Thought I'd update this~ Things in my life are still holding together steady, but I'll admit I'm feeling a bit burned out by the pandemic and other events.

Ohio has been having 1000+ cases a day for almost two weeks now, and we're experiencing our own Covid-19 spike, though, pale in comparison to Texas, Arizona, and Florida with 5,000+ new cases a day. Unfortunately at this point, I've resigned myself to concluding that the pandemic's gonna end only when a vaccine comes out, or there's no more hosts to fuel it. At whatever human cost that'll conclude, I'm not sure. As expected, our hospitalization rates, which lag behind the new cases, are having an uptick too.

The pandemic has been causing headaches for 84 Lumber; we're facing lumber shortages because of other industries in our supply chain having shut down. Pressure treated is a premium and we've been critically short, and customers are angry. We don't have enough, and what's coming in looks all beat up, and customers haven't been thrilled when I explain that some places aren't getting new PT boards until late August, into September! Our coordinator put it this way; "These man-Karens think that if they yell and scream on the phone long enough, it'll just get the product here faster~" Otherwise, I've been safe in my job commuting around Ohio delivering lumber and building materials. I'm starting to wear a mask when delivering to homes, out of respect for customers, and to try and show other people that "it doesn't make you weak or look stupid to wear a mask". Wash hands, wear a mask, social distancing- doing my part to try and keep myself safe, and mitigate the pandemic's damage. I got a pay raise last week; $1 increase, to $13/hr. Any bit of an increase is a good thing. But I'll admit, I'm a bit burned out. The heat, and doing about 500 miles a week have taken its toll. I took a few days off, and that helped. And there's big changes coming to our 84 store, after all the yard guys went to the store manager to complain about working conditions, which he was unaware of. There's going to be cutoff times on last second deliveries, more people to be hired as our store begins expansion, and other incentives to take the pressure off people. Good news~

Not so good news. Yesterday a good friend of mine died, after a two year struggle with metastatic melanoma. My buddy Emmett (non furry) had melanoma that had spread to his brain and spine, and gave it a good fight for two years. He endured at least a dozen surgeries on his brain and back in an effort to fight the disease, along with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It left him all bloated and swollen. The last time I saw him was on Valentine's day. He was in good spirits then, and all of us were joking and having a good time at my other friend's apartment. Last time I heard from Emmett was on Facebook in April. My friend last heard from him on the first, and he said then he was feeling good and was in good spirits then. Apparently his health just rapidly deteriorated and he was placed on life support. His family decided yesterday to take him off the ventilator, and he passed away at 5PM. When I found out, I was heartbroken. But I was also relieved to know that was no longer suffering. Emmett was only 31. He "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." We never truly appreciate someone until they're gone, and we can never see them again. Only then do we realize how they've touched our lives~

"Everything will be alright. Just let it be~"