Cabin fever comes in many forms. The other day I got so frustrated trying to open my Swiss Miss tapioca pudding cup. I resorted to using my teeth. Needless to say it took a bunch of paper towels and ice to stop the bleeding. I still didn’t get the damn thing opened.

Another annoying product is the new cartons of orange juice. In the past they sold the type of cartons that opened at the top by having one tear up the corner that created a kind of funnel in which you could pour your juice. This system also made it easy to drink out of the carton. I don’t do that any more of course. At least that is what I tell my wife.

Today’s cartons have an opening in the middle that is covered by a twist off cap. Underneath the cap is a plastic shield that has a little lip on it so it is easy to remove. I know they use the same glue that the manufacturers of those pudding snacks use. The new cartons make it almost impossible to drink out of the carton. I assume all the mothers and wives of the world invented it. A cleaner’s lobby probably supported this system because most of my shirts now have immovable orange and red stains all over them.

During this newest time of year the telephone becomes the machine from hell. I get at least a dozen calls a night from people trying to sell me things or convince me to vote for a certain political party I could not possibly ever need or want. The classic aggravation comes from the computer that makes the calls that hesitate to answer when you answer the phone. All you hear is a silent void that either rushed you away from the dinner table or rushed you from a place that has become your only quiet domain. Our government tells us they are going to stop these calls. The government also tells us we have nothing to worry about this pandemic because they have it under control.

So, here we are surviving what in education is called, “shelter in place.” I just hope my wife will talk to me again by the end of this time. I Sincerely miss my grand kids and my daughter. Genetically I have to keep them safe because most of my life has been connected to science. In other words, I believe in science. Hopefully in the spring the pitchers and catchers of our baseball season will meet in Florida. Watching a bunch of spoiled self-gratifying egomaniacs playing a sport in short sleeved shirts and face masks is not that bad?

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