covid diary: day 134

scenes from the pasture trails

Today, an email from school finally answered the last lingering question:

In response to a recent policy change from the Indiana High School Athletic Association, PCSC will permit students who are registered for our full time virtual option to also be eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities, as long as those activities are still operating.  

That last clause feels like a shoe about to drop, doesn't it? 

My sister Bethany told me today that sports are shut down entirely at their school until at least the start of August because they've had more positive cases. She says she won't be surprised if sports are shut down all over ... and if schools are too.

At any rate, we have filled out the registration forms (a whole day before the deadline!) and our kids are signed up to do virtual school for at least the first nine weeks. That takes us through fall break, and would have them going back to in-person school at the end of October, if things are better by then. And if they're not, we'll keep them home another nine weeks, through winter break, and see if they can go back in January. And we'll go from there. This hasn't been an easy decision, and it's going to be even harder in practice, considering that I'm the one home with them all day and trying to get my work done while they do their schoolwork. We may have to get creative around here, but one way or another, we'll work it out.

I haven't written too much about the national situation because it's completely overwhelming. Today we hit 4 million official cases of COVID-19. States are in real trouble, and instead of making a national plan, the president is using dubious authority to send unmarked federal troops into American cities to assault and kidnap peaceful protesters. I don't know about you, but I've already seen the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale, and I have no interest in living through that ... not to mention that I would be the world's shittiest Martha and would probably get demoted to Unwoman pretty fast. If I managed to stay off the wall at all.

How many days until Election Day again? ... checks notes ... 103. Hell, that's like seven decades in Trump times. We'll be on day 237 of this covid diary series by then. Mike will be a year older than me again. An old man at 46 while I remain a youthful if silver-haired 45. It feels like a lifetime away, and we need it now. Better yet, let's just fast-forward to January 20, 2021. 

Nationwide cases: 4,038,864. Deaths: 144,305.