Five months of pandemic: Things I've learned

By Ed Piper

I've learned/re-learned some things during the pandemic:

--Not all toilet paper is equal.

During the early days of panic and pandemic following the March 13 announcement that schools would be closed beginning Mon., March 16 (I call the announcement date "Friday the 13th"), my wife and I grabbed toilet paper, some good, some bad, in local stores.

The bad has been on the roller lately. It is so thin, when I dampen it to wipe up something off the floor, the paper deteriorates and ends up leaving debris on the floor--and here I am using it to try to make things cleaner.

--There are some handy point-and-shoot cameras out there.

I have used a Canon 720 for a couple of years. (I had to give up my big DSLR's and telephoto lenses for sports at La Jolla High three years ago after injuring my back after lugging the burdensome equipment around for 13 years. There goes that number 13 again.)

But several weeks ago, I thought, hey, since I'm now using point-and-shoots (and in full midday sun, I can take passable shots of Viking teams who play outdoors: field hockey, baseball, even some first-quarter football before the sun descends completely below the Pacific Ocean horizon--take a look at my entries from last year), why not indulge my photography interest and explore some other little cameras?

My current favorite, perfect for sitting on the couch as I view (up to seven) baseball games a day on TV while I stay off my feet to let open blisters heal, is a new Canon G9X. It, and other point-and-shoots I've recently bought, have no zoom capability at all. (The Canon 720 murders them in that category.)

The G9X, though not zoomable outside of a tiny range, is made for low-light situations. Hence, in my desperation (I was telling LJHS baseball coach Gary Frank this the other week) to take photos and do something with my time, I have been taking up to almost 1,200 shots a day of our large TV screen! That is true desperation.

This Canon point-and-shoot, though maybe a little bulkier than my favorite 720, can focus in our living room and capture a usable image from the screen that I can use on my blog: for instance, Padres and Dodgers (and other teams') players I like, including Fernando Tatis, Jr., Jake Cronenworth (isn't he playing amazing baseball at first base for the Padres in his first time up in the Majors?), Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner (his bright red beard and hair get longer and longer, the length they were before he cut his hair for his wedding a year and a half ago).

How about Ronald Acuna, Jr. of the Braves, Aaron Judge, who is so fun to watch on the Yankees--here I grew up hating the Yankees, because in the early 60's they were the dynasty to beat, with Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford--I just hated them--Francisco Lindor of the Indians. Judge had home runs in five straight games, his personal record, a total of six in the five games. Fabulous.

Doesn't your mouth salivate over the potential for the gifted Lindor to join one of the LA/SD teams when he becomes a free agent?

What do I do with all these photos of my TV screen? I've used a few here in my blog (see entries). Most of 'em, I won't use. But it keeps me sharp and using my cameras. And it's certainly positive for my mental health in this period of enforced inactivity (both my blisters, and the COVID dampener).

--Canola oil is the healthiest cooking oil (I make whole-grain pancakes once or twice a week for my wife and me), some updates are not to be downloaded on my desktop (my computer, other than this blog, is basically on the fritz since I mashed it yesterday--so upsetting--but have no fear, my computer genius guy comes this afternoon to save the day)...

What else?

As I read over what I've written to correct errors and smooth it out, I recall a nickname I saw for Cronenworth, the Padres' baby rookie they got from the Rays' organization: "Rake" (in place of his first name).


A key is staying grounded mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, in addition to the physical side. My wife and I are taking part in a weekly Zoom small group for Bible and prayer support. It has been one of my lifelines to sanity, what little I have (as my friends would tell you--I say that, hopefully, with tongue firmly in cheek).