We’re nearing sixty days of quarantine now in Minnesota. Our rate of new infection is still climbing slightly but nearly 80% of our deaths and severe cases have originated in nursing homes. The response still seems to be disproportionate to the risk, at least in our state anyway. The prediction is that almost half of all small businesses in the Twin Cities will have to file for bankruptcy because of the lock-down.
The stresses of this quarantine are beginning to affect people psychologically. Thankfully it appears that most States, including ours, will be easing back to normal life soon.
It appears Spring is finally here to stay in the Upper Midwest. Early blooming plants (Azaleas, pictured above) and some small trees are beginning to show their waves of color. The lilacs are just starting to bloom and should be peaking in a week or so. All of the color and fragrance is really helping to deal with the situation.
My wife and I both have been doing much more cooking at home. Last night, I tried my hand at making roasted brussels sprouts.
I blanched the sprouts then roasted them in a hot cast iron skillet with fresh garlic, bacon, spinach, and finished with an Irish butter/maple syrup glaze. I’m going to be making them this way, and only this way, going forward. They weren’t particularly low calorie but they were still somewhat healthy and delicious.
My wife also made us an incredible avocado ice cream in the blender. She used fresh avocado, blueberries, vanilla, maple syrup, and light coconut milk. You let that mixture freeze overnight and, voila!, you have a healthy frozen dessert that tastes like premium ice cream. I’ll be sure to take a photo of the next batch. This batch disappeared far too quickly.
I'm going to have to figure out a way to get a haircut soon. I'm starting to resemble Kramer from Seinfeld.
There's so much excitement in the air with the bitcoin halving fast approaching. Prices aren’t rising as I thought they would but my gut is telling me BTC prices will stay flat, drop (possibly significantly) after the halving due to crypto-OG’s taking profits, then explode in the months following.
The good news is a lot of new money is coming into crypto and many platforms like Coinbase allow for customers to cost-average into the market with automatic regular investments.
They also have an initiative called Earn that allows you to watch videos that teach you about how certain cryptocurrencies work. Afterwords, you take a quiz and if your answers are correct they reward you in the currency that you learned about.
Brilliant. We need more initiatives like this. It will all, hopefully, encourage steady growth going forward. We’ll see how accurate that prediction is. As the saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
It’s been a fairly productive week in lock down. I've gotten a new short story started and the concept of the travel channel is gelling even more now.
The verdict is in! I think I’ve decided on the camera I’ll be getting -- the Sony RX100 VII. In an ironic, and fitting, twist of fate I'll be using my last few Steemit powerdowns to buy the gear for this next adventure.
It was a very tough call between countless camera models and brands but this Sony checked most of the boxes for what I needed, it’s also more compact than most, and the price is right. If I discover I like vlogging and end up being successful at it I’ll add gear and upgrade as I go.
I penned a draft of my intro for the channel. Here it is:
INTRO: I’m Eric Vance Walton -- author, poet, traveler, meditator, and all-around nerd. Once you begin to travel you realize this world isn’t at all like what you see on the news. People aren’t inherently bad, the reality is quite the opposite. Humans are awesome and kind. Each day is a gift. Life is something to say “Yes!” to, not to fear. This is what I seek to explore on this channel.
In the coming episodes I’ll be -- traveling to places I’ve never been, connecting with interesting people, having amazing experiences and sharing it all with you!
At the end of each episode I’ll recite a poem that the experience has inspired me to write and auction this poem off to the highest bidder. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the poems will go to a local charity of my subscribers’ choosing. Don’t forget to say Yes! to life and I hope you enjoy this journey with me. Please subscribe, like, and share. Thank you!
Am I a little scared? The short answer is yes. But along with that tinge of fear is also excitement that's how I know that I may be onto something. I want to avoid having to go back to the drudgery of a cubicle job, if at all possible. That is motivation enough.
If nothing else this adventure will push me out of my comfort zone and allow me to grow. I'm open to any advice and/or criticism you might have. I'm hearing travel is going to get a LOT more expensive after the quarantine but, hopefully, I'll be able to grow the channel to the point that sponsors will help offset some of those expenses. With the average person not being able to travel as much hopefully that will increase the demand for these kinds of shows.
I'm going to be having some Hive t-shirts and stickers made with QR codes allowing people a shortcut to sign up. I plan on wearing a shirt while traveling through airports and having some on hand to give away as well.
In case you missed my last Pandemic Diaries entry, I’ll be donating 100% of all proceeds from the sale of The Perfect Pause and Alarm Clock Dawn to a great local charity, Hope Breakfast Bar. It’s a great cause, they’re serving meals to 1,000-2,000 people per day (10,000 per week) to families in need, first responders, and medical staff working on the front line during the pandemic.
Amazon doesn’t have a tool to track sales in real time. Why is that? As a result I won’t have any idea how many book sales I have until the end of May. If you’ve donated directly and/or purchased a copy of Alarm Clock Dawn or The Perfect Pause, I thank you.
The links are below to donate or purchase books.
Donate directly to Hope Breakfast Bar
Link to purchase The Perfect Pause
Link to purchase Alarm Clock Dawn
I’m going to end this, and every future Pandemic Diary entry with a list of things I’m grateful for.
I hope you’re all having a great week!
With Gratitude,
Eric Vance Walton
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
Alarm Clock Dawn, one of the first full length novels published on the blockchain, and the book that started it all for me can be found HERE. Or Click Here to read it for free on the blockchain
My book on meditation, The Perfect Pause, is priced at $12.99 (paperback) and $4.99 (eBook). Buy the paperback and receive the eBook for free!
