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Am I the only one having problems trying to convince older relatives that this virus is real and they need to keep themselves in the house? I ran around like crazy for the past two days making sure that they had all the stuff needed for them to just relax in the house. But no, today they need to buy canned soup and water from the grocery store when there are 4 and a half CASES of water and food in the dang house already.

And seriously, what is the deal with cases of water? Unless they stop sending water out of your faucet, what the hell are you worried about? They are stressing the hell outta me. Seriously, how hard is it to just stay in the house for a couple of weeks until this shit hopefully cools down? I understand that it might not be easy for some, but seriously why keep testing fate.

I had to drive to and from Syracuse today. Driving back on those unlit highways isn’t as much of an adventure as it was in my youth. I made the mistake of mentioning this to my mom, who then gave me her special night vision goggles for driving. I was skeptical at first, but they actually work fairly well. I just wished that they didn’t make me look like Black Lightning.

Day 4 of my vegan detox. That means no sugar, salt, caffeine, meat, dairy or carbs. Feeling better than I thought I would. But the cravings are real. Last night I would have killed a man for a slice of toast.

The recent tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi has deeply unsettled me, as it has to many of us. The only comforting thought I had about the entire tragedy was that at least they died together. I can think of nothing more unnatural than outliving your children.

I was never a fan of Kobe while he was a player, but I did come to respect him as a man who by all accounts was an amazing father who loved and supported his daughters. As a father with a young daughter of my own, I would agree that there is nothing better than being a “GirlDad”. If I know anything, I know I love my baby girl.

As I write this there are tears running down my face. I found out a little while ago that one of my favorite students just passed away.

I know that teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but we do, and Yani was one of mine. Yani and I were both Leo’s and anime fans who had a shared love of all the things related to Avatar and the Legend of Korra. She was a wonderful student and a very talented artist. She had a truly beautiful spirit and a mischievous smile that always made me laugh.

I will miss her greatly. She left this world far too soon.