Here we are at the beginning of summer, and, really, not much has changed since the end of March. We had a chance to get some control of the situation and it was squandered. I didn’t have much hope for the country as it was and our selfishness and irresponsibility far exceeded my expectations.

Here in northern New Hampshire, we’re still doing good. Right now our county sits at 53 confirmed cases, up from 49 a week ago. That’s still not too bad. I had a Corona test done on Friday as pre-op for a procedure I need done that was put off in March. They are not fun at all. I swear my sinuses are still objecting. I haven’t bothered with an antibody test yet, since they have been said to be unreliable.

I thought about taking my son to Destin, Florida in August where the company I work for has vacation rentals. I can get the rental for the cost of the cleaning and I figured if we were just on the beach and in the rental without going to restaurants we’d be okay. I’m having serious second thoughts with what’s happening in Florida right now. That state is exploding with cases of Corona virus, as is Texas. My son is the Army is due back any day now from Germany to his base in Texas. While I’ll be glad to have him on this side of the pond, he’s much more vulnerable to the virus in Texas than he was in Germany. Going to either place does not appeal to me right now. I’m very happy to stay here in our little bubble that doesn’t seem to be terribly effected.

I’m hoping it stays that way. Restaurants just opened up inside seating, albeit with less capacity. Hotels are opened as well. I’m just hoping the increase in people up here from Massachusetts and other places doesn’t cause a rise in the virus numbers. It still won’t be as many since places like Story Land aren’t opening until the middle of July and with less capacity. That’s one of those places that is usually a huge draw to get tourists up here. Many people also refuse to wear masks and they have a policy of everyone over the age of 3 has to wear one, which will deter people. I understand it – it’s to keep their workers as safe as possible while being open. My son, who is immunosuppressed due to the Remicaide he takes to keep his Crohns Disease in remission, is staying home from work until after Labor Day when there will be less tourists around.

The mask debate is ridiculous. I don’t want to get into it too much because I’m honestly sick of hearing about it. I balked at first and found gaiters that are thin enough that they don’t trigger my anxiety. I did start to have a panic attack when I had one on at the nail salon, but was able to calm myself down. Still, I wear it for a sense of unity for people and to protect them if I have it. More and more I’m thinking that what I had at the beginning of February wasn’t a sinus infection but was Corona. I won’t know for sure until there’s a very reliable antibody test out there. But as for the masks, right now it’s easier to wear one than not wear it, and I’d rather be that example to my family and others.

Indeed, the states that have balked most at wearing a mask are the places that are now seeing the high rates of infection. The misogynist I encountered who called wearing masks “living in fear” is from Texas. He was telling people to buck the rules Disney was setting for reopening Disney Springs. I’m sure he still thinks it’s all a hoax. Fortunately, in other cases this behavior has backfired spectacularly, particularly in the case of the woman in San Diego who attempted to shame a Starbuck’s barista for refusing to serve her when she refused to wear a mask in the establishment. She was the one who tried to make a big deal out of it by taking his picture and posting it on her Facebook page. Instead of shaming him, the post went viral as a show of support for him, including a virtual “tip jar” on GoFundMe that as of right now is approaching $60k. I saw her Facebook page and she generally seems to be a pretty miserable person. This wasn’t a one-off occurrence or a “bad day.” She’s just not a nice person. If things had gone the way she had planned, she would have terrorized that kid who was just enforcing the rules. I don’t know why some people refuse to see that there are people in this world who are genuinely not nice people and who bring on a lot of the misery they experience on their own. This woman certainly seems to be one of those types. You also don’t have a “bad day” and suddenly become racist, but I see the same arguments over and over again particularly for white women trying to excuse their behavior.

The human race is doomed.