Unreal

I have been doing taxes for 21 years, and this is the weirdest tax season ever.  I started getting nervous about all the clients who still wanted to come in.  We can do everything remotely, I have clients I haven't seen in person in years -- but there's still always the ones who insist they have to come in.  It's interesting too, it's the older ones who are most at risk.  The young people are staying home. 

Last week we agreed we'd keep working and stop having clients in, but my partners kept seeing people.  One of them says it takes too long to do it remotely.  The other likes news of a different kind than I do, and thinks it's all being blown out of proportion.  Even though she has an autoimmune disease and is the most vulnerable of all of us.

Saturday I'd had enough, I packed up my files and brought them home and have been working here ever since.  Monday the governor asked people to stay home, so the sensible partner packed up her files and took them home.  I noticed the one who thinks it's all overblown was there all day today, but I guess if she keeps the door locked it's okay.

It's just -- weird.  The parking lots are empty.  There's hardly any cars on the road.  I drove through my little downtown last night to socially distance on the beach for a bit, and the streets were empty.  Most of the restaurants would normally be all lit up and full.  Instead they're mostly dark, staffed with a cook and a couple of people to run food out to the curb.

Every time I'm out of the house I'm jumping out of my skin.  I had ordered something to pick up for lunch today and it wasn't ready, so I had to wait.  There were only three other people there, I stood well away from them all.  I didn't like touching the pen to sign for my payment, and I drove home and washed my hands for a whole minute.  I felt like I was bringing contaminants inside.

Mike and Danny were still working, both their companies decided they were essential and stayed open.  Then Monday Danny called me from work.  He had a bad headache and was achy.  What should he do?  GO HOME I screeched.  Go in your room and shut the door and stay there!  Don't breathe on your brother!  Then I called Mike and told him to go straight home.  To his credit, he did.  They're hanging around the house.  Danny feels like crap, but he doesn't have a fever.  He says he feels some tightness in his chest, but he's my kid, and I know how that goes.  I feel tightness in my chest just thinking about it.

Mike thinks he's going to lose his job in the coming downturn and wants to go back to work to earn money while he can.  I think he should stay home for two weeks, but no one is listening to me.

Danny's boss wants him to get tested so he knows what he's dealing with, and no one will test a healthy young man in his 20s.  You have to be in one of the at risk groups and much sicker before they'll even consider using a test for you.  Though I notice the Congresspeople and the Trumps have had no trouble getting tested.  I am just a little bitter here.  Just a bit.

This anxiety is so hard.  We hear stories about people who are so sick -- Emily's friend's mother works in a hospital, and is in the hospital now with pneumonia, but they haven't tested her yet.  Every time I cough, and it's pollen season so I cough a lot, I wonder if this is it?  It would be easier to deal with if we knew.  But thanks to the idiots in charge, we don't.  We're completely unprepared for this, and people are sewing masks for the nurses because they don't have enough in the hospital.

And it's going to go on for weeks yet.  Events are already being canceled in May and June.  I was planning to take a series of classes being offered in Vegas and Wash DC this year for my continuing ed credits.  I have pretty much decided to cancel that and sign up for online courses instead.

There's a picture going around on Facebook that says, your grandparents were asked to go to war.  You're being asked to sit on the couch.  Do your part.  And I get that, I really do.  I would never have guessed this would be so hard.

Comments

  1. This has been so very hard, and the anxiety is a lot of it for me. I worry about both my girls, especially Ashley at 7 months pregnant. New York is a mess! I hope Danny is OK and feels better soon. What a shitshow! Take care of yourself, Mary!

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