I rode my bike for the first time this year on what was a gorgeous day, the first truly nice day we've had in these partsa this spring. It was nice, except for the clusters of pedestrians who always seem to pick the narrowest spots on the bike path to catch up on the news with other clusters of pedestrians. Still, this was the first real exercise I've had since 5/13, so that was good. Then I stopped at a packy on the way home and bought some beer, which still appears to be plentiful, thank the lord.

Yay bike! Yay beer!

I have successfully made yogurt. Came out pretty good, which is a relief because I have about 2 qts of it. Still maybe a quart of milk to try to use up...

Today I got to encounter a couple who were pissed they couldn't try on anything and also basically said we were being brainwashed by the media. Not the exact words but according to them people are dying in car accidents and it's getting attributed to covid 19 and they know someone who got it and no one else at that person's work got it so obvouslyh this is all fake.

I kept saying "I can get my manager if you'd like to talk to him about the policies"

Is it just me, or is it annoying that if you want more milk than your usual, you have to double it? Usually I buy a quart of the super homogenized kind that lasts a long time, but what with the baking, I kind of want more, but not a half-gallon that's only good for a week!

Today I got to encounter a couple who were pissed they couldn't try on anything and also basically said we were being brainwashed by the media.

Oh myyyyyy.

There's something to be said for living in the zip code with the highest concentration of cases in the county... So far as I know we don't have many people claiming this is all a big nothingburger.

Took the dog for a walk, watched some lovely outdoorsy documentaries from the London Mountain Film Festival: ( [link] ) and now I'm making crackers from scratch. Homemade crackers!

YAY for biking and beer!

It really was a GORGEOUS day here. I went to the farmer's market then the hardware store (potting soil, canning stuff, lawn bags, and hand sanitizer!). then came home and did all of my lawn, new weed eater and new mower!! excite! My arms are not real happy with me, but since rain is forecast for tomorrow this was the only chance to do it.

Tomorrow I will either feel so bad from today's activity that I will watch tv all day or I will feel fine and then do indoor cleaning.

I had a bad week. A really bad week. And now I'm getting a notice from a debt collector for something I thought was paid ages ago. It's a medical expense because of course it is.

It isn't that much so I'll probably just pay it. I'm not up to figuring out if a medical expense was paid or not, medical expenses are always so fucking confusing. It was an emergency room visit where the ER was in-network, but the doctor wasn't. Something I keep getting burned on even when getting reassurance from the hospital that their staff is in-network.

We are leaving Brazil tomorrow to hunker down in my parents summer townhome in Northfield, MN for the summer.

This is my hometown, which I love dearly. And a much better place to spend the summer than the winter.

I last posted on March 12, and that afternoon Dx and I were speculating on whether our universities would move online. Ten minutes later my University did, along with the public schools. So my wife and I have been teaching online while our kids go to school online.

I hate online teaching. It's all of the tiresome busywork of teaching without the fun of the theatrical performance in front of an audience, and the personal contact with people who have just decided that they like to think (admittedly, a minority of students at a large research university).

Teaching a large class on Zoom is like being the DJ in absentia for a party you can't attend. You just aren't present enough to feel the room, to see what's working, and to move the experience forward for the participants.

When we started this people were saying that it would make us all see the benefits of online instruction. But I think I have learned that the in person lecture is sadly underestimated by education theorists. It's a group experience the students can't get by watching yet another video on a screen. On the little screen, we just can't compete with the alternative of cat videos, trick shots, or dumb guys slipping on ice. I don't think its the best thing for most students.

McMasters is lifting almost all restrictions on Monday, the work or home order is lifted, the quarantine for anyone who is travelling from a hotspot, and restaurants can have outdoor seating.

Overall the day was a lot smoother. although I do't get home until 7ish so that kind of sucks for the day being gone. Was supposed to have Monday off and now have Tuesday off.

Most people were really nice. The other memorable couple was the lady and her husband, she works at a pharmacy at a local hospital, they have 20 covid 19 patients. Neither was wearing masks and she didn't use hand sanitizer after the transaction.