Still Home Alone - Now In My FIFTH MONTH Home during Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

Still Celebrating LSU's Football National Championship

 

Mask Up Everyone

Home Alone Pandemic Fifth Month Update

Just a short update to let you know that I'm still Covid-19 free and still staying at home alone with limited trips to doctors and to do curbside pickups from restaurants and fast food places. Medically, my doctors are all giving me good reports so when I feel safe I'm good to travel.  Actually, I have zero travel plans and the first travel hopefully this calendar year will be to travel to my home State Louisiana to visit family and friends in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. I'm not making even those plans until the USA makes tons more improvement in the Covid-19 situation. Sadly, Tennessee is at the peak of number of new cases everyday with rising hospitalizations and deaths. We have now exceeded 50,000 positive cases of Covid-19. Also, many Tennesseans are not willing to wear masks nor physical distance from others.  So, I will maintain my "safer at home" status definitely through August and maybe longer awaiting a great reduction in new cases and hospitalizations.

While I do have great neighbors and church family support, I so greatly miss interactions except for phone calls with my blood Louisiana family and my adopted Tennessee family. If there is disappointment and sadness for me, it is this absence of family closeness. So I will close this update with these photos of the newest member of my Louisiana family.  My great great nephew Jack Malec will be 4 months old July 17. That is his mom and dad Cheri and Matt with him in the last photo. Hopefully, I get to meet him in person this year sometime.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 

6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.   Proverbs 3:5-6

Home Alone - Months of Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

Relaxing at Home in March and April

Home Alone - Months of Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

When I returned home from my Winter 2020 trip on Amtrak's California Zephyr I was aware that the Covid-19 Virus was going to change my travel plans but was not aware that I along with most everyone else would be "staying home" for some length of time. Well, as of May 1, I have been home 48 days and now foresee staying home with limited trips to doctors' offices and other necessary places for possibly several months. I am 78 and do have type 2 diabetes so I will stay at or close to home until the actual number of cases and deaths greatly decline and there is adequate testing and tracing to assure my safety. As far as I am concerned my State of Tennessee and the rest of the USA will not be safe for me for some time to come. Most likely I will limit vacation type travel until after I personally can receive a safe and effective vaccine.  

I did cancel an Amtrak trip I had planned for April 16-30 immediately upon arriving home in early March for full refunds from Amtrak and Southwest Airlines. I simply cancelled the hotel reservations. So for the foreseeable future into 2021, I have no pleasure travel reservations or plans.

I do want to and will travel to my northwest Louisiana home when both Tennessee and Louisiana businesses are safely open and I personally feel safe flying on American Airlines.  I was scheduled to fly home to Shreveport, LA, May 12 but did cancel that reservation for a full refund of my frequent flyer points. I was to meet my newly born great, great nephew Jack Malec born March 17 and also to attend high school graduation of friend Macy Young whose parents and grandparents are dear friends. While disappointed that those plans have been delayed and cancelled, I know that Jack and all my family and friends will still be there when I can make the trip.

Great Great Nephew Jack Malec born March 17, 2020

So what have I been up to while staying home alone? Thankfully, church friends and neighbors have been taking great care of me.  My next door neighbors have been sharing cooked food from their dinner table. My church friend Lori has been doing my grocery shopping for me and my Sunday School teacher Kevin has kept in contact and is getting our class together Wednesdays and Sundays via ZOOM plus offering to meet most any need we may ask. 

My sisters in Louisiana have kept in touch and sent me two home made masks to wear when I go out to doctors' offices and other places. My Tennessee family Russ calls as does our mutual friend Daniel just to talk so I am remaining socially connected while staying home and physically distancing.

I updated my photo galleries with a gallery of photos showing you the great area I have to neighborhood walk. Click the following photo to see the gallery.

2020 Covid-19 Virus Pandemic 

Historic May 1-2, 2010 Rain and Floods

After viewing my 2020 Covid-19 gallery, you might like to check out the same neighborhood area photos after Nashville's historic and catastrophic floods ten years ago on May 1-2, 2010. Click the photo below to see the gallery.

Historic May 1-2, 2010, Rain and Flooding

Since Covid-19 Virus is a global pandemic, I hope that you are safe and doing well wherever you may be.  Since I don't have any travel plans for a while, I will post an update every couple months or so.

Prov.3 Verses 5 to 6 NKJV

[5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Amtrak February 2020 Winter Trip - Galleries Ready to View

Amtrak's California Zephyr in Colorado's Canyons

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - February 21 to March 7 - Chicago, Amtrak's California Zephyr, California

I write this travel blog update after being home in Nashville/Franklin, TN, two weeks staying at home social distancing hoping not to contract Coronavirus Covid-19 nor spread it. As a 78 year old with type 2 diabetes I am one of the group most susceptible to suffer severe conditions from this virus. I am healthy and I have had no evidence of the virus symptoms and I hope to keep it that way by staying at home isolating myself for the foreseeable future. I have had friends offer to get things I may need and my next door neighbors have been excellent in checking on me and sharing some of their cooked food and running a milk and bread run for me. In addition two other friends have picked up grocery items and delivered them to my home and, yes, we are practicing social distancing when they bring stuff to my door.  

This 2020 Winter Trip may be my only travel adventure this calendar year. I cancelled my April 16-30 Amtrak Trip on the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, Coast Starlight and California Zephyr with overnight stays in Chicago and Emeryville, CA. The only other trip I have planned and still have my flight reservation for is a trip to my Louisiana home in May but I am expecting we in the USA may still be asked to stay home practicing social distancing into May and possibly beyond. If I cannot travel in May, I will still travel to my Louisiana home later in the year.

Hopefully, each of you will be okay during this very different time of crisis all around the world. Be safe and do stay at home and practice social distancing.

Amtrak Winter Trip Photo Galleries Ready to View

Thankfully, I was able to experience this very enjoyable trip just prior to the covid-19 virus began spreading in the USA and took over 500 photos which I have uploaded to six photo galleries and they are ready for you to view. Here are the links to each of the photo galleries. Just click on the photo or caption to see the photos.

Chicago

Amtrak's California Zephyr Westbound

East SF Bay Coastal Walk

San Francisco

Emeryville, Sacramento

Amtrak's California Zephyr Eastbound

If you would like to like here is the link to the 

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip FOLDER

THE FUTURE?

While I may not have any definite future travel plans, I will update you in a few months how I am doing and maybe some future travel plans. 

As we travel through this uncertain time, just remember that GOD IS IN CONTROL and serving Jesus is my definite future.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - Back to Middle America March 5

My Friend Marice from Galesburg, IL

Back to Middle America - March 5

After a full week in Western USA, overnight my Amtrak California Zephyr transported me back into Middle America from Denver across Nebraska into the State of Iowa. So today we traveled across Iowa and Illinois into Chicago arriving early afternoon.  During my very brief stop in Galesburg, IL, my friend Maurice and I had time to take the selfie picture above. I met Maurice a few years ago on a rail fan road trip I made to Galesburg, IL. Maurice along with others runs the Galesburg Railway Museum at the Amtrak Station in Galesburg.

Just as the photos across Colorado were scenic, the photos below show the farming states of Iowa and Illinois(yes, Illinois has farms) which are an essential part of American life. Enjoy and be thankful.

The Mississippi River dividing Iowa and Illinois 

Galesburg, IL, Railway Museum

Having arrived back in Chicago and TheWit Doubletree Hotel my Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip has come to a end. After a restful day tomorrow, I travel home to Nashville/Franklin, TN Saturday.  I have taken over 500 digital photos which I will edit and organize into photo galleries for you to view. My next update will be after the photo galleries are ready for you to view soon in the next week or so. Thanks for traveling with me and also thanks to each of you who send emails communicating your interest in my Winter 2020 travels.

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - Sacramento March 1

My friend Nancy and I at The Old Spaghetti Factory

Sacramento - March 1

Today was a quieter day with participating via the Internet in my home church Forest Hlls Baptist 8:30 AM worship service  which came on at 6:30 AM here in the Pacific Time Zone. After participating in worship, I caught the Capitol Corridor train from Emeryville to Sacramento where my friend Nancy was waiting for me and took me to The Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch and a good time of visiting. I met Nancy about 4 years ago on Amtrak's California Zephyr. She was interested in my travel blog and photo galleries so she subscribed and she emails me after every blog update and asks questions and gives me some information about her each time. So this time we decided to get together just to catch up. She is a life saver for me today. I tend to leave stuff at The Old Spaghetti Factory so I discovered when Nancy let me out back at the Amtrak Station that I left my LSU ball cap. She has already called the restaurant and they are holding my cap for her to pick up and she volunteered to mail it to me. Thank you, Nancy. Most of you may not know that I left my jacket at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, CA, in October 2018 and they actually Fed Exed it to me. After our time together I rode another Capitol Corridor Train back to Emeryville.

The lead photo above is of Nancy and I at The Old Spaghetti Factory. The photos below are of my transportation today and a couple more photos at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Nancy actually took the photo of me sitting at the table with her IPhone.

One more day here in Emeryville before I leave Tuesday morning on Amtrak's California Zephyr to return to Chicago. Maybe no update tomorrow but I will definitely do a short update with IPhone photos each Tuesday and Wednesday and then a digital camera update from TheWit Hotel back in Chicago Thursday night.

Departing Emeryville - That's my Hyatt House Hotel
in the background

That's my Capitol Corridor Train back to Emeryville

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - San Francisco February 29

Ghirardelli Square

San Francisco

This morning I decided I would go over to San Francisco and I ended up traveling by bus, BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit), streetcar, boat and Amtrak. I actually decided to go over to San Francisco via the free EmeryGoRound bus to the BART Station and then BART over to San Francisco. While in San Francisco I traveled a short distance by streetcar but mostly walked. I walked from the Pier 39 shopping area through Fisherman's Wharf area on to Ghirardelli Square for my treasured Hot Fudge Sundae. After arriving in San Francisco, I decided I would return to the East Bay via the Ferry Boat to Oakland as it was more convenient and less walking. From Oakland I took Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train 15 minutes back to Emeryville. For me that is a full day of adventure. 

Above lead photo is Ghirardelli Square. Below are photos as I took them throughout the day.

Heading by Amtrak to Sacramento to visit with friend Nancy and lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow. I'll do a blog tomorrow covering my visit to Sacramento.

After all this going, I am pretty sure Monday will be a day hanging in Emeryville and resting up for my return ride Tuesday on the eastbound California Zephyr.