Items

• 
  2021-03-04

  Mask trash #7

  Mask trash spotted on the walk back from Whole Foods near the intersection of 5th and Hardy.
• 
  2021-03-04

  Mask trash #6

  Fabric mask spotted on the corner of Mill and University near Campus.
• 
  2020-03-01

  Mask trash#5

  Mondays are "no media Mondays," at our house. I went out with the family to the river walk along Rio Salado. On our way back to the car, I found this black, fabric, reusable mask on the path just down from the Tempe Center for the Arts.
• 
  2020-02-27

  Mask trash #4

  Disposable masks are everywhere, I found this one stuck in my neighbor's fence.
• 
  2020-05-08

  The world outside, during the pandemic

  The article describes how the pandemic has affected the natural environment in Arizona: the building of the border wall between the US and Mexico (with great effects on animals), the changes to how firefighters will put out fires during this time to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and the increase in trash in federal natural areas. It has described how some people have gained a new appreciation for the environment during these times.
• 
  2021-02-21

  Mini Oral History with Michele Lebsack

  On 02-21-2021, I sat down with my mother-in-law to ask about the positive experiences she had since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2021-01-15

  Getting Vaccinated at State Fairgrounds

  As the vaccines were getting rolled out in Arizona, we were excited to learn that Arizona State University faculty fit into category 1B, as teachers. When the Arizona Patient Portal opened for 1B appointments on January 11 we dropped by the site at lunchtime, worried that we'd missed our opportunity. As luck would have it there were appointments available on January 15 at State Far Stadium in the wee hours of the morning. We were surprised as we'd heard the rollout of the site had met with difficulties earlier in the morning; we chose the a time just after midnight on the morning of the 15th, rather than at 4am (which seemed just too awkward.) On the 15th, we were antsy and hoped that the wait would not be too long; we decided to leave a bit early for the stadium, which is an hour drive from our home. As we arrived, we saw the shining portable lights of the vaccination center, just south of the stadium, in a parking lot. We navigated to the entrance and were delighted that nobody appeared to be waiting. Volunteers directed us through an elaborate maze of lanes, and traffic cones. (Many of my friends, in fact, served as volunteers, partly out of civic duty and partly to get the vaccine.) We showed one registrar our appointment slips (from the state website), and he wrote our appointment numbers on the window of my car (in either sharpie or wax pencil). We briefly waited in another line, as two registrars sitting under portable heaters that are so common on chilly winter nights in Arizona (normally you'd encounter them at restaurants.) They checked our identification and entered our names into the system, as well as asked about our health. From there we were directed around more cones into traffic lanes, leading up to where the vaccinations were delivered. Again, after a brief wait, and more checking our registration--confirming our appointment numbers (written on the windows) and names--we entered a tent. Two nurses briefed us on the vaccine and delivered our shots. They directed us to a waiting area, where we were asked to wait 15 minutes in case of an adverse reaction. And, voila, it was over--in under an hour.
• 
  2021-02-05

  114 new cases, 15,067 recoveries, and six more deaths related to COVID-19

  The Navajo Department Health shared its latest data regarding positive cases, deaths, and recoveries. It reminds its members to continue avoiding large gatherings including the upcoming Super Bowl in order to prevent an upsurge in cases. It also gives drive-thru vaccination locations for its Navajo communities and thanks its healthcare workers, working long hours vaccinating tribal members. These stories are important archival items that highlight what measures the Navajo Nation are using to protect its people.
• 2020-02-05

  Father Received 2nd Dose

  The other day I went with my dad to the State Farm Stadium vaccination site in Glendale and he got his 2nd Pfizer dose. It's amazing to know that for him the pandemic is "over", as he likely will not be hospitalized if he does contract Covid-19 in the future. As my father was my main concern being a young person, it lifts a weight of my shoulders knowing if I come back from class with Covid that I won't hurt him. Currently, he is the only one in my family, including extended, who has received it. He's apart of the minority of Americans who are fully vaccinated, hopefully the numbers will increase soon.
• 
  2021-02-03

  Is COVID-19 vaccine distribution fair and equitable in Arizona?

  Minorities have been hard hit by COVID-19 and some want to ensure that they are receiving the vaccine. However, some states, like Arizona, are not providing that information. It is unclear whether the demographics data isn't being collected or if the information just isn't being released to the public.
• 
  2021-01-31

  Phoenix Municipal Stadium to Serve as Valley's Second State-Run Vaccination Site

  Already more than a month into Arizona's vaccination program, the state has just announced its second vaccination site for the Phoenix area, one of the largest metro areas in the US. The rollout has been slow, with only a little more than half of one million people having received the vaccine as of 30 January, 2021.
• 2020-01-28

  Everyone But Me is Vaccinated

  As of today, 1/28/2021, many people have already had their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Many of my friends and family members work in healthcare, so they are either on their first or second dosages. I myself have not had the vaccine, as I do not work in healthcare. I was surprised to see that this vaccine has more side effects than typical vaccines. After their shot, many feel their arm may be sore, or get exceptionally tired. My family member, after their second dose, felt slightly feverish. Luckily, these are the expected side effects, and they don't last more than around 1-2 days! I believe that they are now extending vaccines to front-line workers such as police, firefighters, etc in Arizona. Arizona has not been very good at social distancing, and I know many people personally who have gotten COVID (who luckily have recovered), so I hope that the general public can have access to the vaccine soon.
• 2021-01-27

  Losing Grandma

  A week and a half ago was my grandmother's 90th birthday. I shared here about our family's disappointment at not getting to have a big party and instead visiting her at her window. Now she's in the ER, awaiting a transfer to hospice. It doesn't seem to be COVID, although the tests aren't back yet. No one knows what happened or why. There are no ICU beds available and resources in general are limited to investigate why a 90 year old woman who was fine 12 hours earlier is now unresponsive and on a ventilator. No one can go visit her. We're not sure if we will be able to visit her at the hospice. Grandma has had health scares before but nothing like this. Before we would be coordinating visitors and making sure someone was by to see her everyday, even if she was unconscious. Now we’re limited to the family group text as my aunt follows up with doctors by phone and relays information to the rest of us. She’s pulled through before but this time feels different. The doctors are all stretched so thin and resources are so limited that all the odds are against her. I used to take Grandma out at least once or twice a month. We’d go to a movie or just lunch. Maybe run some errands. I haven’t seen her without a window between us in nearly a year. I’m probably never going to get to hug her again.
• 2020-12-27

  The rich get vaccinated while the poor are slowly dying

  Just wanted to share my frustration and get it off my chest. COVID has taken so many people from my life, its almost been a year and at first, I saw its effects on the news but was not personally affected. Living in suburbia Gilbert, AZ life is not as disrupted as perhaps it should be, but my family in Los Angeles is currently living in a horror film. The other day I was at the communal mailbox when my neighbor approached to say hello. He was beaming with joy as he told me about a recent golfing game he had with a few of his doctor friends. He is an insurance broker and lives a well-off life. He mentioned that while on the course with two of his doctor friends, one asked if he had been vaccinated and he said he didn't expect to be yet since he's not a medical worker or high risk. His friend laughed and told him that he would take care of him. My neighbor gave his doctor friend his email address who then contacted him with his medical office and got him in line for his COVID vaccine. I should have shrugged it off and went about my day but I was immideatley filled with anger and frustration, I had lost my aunt to COVID only a week before and I wondered if the vaccine could have saved her. Here was this bearly-thirty-year-old healthy man getting his vaccine only because he has wealthy friends who can do favors for him. It makes me wonder just how many people have gotten the vaccine because of who they know rather than allow those who really need it to get them first.
• 2020-10-21

  Spend time doing what matters to you most.

  During the COVID-19 pandemic I have had to surmount multiple extremely challenging situations that were only made even more difficult by the pandemic, including the death of my last grandparent. As someone with pre-existing conditions, I usually have to be very careful about not just protecting myself when I leave my house in Chandler, Arizona, but making sure I don't spread any disease to my family. When I got the news that my Grandmother probably didn't have much time left due to her cancer, it was extremely distressing for several reasons. The main reason was the fact that I was losing my grandmother, but one factor that was just as, if not more distressing, was the question of how to be able to best safely spend time with her. After a long discussion with my family, I made it clear that just being on video chat or on the phone with my grandmother was not enough; I wanted to find a way to travel to her house in Kansas, and physically be there for her. It was not an easy decision to make, especially when one takes into account that my method of transportation was to fly, which made me very nervous as someone with pre-existing conditions. Fortunately, I was able to take a safe flight to Kansas, but I was shocked to find family visiting my grandmother from out of state that not only refused to wear masks around her, even though she had virtually no immune system left. Despite such stressful conditions, I was able to spend a week with my grandmother just before she passed away, even though COVID-19 made it very hard. The fact that I was able to do such a thing is striking to me, especially when compared to the vast amount of people around the world who aren't able to spend time with loved ones infected with COVID-19 before they pass away. Looking back, I am very lucky I did not get sick, and I was even more lucky that flights were beginning to become regularly available again after they had been shut down earlier in the year. Most of all, I feel very grateful that I was able to spend time with my grandmother, especially when so many people are dying alone all over the world, leaving families distraught, and without closure.
• 
  2021-01-17

  Some of my Favorite Things

  These are 5 of my favorite things to do and use during this pandemic to facilitate some self-care and stimulate my brain while being stuck at home.
• 
  2020-07-15

  My Favorite Things

  Pandemic Prompts: My Favorite Things My five favorite things aren’t five, in all fairness, they’re ten. For the sake of comparison, here are my five favorite things before March 1, 2020: 1. My Family 2. Travel 3. Writing 4. Academic Study & Research 5. All Things Outdoors Away From People I’ve attached a few photos of our travels to Montecatini, Italy, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, and the Vatican complex at the Holy See. I’ve also submitted a photo of my grandfather speaking at our wedding in 2003, back when he was still strong, independent, and ready to dance. The good old days! Since the shutdowns and voluntary quarantines and shelter-at-home guidelines released here in Southern Arizona in mid-March, my Top Five has changed. I’ve largely taken all the bad news in stride by ignoring it, putting my head down, and affixing my nose firmly against the grindstone. Thus, here are the Top Five Things I’m Doing to Maintain a Semblance of Sanity: 1. Stay Buried under School Work 2. Stay Buried under a Day Job 3. Stay Buried under Fiction Writing 4. Stay Buried under Podcast Hosting 5. Stay Buried under Familial Caretaking Each of the coping mechanisms (can I honestly call them that?) above are self-imposed. Even the Day Job at this point, because my wife keeps encouraging me to focus on school and writing while putting everything else down for the next eighteen months. I don’t know what I would do with time eon my hands, though, I really do think all my intellectual focus would turn to the circumstances at hand. I don’t like being told what to do, and I especially don’t like being talked down to, which is my impression of how our public health officials are collectively treating us. I finished my undergrad in June and my present investigations position at the end of July. My wife and I saw this brief opportunity to escape town, get back out into nature, into the mountains, and maybe, just maybe, feel a small piece of the travel and adventure that we’ve missed out on so far this year. Because of my head-down mentality, I hadn’t kept up much with the local news or events, so I naively stared calling around to find a place where we could spent some time in the pines with our dogs. Campgrounds had closed, all of them. Access to the wilderness, the fucking wilderness!!! had closed. Because of a virus spread by human proximity, I could not go into the middle of nowhere. The public lands were no longer, their REAL owner had shuttered them all. We had to leave Arizona to get to stay outdoors... Our quiet month alone with the dogs in the pine trees turned into two weeks, but we were going to be in Yellowstone and Montana, so that’s okay, right? Then, a LOT of my in-laws were suddenly coming along, and they needed us to buy stuff so they could go...you know, on our vacation. Still going to the cooler and more isolated North, though, even if we were deliberately bringing our greatest stresses with us... Then, it got cut to ten days...back in Arizona...because NPS closed almost all the parks, Yellowstone in particular. We got THE LAST two primitive campsites that seemed to be available between Mexico and Utah... So, we contracted the trip again to be just outside Flagstaff and not near all the mountain biking trails I wanted to ride. And, we’re down to five days. Five. We held a family meeting in which every adult agreed my wife and I would not find ourselves cooking and cleaning for the entire group for every meal. I think we got three meals off in those five days. Three. I got to ride a rutted farm road once. Our mental health break from the realities of COVID wasn’t, at all, we both came home in worse shape than that in which we left. Since then, I’ve used my New Favorite Things to keep my focus on anything BUT what I can’t do right now. Where I can’t go, who I can’t see. I’ve only recently been able to see family again, and that’s only really been because COVID has so systematically found us that we’re not much of a threat to each other at the moment. I pray we can all get vaccinated before that changes in the coming months. Eventually, these five things won’t be enough, and I’ll have to really take a long and hard look at what remains of the world I knew, try to identify the world it has become. I’m likely to spend a lot of time on the mountain bike that week. Hopefully near Yellowstone.
• 
  2020-12-25

  The Blessings and Curse of My First COVID Christmas

  The Blessings and the Curse of My First COVID Christmas By James Rayroux For the sake of relative brevity, the story of my first COVID Christmas actually began in October even though its events first took root in March, just as is the case for most all of us, I imagine. I’m what you might call a professional investigator. Considering the years of training and practice that led to my thousands of successful interviews and interrogations, I’ve more than earned the burden and blustering lack of prestige the title actually carries. In the fall of 2020, I worked as a government contractor, and I specialized in COVID medical investigations. Not the laboratory kind, although that’s well within the reach of my background. I worked on the patient side of things. The County wants us to keep referring to them as ‘cases,’ not ‘patients.’ Apparently, ‘patient’ infers a medical relationship that allows and demands we provide medical advice and counsel. I wonder what they think on the other end of the phone from us...are they a patient in need of accurate information, compassion, and sympathy; a human with needs, fears, questions, concerns, and families; or are they a mere ‘case’ with signs and symptoms of ailments to be questioned, interrogated, and subconsciously blamed for having acquired their illness in the first place? If they’d only done all the things our government minders had asked, mandated, and demanded, we might not have had need of this conversation at all... I digress. Although I’m not a frontline healthcare worker reporting to shift at a hospital, clinic, or testing site, COVID has consumed most of my waking hours since July. I hear it on the news, I get paid at least forty hours each week to talk, laugh, and cry about it, and then I discuss it with my family at night while we hear it on the news again. Now you’ve got most of the background. I hadn’t seen my grandparents since February 1, 2020. Most of our extended family had planned an elaborate beach vacation for late April that you already know was cancelled before reading these words. We all kept our respective distance from each other, didn’t go out of town or out of state to visit each other. Talked on the phone, an occasional FaceTime, but that’s it. My grandparents respectively turned 85 (x2), 89, and 92 this year. Two of them went on hospice in the spring, one remains on daily hospice care now. Given their frail condition and the unknown and distant end to the COVID pandemic, we collectively decided I needed to make a trip to see them, so we put a responsible plan in place based on then-current guidance from public health officials. I quarantined at home before I left to ensure I didn’t bring anything with me. I stopped once for gas, used the stupid mask and medical gloves at the fuel pump, discarded them immediately, and sanitized my hands upon returning to the truck. I hate hand sanitizer now, far more than it deserves to be hated by anyone. I scheduled my time away to allow me to see the more fragile set of grandparents first. I stayed with my family, saw no one outside the normal circle that envelops those grandparents, and ensured I didn’t introduce any foreign bodies to their existence beyond myself. The day I packed up to depart to see my second set of grandparents, I got a call that one of our family might have been exposed at work. He felt fine, but his partner couldn’t smell or taste. Monkey Wrench Number 1. I extended my trip two weeks to allow for the then-recommended exposure quarantine to run its course. The possible became real when two of my family fell ill. The rest of us woke each morning and waited for our signs and symptoms to begin. My wife and I had planned on me being back home on Thanksgiving, but I would now, at best, be over to stay with Grandparents #2 on Thanksgiving Day. I should explain here that although my wife also works from home and has tremendous flexibility in her schedule, we moved her parents in with us about two years ago. COVID has further complicated that relationship and our respective reality due to their advancing age, physical decline, and pre-existing conditions. Like too many folks, we live with the constant anxiety that their contraction of COVID will lead to their imminent and virtually guaranteed death, despite ALL the data and our personal experiences that clearly demonstrate otherwise. She feared coming with me because it would mean leaving her folks behind to care for themselves if they got sick while we were away, and also meant she would have to quarantine from them for two weeks after our return. Thus, no Thanksgiving with her folks. Now you’re caught back up. So, I made it to Thanksgiving Day with no symptoms, no illness, and a general sense that all was as well as it could be. I had again packed the truck and prepared to go on to the next house, and my cell rang at about 8am. My cousin told me Grandad wasn’t feeling well. High temp of about 103-104. General malaise. Nausea. Fuck. Monkey Wrench Number Two. We agreed they would call his general practitioner and cardiologist to seek their guidance, and I was on the way. I hadn’t yet had COVID to that point, but if my grandparents had contracted it, they would not be able to care for themselves or each other. I didn’t have fear of enduring the illness myself, I had only ever worried about bringing it to them. That particular concern no longer held water. I visited three stores around town to gather all the generally recommended OTC meds, supplements, and vitamin packs that I thought three people might consume in two weeks, along with a new thermometer, and I landed at the home of Grandparents #2 just before noon. Grandad felt fine. Normal temp. No explanation of what the morning’s signs and symptoms had been. Hell, he’s 85 and mentally sharp as a tack, so you have to expect some physical cost for those benefits. With the crisis seemingly averted, we cautiously went about limiting their access to the outside world for a few days. Aside from Grandad’s normal physical limitations, all seemed normal, and that reality demanded its own action plan. Having not seem them in action for ten months, his feebleness struck me right in the heart. He’s about my size and my Grandmother’s half of him, and I had trouble helping him at times. She couldn’t do this on her. Not only that, but she shouldn’t have been caring for him on her own for probably most of that year. She needed help, and he needed to recover some of his dignity. After speaking with the nurses in our family and a couple trusted confidants, I called Hospice and set an appointment for them to evaluate him and his needs. A brief aside for the uninitiated: while Hospice is designed and statutorily enabled to assist folks in the last potential six months of their life, patients may be on Hospice care for much longer than that, or for as many times as needed. Those Hospice Nurses deserve all the accolades we may provide, and they absolutely deserve the Capitalized Titles. God Bless Them. Despite my familiarity with Hospice, hearing my Grandad’s new nurse confirm his conditions likely indicated he had fallen within the Last Six Months struck me. Hard. I only ever saw him cry once, when we surprised them for their joint 80th birthday party. They unexpectedly walked into a room filled with friends and family ready to celebrate with them, and he hid behind my petite grandmother for a moment to stifle his tears. Being my father’s son, I have no such trouble crying. I just didn’t want him to see me cry for him. We all spoke after the Nurse left, and we got some other things set in motion to help care for their daily needs. Having now been at their home for a week, which had been the original plan back from October, I talked to my grandparents about leaving. Are they going to be okay if I go? Do they need me to stay? Do my cousins want me to hang around for another week to help supplement the transition into professional in-home care? We all agreed I was welcome, but technically unneeded. I should go home and see my wife, whom they adore. I had already been gone from home for a month. That was Wednesday, December 2, 2020. I drove home on Thursday, December 3, and this is as good a time as any to say I didn’t feel 100%. For clarity, I’m telling you a few things out of chronological order here. My symptoms began on Saturday, November 28, with a weird diarrhea that lasted for a few hours in the morning. I don’t usually have GI troubles, but with no other signs of illness, I thought it was food, or the stress of waiting for my Grandparents to show COVID signs and symptoms. For the next week, I had very mild cold/allergy symptoms. Some sinus congestion, a little tightness in my chest. All consistent with my normal experiences this time of year, and all so mild to not have been worth mentioning. However, it’s critical at this juncture in the timeline. Grandad went downhill two days after I left. My mom and sister had arrived the day before to visit for the weekend, and the updates grew grim. Hospice came in on Saturday, December 5, and made substantial changes and improvements to the house. My wife and I began discussing when we would return, how long we would stay, how we would check off all the logistical needs boxes for us and our little household. The COVID test I had scheduled for Monday morning fell through; the testing site had insufficient staff to administer it, and they had cancelled all the appointments for the day... “You should have gotten an email...” My mom called a few hours later, on Monday evening, with ominous news: come now, he won’t be here much longer. My aunt departed from her house and agreed to pick me up in two hours so neither of us fell asleep driving. In the meantime, for my own conscience, I went to a local ED, explained my symptoms and imminent travel to say goodbye to my Grandad, they administered and processed a COVID polymerase-chain-reaction test. Positive. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Monkey Wrench Number Three. At that moment, I was on Day 9 of the symptoms, at worst Day 7. Recommendations at the time demanded isolation for ten days once signs and symptoms appeared, and wait until your condition is generally improving and you’ve gone at least twenty-four hours without a fever. Never had a fever, and my ailment never grew to be more than a nuisance. However, I had to wait at least a day, and three days would be better. I couldn’t confidently say my COVID started on the 28th or the 30th. Safer for all around me to say the 30th. Another phone call changed my life at 8am the next morning. Grandad passed on at home, surrounded by family, just after 7:30. Mortality had claimed one of my two lifelong mentors, and the most perpetually positive male role model I had in this life. The following days of isolation and despair are the darkest and loneliest I’ve ever known. I waited until Friday, December 11, to travel back and commemorate my Grandad’s life. By the time I arrived, he had moved from his customary chair at the head of the kitchen table to an urn on top of it. I learned the crematorium doesn’t remove the clothes before lighting the fire. Who knew? Over the following few days, our family celebrated his life, and thanked God for his role in ours. My aunt, uncle, and I hung around to help my Grandmother tie up his affairs and transition to an empty nest. Aside from the odd nightshift, she hasn’t slept alone since he returned from his Army base in Germany in 1961. I had planned to stay two weeks and go home on Christmas Eve. At 5am on Saturday, December 19th, my uncle woke me up: he started feeling flu symptoms overnight, and he had to leave before he got anyone else sick. He has a substantially suppressed immune system, and his rheumatologist had convinced him that COVID would kill him, FYI. Some things are worth the risk until they aren’t. Fuck. Monkey Wrench Number Four. This seems like a good time to note the prevailing guidance around COVID transmission as of December 2020. Public health officials had proclaimed the virus could become contagious two days before the patient (not the case, the patient) exhibited any signs or symptoms of illness. Also, I might as well fill you in that my uncle had infrequent, wet coughs for several days at that point, but nothing else that would have indicated a significant illness. Thus, at 5am that morning, we had to consider my uncle might have become contagious to my Grandmother on the 14th. Over coffee that morning, my Grandmother and I looked closely at the calendar, considered then-present guidance, and decided she needed to stay in quarantine until December 29th. The guidance at that moment (which had changed since the beginning of this tale) was to quarantine for seven days with a negative PCR test administered on Day 5-7, or to quarantine for ten days with no test and no signs or symptoms. At that time, test results took more than five days to get back, so the early release wasn’t an option. I committed to staying until New Year’s Eve, assuming she never fell ill. With that change in plans and circumstances, my wife and I prepared for separate and relatively isolated Christmases apart. The family had decided back in October not to exchange gifts that year because of all the other stress that had befallen each of our households, so, the week of Christmas, my Grandmother’s tree had not a single gift under it. My Grandad passed before buying her anything, so my wife and I found a few items we hoped might make her feel warm and hugged when we couldn’t be there with her. My wife has an incredible fondness for “woobie” sweaters, and we found one in my Grandmother’s size and color. It’s what she’s wearing in the attached photograph. She had lived in such a mental fog up to that point that she hadn’t even noticed the packages I’d wrapped and put under the tree. I didn’t hide them, but, in all fairness, I didn’t set them front-and-center, either. I’m forever grateful she had a few things to open that morning, and that she might find some small comfort in them. One of my cousins had already had COVID run through their house in the past few months, and I moved my Grandmother’s quarantine across town for breakfast. That’s where the picture was taken, with beloved family and a brightness none of us had otherwise felt for a few weeks at that point. That morning became the first sense I had of something normal returning to our lives. I made my wife’s infamous cream cheese-mushroom quiche, and my cousins added traditional American breakfast items: sausage, bacon, toast, potatoes, scrambled eggs, fruit juices. I later added rum to a tropical juice blend. Delicious. You might notice the stocking she’s holding in the photograph, and stockings are a big deal in my household. My wife and I love them, and they’re a big part of our personal Christmas traditions. On Christmas Eve, I found out my Grandmother didn’t have a stocking made up for her, but I managed to find everything I needed without her finding out about it. My favorite part of that was the Sock Monkey, which I imagined she would just think was cute, but she laughed when she pulled it from the stocking. My Grandmother explained her mother used to make stuffed monkeys for my Grandmother and her siblings from my great-grandfather’s worn-out tube socks. Having grown up on a rural farm in the Great Depression, every material item had to have at least two lives, and old socks didn’t get a pass. The New Sock Monkey became her newest Christmas ornament, however, and I already look forward to helping her hang it later this year. I had bought and prepared a bone-in rib roast for us that night, and another cousin (fellow COVID survivor) came over with her two kids to enjoy Christmas dinner with us at my Grandmother’s home. No one had yet sat in my Grandad’s customary chair at the head of the table. Someone eventually will, and they may have already, but I’ve yet to see or hear about it. My grandmother said she still feels him in their house, but I haven’t, not since I said goodbye, fully expecting to see him again in a few months, as planned. I saw apprehension on his face as I left, and I ignored it. I chose to believe what I hoped. The 29th came with some fanfare and a drive out of town just to celebrate her release from quarantine. We revisited a recent conversation, and she assured me she was ready-enough for me to go home; she didn’t want me to leave or need me to leave, but she didn’t truly need me to stay, either. In her kindness, she asked me to go home and take care of my wife. On the 31st, my cousins helped take down her Christmas tree and decorations, and we all said a tearful goodbye. When I left their home the first time, just four weeks earlier, my Grandad and I had promised to see each other soon; my Grandmother assured me on New Year’s Eve that she’d hold up her end of the bargain. In about two weeks, I’ll get to hug her neck again, and I’m ever so ready to do so. For all the misery, suffering, and omnipresent anxiety COVID has brought to our society, my infection was an incredible blessing, all things considered. I have no idea from whom I contracted the illness, as no one around me was ill during the timeframe that I could have contracted it. More importantly, NO ONE around me fell ill after I showed signs and symptoms. Not a single person in my life contracted my COVID infection, not my 85-year-old grandparents, not my aging and infirm in-laws, not my wife. No. One. My experience proved to be excessively mild, given the possibilities, and the eventual immunity allowed me to ensure my Grandmother didn’t have to quarantine alone so soon after her husband’s death AND that none of my other family had to risk infection to stay with her. She wasn’t alone on Christmas. I will remain forever grateful for the blessings that managed to weave themselves throughout this experience. Their presence didn’t transpire through mere coincidence, especially not for so many to have appeared in one life and in so short a timeframe. That’s not how probability, chance, or statistical evolution work. With my recent positive COVID antibody test, this also means I can begin volunteering outside my home again, and that I can donate convalescent plasma about once a week. It’s a small thing, but I’m sure it will make all the difference for someone who needs just a little help.
• 
  2020-11-15

  Christmas Photo 2020

  A year never to forget and the most unusual Christmas holiday experience, or lack thereof. To memorialize our 2020 holiday season, we illustrated the mask mandate in force wearing holiday attire for our Christmas picture.
• 2020-11-06

  Arizona-Utah canceled, Pac-12 down to 4 games to open season

  The pandemic has continually put a stop to or threw a wrench into sports schedules. Now the virus has once again caused issues with college sports. In this case, the Arizona-Utah game has been cancelled because a number of Utah plates tested positive. 10 games have been cancelled this week alone.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Mayor of Phoenix in support of the movement

  This screenshot is a statement that was released by the Mayor of Phoenix during the Black Lives Matter movement. In this statement the mayor explains how she is on their side and supports the peaceful protests for social justice. She also goes on to explain that the groups that are rioting and looting the city are not affiliated with those who are peacefully protesting, those are two separate groups.
• 
  2020-11-04

  City of Tempe Shows Gradual Rise in Cases

  The City of Tempe released an updated graph showing the rise in COVID-19 cases. The graph shows the gradual increase the city is facing currently. While other parts of the nation's cases are skyrocketing at least in Tempe the rise isn't as dramatic.
• 
  0202-11-06

  Maricopa County Weekly COVID Cases

  Maricopa County released its updated COIVD-19 cases for the week with higher cases in red and lower cases in green. As one of the most populous counties in the U.S. this type of case breakdown is highly important. Since cases are rising dramatically again, its important the public has this type of information.
• 
  2020-10-30

  Volunteering at the 2020 Otsukimi festival in Phoenix

  I volunteered at the Otsukimi moon viewing festival this October in 2020. I was impressed regarding mask wearing and following overall Covid-19 protocols. They had to dial back the event from last years due to the pandemic, so there was less food and entertainment available. It was more similar to a showcase than a festival. Also all the tickets were sold prior rather than at the door. Otherwise it was a pleasant and calm experience.
• 
  2020-08-01

  "I'm Sorry, but It's a Fantasy"

  This article was written by a superintendent in Arizona named Jeff Gregorich. He expresses his concerns about the governor’s order that public schools that don’t re-open in the fall would face a 5% funding cut. He wonders what more they could have done for a teacher that passed away from Covid-19 who was following all of the recommended guidelines and was being safe.
• 
  2020-10-21

  The Legendary Rebel Lounge will become a Cafe during the Covid-19 Pandemic

  This is an example of businesses that cannot realistically enforce Covid-19 protocols having to adapt. Music venues across the world have had to either adapt, wait it out, or shut their doors. The owner of the Rebel Lounge is part of the National Independent Venue Association leading the #SaveOurStages campaign.
• 
  2020-10-21

  Arizona COVID-19 Cases Surging Again

  Arizona is seeing a surge in its cases again as winter approaches. The state is nearing 1,000 new cases a day with hospitalizations and ventilator usage is increasing.
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  2020-08-20

  Pandemic be damned: Ahwatukee Nutcracker is a go

  The organizer of the Ahwatukee youth Nutcracker production talks about plans to go forward with the annual ballet. She also talks about the precautions being taken to protect the dancers that are auditioning and back-up plans in case the auditorium is cannot be used.
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  2020-10-15

  Zoom Meeting/Saint Jerome writing, 2020

  Covid has changed everything and some professions have been more affected than others. For the arts, it has been very weird. First, due to the closure of galleries and events, an artist had the opportunity to create without interruptions, but the codependency of the artist with the art institutions is too strong. The painting was made by my husband, Diego Perez. He is a local artist in Arizona. At the beginning of the quarantine in March, he was so productive but after a few months, the creative process was affected by the lack of social interaction, exhibitions, call for artists, public art opportunities. He started to paint portraits, people with masks, but nothing was worth it because there was no space to exhibit or to sell. Online events weren't the same, ultimately, our virtual interaction is not enough for anyone. The painting "Zoom meeting/Saint Jerome Writing" represents the first approach to art normality, at least for my family. Carmody Foundation opened a call for artists in August and Diego was selected. The painting is a hagiography for Saint Jerome but in a pandemic mode, you will be able to see the important elements such as the skull, the red fabric, the writing...
• 
  2020-08-25

  Teaching in a Pandemic

  My mom has always been an elementary teacher and is finally nearing retirement. The pandemic has been a great challenge for her to adapt to. Her school year started with online instruction before moving to in-person learning later on. As a lifelong teacher, the adjustment to online teaching has been incredibly different and difficult for her. Especially considering the lack of support from the school and the district. The setup in the picture was jury-rigged together using materials that were already owned in order to try and provide the best learning experience for the students. Arizona State University HST485
• 
  2019-06-06

  I Can't Breathe

  This was June 6th 2019. There were Black Lives Matter protests everyday for the last couple weeks. The world was angry and wanted people of color to be treated equally. Everyone in the photo is socially distancing and wearing a mask but still fighting for equal rights. No one forgot about COVID, yet COVID was not the only issue occurring in the world at that time. Arizona State University HST485
• 2020-03-01

  Escaping From Our Daily Despair

  Like most people living through these difficult times, I've found it exhausting to endure months without being able to see close friends and not being able to enjoy activities that I once took for granted. A lot of people have coped with these new, debilitating circumstances by adopting new hobbies such as baking breading and making pottery, but I've chosen to dig deeper into my favorite pre-pandemic hobby: reading. Before the pandemic hit my radar back in March (Like it did with most people), I had already amassed a collection of books that I had gathered from thrift shops or borrowed from the Phoenix Public Library. These books, whose topics ranged from Chinese science fiction (The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin) to 20th century European history (Reappraisals by Tony Judt), have helped me partially escape from the daily despair that came from watching the national death count tick up toward 200,000 people and the anxiety that comes with having friends and family who work in the vulnerable service industry. I feel guilty about escaping from our deadly reality into the pages of fiction, but it's necessary to prevent oneself from giving in to darkness and corroding your mental health. Besides, it's not like I have anything better to do with all of this time. Sometimes, I'd rather think about how it would be like to live in Ceres Station (The Expanse series) or to be constantly reincarnated (The Years of Rice and Salt) than to see the cold, hard reality around me (We're on the road to 300,000 dead by winter's end). Sometimes, you just have to drink the soma to get through this brave new world of ours. I just wish it didn't have to be this way. I just wish we had done better as a society.
• 
  2020-10-01

  TD3 20-21 School Plan

  I chose a PDF file detailing Tempe Elementary School District’s (TD3) plan for the 2020-2021 school year. This details when and why the school district is pushing back in person start dates and what they are doing to help the students/staff during the pandemic. It’s important to me because this is the school district I work for so it has an affect on what I do.
• 2020-07-18

  A Trip to a Silent Hospital

  On July 18th 2020 in the late afternoon, I started experiencing some concerning not Covid-related symptoms and I made the decision to go to the Emergency Room. I’ve had chronic health issues all my life, so this wasn’t an unfamiliar experience. However, I’d been isolating since March and I was terrified of having to potentially go into a situation that was unknown in the middle of the pandemic. The things I remember most about the visit are how utterly desolate the places in the hospital felt, and how silent it was. I’m used to packed waiting rooms and constant noise. This visit was very different. After a brief screening in a large, mostly empty lobby with large barriers and protective measures in place, they assessed that I was not a potential COVID patient and sent me to a waiting room that I was alone in for most of my visit. There was no real chatter, mostly just silence, broken by the TV. The silence continued even back into the ER, where it seemed that the staff was spread thin. The most notable sounds were occasional low conversations and the sounds of medical equipment being moved around and the beeps and pulses. Even when evaluating me, while warm, the conversations sounded more terse and to the point. Everything moved more quickly. In some ways, it felt like being in an abandoned building. Everything was dark, silent, and empty in the areas where I was.
• 
  2020-10-13

  Possibly Fake Cards To Get Out of Wearing a Mask

  Both my mother and my brother suffer from asthma. Before mask-wearing became mandatory by law, they attempted to use a card they had found on the Internet. The card looked legitimate, but we've since found out it may have been fake. Both of them printed it out and had it laminated so they could keep it in their wallets and bags. It stated they did not have to wear a mask due to health issues. Over time, my mother kept having experiences where people in public places such as grocery stores would get upset with her and “call her out” for not wearing a mask. She still stayed six feet away from people, but this was apparently not enough to reassure some. They would become angry and verbally abusive even after she showed them the card and explained that she had asthma. Because of these incidents, she looked for alternatives to masks, including a clear plastic screen which she tied around her forehead and it covered her entire face. But this was very inconvenient and difficult to wear. At the height of the quarantine, stores would not accept the card (as I mentioned earlier, it may have even been fake). As the quarantine began winding down (right around the time restaurants started opening), she was able to wear masks for short periods of time, as long as she could take it off soon after. *My parents got it through a third party, hence why I think it may have been fake.
• 
  2020-09-21

  QUARANTEENS

  QUARANTEENS is a collection of art from around the world, but with a heavy focus on the Phoenix scene. And obviously by teens in quarantine. It contains a loose and colorful agglomeration of visual art, text, and ideas that sometimes contradict each other, but always in a good way.
• 
  2020-07-10

  DNR - A Death Sentence

  My sisters are nurses on the COVID unit at St. Josephs Hospital and they are starting to see a lot more of these signs popping up. So many in fact that they are having to make their own because so many patients have received 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders. For those who don't know, this is an order caretakers follow when a patient is excluded from basic recovery care when their heart stops or they stop breathing. On the COVID unit, patients and families are facing their own mortality through this decision. This order has become more common during this pandemic because of how easily it is transmitted. Sometimes the order is requested by the patient but recently the decision has fallen on the doctors in charge. Visitors aren't allowed and ventilated patients can't provide input. The news is often broken to the families through a phone call or, if your lucky, a Zoom call. These orders are put in place when someone is nearing the end of their fight with COVID, to prevent the transmission of the virus to the nursing staff. This is a screenshot from my sisters Instagram showing an example of a hand made sign on her unit.
• 
  2020-09-25

  Avoiding Sickness while Traveling

  I’m sitting in the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport waiting for my flight to go to Chicago Midway airport while I’m geared up like doctor. I have my goggles on I purchased for my biology labs in college and my black face mask. I’m going to be seeing family, and much of my family is very old. I feel guilty being roped into going but I have to go. I’ve seen many people take off their masks for no apparent reason and I’m essentially blind because my goggles keep fogging. If there’s any obvious errors in this, that’s why.
• 
  2020-08-06

  First day of Kindergarten

  We had been counting down this day for over a year. My oldest daughter could not wait to start kindergarten. The full impact of Covid had not hit me until her first day of school. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I snapped this picture of us (myself, my kindergartener, her little sister, and her dad) walking to the front of the school. There was no walking her to class to meet her teacher, no in class-pictures, no watching her take a seat at her desk. Instead, we walked her over with our masks on, waited while she got her temperature taken, and then watched her be escorted to her classroom since we were not allowed in class. A week after this photo was taken, her school decided it was best to do 100% remote learning. Since she is only five, she cannot understand the severity of Covid and has a hard time understanding why she can't be in class with her friends.
• 
  2020-04-13

  A Very Covid Birthday

  This year I turned 25, a quarter of a century. I definietly did not expect to celebrate as I did, but nonetheless this birthday in 2020 was one to remember. I through myself a party and luckily my mom and brother came to town to visit. We made dinner, I made my own cake, and we took pictures to celebrate, including some covid satire. I also got news on my 25th birthday that I landed my dream job and would have to move across the country during a pandemic, without many proper goodbyes. Bittersweet, but a birthday I will always cherish.
• 
  2020-07-20

  Private prison contracts complicates COVID-19 precautions

  The contracts for Arizona's private prisons require nearly all of the beds to be filled. This story articulates the difficult balance between keeping inmates safe during a pandemic and satisfying the contracts.
• 
  2020-08-21

  Yuma Inmates Allege Prison Officials Ordered Them To Refuse COVID-19 Testing To Keep Numbers Down

  This Tweet and linked article explain a haunting story. Inmates at the Yuma prison in Arizona were threatened with a "beat down" unless they refused to take a Covid-19 test in an effort by the administration to keep the case count down. The replies to this Tweet show the public's response to this allegation.
• 
  2020-08-11

  Mayors in rural Arizona debate the pros and cons of mandating masks in their communities

  Sarandon Raboin/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship
• 
  2020-08-10

  COVID-19 Share Your Story

  COVID-19 has definitely made a huge change to my everyday routine. Before this all hit Arizona, my weekly schedule was gym in the morning, and depending on the day i would go to work in the afternoon and then do some homework before bed. On my days off from work I would go to school in the afternoon and usually do homework after. I would usually only have free time on Sunday's. This hasn't really affected my schedule negatively, but has definitely changed the origin of where I do things and has limited my abilities to do a lot of things as well. I now work out from home and had to purchase equipment and do not have access to anywhere close to the amount of equipment or weight that I normally have access to at the gyms, but have to make it work with what I have. I also have had to work from home, which is the same schedule I was on before and it definitely took a little bit of getting used to since I have roommates, but I made it work and I'm very fortunate to have a reliable job during these times. Most of my classes I take are online, so that won't have a very big impact on me other than if I ever have to go to campus, which I haven't had to yet. This has also had a huge impact on my relationship with my family. I went from seeing them once every 1-2 weeks to never seeing them because of me being a risk. My grandparents are very old and I haven't been able to see them since March. It is definitely tough for me, but i try to call them everyday to stay in touch with them as much as I can! Overall, I don't thing this whole COVID situation has impacted me as much as a lot of others and I and lucky to be in the situation I am in.
• 2020-04-14

  Children in a pandemic

  Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul. #REL101
• 
  2020-04-30

  Children in a pandemic

  Children and the pandemic. My four year old daughter does not understand what a pandemic is. She repeats that she cannot go outside or to school or to the park because of "the coronavirus". Her and her siblings, along with children all over the world, have been greatly impacted by this pandemic with no understanding of the ramifications of it's spread. Children have been sent home, isolated, many removed from space places like schools or after care programs. They have lost friendships and socialization. They have lost structure. Some have lost family members. Parents out of work have cost their family food or housing. Adults struggling to cope with their own depression and anxiety has increased children's as well. For me personally all seven of my children have been affected. My son was forced to move home from college and fell into a deep depression. My oldest daughter never walked across a graduation stage or finished her senior year. My fifteen year old with autism lost support services from school. My thirteen year old lost sports and his friendships. My ten year old with epilepsy had medical testing pushed back and then had hospitalizations with only one parent allowed, even had to be taken by paramedics alone to the hospital once. My seven year old with ADHD lost all class structure and intervention programs to help him and his anxiety and panic attacks have grown more severe. And my four year old, pictured above, lost her classroom and her joy from attending preschool daily. The new round of "return to school" virtually is brought with more anxiety and worry that the kids are not alright. The picture above showcases the innocence of a child wanting to explore the world, trapped inside and the slight sadness that this may be for the long haul. #REL101
• 
  2020-06-15

  Silent Funeral

  My story begins in May when this pandemic began. I was still in school at ASU at the time and I was living in Tempe. When school and other events started getting cancelled, that's when I knew that COVID-19 was serious and that things were going to change all over the world. However, I didn't think it would have a long-standing impact on my life. Unfortunately, I realized this would not be the case after my closest uncle passed away in June. He had medical problems and was hospitalized for some weeks, but his illness was not caused by COVID-19. After learning that he passed away I was sad, but not in total shock. What did shock me however, is that I learned that no one would be able to attend his funeral in Nebraska. This of course is due to the pandemic and people not being allowed to be around each other. Most of my family is much older, to be fair, and it could have put them at risk. I've never been very religious, but I think your burial is a very important part of your life. I expect most people hope that it would be some type of celebration of your life. I'm not sure what my uncle wanted, but no one was allowed to attend his burial. This has impacted me where I feel like I didn't get a chance to fully say goodbye. I know that if it was me, I would have wanted my family and friends to be there. The image I put for this, is a picture of me and two of my closest friends standing outside of the church where we went to take the time to honor his memory.
• 
  2020-08-01

  The Stranger

  This poem reflects my personal experience with the pandemic.
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  2020-08-03

  Non-Profit "Local First Arizona" provides necessary financial support to rural small businesses in need

  Sarandon Raboin/Luce Foundation: Southwest Stories Fellowship The COVID-19 Pandemic has hit rural small businesses especially hard. Owners are struggling to pay their bills, and even survive. These owners don't necessarily get the same financial support from the federal government as owners in metropolitan areas. The non-profit "Local First Arizona" started providing financial grants to small businesses, especially focusing on those in rural areas of Arizona. These grants have been the saving grace of some rural small business owners. Reporter Sarandon Raboin spoke with some of the owners who were helped by "Local First Arizona".
• 
  2020-07-05

  Phoenix Mayor declares crisis as federal government fails to assist

  Phoenix Mayor Gallego highlights the city in crisis as corona cases surge. Gallego also notes that her requests for federal assistance have largely been ignored. The Mayor talks about overwhelmed health centers in the state and the lack of tests available. Arizona continues to be a global hotspot for the virus for the past few weeks. As a hometown Phoenician, it saddens me to see my sates role in the pandemic story. Just this week Arizona went back into partial lockdown as ICU's filled up. I want to keep adding Arizona stories to the archive in order to document the poor response here from both the government and public. The state traded in a few weeks of being fully reopened for potentially months of re-lockdown.