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This post has nothing to do with Chromebooks

Like most, if not all of you, I’m hunkered down with my family as the world fends itself off from the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve actually been in a self-lockdown mode since early last week, having not written a Chromebook post since Tuesday.

Honestly, I sat down many times since then to share some Chromebook news but I obviously never did. I’d start a post, sometimes even finish one, but not publish it.

I’m not in a depressed state due to the situation, although I do take anti-depressants. I have since 2011 when I was diagnosed with clinical depression not long after I lost my father unexpectedly. But I’m no more depressed today because of current world events.

I didn’t publish any posts mainly because, in the grand scheme of things, the latest news about Chromebooks or Chrome OS didn’t really matter at the time. Instead, I had to ensure we were as prepared as possible before national, state and local emergencies.

Where I live, in Montgomery County, PA, we’re essentially getting close to a lockdown: All schools and non-essential businesses are closed, we have 45 confirmed or presumptive positive Covid-19 cases — the most in our state — and store shelves are barren.

What does matter, to me anyway, is making sure I’m here for my family, friends, and neighbors. I believe we all have to work together in every way possible; now more than ever.

As it stands now, my daughter is home from an extended college spring break and she’s going stir crazy. And that is sort of making me crazy.

My wife is home from work and I’ve found her crying a few times this past week. Stress and the unknown are not things that work well for her.

Additionally, we have concerns because her immune system isn’t 100% due to various medical factors and challenges. Back in 2008, for example, she contracted viral meningitis a few months before our wedding. That week in isolation at the hospital was scary enough for her and for me.

And I’ve had a cough, on and off, for the past week or so, along with some chest discomfort. It’s been completely manageable and I check my temperature several times a day. No fever as of yet, but if I do experience one, I’ll, of course, seek the appropriate medical attention.

I’m not sharing these personal tidbits for pity or concern.

We’ll do what we always do and make the best of things. Instead, I’m simply airing out some thoughts, cleaning out my mind and hoping all of you are doing what you need to in this time of worldwide crisis.

Please, think of others around you, even those you don’t know, and strongly consider these simple actions:

  • Take care of your family, pets and loved ones
  • Wash your hands excessively
  • Respect the calls for social distancing
  • Don’t spread bad or misinformation
  • Do share supplies with others
  • Don’t panic
  • Do good things, even when nobody is watching

I sincerely wish all of you and yours well in this challenging time. Humanity is inherently good when we realize that each of us can make the world a much better place simply by being human and respecting all others.

With that said, my hope is to ensure that my household and my neighborhood is in the best state it can be in by tomorrow. And if it is, I’ll be back to covering Chromebooks at that time.

Thanks for reading.

Peace!

P.S.: In the spirit of positivity, here’s a pic of our canine cuteness, Norm, looking forward to better days. Smile!

author avatar
Kevin C. Tofel

33 thoughts on “This post has nothing to do with Chromebooks

    1. Stay safe and enjoy being with the ones you love. Chromebook news can wait, though I must add I am so grateful my digital life is all available to me wherever I need it in a time like this.

      1. Thank you for your candor! I, also, am home with loved ones and caring for my elderly mother.
        Everyone be safe and well.
        Norm is adorable!

    2. I know here in Connecticut some people think of themselves, when they should know we are not alone let others get supplies also. Let’s be smart, educated humans. Be well and cool dog.

      1. Thank you for your candor! I, also, am home with loved ones and caring for my elderly mother.
        Everyone be safe and well.
        Norm is adorable!

  1. Thank you for sharing.
    Yes, we live in stranger times.
    Stay positive and keep courage.
    All the best for you and your family.
    Frank Buddingh’

    1. All the best. We’re heading back to Canada early from Palm Springs and hope we can get across the border without difficulty. Everyone on edge, but trying to stay optimistic. Will self isolate at home if/when we get there.

  2. So encouraging and transparent!!! What we need more of. Praying for you and your family. Keep moving forward!!!

  3. I’ve been meaning to investigate a system for helping those with high-frequency hearing loss for some time. [The loss is a bane of age, poor ear protection, etc — I play Bassoon and often sit in front of trumpets; I blame them, but I suspect shooting without protection in my youth had more to do with it.]

    For some reason, Python seems to be a common language for doing FFT manipulation. I know Fortran, Java, and Basic, so learning a new language while social-distancing is interesting. [I have not put Python on my CB, but it seems easy.] I know what I want to do with FFT and avidly anticipate that next step.

    Bottom line is: Find something we’ve been putting -off and explore!

  4. Thank you for sharing!

    I personally have lived trough much more tumultuous times (back when the communist block was disintegrating), so compared to that, this is ‘small potatoes’. It helps to keep things into perspective.

    I am confident humanity as a whole will overcome this event (and probably more like it in the future) as long as we remember to be kind to each other and not behave like it is the end of the world. It sure can be scary, but there is nothing to fear, but fear itself!

  5. Stay safe and healthy. Wishing you and yours health from San Diego where we are rapidly approaching a lock down scenario.

    *Posted from a Chromebook

  6. thank you for sharing. living in the countryside[?] is better than the city; i think. good luck to you and family. btw, what is the name and model of the computer, that has a rose petal color, on top of your article? thank you.

  7. All the best to you and yours, Kevin.

    Remember the age old maxim, ‘this too shall pass’.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass

    On September 30, 1859, Abraham Lincoln recounted a similar story:

    It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: “And this, too, shall pass away.” How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!

  8. While I am not discounting this disease at all, but, according to the CDC, the 2018-2019 Flu season claimed 34,200 lives in the USA and 61,000 in the 2017-2018 season. Who knows when the COVID-19 will be contained but somehow we have grown accustomed to what happens during flu season.

    1. With flu it continues throughout the season, with this virus we are now many people infected and the hospital can not handle it. There is the difference now

    2. The difference is that COVID-19 is something like 10 to 20 times deadlier especially among the older population. There is no natural immunity like the typical flu virus.

      Social distancing’ is the ‘cure.’

  9. We’re doing the similar things in our neighborhood just North of Seattle. My family is staying home as much as possible, and I’m drawing coloring book pages to keep my grandson happy. I’m trying to think of this as a long, “perfect for reading days” wintery days extension. I’m not able to fool myself very long, but it’s helpful. Sharing my drawings online is at least helping me feel like I can still do something useful. Take care, and thank-you for thinking of us!

  10. I love this post – thanks so much for sharing it. I know I would be feeling all those same things about writing in a time like this if I was still running a site. I’m well within the high risk group myself because of a previous bout with cancer – but I try to balance (big) fear with hopeful thoughts because I know I’ve worked hard over quite a few years now to eat well, exercise, get good rest etc.

    It’s also great to see your post for a couple more reasons: 1) We can’t have too many words said about the importance of following the best advice to keep ourselves and all those around us at home and in the world around us safe and 2) Well, I always always love a Norm mention and photo!

  11. Here’s to better days!.. Take care. Here in the UK it feels like its just really starting to get ‘real’. Look after yourselves over the pond and console yourselves that our PM makes your president look increasingly sane!… Stay safe.

  12. You’re right, Kevin. Some things are more important than others – we all need to work on community empathy and fellow feeling, on compassion, on connection within our families and outside. In truth, we need to expand our breadth of trust, and that’s up to us. It’s finally clear to me that waiting for leadership, as I have been doing, won’t work.

  13. Thanks Kevin,
    God bless you and your family and thanks for your honesty
    All the best
    Ron Cobb

  14. Nice picture of your dog! And great post and thoughts.

    Someday, and not too long from now, this will be a forgotten memory. But we will remember the good things, about how so many put the needs of others above themselves.

  15. These somber days do present a topic highly relevant to Chromebooks. If I may be allowed to deviate from the overall tone of these posts:
    I typed “covid-19 chromebook” into the search field at the top of my Google News page. One of the results was this Web article. But it was among a very long list of Web articles that mentioned Chromebooks being the way that kids were going to be learning remotely while they weren’t being allowed to attend school in person. Apparently, Chromebooks are the preferred remote learning device. And Google Classroom may also be the preferred remote learning platform.

  16. “Take care of your family, pets and loved ones”
    That’s the norm.
    “Wash your hands excessively”
    I live in Mexico where excessive hand washing is the norm.
    “Respect the calls for social distancing”
    I’m a hermit so social distancing is a given.
    “Don’t spread bad or misinformation”
    I’ve yielded the responsibility for bad information to the media.
    “Do share supplies with others”
    A friend with five kids just picked up a 4ltr jug of hand disinfectant I had
    “Don’t panic”
    I outgrew panic 70 years ago but for most of the world hysteria rules.
    “Do good things, even when nobody is watching”
    That’s a constant and has nothing to do with the crisis du jour.

  17. Best of luck out there in MontCo, and thanks for the lovely sentiment and reminder of our common humanity and the need to care about and for others. I’m not too far away in Manayunk and, as a teacher in the city, have been closely watching the developments out your way. I know there’s been more cases out there than anywhere else in the greater Philadelphia region. We just had schools shut down this weekend, so we’re not far behind “yous”. Be safe & healthy!

  18. I was in no way discounting the seriousness of this issue. We are all responding to this in panic mode. Will you all remember the precautions you are practicing today when flu season comes around next year? Will you do the same self-isolation and social distancing with your whole family if your kids come home with the flu? With 30 million or so Americans suffering with the flu last year, my guess is it wasn’t high on your list. As one in the most vulnerable age group, we depend on you to practice this as an ongoing routine.

  19. Hang in there Kevin! Maybe a few posts of how to live and work virtually using Chromebooks…also how to help kids and parents with activities and learning. My 5 & 3 year old would greatly appreciate some help.

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