With Lock Down COVID-19 starting in Michigan today, we actually had at least one job defined to meet the need of “critical infrastructure” so that a couple of my guys can work.  This won’t, however, mean that I can work… I hope.  I have a funny feeling our governor is going to be revisiting her order because she, unlike other neighboring states, didn’t put in a carve-out for construction projects.  I have a feeling the order will be changing as I’m working on at least three critical projects and we could make an argument for a few more…  Once her mistake gets out and she realizes that, for instance, she’s halted a project that has nine female victims of “human trafficking” waiting in shelters for beds in a new facility we’re trying to finish… well, construction will be back on soon enough.

I have a feeling it’s going to be one of those hybrid situations where I’m technically laid off, but working half the time.  We shall see…  Either way, they’ve got me for the rest of this week because they’re paying me, so I’ll be waiting till the evening to take my state government recommended bike ride for exercise (I type that with my cheek firmly implanted in my cheek).  My riding buddy has to work from home too, so he’s stuck waiting till 4:30 with me, and I’ve got another friend who wants to join us who is critical infrastructure.

Now, it’ll be the three of us (maybe four with Mrs. Bgddy), but we’re going to follow the social distancing recommendations.  I’m not giving anyone reason to throw their hands in the air and restrict cycling to solo or family rides – or worse, cancel cycling altogether as an acceptable form of exercise through this mess.

Once we get to the weekend, though, as long as the lock down order stays in place (please, oh please) all bets are off.  I’m laid off for two weeks and I’ll ride whenever I want.  Sadly, the weekend is looking quite wet at this point, but the two weeks after look spectacular.  Mid to upper 50’s and partly cloudy… for two weeks.  Well, folks, I can only hope I get to the layoff without having to work.  I’ll hit a 100k a day till we go back to work.

Now, one last comment on the idiocy of the day.  Some out there are ignorantly suggesting this virus is proof positive we need a socialized life – that government should run everything.  So far in this last two weeks alone, our governor has recommended that we cover our coughs and sneezes with our bent elbow, then, one sentence later, recommended with replace handshakes with “elbow bumps”.  If there’s a better way to transfer COVID, other than literally snotting in someone else’s face, I wouldn’t know it.  She’s also wrongly accused the federal government of failing to supply items it’s her responsibility to handle that she admittedly know about for a month before it became an issue, and poorly worded her lock down order, creating a gray area so ambiguous that even the lawyers can’t figure out what’s acceptable and not, that shut down construction projects that are absolutely needed… and this is in just two weeks.  You may think socialism is the answer, but I’ll gladly acknowledge your right to be wrong.  I’ll take a free market over a politician any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Better, give me the free market and politicians that actually do their job – make and enforce laws that require fair play by the free market.  That’s what we’re supposed to have now.  It’s not.

UPDATE:  I should have added that my comments on our governor’s job have nothing to do with her political party or affiliation.  As Democrats go, she hasn’t been all that bad so far – or maybe it’s better to say her few boneheaded ideas have been easily demonstrated to be obviously horrible, wildly unpopular and headed off by the legislature (her defeated gas tax increase enjoyed a whopping 25% approval rating).  The important lesson is that politicians – all of them – make stupid decisions based on self-will run riot.  If their will is allowed to run riot, it will, therefore I’m against that being allowed to happen.  I just used her examples because they’re so overwhelmingly bad, they make a good point.

UPDATE 2:  That didn’t take long.  Clarifications were made last night.  Construction shutting down depends upon how many projects claim to meet a public good requirement, I’ll probably be going back to work soon.  Too bad, too.  I was looking forward to the vacation… err, lock down.