Folks. Keep up the social distancing. It’s tough, but you’re going to get through it. Downtown is still too crowded for me to feel comfortable taking a walk, but in general it seems like we’re doing pretty well. My mother’s friend has been making masks, and apparently some are in the mail for me. That’s probably better than a bandanna.

In any event, please wash your hands right now.

Oh hey, it’s the afternoon and I think that you’re just going to have to accept that this is open threads now.

Anyway, I need to say: Please don’t eat poison. The President is recommending that people eat poison, but it’s a bad idea. Please, please, please do not eat poison. Eat pasta. Or eat rice. Maybe eat lentils. Those are a much better option than poison.

Do, however, wash your hands right now.

The State stay at home order has been extended to May. That is going to be tough for a lot of people. And may well be extended further.

Downtown Seattle sidewalks are still too cramped to do much walking. So I am mostly stuck in a studio apartment. But I still have work, and am doing OK.

Please wash your hands.

Another afternoon thread.

I usually work 8:30 to 4:30 because of my public transit situation. Most of the rest of the office is 9:00 to 5:00. I have continued to start at 8:30 even though my desk is literally 10 feet away from my bed, and I can walk it.

Anyway, wash your hands.

How is everyone holding up? I am going a bit stir crazy. I look out my window and I want to yell “6 feet” to people standing close to each other, or God forbid sharing a cigarette. I assumed that I would eventually be the person who yells at the kids from my window, but I am 20 years ahead of schedule.

Anyway, wash you hands right now.

I did it again. Late Open Thread. I am giving myself permission to fail, and as such am fine with this. I have another good week at work, and then may get my hours reduced. Hope the unemployment is good if that comes. My landlord is still flexible and I will definitely be good on that for a while.

Wash your hands right now.

Sorry! The days are kind of blending together and I can’t write this on my commute. Go wash your hands right now.

Are you holding up? Are you going a bit stir crazy? I am. Living Downtown, you can take a walk and try social distancing, but not everyone is cooperating. Or nobody knows what 6 feet is. Seriously give me some more room.

And also, wash your hands.

Dear Senator Murray,

I am writing to thank you for your leadership in this difficult time. Specifically, I want to thank you for pushing for sick leave protections for all workers. I know that it has not passed yet, but I hope that you will keep pushing. We need to be in this together by staying apart.

Thank you,

Carl Ballard

(For the rest of you, wash your hands right now.)

I am very grateful that Seattle has suspended evictions for the time being. It’s not a system that can go on indefinitely, but God almighty it’s needed now. My building posted notices about working with people to pay rent. They should keep that up after the virus is over.

How is the social distancing going? I didn’t leave my apartment over the weekend except to do laundry. There aren’t many machines, and they’re all packed into a row with the laundry on one side and the dryer on the other. So there’s usually a bit of jostling. But it was all very polite and one person at a time keeping our distance. I don’t like it, but I guess it’s the next few months at least.

I have switched from being a politics person to going all in on hand washing. For goodness sake, wash your hands. Right now. If there are other people around, have them wash their hands, or if they’re young, wash their hands for them. Get them all sudsed up. Make sure to get the back. In between your fingers.

It’s too close to call the Presidential primary Washington. Usually I have some idea about who is going to win. The later ballots typically break for the more liberal candidate. But the remaining ballots to count are from it being a 2 person race, and a lot of the ballots that have been counted were cast when there more people running. So who knows?

In any case, please wash your hands right now.

Get your ballot postmarked or dropped off by tomorrow if you want it to count. Make sure that you mark the party or it won’t count. And use a sponge instead of licking it closed.

Also, too: Wash your hands right now.

I feel like a lot of the wash you hands messages are geared to children. And I get it: Teach the people who can most easily develop lifetime habits. And maybe they can teach their parents things.

That’s good, but for adults: Wash your fucking hands. Are you near a sink? Wash them now. Are you somewhere that you can’t wash your hands? Make a plan for the next time you can wash your hands, and then go do it. Also, to men and other users of the men’s room specifically, wash your hands after using the urinal. Even if you hadn’t literally just touched your penis, it’s still a good idea.