What We're Writing Week - Julia Googles

 Julia Spencer-Fleming: I'm still recovering from the good time I had at Malice Domestic, where I brought back not just great memories and a cool "Guest of Honor" tea cup, but also *cue dramatic music* Covid. 

I'm fine; vaxxed and double boosted, my symptoms are identical to a boring head cold. I'm going through Kleenex fast enough to deliver a bump to Kimberly-Clark share prices and I've got a post-nasal-drip sore throat, but I was out yesterday tearing down multiflora rose vines (my lord, those things grow insanely long) and toting in wood for the wood stove, so I can't say it's holding me back. My doctor's office wrote me a scrip for Paxlovid and I'm not supposed to go anywhere until Sunday, which is fine, because I saw more people in four days in DC than I have in the entire period between January 2020 - April 2022. It was so joyfully overwhelming that I may not leave my house until Bouchercon this fall.

I'm not sharing an excerpt, because I wanted to answer an interesting question I got during one of my panels. Or maybe at the Guest of Honor interview? An audience member asked, "What are some of the odd things you've Googled?" and all I could think of in the moment was checking out if breath mints existed in the early 1930s for OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY. (They did! Sen-Sen, just like in the song from The Music Man.)

Of course, we all like to do research by interviewing, or being places in person, but as Debs pointed out yesterday, that's not always possible. Or convenient. You know what is, though? Our friend, Mr. Google. So I thought I would share some of my searches for the current work-in-some-sort-of-progress, AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY.

What's the proper abbreviation for assistant state attorney general?

2008 calendar

Image of front-loader

Sunset times for Hudson Falls New York in December

Location of Applebees near Albany

Is "shacking up" still used as slang for living together?

Most popular boys names in 2000

How many square miles are in the Adirondack State Park?

Tourist camp sites near the High Peaks

White supremacy and the militia movement (this was a LOT of different sites!)

White supremacist signs

Law schools in New York City

What gear do you need for cold weather camping?

Common Chinese last names

NY State laws on prescription opiods

Map of NY State Thruway exits (This I should know by heart, really...)

NY State Park Rangers

NY State Fish and Game Wardens

Popular rifles for hunting game

What's the smallest concealable explosive you can make?

Home made explosives

Mohawk tribal lands in New York

Can eight month old babys walk? (Because believe it or not, despite having had three, I can't remember. Maybe because I had three!)

Santa appearances in the Glens Falls area in December

Can you hotwire a snowmobile?

 

Can you put together some of my plot lines, dear readers? And what are some of the odder questions you've asked Mr. Google?

Now they tell us...

Congratulations! The winner of Alicia Beckman's BITTERROOT LAKE is KAREN IN OHIO! Karen, email Leslie at leslie@lesliebudewitz.com to collect your win!! 

Congratulations too! The winner of Edith Maxwell's A CHANGING LIGHT is PAT D. Pat, email Edith at Edith@EdithMaxwell.com

HALLIE EPHRON: Since March, 2020, I’ve been in a cleaning frenzy. Wiping down packages with disinfectant before bringing them into the house. Wiping down park benches before sitting on them. Using my sleeve to open doorknobs. Pressing elevator buttons with my knuckle. 

Stockpiling cleaning supplies. Here's a fraction of my stash...

Now, experts tell us, “There’s really no evidence that anyone has ever gotten Covid-19 by touching a contaminated surface.” That’s Linsey Marr, an expert on airborne viruses at Virginia Tech. Quoted in the New York Times.

More good/bad news: Researchers are tell us that the virus spreads primarily through the air in both large and small droplets hanging in the air, and scouring door handles and railings and subway seats does little to keep us safe.

As of April 5, the CDC caved and updated its cleaning guidelines:

The principal mode by which people are infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is through exposure to respiratory droplets carrying infectious virus. It is possible for people to be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered to be low.

So, in most everyday scenarios and environments, according to the CDC, people do not need to use chemical disinfectants. The best prevention is to wash your hands, wear a mask, and give the rest of humanity a wide berth.

So why have we been so focused for so long on surface cleaning when there’s no evidence that anyone has ever gotten COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface? I’d argue that it’s the same reason we knock on wood. Because it’s something we can do in the face of something big and scary and that we barely understand and certainly cannot control.

So I suppose it’s a good sign that alcohol wipes and toilet paper are no longer in short supply. Ketchup is. We the people – we have our priorities.

How’s the cleaning going in your neck of the woods and do you have enough ketchup?

Secondhand rage in the age of coronavirus... the musical

HALLIE EPHRON: Today I bring you rage. Unadulterated. Incubating since March. Not very productive, I know. But there you are. 

Here in Massachusetts where we have (so far) flattened the curve, we live in a bit of an echo chamber. (Most of us) are not in a state of denial. (Most of us) wear masks. (Most of us) keep our social distance. I’m saddened and horrified as I watch what seems to be, from this distance, fellow citizens willfully playing follow-the-leader off the edge of a cliff. (Though it turns out even lemmings don't actually do that.)

It's been not-a-hoax to me from early on. My daughters were living in one of the epicenters: Brooklyn. There was no room for doubt whether it was a real thing, not with ambulance sirens going 24/7. Not with friends who worked in hospitals reporting back on what it was like with basic protective equipment running short and beds filling to the point where patients had to be piggybacked on  ventilators. In rapid succession, we knew a half dozen people who’d caught the virus; two have since died.

No surprise, I have been nurturing a craving for music that channels rage.

Twenty years ago the Dixie Chicks released one of my all-time favorite ragers: “Goodbye Earl.” It’s the tale of an abusive spouse who ends up getting his comeuppance at the hands of his wife Wanda and her best friend, Maryanne.

Those black-eyed peas, they tasted alright to me, Earl
You're feelin' weak? Why don't you lay down and sleep, Earl
Ain't it dark wrapped up in that tarp... 

The video  is a must-watch. Jane Krakowski plays Wanda. Dennis Franz the odious Earl. SO satisfying! 
 

Just in time, the (no longer Dixie) Chicks have released first new music in 14 years featuring a scathing song about an unrepentant liar: ‘Gaslighter.’

Gaslighter, denier
Doin' anything to get your ass farther

And another kickass video.
 



Here’s a play list of more classic revenge songs, in case you, too, are in the mood.

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots are Made for Walking (1966)

"One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you..."

Carly Simon - You’re So Vain (1972)

“I’ll bet you think this song is about you…”

(Turned out it was about Warren Beatty.)

Gloria Gaynor – I will survive (1978)

“Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?”

 Adele – Rolling in the Deep (2010)

“The scars of your love remind me of us”

Taylor Swift - Mean (2012)

“All you’re ever gonna be is mean – why you gotta be so mean?”

Are you in the mood for a little secondhand rage? Share your playlist...
 

Got Jigsaw?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Who would have thought a few months ago that jigsaw puzzles would be among the new unobtainable things? And did you ever think about how labor and time intensive puzzles are to manufacture? I loved this piece in the New York Times.

The template for every single puzzle is hand drawn, and no two pieces can be exactly alike! That is just mind-boggling. They don't just use any old art for the pictures, either, but commission the paintings specifically.

Luckily for me, I had ordered a puzzle for Christmas, which has been out on my dining room table since...January! It's only 500 pieces but I'm very slow. Not to mention that the cats have dumped the whole thing on the floor twice and I've had to start over. 

This puzzle is a Galison, and double-sided. Eeek! I doubt I'll ever manage to do the second side!

(When I went to the Galison website just now, every single puzzle is SOLD OUT!)

My idea when I laid the puzzle out was that I would have friends and/or family over to work it with me, but obviously that's not happening these days, and the hubby has no patience for it. So in the meantime, I think I need some puzzle working tips from people who are better at this than I am! I do start with the borders, and am sorting the pieces by color, as you can see in the photo above.

I have a couple more puzzles on order, although one was just canceled. Maybe the other one, a Galison I ordered weeks ago, will arrive eventually. Maybe I'll even be ready for a new one by then…

Reds, were you lucky enough to score puzzles? Are you good at them? Do you have a favorite puzzle brand?

RHYS BOWEN: I’m not usually a puzzle person, in fact the only time I’ve really enjoyed puzzles is with a big group at Christmas when the puzzle is out on a coffee table and everyone adds as they pass.

However I have a great desire to do a puzzle right now and of course my large stack of puzzles and board games are all in California while I’m in Arizona 

I tried ordering online. I thought I’d scored until I saw delivery date, May 15 !

Then I tried online puzzle which drove me crazy as you couldn’t see the picture at the same time as the puzzle pieces. Hopeless. But I have just sent off for quilt squares. I’ve never quilted but I’m in full Little House mode. Next— churning butter. 

HALLIE EPHRON: Right, do the corners first, then the edges, then work toward the middle. I used to love jigsaw puzzles but haven’t done one in years. Might be time to start. Though patience is not my strong suit. 

JENN McKINLAY: I love jigsaw puzzles! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one but I love it when it’s a group activity. And, yes, Hallie is so right - corners, sides, fill in the middle! Also, if doing it in a group, hide one piece so you get to put the last piece in. Can you tell I’m the youngest child and had to learn this trick the hard way?

DEBS: Jenn, you are brutal!!!!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ah, no, I really...don’t enjoy them. They take so long, and I guess I’m not spatial, and then, at the end, what do you do? Break them all up? Once a million years ago, my sibs and I got a jigsaw puzzle for my dad. It was terrific, with some of the shapes personal--a poodle, a scales of justice, a champagne bottle, a judge’s gavel, things like that. It was brilliant. We loved doing that one. In fact, I think I still have it! Hmm. 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m not a jigsaw puzzle person - crosswords all the way for me. However, my mother always enjoyed working a jigsaw and HER mother was a fanatic. Grandma always had a puzzle going as long as I knew her, usually on a sturdy card table kept for that purpose. We would seek out extra challenging ones as birthday and Christmas gifts - oddly shaped puzzles, two sided puzzles like the ones Debs is doing, or, and these were really challenging - puzzles with no picture on the cover, just a vague or tricky description. (Those last were the popular form for jigsaw puzzles in the early 1900s.)

One thing I know is a must-have for jigsaw puzzle lovers - a puzzle mat! Two people can lift it and clear the table for a meal without disturbing a puzzle in progress, and the suede-like nap will help keep pieces in place, even when the cat jumps up to demand some attention!

DEBS: Julia, I do have a puzzle mat. It did not, however, keep the cats from pulling the whole thing off the table. And it shows the cat hair! I used to have a puzzle board, years ago, but now I have no idea where it is.

LUCY BURDETTE: I’m not a jigsaw puzzle person either, but our daughter is--and she was desperately searching for one online. And we were desperate to contribute to her mental health, as she works in the ER and has two toddlers at home. Luckily our Madison CT bookstore, RJ Julia, has some beautiful puzzles to order. They are now happily working on Cinques Terres, and shhhhh, don’t tell, I just sent them New York Times Square this week.

I love the idea of Rhys churning butter:)

DEBS: Lucy, I looked at the puzzles at RJ Julia. I was SO tempted by the one with the Japanese maples. But it's 1000 pieces and looks so hard. Assuming it is even still available.

I'm thinking that as a group we are either not very spatial or not very patient! But I do want to see Rhys churning butter!

READERS, how about you? Who likes puzzles? Who was lucky enough to get one? Or even two....

Pandemic Ingenuity

DEBORAH CROMBIE: In these stay-at-home weeks, we're all learning ways to compensate for the things we can't buy or do. Here are a couple of my pandemic hacks--silly they may be, but I'm quite proud of them.

With no trips to the nursery and no fresh herbs available in the supermarket deliveries (at least in my area) I was really missing planting my spring/summer pots of tender herbs. (Why is there a shortage of fresh basil, I ask??) So a few weeks ago I ordered a kit with little seed-starting pods for nine fresh herbs, including basil.  What I didn't realize until the kit arrived was that it was meant for a fancy $150 grow-light set-up. Well, I wasn't about to throw out my little pods, and I sure wasn't ordering the grow-light apparatus, but what to do with them? 

Here's my solution. An egg carton, an orchid stake, a plastic plant saucer, and the light from my kitchen window. And voila! All the little seeds have sprouted! In a day or two they will go into plastic cups, then hopefully, in a couple of weeks, into the outside bucket garden.

Hack number two was a solution for my splitting thumbnail. About fifteen years ago my right thumbnail developed a perpetual crack. This seems to come from  a fault in the nail bed and can't be fixed with glue or regular nail polish, and it doesn't heal itself when the nail grows out. 

The only workable remedy I've found is either a gel or an acrylic powder coating. With no salon manicures in the foreseeable future, I ordered a UV salon light and some base and top coat gels, then rooted around in my dresser for the bottle of gel color I'd bought to use at the salon before I went to London last fall. I've never even managed to do a decent manicure with regular nail polish, so I approached this with some trepidation and a good deal of trial and error. But what do you know, it worked, and it looks much more professional than I ever imagined! 

Dark purple wouldn't have been my spring color of choice, but it sure beats keeping a band-aid over my thumbnail!

Reds, what are some of your ingenious solutions?

JENN McKINLAY: Nice hacks, Debs! Much like you, I’m really missing my nursery! I’ve been using the scraps that used to go into the compost pile to plant. So far, I’ve had luck with repurposed green onion stubs, bell peppers cores, and sunflower seeds. Here’s a pic of one of my baby sunflowers.

Because I haven’t been able to visit the local “smelly store” (that’s what we call Bath and Body Works) and am missing my scented candles, I dug out all of the old plain tea lights I had, melted them down added some essential oil (lavender for calming) and a cotton wick and now have mini (colorful) candles burning while trying to maintain my Zen. 

HALLIE EPHRON: My favorite hack is in this week’s New Yorker - a NYC chef (Emma Bengtsson of Aquavit)  improvised, propping her phone on a head of broccoli to film a cooking demo when the tripod she’d ordered hadn’t come.

Not exactly a hack, but it's been an adjustment, not shopping for groceries every 3-4 days and walking down to the Seven-Eleven when we run out of milk. Instead I’ve been trying to order online for delivery. Anyone who’s trying to do this knows it’s a challenge to get a delivery slot. The first time I scored a slot, it was for 3 weeks ahead. My list grew longer and longer as the date approached, and the total ended up being nearly $400. Yikes. 

Then the delivery came! And immediately I began fishing for a new slot. It was an obsession. For days I tried at all different hours, only to find every time slot booked, And then last night I set my clock for 2 AM, got up and trundled down to my office, logged onto the market’s web site, and managed to book a slot. It’s two weeks from now but that’s perfect! Instead of adding to a shopping list, I go online and add to what’s in my ‘cart.'

I’m also understanding what we always called our parents’ Depression mentality. I simply don’t throw bits of leftovers away. They go into soups and stews. Overripe bananas can be frozen and used for banana bread or smoothies. Also we’re using the telephone a lot more. Actually *talking* to relatives and friends instead of texting or emailing. It’s really quite lovely.

And my hair… it hasn’t been this long since I was a hippie. I actually dug a curling iron out from under the bathroom sink and used it.

DEBS: Hallie, I cut my own bangs! Didn't turn out as badly as I feared (maybe I should get a second opinion on that...) and at least I can see now.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m not going to be able to worry about planting for another month and a half, so I’m going to order seeds from Johnny’s Seeds here in Maine as soon as they open for residential customers (they’re only filling commercial farm orders right now. However, Jenn, I’m intrigued by sprouting from scraps, and would like to find out how!

We’re still setting fires in the kitchen and family room wood stove to help keep the house warm (we had snow last Thursday that stuck to the ground for over 24 hours!) We’re fine on wood, but we normally use newspaper twists as the base layer for kindling - from newspapers we get at the Transfer Station, since we only have the Maine Sunday Telegram delivered. Of course, the Transfer Station is closed right now… but we’re still getting a steady diet of junk mail, medical bills with three extra pages for privacy, etc. So instead of many pieces of newspaper, I’m crumpling the burnable parts of our mail (just paper, no plastic, no coated stock) and adding just a few twists of newspaper to start a fire. It’s actually working better than newspaper alone, because the print-quality paper goes up more slowly and lasts longer, creating a longer period of time for the twigs and small splits to catch. 

Hack for those of you who suddenly have a lot more people eating at home than you did in the before times: I’m completely doubling all dinner recipes. Like, I’m making so much, I do it in two separate pots. With a 19 yo, a 22 yo and a 27 yo at home, it at least makes sure everyone has all they want in the evening AND ensures leftovers for lunch the next day. Truly, I had forgotten how much a household of young people eats when there’s no high school cafeteria and take out pizza to fill the gap.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I am spending so much time not only cooking--but planning. What I have to use first, monitoring sell-by dates with supreme focus,  learning how to freeze things, being so frugal and careful. Don’t use all those paper towels to wipe the floor! I call out to Jonathan. We can use rags, then wash them. I use half a disinfectant wipe instead of a whole one.

Anyway. We had a bunch of hot dog buns in the freezer, (I think from last July 4, frankly), taking up too much valuable freezer space. So--I made rosemary infused olive oil croutons! Cut up the frozen buns into crouton size, coated them with the oil in a bowl, CAREFULLY toasted in the oven. SO delicious. I mean--fabulous. 

And I found out you could grow spring onions from the tips of the used ones. I mean, of course things grow, but it never mattered before, because there were always onions.  But now it seems so terrible to throw anything away. I am so happy that they seem to be sprouting! (How much water are you supposed to put in, anyway?)

Plus, I made masks out of tea towels and hair holders, essentially the origami version. SO pleased with myself. 

Getting ready to cut my bangs. AHHHH. I have a Facetime appointment with the hair guy, and he is going to tell me how. Or try to, at least. Debs, your success gives me hope.

LUCY BURDETTE: We are very fortunate to have planted tomatoes, peppers, and basil on our deck well before all this hit. If only I could share!

I had the funniest experience on Saturday. Our church in CT sent out an email inviting us all to be part of a Zoom Easter choir. I love to sing (though I’m lacking in real talent) and I hated missing Easter, so I signed on. Our choir director/organist Nathan is an incredible musician, who cares deeply about how a group of singers sounds and works hard to get the very best out of the material he’s given. Anyway, about 17 of us plus the minister aka tech guy showed up on Zoom, along with Nathan stationed at the organ. We were to sing two familiar hymns “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” and “Thine is the Glory” that would be used in the Sunday service. We had a practice run. We were so AWFUL!! It wasn’t only the basic droning, it was the waxing and waning of Internet in 17 homes that caused us to be completely off the beat most of the way through the song. Poor Nathan! There was a lot of discussion about how to fix it--I suggested lip-synching or solos. Others thought we should all sing separately and some IT wizard would run that together, or maybe watch Nathan’s head bobs. (We were really trying though!) Finally, I said: “I think we have to focus on the joy and not worry so much about the sound.” So we tried again. At the end, someone asked the minister how we sounded. 

“There were glorious moments!” he said, then added, “Even the most broken things can be glorious.” 

I’m telling you the laughs were so worth the price of admission!

RHYS BOWEN: I am frustrated because I’m trapped in our winter home in Arizona,which is a lovely place to be but... it was only equipped with the basics and we moved house last spring, tossing out any bits and pieces. So no baking items, no sewing items, not even a jigsaw puzzle!
 

We just have a patio and shrubs so no garden. My daughter gave me a couple of pots and seeds but so far none has come up. Am I the only person in the universe who can’t grow zucchini?
 

I will try Hank’s growing onion tops ! Any other suggestions?

Also hardly any bath products etc. all those lovely bath bombs in California! And craft supplies plus a huge library to read! Thank heavens for Kindle.

 
My one hack has been making a face mask from a bra!  But it’s not very breathable.
 

I am trying a little painting with my granddaughters in California.

DEBS: So we are all working on our Little House on the Prairie selves, with a little WWII victory garden thrown in. 

What about you, dear readers? What solutions have you come up with for the little nags of our new reality?
 

Must. Not. Touch. Face....

RHYS BOWEN :

  We’ve all be told what to do. Simple steps. Wash hands frequently with soap and water and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE.

The first one is easy, only you have to sing Happy Birthday twice which gets some strange looks in hotel rest rooms. My favorite instruction has been, “Wash your hands as if you have just urged your husband to kill the rightful king and now you can’t seem to get the blood off!”

So I’ve stood at the sink muttering, “Out damned spot. Will the perfumes of Arabia not sweeten this little hand? Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeared?”  Much more fun than Happy Birthday to you (which always upsets me because the two women who wrote it didn’t get a penny in royalties)

But the hard thing is not touching my face. Do you know the average person touches their face 90 times a day? And I am way worse than average, I fear.

And now that I’m aware of the commandment it is torture:

My cheek is itching. Must scratch. Must….. scratch!

My hair is tickling my forehead. Must push back or go mad….

Is that something in my eye? Eye feels gritty… must rub.  Must rub

Is my face cream all rubbed in? Should I put on a little eye shadow even though I’m at home and nobody will see?

Picture of me inside grocery store, 6 a.m. Not looking my best!

I’m trying to learn ways to keep my hands away from my face when I’m sitting in the car, watching TV or even eating. I’ve tried playing the piano on my knee with my fingers. Lacing my fingers like we used to when we recited “Here’s the church and here’s the steeple. Look inside and here are the people”.

I’m rather wishing I was back at our house in California where I have all my stuff. Lots of stuff. Craft items. Beads. Crochet yarn. Jigsaw puzzles. Things to keep my hands busy. But alas I am in Arizona which is only supposed to be our winter retreat and has a minimum, no large library to read, and no stuff to play with.

If I were in California I’d bring out the worry beads. When I was a student I spent 3 months going around Greece and we would watch the men with their worry beads. It was only the men. Actually we hardly ever saw women. They stayed home outside of Athens, unless they worked in the fields and then they didn’t have time for worry beads. But the men walked around talking with other men, their hands behind their backs and their worry beads held between them. Clack, clack, clack in one direction and then clack, clack, clack back again, moving effortlessly as they chatted.

I bought some and tried them and I have to admit they drove me mad. I found myself counting them… thirteen this way, thirteen that way.. and then my finger would miss one and give my heart a jolt. So not at all calming for me. But now at least I’d have something to keep those hands occupied.

So does anyone have good suggestions, for not touching my face, that don’t involve going to Michaels and getting craft supplies? My daughter Clare has rummaged through her closets and is making fabric masks to give to all her delivery people. I don’t have a sewing machine or fabric here but that’s something I’d like to do. Would a hand sewed mask hold up, do you think?

And a second thought: are you being really, really good at social distancing? I’m trying to but I’m dealing with that most difficult of creatures A MAN. I read that many more men are dying than women, probably because they won’t follow directions and precautions!

The other day we went to Trader Joes. I took all the items out of the bags and wiped them down outside the garage. Then I made John take off his clothes and throw them in the washing machine and wipe down his shoes outside. He made a tremendous fuss. “This is overkill,” he growled.

            “Not overkill, but maybe kill,” I replied.

            I just don’t feel that we can be too careful. If it’s inconvenient, if it seems stupid it may be saving a life. Mine. John’s.

Stay safe, my darlings. Make those men do what’s required

And here is one of the most reassuring videos I’ve seen so far, from an ER doctor https://vimeo.com/399733860/description?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8_B1oBaezwnEZczqpv1X4nZkoEHtQ2NBifU8JbmavmAwldWSYocLpKeXu9Q9DLw6mI-zVto2Cq6326D3W9Jm2R0FQV_g&_hsmi=2

Grounded! Betcha can't not touch your face...

Hallie Ephron: It’s been a rough few weeks and no end in sight.... The cancellation of Left Coast Crime at the last minute left so many in our community stranded. Our vehement get-well wishes go out to anyone who’s got COVID-19 or thinks they do. Since it’s been nearly impossible to get tested unless you’re Tom Hanks and working in Australia.

Yes, things have changed. Our local schools are closing for at least six weeks. So scary. Let’s not talk about how many times a day I check the stock market. Or how many times each minute I try to stop myself from touching my face. 

I always work at home, often in my PJs, so that’s not new. But now, going to the supermarket, first thing I do is grab a wipe and use it to wipe down my shopping cart. Head straight to the produce department where I grab two plastic bags to wear over my hands before I touch a single honey crisp apple or baby tangerine. One minute, the end cap at my local Stop ‘n’ Shop is chockablock with antibacterial products; a few hours later they’ve sold out.

Since I’ve stopped going to my fitness center, I’m giving my exercise bike (for so long it’s been a coat rack but fortunately my husband wouldn’t let me give it away) a workout and sadly I’m running out of The Great British Baking Show episodes to watch while I pedal. Spring has come early, so I’m out raking. 

Online shopping is still a GO, and I’m thinking about buying these. Exercise, clean, and try not to go stir crazy.

What are you up to... or not?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I just got back from Palm Beach where I did a wonderful book event--but let me tell you, I was happy to be on that plane heading home. And no more trips for me anytime soon. The airport was WEIRD, although the plane was full. And everyone with wipes. And so strange--at some point, I realized that no one was laughing. In the airport, on the plane, nothing. Once you notice it, it’s so disconcerting.

I feel so awful for all the convention planners--they have spent so much time and brainpower only to be hit by this. It’s so unsettling and scary. I said to Jonathan last night--I fear the locusts are next. And then--in the paper this morning--I read that deadly locusts in Africa are threatening to wipe out the crops.

Also, I am putting a limit (Jonathan doesn't know this yet) on CNN-watching. 

But I can make you laugh.

In the Uber on the way to the Palm Beach event: 
My young Uber driver says: “How about that corona?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Driver: “I’m not worried too much about myself, but I do worry about elderly people like you.”

RHYS BOWEN:  I was so sad to cancel Left Coast Crime but I’ve had sniffly stuffy allergies and thought I’d be more vulnerable to what was out there, also John is high risk. I was so relieved when the state made the convention cancel as they would not now lose their shirts. I’m about to cancel an upcoming cruise and doing a lot of wiping and washing 

But how can anyone actually keep safe? The mailman coughs on my letter. The waitress touches my plate? The man handing out communion in church uses hand sanitizer then holds the handrail down from the altar!

I am in Arizona with very few cases. How about banning travel of more than 20 miles? 

Stay safe everyone and order books online from your favorite bookstore!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We are in for at least a week of rain and thunderstorms here, and while the unappealing weather may help keep people home, it does nothing for the general state of gloom! I’m trying to bring back my winter hygge in full force--hot tea, puzzles, a fire, and lots of uninterrupted time to work.

While NOT touching my face! The more I think about it, the more my nose itches!

In the meantime, I’m lucky enough to have a netgalley of Lucy’s THE KEY LIME CRIME, and am very grateful for a dose of Key West and fabulous food.

Rhys, I am washing my hands thoroughly after opening the mail and throwing away the outer envelopes. There is so much to be mindful about.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I hadn’t thought about the mail! Holy cow, it just goes to show how hard it is to keep track of everything someone might have touched. 

I’m prepping this week to move the last seven weeks of my community college course online. Since I can barely use the online gradebooks, I’m going to be relying heavily on the tech helpers to walk me through it. The final project divides students into small groups to research and write a recommendation paper. That part will be easy to transfer online, but I’m at a loss how they’re going to do the oral presentation to the class that caps the semester! Any suggestions are welcome.

My own college kid is NOT coming home - she has an “operations-necessary” work-study job they want her to keep doing, so she’s taking over a cheap apartment from a friend. Since her courses will also move online, she’ll be able to triple her weekly work hours, so she may come out well ahead in this crisis! Of course, it helps to be 19 and healthy as a horse…

JENN McKINLAY: I was at Left Coast Crime, drinking a coco pina margarita, when the convention was canceled. While it wasn’t completely unexpected, it was still weird to be at an event and have the plug pulled right as it got underway. The rain was also relentless, which added to the feeling of

doom.

I am now back home in the frat house and the hooligans are off from school for the next two weeks while I am on deadline, so this should be fun. Also, I am not a hoarder and go to the grocery store every day because I never know what I want for dinner until that day, so we have no food and only four rolls of toilet paper. Save me!

LUCY BURDETTE: It’s such a bizarre time isn’t it? And cancelling all events is going to make us feel even more isolated and worried, even though it’s the right thing to do. FINALLY, the city of Key West has banned cruise ships landing in our port for the next 30 days. It’s our busy season so we often have 2 or 3 a day--all those people pouring off ships...scary!

I’ve checked my freezer. Here’s what was on one shelf! 

We were expecting two different groups of visitors (both cancelled), so I’d stocked up. I hope to make one more run to the grocery store tomorrow morning. I’ve got meat and pasta and sauce and rice and beans, but I’m very low on vegetables and fruit.

HALLIE: So are you all ‘sheltering in place’ and staying hydrated? 

Here’s a final word from Sergeant Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues.