March 27, 2020
Dear Everyone:
This is Normal now.
I have a very important job to do.
And I’m the only person in the entire world who can do it.
My job is to stay home.
No one can make me do it except myself.
In other words, it takes self-discipline, something in short
supply in some cases.
Actually, it’s kind of relaxing.
No rushing from one appointment or meeting to the next.
I have all the time in the world to work on whatever I choose.
Lately, I’ve been busy making face masks.
I found a pattern online; and I have plenty of fabric, either
leftover from some forgotten project, or purchased for another project
that suddenly seems less vital just now.
Of course, these masks are hardly of medicinal quality.
They just cover your nose and mouth, reminding you not to touch
said nose-and-mouth, and help to make it look like you’re taking this
whole thing seriously.
The problem, I quickly discovered, is a shortage of ¼-inch-wide elastic.
Each side of the mask requires a 6-inch length of elastic, sewn
in at either end of the side.
These elastic loops go over the ears to hold the mask in place.
I had some in my sewing cabinet, again leftover from some project.
Enough for about two masks.
I also had some elastic cord; but this didn’t work out very well.
Of course, I tried to find more elastic.
I tried JoAnn, the sewing and craft chain.
All sold out. Next, I
tried Michaels, which specializes more in crafts, but usually has some
sewing basics. Nothing more
basic than ¼-inch-wide elastic.
Again, all sold out.
Even tried Hobby Lobby, whose owner loudly proclaimed that he would keep
his national chain open because God would protect them.
Nevertheless, God notwithstanding, they were sold out of elastic
also.
Eventually, and more out of curiosity than anything else, I tried
Amazon. Lo! And behold,
there was a supplier who had the necessary component “In Stock”.
I hastily ordered some and received a happy response:
“Thank you for your order.”
And the message that it would arrive promptly between May 4th
and May 29th.
Uh huh. Are they, perhaps,
shipping it by mule train?
Or is their definition of “in stock” a little more (excuse the
expression) elastic than mine?
In any case, the elastic should show up around the time that the
current situation is resolved.
Or not.
In the meantime, I considered other options.
One would be to make ties out of the same fabric as the mask.
Or even other fabric, since we have no need to be overly fussy.
But making ¼-inch ties, I know from experience, is tedious,
time-consuming and difficult.
Another possibility would be to use shoelaces.
However, that means tying the laces, or ties, behind one’s head.
Tried that recently?
It’s not that easy. Plus it
can get caught in one’s hair.
Then I had an idea. What
about Velcro? I just happen
to have quite a bit of Velcro purchased for another project currently on
hold anyway. It would mean
making fabric straps about an inch wide, which is actually much easier
than ¼-inch-wide strips.
Then sew a small ¾-inch-wide piece of hook-side Velcro on one strap; and
sew the loop-side on another.
Sew the straps to either end of the mask.
Lap one over the other and it might work.
I’d probably want a different length for the upper and lower ends of the
mask. I’m in the middle of a
proof-of-concept attempt now.
I’ve already taken it for a “test drive” and have some ideas for
process improvements.
In the meantime, I’m not trapped indoors all of the time.
I go out for a short walk each afternoon, with my face mask firmly in
place, just in case. Once
around Eastridge Drive, or through the complex, takes about a
quarter-hour. It’s not as
invigorating as galloping along to keep up with the gym’s treadmill as
it races forward at a staggering 1.5 mph.
But it will suffice, especially as the gym has officially been closed
for the duration. I say
“officially” because the Property Manager sent out an informative “email
blast”, blithely missing about three-quarters of his intended targets,
i.e. the residents. Half the
homeowners don’t actually live here and probably won’t bother to forward
the notice to their tenants, if they even have the tenant’s email
address. And the Manager
certainly can’t be expected to go to the effort to place a notice on the
gym door.
Question: When will things
go “back to normal”? Answer:
Never. It’s really a
matter of finding ways to improve on the current situation, just like
the face masks.
Like I said: This is Normal
now. We’re all in this
together. Six feet apart.
Love, as always,
Pete
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