I'm dying here!!! "Unlike Carol's husband, we're still here!" And, yes, I have been to a Testicle Festival. I did not partake of the testicle offerings even though I was assured they were delicious!

Charlie is the best!

Thanks for the laughs, Trail! Those were priceless!

Charlie's partner in crime, the stocky guy with the bigger beard and black hair is also known as the "You Betcha" guy has his own channel.

Here's his solution to needing some "alone time" during the quarantine: Dads Going for a "Walk"

And ONLY up there is the only Busch beer you can buy, Busch Light! It is one of the most awful beers ever. My husband used to drink regular Busch and had to bring his own beer with us when we visited my family in NW Iowa.

And the whole "accent" and manner of speaking - sounds like home! Great stuff!

I learned yesterday that a close friend of mine, whom I've known for 20 + years, is recovering from the virus. She works for the same college that I recently retired from. Mid-March, A few days after the college shut down and all work started being done from home, she shared she couldn't stop coughing and had a fever of 100.5; the danger limit being 100.4. She went thru the online quesionnaires from the CDC and her doc's office and was missing one symptom. Doc told her to just stay home and rest. She went on 'sick' leave from work; didn't contact students. Just checked in with her boss. She 'returned' to work after the fever subsided; not sure how long that took. The cough and exhaustion lingered. Yesterday she told me her doc finally got her tested and it came out positive.
Closest I've come to the actual 'reality' of this thing.

Ordered a few cloth face masks from Etsy. First one came today. So now I can wear something besides a cut-out strip from an old t-shirt. Who would have ever thought that facial PPE would become a necessary 'fashion' accessory??

I ordered a few from a local company with a small business making stuff like pillows with lavender etc. They started making masks. I went out today to the grocery store and a local fresh fruit and vegetable stand to get some plants. Almost everyone was wearing masks. Made me feel a lot more comfortable being out.

Yeah, there used to be a die-hard loyalty to Miller, Pabst and Blatz until Pabst and Blatz went under and SAB bought out Miller. Now they are produced again, but they are being made at the SAB/Miller breweries. Sort of like games being developed by one group and actually produced and distributed at another. People still go for them as "daily drinkers" due to the high number of folks they employ here, but some just go for what's cheapest. With all the more well known smaller breweries that have popped up like (my personal favorite) Lakefront Brewery, New Glarus Brewing and Sprecher Brewing (now owned by a couple of execs from GE and Samsung) folks tend to have different priorities when it comes to "breaking out the good stuff"

Another big beer up there back in the day was Hamms. All the bars had those moving signs... can't remember what they were called. Ah, and Schlitz... another old brand gone away. Down here in Missouri, we have lots of craft breweries and they are really great. One getting some national recognition is Urban Chestnut Brewing in St. Louis. The Schnicklefritz is excellent!

Trail, those were hysterical!

I loved the "walk."

Reminded me of when I used to sneak cigarettes around the side of the house when I was 14. As if nobody could smell it.

About 30 yrs ago, I worked for a few years as an administrative assist for the Chicago office of Heileman (Old Style) until they were bought out by Strohs during 1990s. Best paying job I ever had, and one of the few for profit companies I worked for. I thought it ironic that I don't drink yet that brand was my dad's beer.

Well, we’re up to 9 cases in my county now, but no new ones in over a week. So it looks like social distancing is working.

It looks like folks here need some entertainment. Here are some ideas. One thing about youtube is they have some really good music. This doesn’t even scratch the surface.


Paul Mauriat, Love Is Blue


The Troggs, Love is All Around



Albert

Edit: Youtube links don't work. Huhm? So do a search. Love is Blue I highly recommend.

Thank you, Albert! Always looking for new things to listen to.

We have almost 150 cases in my county in Missouri. So far all the deaths but two have been from a nursing home. There was a big front page story on this facility in the St. Louis paper this morning about how it started. It appears an ER doctor at the hospital was infected, but asymptomatic. Someone from the facility fell and broke a hip and was taken to the hospital. After his surgery, he was sent back to the nursing home and there have been 38 deaths there so far.

They said the seasonal flu has never taken so many residents over the entire 5 month flu season. Covid-19 has taken 38 in less than 6 weeks. Just heart-wrenching.

Albert, I remember those songs from when I was a teeny bopper. Someone did a version of Love is Blue with words, I recall.

There were some wonderful musical oddities around that time. Remember Richard Harris Singing MacArthur's Park? Or "Bobby Kennedy" singing Wild Thing? There are vids of both on YouTube.

Love is Blue was first sung by Vicky Leandros in the 1967 Eurovision Song contest.

Composed by Andre Popp, Lyrics by Pierre Cour

My favorite vocal version was Jeff Beck in 1968, (you have to wait a bit for the vocals to appear).

Can you tell I was working in a record store in England at the time???

Here in BC and in other parts of Canada we've moved into a different phase. We're now being asked to wear masks at all times when out in public, and it seems that some stores are even making that a requirement.

Some things have been relaxed. A few more essential types of store are now open (including the mattress store where I bought my mattress -- good thing, too, because I have to exchange it and I'm coming in right under the wire for my 100 day trial!). Small groups of up to 3 people are allowed, meaning we can at least have an afternoon get-together with a neighbor.

We're already being warned about a second wave of infection coming fairly soon, though.

The mask has been a requirement here in Illinois for all of May. They are trying to open restaurants for outdoor dining. As where you are, some other things are starting to open up a little with masks, distancing, and limited number of people.

We went out to eat for the first time in 9 weeks yesterday. We went very early before 5:00 and sat in the outside dining area. It was so nice. I watched the waitresses spray down the credit card folder they give to the diners after each use. They were also doing a lot of curbside service. The owner is a good friend and he said he is probably to keep the curb-side service because it's been such a success. I wonder how much of the sanitizing will continue too... I just don't think it's a bad idea at all. I know I'm going to be a lot more cognizant in the future. We're also being warned about a second wave coming as things open up again.

The thing is, with summer coming people don't want to follow all of these procedures anymore. There is a lot of friction and tempers are flaring. If I was not a homebody, I don't know how I would feel.

Oldbroad, both my husband and I are perfectly content to be at home and just hang out together, too.

Draclvr, I'm certain that some things we've learned and been forced to do will stick now. For instance, during flu season, why not wear a mask? I think a lot of people will. All of our stores now have plexiglass barriers. Those will stay. I'm guessing that sanitizing the debit machine will become common, too. People have started to expect it.

I wonder if the business handshake will vanish?

I have friends who are still working, and their main job was to work face to face with students. This long distance stuff, even by Zoom, it just isn't the same. Having to keep distance from people is very hard.

I agree with you hagatha; I think a lot the new changes will stick for a while. Until everyone is given a vaccine, no one will be really safe for a while.

I'm in decent health, but I don't take any chances. I'd rather be over cautious. I'm trying to balance good sense without being paranoid about it.

Perfect way to approach it, butterflybabe!

Yeah, with the easing of restrictions in our state I was glad to see one of our local big-box home improvement centers, which is always crowded has kept their mask, number of customers in store, and dedicated exit/entry points requirements active. It's good to see some common sense prevailing.

Man, I wish our local Lowe's would do that. I went there out of necessity and was horrified at the crowds, no masks anywhere and only a nod to social distancing. I won't be back!

Hey Drac, I don't know how close they are to you, but Menard's is our local place. They're home office is in WI, but they have locations in Missouri, and I think their COVID policies are universal.