Nando the Commando jots down a few thoughts during the lockdown of Helsinki, Finland, and the Uusimaa region.
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10.4. Friday. klo 1110. Helsinki.
This journal is currently on hold until further notice.
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4.4. Saturday. klo 1530. Helsinki.
Today, we are all staying home. We have no plans other than to take a brief walk outside when we can. I went to the store quickly after I spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon watching the Toastmasters area contest. It was uplifting to use Zoom and see my fellow public speaker enthusiasts participate in the competition. It was great fun and a welcome change to the mundane routine of living indoors. One day at a time is the motto we live by now. We will survive. We will manage. We will one day hug each other once again when we say hello. We have hope.
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3.4. Friday.
Today, my customers consisted of 2 dialysis patients in the morning, 5 trips to/from hospitals, 1 health clinic passenger, 1 regular taxi customer and 2 grocery deliveries. It was a nice variety and luckily I was not waiting for gigs for too long. Surprisingly, it was a bit busier than normal. Well, if you can call anything normal anymore. I survived the day and tried to be as careful as possible. In the evening, we tried to relax and de-stress even though the news around the world seemed to get darker by the minute. Fortunately, I was able to find Some Good News on YouTube. It was a good news channel created by actor John Krasinski of The Office fame. Check it out.
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2.4. Thursday.
Today, my customers were 2 dialysis patients, 3 health clinic gigs, 2 hospital gigs, 1 radiation clinic customer and 1 grocery delivery. On Wednesday, I delivered groceries to 6 customers. Luckily those who were home quarantined are going to be sent a bill because there is no way I'd want to stand close to them with the card reader to process their payments. That's the way all quarantined grocery deliveries should be managed. I survived the day at work and went directly home.
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1.4. Wednesday. Klo 1337. Kerava, Finland.
Yesterday, I hit the lottery by getting a long haul gig from a hospital in Vantaa to the city of Lahti, outside the quarantine dome. The Uusimaa border highway checkpoint heading northbound only lasted 8 minutes. 3 cops were checking all drivers. I had my customer's trip document as proof and encountered no problem. The return trip southbound took a bit longer, maybe 15 minutes, cuz there were only 2 officers. A third cop was using the port-a-potty or checking a vehicle that was to be turned away, or both. I just said I was heading home to Helsinki after delivering a customer to Lahti. Most if not all truckers were able to bypass the checkpoint because food and goods must continue without interruption. The Uusimaa dome will continue through 19.4. I expect this to be extended.
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31.3. Tuesday. Klo 0815. Kalasatama. Helsinki.
While others are using social media to interact and challenge one another with useless nonsense, it is important to take the time to learn something useful. Instead of bingewatching Netflix, I challenge you to browse YouTube and find something interesting. Perhaps it is something you've always wanted to learn or something you know a bit about but would like to gain more skills. Maybe cooking, sewing, knitting, handicrafts, DIY house repair or the like is interesting to you. For me, I am hopefully looking forward to the summer cottage lifestyle and this also include zombie apocalypse preparation survival skills. Therefore, today I'm learning how to skin and butcher a rabbit. You're welcome.
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30.3. Monday. Klo 0748. Töölö. Helsinki.
Positive aspect of lockdown: minimal traffic. The normal morning and afternoon rush hours are now a thing of the past until the lockdown is lifted. Negative aspect: speeders. With the police busy at capital region border checkpoints, private vehicle owners are now driving faster than normal. Those idiots don't bother me much unless they cut me off when switching lanes by violating my van's personal private space. Less than a meter collision warning red alerts usually force me to casually lift a middle finger.
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29.3. Sunday. Klo 2005. Helsinki.
Mentally preparing for the workweek. Van tanked up. Paperwork prefilled. Aiming for a good night's sleep. Up at 0500. On the road before 0700. I drive a Mercedes Sprinter. I don't own it but I like to pretend I do. It is my office on wheels that is sorely lacking a toilet. My customers are usually dialysis and chemotherapy patients whose treatments cannot be delayed until after the global chaos. Aside from a few growing (aging) pains, I am healthy. I must be vigilantly careful regarding all my interactions. Every day is different. Let's see what tomorrow brings. Let's see how long I keep adding to this diary. I offer you no promises nor expectations. Good night.
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