Unknown to known

Well, at 10:30 this morning they called it: we are closing for a second week of spring break (for the students; faculty are expected to report back on the 23rd to begin preparation). Then we go online only until at least April 10.

(Spoiler alert: I bet it lasts longer than April 10 unless a miracle happens)

I am much calmer about this right now. Yes, it's gonna suck, but it's gonna suck for all of us, and the fact that we are *allowed back on campus* as faculty (provided we're healthy and provided we don't do idiot things like licking doorknobs) will mean I go MUCH less nuts from isolation than I might have. It will be more like summers, where I do get a little sad and lonely but am more OK than if I were at home with no one around. And I bet at least some of my colleagues will be looking more for someone to talk to and I am fine with that.

I do have to make up the additional online homeworks, and I will be recording at least audio lectures. Exams remain more of an issue but maybe we will get guidance on that? I hope?

I also ran to the Pruett's after being really unsettled by footage from a Los Angeles Costco. It was busy there, but no more than an ordinary Friday, and the shelves were fairly well stocked. (In fact, the Little Debbie Cakes delivery guy was there putting out LOTS more of the cakes. And yes, you need snack cakes in the Apocalypse. I bought some)

The only aisle that had issues was....

TP.

But I think the TP panic is one of those weird dumb game-of-telephone things where people heard about shortages in Australia (which, there are other circumstances there) and then some people in one state started buying it up, then more people did, then it wound up on Facebook, and then people started selling it as third-party sellers gouging the heck out of it.

I'm fine. I already had ample TP at home and I also have ample facial tissues (allergies, yo) and enough paper towels (which I use rarely enough preferring cloths that I can wash for things like dishwashing).

So I got more of the well-pasturized and long-expiration-date milk, and more oatmeal, and a bag of onions, and a pound and a half of ground beef (chili will be Monday's dinner) and more tortillas and cheese and another big thing of plain yogurt, and a bunch of other stuff on top of the stuff I had. I also bought some bacon (long expiration date if unopened) so I can make either baked beans or western-style beans (I have dry beans) at a later point in time....and so, I can probably make it at least 3 weeks now without even a minimal grocery trip, and if things go really apocalyptic, I have more flour and I have powdered milk and I ordered a very large quantity of the Ghirardelli chips I eat in my oatmeal....so I should be fine.

And anyway, no evidence the virus is HERE yet though there's a presumptive case in Gainesville, which is maybe an hour and fifteen minutes from me.

So: I'm going to finish grading a few labs, make the next few homeworks for the class that does them, and then head home. I can tell my adrenaline levels have crashed, I'm very tired, and I feel like I've aged an entire decade in one week. I'm telling myself I'm probably better off than many people in re: "pivoting" to online teaching, and we will just have to make it work, but for now...I have a week's grace, I have a new sweater's worth of yarn, and I have lots of fabric for quilt tops and a number of books so I think I'm just going to pretend that this outside world doesn't really exist for a little while.

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Added: I have an appointment on the 26th with the instructional-technology person to get help with doing online testing and recording narration. My counterpart who teaches the other PI lab came up with a clever way to allow the students to still do most of most of the labs from a distance, so we will do that.

I wrote a note to each of my classes outlining what I knew I could do, and what I hoped to be able to do after the "prep week" and posted them on the class pages. (The notes had a strangely valedictory/upbeat tone, I guess in some ways I was channeling some inspiration from parts of some of Paul's letters?). Had a short conversation with our excellent custodian and I am much more confident of the cleanliness and safety of our building - because of him - than I would be of many places.

It will be okay. At least, now, I feel like it will be okay. My mom is taking major steps to avoid any exposure so I certainly hope she will be okay. It will probably be difficult (in terms of isolating ourselves) for at least 8-10 weeks, but then it will gradually get better.

And now, I am home, for spring break. Shortly I will wash my hair and then put in the week's laundry and make some dinner and then I think tonight I will crochet on my afghan and maybe watch "Spirited Away" or something similar. And tomorrow I do not plan to leave the house; I will probably try to finish the in-progress quilt top.