Passing the Empty Hours

Copyright © 2020

by Ralph F. Couey

So, almost everyone is stuck at home these days, by now bored silly.  Hence the myriad videos hitting social media of folks doing silly things in the attempt to maintain sanity.  Ironically, we can all recall moments at work when stressors were piled upon stressors and we fervently hoped for some unscheduled time off.  Now that we have it, many of us are longing for a return to work.  

A big part of that wistful yearning is the fact that nothing fun is open.  Theaters, fun stores, parks, museums, gyms, etc, all those places we used to while away our spare time are closed.  So, we're left to our own devices to entertain ourselves.  Jigsaw puzzles have become really popular, and now people can start a Monopoly game and actually have time to finish it -- provided all the players are at least six feet apart.

We went to Costco last week, actually twice.  We showed up about an hour before opening to see a line running around two sides of that massive building.  We got gas at a station that was nearly empty, probably a reflection that most people are driving way less than normal.  We came back about 12:30 to see no lines at all.  We walked in and were able to move around quite easily in a store that had way fewer people than normal.  True, the hot items -- wipes, nitrile gloves, cleaning solutions, and of course toilet paper were sold out, but we are still well supplied with those items.  All the food we were looking for were there, except for Cheryl's favorite oatmeal, and my favorite bottled water -- Propel.  

When we got home, I felt a little bit of a letdown.  Before this thing happened, a trip to the store -- any store was just another errand amongst the many we have to run.  But the local gendarme are beginning to tighten up on people, so any legitimate excuse to get out of the house and go somewhere -- anywhere becomes the major part of an otherwise dull lockdown day.  

Cheryl and I are fortunate in a way.  She's a nurse and even though her work hours have been cut back, she still goes in three days a week. I work for Hawai'i Emergency Management in the 24/7 watch center, so I'm still working full time.  Yes, we've been very busy, even on the midnight watch.  On top of helping to manage the state's response to the pandemic, last week we had a tsunami watch after a massive earthquake in the Kurile Islands, a reminder that even with COVID-19, the rest of the world still demands our attention.  

Still, there are times for us at home when we need to find things to fill the hours.  I've been binging on three channels, Science, NatGeo, and History.  I've learned more about the universe lately than I ever knew before, and that's a good thing, because education keeps the brain busy.  I've had more time to write lately, even returning to my books-in-progress which had lain dormant for several months.  We're still allowed outside to exercise, so I've been doing more walking.  One of my favorite routes is one I take after getting off work in the morning.  I park on the north side of Kapiolani Park and walk from there almost to Ala Moana shopping center and back, a distance of 6 miles.  This route has become easier because nearly all the tourists have vanished, so I don't have to bob and weave around them.  Driving through Waikiki on my way to work at night is a revelation.  The entire district is silent and empty.  The only folks around are the homeless who are gradually taking over.  Residents are telling reporters that they don't feel safe there after dark.

HPD cited over 70 people last week who refused to leave city parks after being ordered to do so.  Two were actually arrested. The fine for doing this kind of thing is $5,000 and a year in jail, so it behooves people to take this seriously.  If you have a legitimate reason for being on the roads, you're okay.  But woe betide those engaged in more frivolous pursuits.  But at least we're not in Chicago, which threatened last week to arrest people for walking their dogs.

With no live sports scheduled, ESPN and their brethren are airing classic games from the past, especially the dormant NCAA tournament.  Gleeful Chiefs fans, thanks to the NFL network, can relive the entire championship season. Again, and again, and again...  Sorry, San Francisco.

I enjoy checking in with folks on FaceBook and seeing how they have decided to fill the hours.  It seems that these inventive, adaptive Americans are not allowing to let the current situation get them down.  That's a good thing.  But I bet there's still some periods of time when there's just absolutely positively NOTHING TO DO!!!

Well...there's always that honey-do list...