipes to hoard. Nah! I guess I’m dreaming. Please stay safe.