2021 Started Off Fast

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

A reminder Target prices in retail stores and at their webpage may be different. I keep watch when I shop. The Presidential Election 2020 and President Donald Trump impeached twice are events generations today and tomorrow remember for a long time. I go back in time to Jun 1991 in sports and in technology. Korean fried chicken is delicious. Also, generations today and tomorrow remember the 2021 projected federal government $2.3 trillion deficit from the Congressional Budget Office. Is the 2.3 trillion number up or down at the end of 2021? A FYI for people who can't afford dentist quality bite guards. Drug stores sells cheaper bite guards.

Active, Slow, Plain, Quiet Fall 2020

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

I end 2020 starting with the COVID-19 second wave or third wave depending on reader's viewpoint. Social distancing can be described as six feet of fresh air. Every residence should have board games as a leisure option. Some malls are dead Christmas season and/or during the pandemic. Bring back the Merry Christmas for the sake of Christmas Day. Congratulations to my alma mater San Jose State Spartans football team for winning the 2020 Mountain West Conference Championship. Husbands remember Linus's ten-thousand dollar necklace joke when you wife says she doesn't want a gift. She does want a gift.

Active, Slow, Plain, Quiet Summer 2020

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Reading Harry Potter was a peaceful activity. The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates near zero to keep the economy moving slowly. The State Of California became planet Mars during the wildfires. More people struggled with poverty and hunger during the global pandemic. New fitness equipment was a physical peaceful activity. Follow the advice travel with towels from the book The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I laughed when I saw my last name on a Dodge Ram truck. The minimal car maintenance is open the hood for a visual engine inspection. A history reminder the 2020 US Presidential election was close.

Beginning Summer 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Blogger's Note: May is pic month. I'm catching up posting pics from my smart phone. Enjoy!

Retail stores felt the low inventories. Most restaurants prepared outdoor dining. Life slows down during a pandemic; however, the old is still out and the new is still in. Childhood mistakes and common life wisdom reminders from comic strips. Sometimes being a novice is good enough for the situation. Do the research. Changing a tire is a must skill for all drivers.

Dermatitis And Good Years

The first time there was dermatitis on my hands was 2005. The second time was 2009. The third time was 2020. The fourth time was today. There was dermatitis between 2009 and 2019 for which I don't remember the exact dates. The 2005 and 2009 outbreaks I applied a prescription ointment; in particular, the 2009 there was dermatitis on my face and neck. Afterwards, I used the remaining prescription ointment or over the counter hydrocortisone ointment, especially in 2020. I purchased a different hydrocortisone cream for eczema and dermatitis earlier today because my regular hydrocortisone is too weak.

The three years I mentioned 2005, 2009, and 2020 were good years. I graded 2005 and 2009 both A+. I graded 2020 a B. You can read the blogs on years I graded Grading My Past Years and 2020 Year In Review. Is 2021 going to be a good year?

I'm aware of the small sample size. I'm aware the years between 2009 and 2019 are inconclusive. I'm aware correlation is not a causation. It seems every dermatitis requiring medication my year is good. It's coincidence.

Here's another correlation is not a causation. I'm job searching. I experience diarrhea days before or days after an in-person job interview since Nov 2017 as far back as I remember. I know the interview result from a toilet. 100% true prediction. I didn't get hire. The last job interview I avoided oily foods days before and days after. I also ate less. I got diarrhea. I didn't get hire. The job opening was back on the company's job portal.

Life is weird.

Shelter In-Place COVID-19 Blog April 2021

California issued shelter in-place orders on Tue Mar 17, 2020. I have been logging the highlights and lowlights. Another fast month in 2021. The week of Mon Apr 19 slowed a little. My pandemic daily life continues being consistent and doing better. I got my first of two COVID-19 vaccines. The global pandemic news is a mix of good and bad depending on which country.

Thur Apr 1. CA residents age 50 and over are qualified to get the vaccine.

Fri Apr 2. State of CA issued new guidelines for indoor gatherings including concerts, theater performances, and professional sports. Limited attendance for CA residences only. Private indoor gatherings such as weddings, meetings, and conferences all guests must be COVID-19 negative at least 72 hours or proof of vaccination.

CDC stated fully vaccinated people can travel within the USA.

Sat Apr 3. Indian COVID-19 variant identified in CA.

Mon Apr 5. Shopped at local grocery stores for 50% off Easter candy. Stores minimal customers. Light street traffic.

Tue Apr 6. CA Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state is on track to fully reopen on Jun 15.

Thur Apr 8. Some countries reported new records for daily cases and daily deaths. Brazil 4,000 deaths. India 127,000 new cases. Iran 22,600 new cases.

Some USA clinics halted Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to adverse reactions.

Tue Apr 13. USA officially paused Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 27 USA states reported rising cases.

Thur Apr 15. CA residents age 16 and over are qualified to get the vaccine.

Fri Apr 16. WHO accounted weekly global cases doubled over the past two months. Deaths increased.

Sat Apr 17. 3,000,000 died from COVID-19 globally.

Mon Apr 19. Shopped for cereal at Grocery Outlet and Safeway.

Thur Apr 22. CA university systems California State University and University Of California announced all students, faculty, and staff must be fully vaccination. Exceptions are medical or religious for which they must be tested regularly.

Shopped at Costco. Normal pandemic crowds. I witness more social distancing becoming automatic.

Fri Apr 23. Bank errands. All of the banks were empty inside. Minimal street traffic.

CDC and FDA approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine to resume with warnings.

Mon Apr 26. Reported 15 people with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had blog clots out of eight million.

Tue Apr 27. CDC says fully vaccinated people can go outside without a mask; however, people should wear masks in big crowds. Groups of people unvaccinated must wear masks.

A Bay Area man in his 30's is the first male in the USA with a blood clot in his leg. He was the first male linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine blood clot.

Wed Apr 28. I got vaccinated with the first of two Pfizer vaccine. I shopped at Costco afterwards. Heavy freeway traffic moved slow. Stop and go traffic due to merging traffic.

Thur Apr 29. I watched 2021 NFL Draft picks 1-15.

The State of CA and local counties warned water restrictions due to the drought.

Fri Apr 30. Shopped at Costco and Lucky. Crowds were like a weekday morning. Traffic was like a weekend early afternoon.

The USA announced travel restrictions from India.

The Transportation Security Administration said travelers are required to wear masks in airports, airplanes, trains, and buses through Sep. 13.

The County Of Santa Clara urged teenagers and young adults begin vaccination. The county announced a vaccine surplus and low demand.

100 million Americans or 39% of the population fully vaccinated. USA deaths total 575,000. The average daily deaths decreased to an average of 670 per day from 3,400 per day in Jan. However, about 8% of those who have gotten one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine didn't return for their second shot, according to CDC.

Throwback Blog: 10 Hour Therapy

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled 10 Hour Therapy written on Aug 17, 2008. I blogged a solution when I felt depressed. The solution was sleep. I connect the dots backwards. I grew up 48 days later on Oct 4, 2008. My life changed forever. The number of days I felt down, depressed, tired and not myself dropped significantly thereafter. Feeling depressed is normal; on the other hand, feeling depressed consistently is not normal. Ironically, minimizing depression requires work; for example, staying active physically such as exercise and staying active mentally such as reading books. In addition, minimize eating processed foods and live an organized life keeping your residence clean. I stand by everything I blogged because I practice them daily.

The 10 hour therapy sleeping works. I rarely need the therapy today. I can't remember the last time I slept for 10 hours to treat depression. Today's blog is a reminder I have the no cost option.

Wednesday night August 13, 2008 I slept for 10 hours. What happened? Since Monday July 28 I felt empty. I neither felt happy nor sad. My attitude was "I'm living life. So what else is new." I showed up for work, exercised, played Team Fortress 2, and replied to emails work and personal. Whoopiedoo =\ My life was uncommon, or perhaps too common such as go to work, exercise three days a week, and sleep. The days were plain with no joy. I had too many thoughts including the recession and "What If" questions such as what if my contract is terminated and what if I never buy a house. (Yes, the US economy is in a recession.) I was myself and I was not myself.

On Thursday August 14, I felt much better. I was myself again. Wednesday night was my 10 hour free and self-help therapy session ^_^ My mood was happy. My attitude was I'm living life and what's new. My life was common . . . a positive attitude, looking forward to new adventures, and seeking new opportunities. The day was joy. I continued with too many thoughts positive and negative; however, the negative thoughts were conquered with the positive thoughts. I was ready to finish anything I needed to get done.

Feeling down, feeling depressed, feeling tired, feeling not yourself? Try sleeping 10 hours. Delay your night plans and activities. Go to bed (-,-) I learned sleep is more than resting your body. Sleep also rests your brain and your soul =D

Side note: The week of Monday August 11 I didn't go to the gym. Physically I felt good. Attitude wise I felt bad. I remember when I have the "I don't want to workout" feeling tells me I'm tired and I must devote extra hours to sleep. Fortunately, I skipped gym for the week or else I might have been sick >.>