#i ate a live ant for 20 dollars.

[roadkill-dreaming]

♡

[quazartranslates]

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH61

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

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Chapter 61: Purgatory Reunion (XIII)

It was dawn.

There was no sun in the Underground Ant City, but Qi Leren still knew by intuition that it was dawn.

Looking at the time again, it was 7:20 in the morning. If he was training with Chen Baiqi, it would be too late. If he left for her place at this time, he would definitely receive the "loving care" of the three-headed hellhound. But for a person who was on a rare vacation, this hour was still too early.

Actually, he could sleep for a while, but... Qi Leren sat up from the bed. Now that he was awake, it was better to make some breakfast for Ning Zhou. The living room here was connected to the kitchen.

Thinking this, Qi Leren jumped out of bed, put on clothes in a hurry, and came to the bedroom door. After a pause, he rubbed his hands and gently turned the door handle, ready to tiptoe out.

As soon as the door opened, the smell of fried eggs filled Qi Leren's nose. He paused and looked straight into the kitchen.

Freshly brewed hot coffee sat on the table, as well as hot sausages and slices of bread. When Ning Zhou heard the sound of the door opening from where he was frying eggs, he looked back at him, smiled, and said, "Good morning."

"Morning." Qi Leren felt that he was still dreaming.

Dreaming... Speaking of which, he seemed to have had a dream last night, but when he thought about it now, he can't remember anything, except that it was a beautiful dream.

Ning Zhou skillfully put the fried eggs on the plate with a spatula, and Qi Leren quickly walked past and picked up the plate to give him a hand.

It wasn’t the first time that Qi Leren saw Ning Zhou cooking. Before the end of the undercover mission with the Slaughter Secret Society and the start of the Holy Nun’s task, he and Ning Zhou had briefly lived together for a while, as it was for the convenience of Ning Zhou training him. At that time, the two people who had had a crush on each other but sought only to endure it tacitly avoided many topics, and even deliberately avoided each other in many cases. The scene of eating together in silence at dusk was still filled with a different kind of warmth.

Restraint ran through this relationship. Even if they had confessed their feelings, they were still restrained.

When you like someone, you can be presumptuous, because the impulse comes so warmly that people get carried away and act rashly. You may even forget to think, and let your instincts dominate you to express your feelings freely, but you don't think whether it will hurt the person you like. Because at that time, you just want it.

However, when you fall in love with someone and want to spend your whole life with him, you lose your courage, become timid, and be swayed by considerations of gain and loss. You start to restrain yourself, learn to pull out the spikes one by one, express your love gently, and don't use the excuse of "love" to hurt your loved one. Because at this time, you want forever.

"I'll brush my teeth first!" Qi Leren put the plate on the table and rushed into the bathroom. He spent one third of the usual time brushing his teeth and didn't wash his face, because he didn't want Ning Zhou to wait too long, but he carefully observed himself in the mirror and combed his messy hair with a wet comb.

After several tens of seconds, Qi Leren sat upright at the dining table with a knife and a fork in hand, and ate breakfast happily.

Qi Leren was not used to this kind of western breakfast. When he was young, his mother often went out to film, and his father threw him a few dollars irresponsibly to buy breakfast for himself. He usually bought youtiao when he was sent away. When his mother was at home, his father would use 18 kinds of cooking skills, from Cantonese-style refreshments to northern noodles, never making the same thing in the same month. The only thing he never made was Western-style breakfast. Qi Leren, who depend on their mother to eat and drink, had no opinion on breakfast at all, and had been used to this for more than 20 years.

The western-style breakfast was a bit too greasy for him, which made his stomach accustomed to youtiao uncomfortable. However, this was made by Ning Zhou, and Qi Leren not only ate it all, but also praised it with a smile. Because of his outstanding acting skills, Ning Zhou didn't see that he was reluctant.

Looking at Ning Zhou's happy appearance, Qi Leren felt willing to act all his life.

After breakfast, they went to the Trial’s Ant City headquarters, which was disguised as a small auction house, where people were busy and didn’t pay much attention to others. Celia, the contact person in charge of the whole branch’s affairs, had stayed up all night. The smell of black coffee was all over the office. She added sugar to it and smiled bitterly: "I sent someone to interrogate Kathleen overnight. I dug up a lot of news."

"What news?" Qi Leren’s spirits rose as soon as he heard it, and he took Ning Zhou and sat down.

"After Kathleen escaped from the Village of Dusk, considering her demon identity, she chose the Underground Ant City where humans and demons live together as her foothold. As luck would have it, an old lover from her early years happened to run an industry for Witches of Greed in the Underground Ant City, so she settled down there. After the Illusionist disappeared, we investigated his whereabouts. He had been to this casino before going to the Dragon Ant Queen’s royal palace. A gambler saw him and was very impressed with him. Later, our informant reported this matter and went to the gambler to verify it, and then disappeared in the underground casino. Kathleen admitted that the informant was in her hands. After torturing the informant who was looking for the Illusionist, she put the underground casino on watch, and then met you while you were investigating while in disguise."

"So, there’s still no news on the Illusionist?" Qi Leren frowned.

"Yes, we still don't know why he went to that underground casino." Celia was also very troubled. "But it’s certain that he eventually disappeared in the Queen Dragon Ant’s palace."

"Last time, you said that entering the palace required the Prophet's decree?" Qi Leren asked.

Celia nodded. "I also wrote about you in the second request, and I will have an answer next week. Until then... I don't have the power to make such a big decision."

Although Celia was in charge of all the Village of Dusk’s affairs in the Underground Ant City, after all, she only acted on the orders of the Prophet. When it came to the Dragon Ant Queen, who was also a field-level master, she had no right to make decisions.

Qi Leren didn't know about the delicate relationship between field-level masters. He didn't even know how many field-level masters there were in the whole Nightmare World—he vaguely remembered that had Su He mentioned it in those days, but now he wouldn't even believe even Su He’s punctuation marks.

"The Dragon Ant Queen, what news is there?" Ning Zhou suddenly asked.

Celia hesitated and shook her head gently. "There is no news... I'm afraid this is the best news. She’s now in the stage of rebirth, and after this... "

It meant that the queen who had dominated the Underground Ant City for more than 20 years would die and give her authority to the new queen.

What kind of attitude would the new queen hold towards humans and demons? Was it closer to the side of humans or demons? Would she expand the Underground Ant City’s sphere of influence, or would she pay more attention to stability and peace in her own field? Which Devil King would she follow? All these were related to the existence of the Underground Ant City in the next ten or twenty years, and people living here were greatly concerned about this problem.

Among the successive Dragon Ant Queens, a few were friendly to human beings. During those times, human beings gained a high status, but most of the time, the Dragon Ant Queens were not friendly to human beings—she would tolerate human beings living in her sphere of influence, but that's all.

"What method is the Dragon Ant Queen’s field passed down through? Is there any idea?" Qi Leren asked curiously. He had learned some things from the intelligence materials, but the method of inheritance was a complete secret.

Celia shook her head. "Most fields decline with the death of their owners, and they will die out in a few decades. There’s a special inheritance method in the Holy See, where the Pope’s field has been perfectly passed down through the ages."

Was the Pope's field Neverland? Qi Leren secretly took a look at Ning Zhou and was caught red-handed.

"The method of condensation is different," Ning Zhou said.

Qi Leren seemed to understand. He knew that Ning Zhou once condensed more than a half-field with the Holy See’s method, but the half-field had been very fragile, and it was broken before it condensed into a field. But now...

He should have condensed the field again, as evidenced by what had happened in the underground casino yesterday.

He would look for an opportunity to talk about this problem in depth with Ning Zhou. He really cared too much about his own force. This evil force brewing destruction meant endless pain for him.

"Oh, as well, I’ve investigated the things that you asked me to, but there are some questions..." Celia took a sip of coffee and explained the matter.

Ashley, Mrs Kathleen's subordinate, had been missing for a month. She could still feel that her subordinate existed, but she couldn't feel where he was. A surprisingly evil force cut off her connection to him.

"She also said that she had once met someone who looked like Ashley. At that time, he was fighting fiercely with a man wielding a tangdao, but she couldn't see clearly because they were too far away. After they left, she took a look at the scene, and there were broken walls. Therefore, Kathleen thinks that she must have seen wrong. Although her subordinate is clever and considerate, his strength is average and it would be impossible for him to fight with such a powerful master," Celia said.

Qi Leren didn't quite agree: "Didn't she say that her subordinate was controlled by an evil force? Maybe it's something like a seed of slaughter?"

"This is also possible, but according to Kathleen's tone, the level of those two people was more than that of someone who’s been parasitized. Moreover, so many days have passed, and there probably aren’t many valuable clues left there, " said Celia.

"Is there anything we can do for you now?" Qi Leren asked.

"With the matters of the Illusionist, we can only wait for the Court’s reply. Other affairs are handled by special personnel. If you have time, you may wish to help us go to the place where Mrs. Kathleen mentioned that she thought she saw Ashley." Celia smiled and looked at them expectantly.

Qi Leren and Ning Zhou exchanged a look, silently reaching an agreement.

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[spencer-is-amazing]

Salvation (Michael Langdon x OC)

Pairing: Michael Langdon x Original Character

Word Length: 2k~

Warnings: None

Chapter 1: The End (x)

Chapter 2: The Beginning (x)

Chapter 3: Purple or Grey 

Also posted on my Ao3 account! (x)

Wilhemina Venable lead Timothy, Emily and Julie through a tall tunnel that let to an open area, lit by a large fire that showed off just how massive the downstairs was.

Timothy inquired as to whether it was a fall out shelter, and Venable responded in a bleak tone, “It is now. For many years it served as an exclusive boys school.”

Julie was tempted to ask what kind of boy’s school was this deep underground and this strangely creepy, but Emily beat her to it, “What kind of boys school is subterranean?”

“The Cooperative, to whom we owe our eternal gratitude, took ownership and converted it once they realized what was coming.”

“The Cooperative knew the bombs were gonna drop and they didn’t make more? Try to save more people?” One look from Venable had Julie shutting her mouth.

“The Cooperative has plans far beyond the temporary cleansing fire of the bomb.” She led them through the main room downstairs, going through another passageway that led to a spiraled set of stairs. Julie would’ve been amazed under any other circumstances at the neat architecture.

“The Cooperative is not made up of nations or armies.” She paused at the base of the spiral. “It is a collection of the dozen greatest minds mankind has to offer. The visionaries.”

Julie couldn’t help herself, “Are you apart of the Cooperative?”

Venable ignored Julie’s question, and truthfully Julie hadn’t expected an answer, in turn explained exactly why they were there. She said technology was the problem, had led people to believe that they were equal, and it made Julie uneasy.

Venable sounded like one of those radicals who still believed in slavery and segregation and from the way there were people dressed in grey cleaning the floors, this would be a very uncomfortable lifestyle. Who even decided who got live in luxury and who scrubbed the toilets? Venable? The Cooperative?

She led the three of them into one room, “You are a purple.” The three of them were confused as Venable opened up a closet full of Victoria style purple dresses.

“The elite, the worthy.” Venable pierced Julie with a glare. “Those chosen to survive.”

Emily walked into the closet and pulled out a purple coat, scoffing at its ugliness. “I’m supposed to wear this shit?”

“In the Outpost, everyone must know their place.” Once again, she met Julie’s eyes. “The purple’s wear purple, the Grey’s, Grey.”

“Who are the Grey’s?” Venable called them the worker ants and said that they were here to serve, claiming they were grateful for the opportunity. It made her stomach turn to hear another human speak about others in such a degrading way.

Venable led Timothy to his room; closet full of purple suits and said much of the same that had been said to Emily before stepping out, leaving Julie alone with her. It was an awkward few minutes of silence.

“Am I a purple too?”

Venable’s face flickered in the light of the candle, “If it were up to me, you would have been left to the blast.” The terrifying woman tapped her cane twice. “If it were up to me, you’d be a grey.”

Julie held her breath, lungs whimpering for air but fear kept her still. Would she really throw her out?

“But lucky for you, the Cooperative is responsible for your survival. Now come, you should get settled in.”

The only sound that echoed through the underground cavern was Venable’s cane, taking her to a room that was much out of place from the others, as well as much larger. It felt so foreign, like attaching a prosthetic limb that was much more deserving of someone else.

There was a queen sized bed, a roaring fireplace, a massive closet which most likely held more purple clothes, and three couches that looked great for leisuring. But how did one leisuring when the world had burned and there were people deemed under her nose. It made her sick to be given all this.

Venable was on her way out when she spoke up, “The house rules are simple; you will address me as Ms. Venable, you may never leave the building and if you do you will not be allowed back inside.”

Venable tapped her cane, “Copulation of any kind is forbidden.” Not allowing sex in the end of times was pretty fucked.

“We dress for dinner, you’ll find your dinner wear on the left side of the armoire. Cocktails in the music room at 6:30, be prompt.”

She slid the door open; “There’s no excuse for tardiness when there’s nothing to do.” Julie flinched when the door slammed shut, eyes watering and lip trembling.

So this was her life now; living in Outpost 3 under the cruel thumb of Ms. Venable, following her rules and never seeing the cold light of day again. No one could blame her for wetting her pillow with tears.

~

Julie March left her room at 6:20, donned in a purple dress that belonged more in a 19th century novel than in 2020, but at least it was comfy so she couldn’t complain. A grey was a few feet away from her door and led her to the lounge hall, never making eye contact or speaking a word.

It was unsettling to say the least. But even worse were the people she was greeted to in the lounge area.

There was Gallant, a white haired flamboyant man-child who hated the repetitive song on the radio and had a liking for Coco’s hair, as well as being Evie’s grandson. And as for Evie, she was a bitter old woman who thought she deserved this so called ‘Salvation’ because she attended the Oscars with Natalie Wood.

There wasn’t much to say about the others; A white guy named Stu laid in the arms of his lover who’s name she still didn’t know, and a grey named Mallory complained to Coco that she deserved to be a purple.

Emily and Timothy came in after her and sat close, staring at the each other. So this was the end of the world, the last of civilization in one neat little box.

Gallant was making a fuss over Coco’s strange up do, and once more complaining about the song on the radio that played 24/7 and never changed or stopped.

A middle aged black woman who introduced herself as Dinah Stevens came near Timothy and tried to make conversation, while Gallant moved from Coco to asking Emily if anything was happening outside.

“It’s all gone. Everything.” None of them looked shocked, aside from Stu who couldn’t believe the word was dead in just two weeks.

Dinner was an awkward affair consisting of gelatin cubes with enough nutrients to keep the body alive, and conversation that made her want to tear her hair out. At least until Gallant grew brave enough to address her, as no one else had.

“So why do you get a special room? Everyone else is on the second floor but I saw you come from downstairs. In fact, what makes you a purple and not a grey?”

Gallant must have realized he was being to forward and backtracked, “Not trying to insult you or anything-“

Stu muttered “too late” and Gallant shot him a look before addressing her again, “I’m not saying you don’t deserve to be purple cause this whole system of who does and doesn’t is fucked in the ass, but just like, why you? I could do so much more with a bigger room.”

A lot of questions from a small-minded idiot, but she wasn’t mean enough to say that aloud. “To be honest, it’s just as surprising to you as it is to me. “ There wasn’t much else to say, so she stayed quiet, ignoring Evie’s glare at her side.

Julie used her fork to cut up her cube in four pieces, eating each one as slow as she could, even if the hunger was gnawing at her gut. A laugh nearly erupted when Coco ate hers in one bite and complained aloud that she wanted more.

“Fuck this bullshit!” Julie wanted to snort as Coco stood and spoke to the whole table, “With all the thought that went into this place, they don’t have a single bag of Pirate’s Booty in the pantry? For a hundred million dollars a ticket, I expect goddam Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen cooking us real food!”

Julie dropped her head when Ms. Venable came into sight, cane clacking on the ground. It was no shocker when she slapped Coco clean across the face, but the thing that did shock Julie was the short stout woman who was next to Ms. Venable.

It was akin to being slapped herself; she knew her.

At least, she thinks she did. Julie bites her lip in irritation, as she can’t place just where she’s seen here. It was like knocking on your own front door but no one answers, or like an autobiography with empty pages.

Her eyes closed and she traveled through her thoughts, avoiding all the happy memories of life before two weeks ago, and it was as if there was a fog in her brain, scrambling a few certain things she so desperately wanted to see.

“Are we boring you?”

Her eyes jolted open to find the whole table watching her, though the short stout woman was the one who had spoken to her. Julie shook her head and the stout woman gave her a soft smile that made her feel like a kid again.

Ms. Venable spoke of a carrier pigeon that had come, a message stating the there were in fact three other Outposts, but they had been overrun. That life outside these walls was nothing more than rotting corpses and hungry cannibals. They were it.

It was stomach curling to hear that after only two weeks like had all but been destroyed outside these walls; that there was nothing out there was cannibals and, she quotes, ‘canker puss monsters.’ Julie hoped she would never have to meet them.

A few other people walked in, dressed in black, and the tallest one leaned down to whisper in the stout woman’s ear.

“We have a problem.”

They had taken Stu and Gallant, claims of them having radiation spikes and Julie only assumed they were dead. They’d been allowed to leave after the two men had been dragged away, and Julie nearly vomited up her cube, but knew it would only hurt her in the long run.

She changed into her nightwear and paced the room, fire reflecting shapes on the wall. It was too early for sleep, and talking to the others would be as bad as being alone. There were no books in here and asking Ms. Venable if there was a library seemed too scary an option.

Were they supposed to do this for the next 18 months until they ran out of food, then what? Starve? Go crazy?

A sorrow filled chuckle filled the room but she refused to shed any more tears. It was acceptance or die.

A knock on the door brought her from her reverie, and Julie quickly slid it open, brows furrowing in confusion when no one was on the other side. Who the hell ding dong ditched in a damn fallout shelter?

“Hello?” There were no Grey’s, no Purple’s, no one. She was stepping back in when a flash from the corner of her eye had her sharply turning to the left, eyes widening at what she saw a few feet away.

It was a body covered in black latex, head to toe and in a pose that felt insanely nauseatingly threatening. “Can I help you?”

The figure stood there and this was something out of a horror movie to be honest. Only she would stand and talk to whatever the hell it was. “Hey!”

She yelled for it when the figure turned and walked away. Julie looked around, was she supposed to follow him? Or was this just some trick they were all playing on her for shits and giggles? This was such a scenario that you saw in movies like Scream, where you’re yelling for the girl to run away from the killer, but in Julie’s case, death might be better than life at Outpost 3.

With one last look at the much too large and painfully clean room, she closed the door and followed the figure.

Thanks for reading!

[nickgerlich]

Never Going Back

We’re only two months into the US version of the coronavirus era, but it is only in the last week that things started to get serious. For those who understand simple math and exponents, it was obvious long ago that the growth rate for new cases would stumble along for weeks, until one day the exponents kicked in and growth took off. With that growth and the passage of time came deaths.

As of Tuesday morning 24th March, there have been 46,158 cases and 583 deaths in the US alone, a drop in the bucket compared to 395,744 cases and 17,234 deaths worldwide. But since the graph of US cases is still pointed straight up, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. Our mortality rate is 1.26%, which is still 12.6X the mortality rate for the common flu. Globally, the mortality rate is 4.35%, no doubt bolstered by nations like Italy and Spain, where death has become a disproportionate reality.

Those who believed the dire predictions are saying “I told you so.” The disbelievers have become noticeably silent, aside from a few who still cling to their conspiracy theories and wishful religious thinking. Thankfully, those people are shrinking in number.

And just one week into what I will call peak pandemic, it is already safe to make this one general assessment: We are never going back. So much has changed in so little time, and all because of an enemy we cannot see, much less even begin to understand. We are isolated in place, frozen aside from the need to go to market or druggist. Travel is restricted in a growing number of states. Sixteen have complete statewide shelter-in-place mandates, while four others have similar such rules but only at the level of specific cities and counties.

Panic buying and shortages are so last week. Now we are stuck at home. Were it not for the internet and Netflix, we might just go crazy. Even my dogs are wondering why the humans are hanging out at home so much. We had all grown a little lax, a little too casual, a little too let’s-take-everything-for-granted. After all, it felt good, and we are social animals. Damn the bacteria and viruses, full steam ahead. Except now it is all painfully apparent that maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. So now we sit in quiet repose, watching the clock tick and the sun arc across the sky in slow motion.

It’s the end of the world as we knew it.

Presently Rethinking The Future

Once this is all over, whenever that is, I’m sure that many people will be more than happy to hop back on the Same Old, Same Old train. But then again, my hope is that everyone will at least give pause to consider that our response to the current crisis may in fact be the new world order—not that insidious plot some people think of, but a better, safer way of doing old things.

And I know that we cannot all become germophobes, trying to live inside bubbles of our own manufacture, because that would only decrease our immune systems’ abilities in the future to ward off infections. We still need to get out and soak up some bacteria and viruses, if only to increase our chances of living a bit longer. We don’t want our civilization to be wiped out like when Europeans came to the new world.

But there’s no reason we can’t add some order at the same time.

I find myself doing things very differently, starting first about two weeks ago, but ramping up in the last few days. It’s not that I am paranoid. It’s just that I have realized how careless I had become. For example, I now keep gloves in my vehicle so that I can pump my gas and make my payment without any viral or bacterial contact. Of course, I am hoping that the very air I breathe while doing so is not infested with nasty little buggers waiting to take up residence in my airways. I’m doing the best I can, and I cannot find any N95 respirators these days.

The gas pump nozzle is one of the dirtiest things we touch, and we do it at least once a week without thinking. Adding germs to injury is the fact we push all the buttons on the little keyboard as if an attendant had just been by with disinfectant, when we know in fact those things haven’t seen moisture since the last time it rained.

No more! I’m keeping my gloves handy from now on.

Now let’s carry this a little farther. Most of us pay with debit or credit at the store. Once again, buttons to push. Or the ATM. Or the Ziosk tabletop payment system at Chili’s or Red Robin. Heck, what about the menus at those place? All teeming with germs. If��and I mean if…I return to restaurants, I’m using their online menu. At least I keep my phone clean. As for the rest, I can see a lot of gloves in my future.

Which brings me to another thing: self-check at the grocery, DIY store, or wherever. Sure, I know a lot of people have complained in recent months about these things taking jobs away from people, but all of a sudden they are looking pretty good. If you wear gloves, you can do your entire shopping trip without human interaction, assuming you can safely navigate between other shoppers and hold your breath for 30 minutes.

Sure, it’s still quaint to engage in a little chit chat with the cashier from time to time, and self-check does require a human to push a button if you are buying alcohol, but I’m thinking there’s a lot more self-check in my future.

And what about cash? For many years I have hardly used any cash at all, but I can honestly say I have not touched a dollar bill now in at least 10 days. I don’t want the germs that come along for the ride on a fiver or sawbuck, and the same goes for coins, all token carriers of the deadly things hanging out inside of us. I will use plastic wherever I can, and even if I act like a teen, I will use it to pay for a measly $2 cup of coffee. Take that, you creepy little killers! Stay in your cash drawer.

I have started toting a spray container of Spic-and-Span with me, along with those durable blue shop paper towels. I’m spraying and scrubbing everything along my way. I am the father in next year’s My Big Fat Chinese-American Wedding when daughter Becca and Corey get married, making sure everything is safe. When it’s OK to travel again, you can bet I will be disinfecting my hotel room before I ever sit down.

Remember when family vacations included picnics at roadside rest areas? If you are old like me, you have faint memories, but if you are young, you probably have no idea what a picnic is or the ants who came running as soon as you set out everything. Recently on a day in which I had occasion to be behind the wheel, I had to come to grips with the new reality. I did what is now practically unheard of: I packed a cooler with beverages, snacks, and sandwich makings. Not only does this save me money, it’s also a lot healthier. I can control portion sizes, and once again, make no human contact.

This thinking translates into our broader lives. I for one have long loved going out to eat. It’s something my parents instilled in me when I was a child. While we were not rich by any means, Mom set down her foot and declared the kitchen closed on weekends. So we ate out. Many times we would drive up to 80 miles just to go to a favorite of my Mom and Dad’s. Skip forward to the present, and I was easily spending $125 per week on dining, usually at Asian and Progressive American restaurants with spendy and trendy items on their menus. Do the math. If I do not resume those ways, I have effectively given myself a $6000 a year raise.

By buying groceries and eating at home, I have given myself the opportunity to add to my modest cooking repertoire, eat exactly what I want and in which amounts, and save money. 

I call that a win. The economy might not think so, as would restaurant owners and waitstaff. But this is a new world, and we have to find a new way to order things. Meanwhile, I have enough non-perishables to get us through a month, if necessary, and as per guidelines for someone in the—ahem—over-60 category.

Speaking of ordering, now that most non-essential shops are closed, how else are we to buy things? Easy. E-commerce is the solution. I am ready to buy an indoor bicycle trainer so I can maintain fitness at home; it will be delivered to my door. I’ve been shopping online for more than 20 years, and I am pretty sure that coronavirus is only going to reinforce those habits. I’m betting you’re in the same boat as me.

Just don’t get too close, you know.

To know me is to know I am a concert junkie. I love music regardless, but live performances are sonic ecstasy to me. I quit counting at 100 how many concerts I have been to. Of course, today there are no concerts to look forward to, at least not on the horizon. I had hoped to go see Bob Dylan in Amarillo this summer, along with Styx in September, but I have my doubts the former will happen, and who knows if we’ll be out of this mess come autumn.

Think about all the humanity at concerts. Even if we are all seated, like so many concerts aimed squarely at Baby Boomers like me, we’re still in proximal relation to dozens of people, if not hundreds and thousands if the air is circulating. Now factor in concerts with no seating, like some Blackberry Smoke shows I have seen in honky tonks, or the Stryper show I took in at the now-defunct Midnight Rodeo in Amarillo. Good grief, I was three feet from the stage, packed in like so many human sardines wasting away the last vestiges of our hearing. Yeah, those were good times, but I wonder how many hitchhiking germs I brought home, and how many I shared.

The same goes for movie theaters and sports arenas. I may never go to a theatre again, although I absolutely love visiting restored vintage venues like the Mulkey in Clarendon Texas. I am certain that no theatre in America takes the time to do more than just sweep up the popcorn and trash. Disinfect the seats? Are you kidding me? Just shut up, sit down, and try to enjoy the show while knowing you are living dangerously. Suddenly everything from concerts to films and sports are sounding a lot better on my 65” TV.

Let’s go a bit farther. While the lure of Las Vegas long ago wore off for me, I still have occasion now and then to be in Sin City only to find myself racing through the casino to reach clean outside air. I don’t gamble, so that’s not a problem, but what about the people who—gasp—touch those machines, deal those cards, and roll those dice? Knock yourselves out, folks. If I find myself in a casino again, I will also be doing my best sprint to get to the other side.

There’s one other thing that won’t change for me, and that’s the likelihood of my going on a cruise. More than 30 years ago, the ex and I had occasion to do a one-day mini cruise in the Gulf of Mexico with my parents, my brother, and his wife. I hate not being in control of my destiny, and knowing that someone else was steering that thing bothered me. Even more, I could see that the purpose of a cruise was really just to stand in line at decadent feeding troughs, then recline on the deck like beached whales. No thanks. Ain’t got time for that.

But in the coronavirus era, we now must consider the plight of a couple of cruise ships recently stuck at sea because suddenly people have realized them for what they really are: giant floating Petri dishes on which thousands of people mingle in tight quarters. Hey, what a great idea. Concerts and sporting events are one thing since they last only a few hours; now imagine spending a week or more with the same sneezing, coughing, dirty-handed fools.

Nope, nope, nope. You can keep your big boats.

And what about the religious and civil ceremonies we all attend at one time or another? Although there are still a small number of churches defying the Rule of 10 for public gatherings, a growing number has decided to perform their masses and services to empty pews, instead relying on technology to make them available to everyone. What an excellent idea! I realize this goes against the grain of many world religions. “Communion” is something to be celebrated together, hence the prefix. But the dirty chalice and shared loaves of bread are throwing caution to the wind. We can commune even if we are not commingling.

A friend I know who is a pastor recently conducted a wedding in the Phoenix area, and the only people in the church were the bride, groom, him, and a couple of witnesses. I even heard of a live-streamed funeral. Yeah. We can do this, and maybe going forward, churches and other places of worship should consider just doing everything online for those who no longer wish to take their chances in public, yet still allow people to congregate as per their choice when the pandemic is over.

I could certainly go on, especially with regard to online courses, but I would be beating the same drum I have for the last 23 years. Suffice it to say that today I feel very justified in all that I have done and promoted in this area, and will double down on my efforts going forward. While there is still a future for courses held in classrooms, we all need to prepare each and every class so that it could be online if we had to. It’s a lot like the emergency preparedness those in hurricane-affected areas already know: police can reverse the flow of traffic on freeways at a moment’s notice to handle people trying to evacuate. We educators need to be able to turn on a dime as well.

There’s more to rethink, of course, and for the vast majority of us who have turned on a dime in the last week, we may very well never return to other things we once did. Think about how suddenly major companies have turned into thousands of people who are working remotely, who connect via Zoom Video and Microsoft Teams when meetings are needed. Do we really need elaborate corporate campuses anymore, paeans to the profits they have enjoyed through the years? And do we really need more meetings, and meetings to schedule more meetings? I think not.

Other professions are finally figuring out that we can leverage technology not just for convenience, but for public safety. Telemedicine is suddenly OK and in fact desirable, but it hasn’t always been this way. Counseling can and should be done electronically as needed or desired, and not face-to-face because that’s how we’ve always done it.

To The Future And Beyond

Where it all goes from here is anybody’s guess. There are many voices in the woods, from Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick suggesting that grandparents should take one for the team and be willing to die for the sake of the economy, to Governor Cuomo of New York saying this could go on for another nine months. President Trump is hinting he would like to see us get back up on our feet and be rarin’ to go by Easter, while medical experts say not so fast.

As for me, I know I am never going back. I’m never going back to the way things were. Too much water has gone under this bridge, and even though it has only been a week or so since we all got serious, I have had a lot of time to think.

Maybe Michael Jackson was right all along. Being the gloved one was rather prescient, don’t you think?

Dr “But No Sequins For Me“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[thesecretlifeofmerribethc]

MY GOODNESS. WHY AM I SLACKING :’( sorryyyyy

OK wow, last post was April 8!!!! Disappointed in myself. Yes, I’ve been lazy.... and not just in posting here, but in life in general :P anyway, here I go playing catch up, AGAIN.

4.9.19 - got up late and prepared dad's shake n stuff. At like 4:30 ish manong came and I drove him to school taking the side streets. Chilled in the parking lot for like 20 min then we left. Ate dinner at Ikea and then from there I drove and took 275 home! It was a nice, smooth drive lol (PTL I drove like 7 pm, almost 8). Got home and marv and i watched the first episode of OPM season 2!!!!

4.10.19 - got up late again. Prepped dad's stuff as usual. Thought I was gonna drive/go to the gym with manong but he changed his mind lol. Went with mom to pick up Marvin and Manang. Was gonna walk at the park but it was cold and windy so we went home. Got home and took out the trash from the basement along with the usual trash. Painted in the dining while waited for mom to cook the milk fish. Watched get smart while painting.

4.11.19 - guess what! Woke up late again lolll. Ate tinola with mom and dad, then washed dishes, then got ready to get Marvin. Got Marv and then Manang and then went straight to HFMH to visit today Agnes. She got discharged just in time so we drove her home on our way to prayer meeting but before that, she treated us out to taco Bell. Got home after stopping by 7-11 and withdrawing money for my BLS class tomorrow. Also filled the tires with air. Did 1.5 miles on the elliptical then I drove manong and I to Meijer to get some stuff. Now I'm homeee

4.12.19 - Woke up early and manong took Marvin and I. Dropped Marv to school and then manong and I made our way to the Health Strategies building in Taylor for my BLS. It was raining! But also, finally got to see Danielle!! <3 It’s been so long, and she lost weight! Anyway, passed the multiple choice (25 questions, open book) with 100% lol. After the BLS manong picked me up and we went to Subway where he did a store. I ate a flatbread club with bacon then went to the car where I watched a lot of Conan vids (with Steven Ho). After that we went to Starbucks but then it was busy so we didn’t stay or buy anything. Decided to go to tim Hortons on Eureka, across from Aldi and we had coffee and donuts. Sat there for a good hour and a half or so then I drove from Tim Hortons to Tropical Smoothie. Got a Mango something and only paid $3.49 (or well manong paid lol). Thankfully it was Happy Hour (from 5-7 p.m. M-F) so in total our drinks were like $7.50. After that I drove from Topical Smoothie home. Got home and then manong and I walked around the neighborhood. Didn’t have power at home so we decided (mom and I) to go walk in the park and then go to Ne’s afterwards. Manong stayed home to finish his art project, so manang drove us to the park on Hall road. Walked for a good hour then went to Ne’s. Had corn beef for dinner and just chilled there until almost 2 a.m. Also ligo there too. Manong came around 9 or 10? But yeah, long day!

4.13.19 - Went out for lunch for manong’s bday at IKEA. Got a plate of meatballs. Didn’t walk around as much or buy anything. After IKEA, manong went home because he had to rest and get ready for dinner with his friends. The rest of the fam and I went to the filipino store where marv and I just stayed in the car with dad and watched conan vids. Manang bought a bunch of pancit canton but was paid by PJ and Si to get them lol. Dad then went to 7-11 and I helped him wash the car. After that he and mom dropped the 3 of us to Southland where we waited for our friends (Josh, PJ, and Jovel). At the mall I bought manong boxers and socks for his birthday xD (it was all I could afford). Waited for a while for Jovel, but once she came we rode in her car and went to Mcdonalds across the street. Only got a cup of water and a cheeseburger, but shared the fries and chicken nuggets. After that Marv and I rode with PJ, while manang rode with Josh. PJ and us stopped by tropical smoothie and he bought Marv and my drink which we shared. Got to Daen’s and Si was there too and watched TV before playing MP7 (PJ and I were SO close to winning if I had only rolled a 4 :(((( ). Then we played Jackbox. It was so funny. Left Daen’s at like 1 a.m.

4.14.19 - Manong’s birthday!! I drove to chase bank lol. Church was good. Only had Johanna as my student. It was a long women’s meeting. Played with the kids, specifically Paul, Johanna, and Eireen. We were taking turns hiding Johanna’s toy and looking for it. But before that I was watching Kaleb. We also watched COCO. After that, manang and marv rode with mom and dad, while I drove with manong. I drove from church to West rd. Took 696 to 75 all the way. Stopped by the bank and then Mcdonald’s, where I treated manong to an ice cream cone. Got home and rested. Manong left and met up with kuya Jeff. He’s gonna start working out and doing a meal plan! So proud of him. :)

4.15.19 - Walked with mom, manang and Marv for a good 50 minutes. Stopped by Target real quick. I bought water, then went to Bath and body works to redeem my free lotion. Noticed my earlobes were itchy and found out I had like a bump kinda like a mosquito bite. It was red and inflammed, and blistered... mostly on my right earlobe. My left wasn’t that bad... it was more like a dot. It definitely got a reaction from wearing the clip on earrings I got from the women’s conference. So weird tho because I know the earrings are from Avon, and avon claims all jewelry is nickel-free but idk!!! I definitely got a reaction. Didn’t get a reaction from my black earrings but prob cuz they’re stainless steel. So yeah, I’m suffering from itchy ears. Been cleaning and applying aquafor and neosporin.

4.16.19 - Stayed home today (like didn’t go with mom to pick up Marv and manang lol). Did the usual stuff, prepare dad’s shake, coffee, lunch and uniform. Cleaned the house and made myself a 2 glasses of protein shakes lol. Folded my clothes while watching Ponyo. After that I watched Ant Man and the Wasp with the sibs and mom and it was actually really good! I enjoyed it lol

4.17.19 - Walked with mom, Marv and manang. Stopped by Aldi after that, then GFS, Meijer for pineapples and sushi, and Walmart. I did most of the stuff since the sibs were tired, like gas up the car, get the pineapples, get the groceries in Walmart, push the cart at Aldi, etc. Oh when mom was at GFS, Marv treated manang and I for coffee at Tim Hortons. The lightning was very bright today too on our way home.

4.18.19 - Dad and I watched the fight scene in Wakanda to the end from Avengers: Infinity War. Then we watched Scenes from Get Smart. lol Dad and I went to get Marv from school. Manong picked up Manang. Painted Mob and Saitama. Then I played Stardew Valley (yeah marv downloaded it for me on his PSVita lol). Went with dad to Walmart and got some groceries. Came home and baked the pizza and it was okay lol. Made myself a fruit smoothie!

4.19.19 - Woke up early today to drive manong to his work in Plymouth (on N. Sheldon rd near Einstein bros). Took 275 to 96. Getting more confident although I make some little mistakes here and there. Once we got to the Subway I stayed in the car for like an hour or so and played more stardew valley lol. Then I got money from manong and walked to Wendys where I got a 4 for $4. Then I got coffee at Einstein bros. Then I walked to Busch’s. Walked around then went back to the car. Manong then drove and we went to Marshalls in Canton for manong to buy clothes for tonight’s Good Friday service at Taylor. Got home then I went straight to my room to start preparing for sunday school stuff. Then I ligo and got ready. Wore the yellow shirt manong got me from Marshalls. Left the house at 6:20 and got to Taylor. Members of our church were there on time too! The Cruz’s, Salamats, Duculans, tito boyet and tita Ana were there. The service was long, but good. Loved the preachings by the different pastors on the 7 Sayings of Jesus. Dad had the last saying (Father, into your hands I commit my spirit) and he did a wonderful job. Ne was also there and she sat with us in the pews. Ate and then talked with Caleb and Hannah. Then went upstairs and talked to kuya karlo.  Left and went home. I was soooo tired. Dozed off in bed with my makeup still on. Got up around 12 a.m. and washed my face and brushed my teeth.

4.20.19 - Woke up ate 8 am!!! Ahhh. Drove manong to school. Took 275 to 94. Stayed in the car but only for like 20 minutes because manong forgot he didn’t have class today for the holiday. Drove manong’s classmate Jim, who’s an older, retired senior, home. Then we went to Belleville. Stopped by dollar tree where I got stuff for sunday school. Then we went to Walmart and Aldi. Stopped by Wendys for me so I could eat (4/$4) and then home. Once I got home I went straight to bed. I was soooo tired. Woke up at 3:30 and dad was getting ready for work :(( Chilled in the living room while mom cooked. Ne came and she brought desserts. Ate and talked to Ne, then I went to hem my jumpsuit for tomorrow. Then I prepared my sunday school stuff. At 6:30 the sibs and I left. I drove to Panera bread in woodhaven while the boys went to Planet fitness. Manang and I had good conversation in Panera. She bought us coffee, a big cookie, and a bagel with cream cheese. Left panera (manong got us) at 8:20. Went to Target and then home. At home I played piano, then folded clothes. Mom had her nails done by manang. Then I finished preparing my stuff for tomorrow. Re-hemmed my jumpsuit, though I think I’m gonna re-do it again tomorrow :P lol. Helped manong find the right key for tomorrow’s P&W. Now I’m about to sleep! Goodnight!

Life, I’m lovin’ it, Bebet