Profile Photo
Tom Cleaver
908 articles

California is locked down! Updated March 22

March 20, 2020 · in News · 18 · 1.6K

Our governor just announced a "stay inside" order for the entire state until April 19. You can go to groceries, pharmacies, banks and gas stations, and take a walk around the block - but you have to keep 6ft/2m separation. Also they expect 25 million of the state population of 40 million to come in contact with the virus.

My wife is now in the nursing home till then. No home transfers, since there are no medical professionals to make follow-up visits.

I'm writing a book on the Guadalcanal campaign back in 1942. I think I'm going to stay there. At least you could see the enemy most of the time.

UPDATE:

Got called today by Jurate's "healthcare" plan (Kaiser, allegedly one of the best - every time I take her over there, I am so glad I have the Veteran's Administration). Her three weeks of "up and out" are up next Wednesday (unless we have $400/day), and she comes home, where she gets a whole 3 weeks of a physical therapist 2x/week, then we're on our own. At least they aren't going to strap her in a wheelchair and dump her on skid row at midnight (as has been done). Looks like I am going to learn to be a physical therapist (US health care: get well soon or go die). From talking to two friends who went through this, it'll be a year before she's back (if she's lucky) to where she was. And anybody who thinks we're not going to be dealing with this virus that whole year is living in fantasy land. IF that vaccine they're testing is the right one, and IF all the tests go at Warp Factor 10, it will be a year before that's available and we're through this.

Reader reactions:
3  Awesome

18 responses

  1. Here in Greece we have the same restrictions for a week already. They seem to work so far. We will see, as our neighbors Italians have really lost it...
    Hope things with your wife be smooth. Keep up the good work my friend.
    All the best!

  2. Thanks, my friend.

  3. Same here in Portugal, and actually most part of Europe. It’s hard being days in a row inside but it’s necessary. The only thing that isn’t going that well is the fact that with all the kids inside and working remotely my modeling time is short, a lot shorter

    • Tell me about it Pedro! My sons are 2.5 and 5 years old...can you imagine? Surprisingly though, the younger one is into modeling. Today he was examining the sprues of my unbuilt Trumpeter 1/32 P-40B. I think he spotted the shallowness of the cockpit...
      All the best, my friend!

  4. Very sorry that anyone has to go through this. Hope your wife recovers. Thanks for all the great kit reviews here & on modeling madness.

  5. Sorry to hear about your better half, Tom. I trust that she (and you, too) get through this hysteria OK. I'm here in California, as well, so it's modelling time for me, too. Even under such onerous circumstances, thank goodness that I have a nice stash to sustain me. Funny thing is that now some would refer to my accumulation of kits as...HOARDING!

  6. Hi Tom. Good luck with your wife and family.
    The slow down of everything has surprising effects. Life priorities are number one again.
    Health, security , love and cooperation.
    Lots of models to make as well to calm the nerves !

  7. Thanks for the good thoughts, guys.

  8. Hi Tom, take care of your loved ones. Here in Belgium there is a complete lock down. I was lucky to make it back home this Monday from a stay abroad. The airlines closed already or are about to. Almost no cars in the street, when you look up the sky: Almost no contrails... Now we have bunkered-in the house. We try to limit groceries to once a week. Stay healthy all.

  9. That's an interesting comment, Michel. Here in Los Angeles, I live directly under the right turn departure pattern for Van Nuys Airport. There's usually a lot of traffic, but now there is none. No general aviation operations at all, not even the corporate jets that are based there. The Condor Squadron (that collection of T-6s I went flying with last November) have completely stopped their flying until this is over.

    Traffic here in Los Angeles is really surprising. I joke with people that the "rush hour" in Southern California is 0600-1900 M-F. Well now, the streets look like 0600 on a Sunday morning. Practically nothing!

  10. Good luck, Tom. Best wishes to you and your wife.

  11. Hi Tom,

    Sorry to hear that you will be separated from your wife for a longer time. Australia shut the doors last night and Tasmania shut out the rest of Oz as well. You might finish your book in record time with no distractions and nowhere to go! I have enough kits and consumables to last a lot longer than our food and hygiene products. On a slightly more bizarre note, Cosco opened its first store here the other day and had a million dollar opening day mainly from the sale of toilet paper. Take care my friend.

  12. Hi Tom,
    I confirm here in Italy the situation is seriuos, almost 4.000 die, and we have 30 to 40.000 people, has come in contact with the virus. We were the first in Europe to lock down the country, by incrisingly stringent measure. Next week will be crucial to determine if it works or not, observing the curve of new infected. The only postive comment I can do, next modelling contest will be very crowded, with modeler presenting up to 10 pieces each!

    • We over here are watching you guys with great concern, since it looks like our national leadership chose (by not choosing) the road Italy took. Best wishes and good luck to you and yours.

  13. Hey Tom, yes, the out look here in South Africa is also bleak to say the least, we don't have health care like most countries, we have 280 confirmed cases as of this morning, but we are expecting a sharp rise very soon, and our health care will not be able to cope with large amounts of cases.

    I have just picked up a stash of plastic card, so I can 'Self Isolate' the whole week end working on my Atlas Impala. I hope all will go well with your wife, and my thoughts are with the Families of everyone here on Imodeler. Take care.

  14. As the virus is spreading we face a surreal reality. Difficult to believe what is happening, all these death tolls. Practically, the only thing we can do is following the state's rules - hoping they take the right ones at the right time - or is it too late now for comments like this? And be responsible -each one of us. Dear Tom, life is testing you now, I send you my regards and good strength. Keep up my friend!

Leave a Reply