Where are you at? NY or California?

I just got a new project today (dropping all other projects) to quickly validate a new analytical method for benzalkonium chloride for one of our biggest customers who is switching (our production for them) from making a very popular air freshener to making a disinfectant product that kills COVID-19. As the contract manufacturer I can't reveal who the customer is, but we make and fill millions and millions of bottles each year for them - but the air freshener simply isn't selling right now. I was given a choice of working or not working. I'm just going to work and back and no where else. Made my own formulation of COVID19 killer per EPA's list of approved products, wiped down my office, and took some home to use there. Rest of the labs at my work found out and we're all using the Les Myer formulation now to wipe doorknobs, handles, etc since we recently ran out of disinfectant wipes and no other department would give us any. when we start the new production, we will be swimming in it. But if someone from work tests positive, then I will be staying home. I made the suggestion of taking temps for entry into the business. Still waiting for that to happen.

Small-time contractor that has been installing my new wood floors quickly finished it all up yesterday. He is planning to stay home per the orders here in Indiana that went into effect today.

My wife who is an OR nurse is pretty spooked. Idiots in charge at the hospital where where she works only talks doom and gloom and no supplies even though they are not over-run at all. They really know how NOT to motivate their people. If I get it I will probably get it from my wife, who herself intends to stay working only if they provide the proper PPE and will not float out of her own area (become a slave to do whatever others don't want to do). Neither one of us are martyrs - just trying to be reasonable. Guess we should be happy to both still have jobs, but that is not really critical to us as we have been denying our impulses and saving money for the last 15 years. Worst thing is the hits the old 401K's took.

 

I’m just outside Manhattan, and retired now after 30 years of public safety including 9/11 ground zero when I was still just a lieutenant.
After I made Captain they put me in charge of OEM for the city for five years until my career moved upward, so I know exactly how deep the rabbit hole goes with this one.
I maintained my EMT-D cert my entire career, and have the utmost respect for folks like your wife who took care of my guys and gals on more than one occasion after they got hurt during a job.

Now I need to be hyper vigilant of my health due to the effects of 9/11, so saying I “pay attention” to the current events would be an understatement.

Today I turned the scanner on for five minutes, and one of the first broadcasts I heard was related to the pandemic and involved a teenager who was showing textbook signs/symptoms.

A part of me definitely misses being in the middle of it all at work, but then again I’d probably catch it for sure.

Staying locked down here isn’t so bad though, I’ve been keeping busy getting my wide-band installed, and hopefully this week I’ll have the AEM gauge mounted and the dash put back together so I could finally start my tuning

 

So are you parmedic, firefighter, cop, ????? I can't imagine being at ground zero on 9/11. My wife and I were only married for a year back then and we were driving half way across Michigan on our way to Niagra Falls for a vacation when the towers came down. We just kept on going while listening to the radio and ended up making it across the bridge into Canada at Detroit, right before they closed the bridge for a while. At our destination, Niagra Falls airport was closed so everyone that flew there was stuck. It was a very strange feeling.

 

Firefighter

 

Well thanks for your service!

 

Well thanks for your service! Was you there during the actual collapse or afterwards?

 

Thanks Les. We got there right after the towers came down; I’m guessing if I had been there during the collapse I’d be dead right now. It’s still tough to even mention it without having flashbacks and I’d honestly rather not talk about it any more because it’s so hard.

The cars/trucks have always been a nice escape for me because I can concentrate on something totally different, and perhaps that’s why I’m such a perfectionist in my detail work.

Back on subject and without question, the real thanks needs to go out to all the public servants and volunteers who are out there on the line each and every moment. Now more than ever, besides all the regular stuff that happens every day that can take them out, this disease is so highly contagious that if you’re exposed most likely you’ll get it.

 

Gotta give John Kerry the tweet of the year award! This morning he said "Massey tested positive for being an *******, and that he needed to be quarantined to prevent spread of stupidity". This in regards to Masseys attempt at delaying the vote for the stimulus bill in Congress. Wow! Just Wow!!! That is HILARIOUS to me!!! They do have some history butting heads! Massey once made fun of Kerry's graduate degree in a "pseudoscience"

Trump only tweeted that Massey should kicked out of the GOP. I agree. Let him finish his term as an independent. I have a feeling that Democrats as an organization would never tolerate that crap from one of their members.

Yes, it's definitely not free money and the bill will cost citizens $17,000 in the end, but It hopefully it will preserve our ability to have jobs and make that 17K. Massey you are definitely mis-guided!!

 

I worked all this week, a "calculated risk", but I believe that I'm going to be staying home for the next week at least. It's starting to take hold in neighboring counties to me. Where I work, I have delivery drivers for freight companies that are driving from hours away, making stops in those very counties, and they come right into my area and all up in my "bubble" if you will, whenever they get to where I'm at... I simply cannot afford to take the risk any more and risk getting it and bringing it home to my immune compromised wife...

I'm watching the curve very closely, and I just have a feeling that it's really going to ramp up over the next week around here...

I still have a little over 2 weeks PTO at work (I've already taken a good bit off earlier this year...) and I've already been told that if I need more I can request FMLA, so worse case scenario I will have some sort of income even after those 2 weeks of full pay...

 

Blazen...... Sorry to say but I don't think FMLA does anything but officially preserve your job. For example, when I had surgery some years back my HR had me fill out the FMLA form to preserve my job, but I was paid my salary through my short term disability policy. Nevertheless I would think that this stimulus bill would somehow cover your situation if you are a care provider doing FMLA for immunosupressed individual. You might want to check on it now at your local congressman's office on if you can get covered and how to apply before they get too busy with requests.