Normal

Social distancing on the docks, Portland, March 18th, 2020

Normal is the buzzword for Wednesday. News media has run amock with it, and the most on the nose being the local Willamette Weekly, "This is the new normal". The other buzzword is likely to be the "Shut-in Economy" as people demand at-home services. Amazon is hiring big in PDX, and sadly this might upend local shopping as we know it. In the book, The Warehouse a series of terrorist attacks, causes everyone to close in and fear going outdoors, work, and shop exclusively from the oligopsony, Amazon-like corporation. It turns out it's much more mundane.

Work is work. Coworkers are still cool, and like everyone, we're scrambling to figure ways to stay connected, including a running group where we log our exercise as health is a concern for all of us. Hopefully we have work in the future.

I decided to start an office wellness program: Since Target is down the street, I'll start a morning trek to score toilet paper, I don't intend to horde it, just get enough in case an office mate runs out and needs a few rolls, they can swing by and pick it up. There should be one community source than each one of us hoarding for the end times. It's all in the name of reducing stress.

After work, biking home has a soulful serenity, as people in pairs of twos mill around and enjoy just being among each other and outside. Even behind the beauty is the melancholy backdrop, as the iconic Powell's announced it's response plans.

10th Street at 10 am, Portland, March 19th, 2020

I met two of my friends for beers in Laurelhurst park last night, sitting a few feet from each other, talking and drinking. This is the new normal.