Thursday, October 23, 2014

Where Is My Mask


My wife has become somewhat of a germophobic over the years, I suppose working in home health care can cause you to become a bit more careful, but I get a bit concerned when I ask her to do something simple like dry my back when I step out of the shower, and before she grabs a towel I hear the snap of her rubber gloves going on behind my back.

I don't care what anyone thinks but this is not a sound that makes any man comfortable coming from behind him, with my eyes bugged out I declared that I didn’t sign up for this, and quickly learned to throw my towel on like a Superman cape and twist and turn until I am completely dry, no rubber gloves required.

Masks and rubber gloves are always in her car, purse, pockets, and almost always end up in bottom of the washer or melted together in the dryer, I slipped a couple of these back into her stash only to hear about it later, seems the ones she slipped out of her pocket to snap onto her hand at work came with moisture already on the inside, I imagine she did a little dance and screamed like a banshee.

Airborne germs are a whole other story hence the need for the masks, Cindy’s Dad was telling me about a recent trip to the Grocery store where a group of people were gathered around looking over the salad dressings, Cindy was waiting to make her selection also, when one of the men began coughing and sneezing all over the place.

Cindy grabs the collar of her shirt and stretches it up over her mouth and nose, walks right into the middle of the crowd and declares, “You know that you should either learn to cover your mouth or stay at home”

Cindy’s Dad had already turned and walked the other direction because he knew exactly what his daughter was going to do.

We took a trip back home to South Carolina back in August, and after about a month of talking to Cindy assuring her that there was no need for a Hazmat suit on the airplane, we boarded the plane without rubber gloves or masks, or so I thought.

I walked down the aisle ahead of Cindy, found our seats and sat down, I reached for the fold down tray and heard Cindy yell “Don’t Touch That” I looked up and there she stood with rubber gloves on and Clorox wipes cleaning our whole area, I never even heard the snap.

After our whole area was cleaned she sat down and allowed the remaining passengers to board, Just as the planes engines began revving a lady behind us began coughing, and from the sound she wasn’t covering her mouth, Cindy began pulling her shirt collar up over her mouth and nose and glaring at the lady through the crack between the seats.

I told her, “You better turn around because right now she is coughing in your face, and I bet you had rather her cough on the back of your head” Cindy turned back around and almost pulled her shirt completely over her face, I thought she was going to flash our neighbors there for a minute.

She glared at me and loudly said, “I really should have brought a mask”

Do you have any phobias or fears about the spread of germs in public?

30 comments:

  1. I try and steer away from coughers and sneezers who don't cover up but otherwise it is pretty hard to avoid germs. According to the 6 o'clock news there is feces on pretty much everything you may touch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 6 o'clock news may just be right on this one, I am sure there is more feces around than we realize.

      I too try and avoid the coughers and sneezers just not as vocal about it as Miss Cindy.

      Delete
  2. "Cindy grabs the collar of her shirt and stretches it up over her mouth and nose, walks right into the middle of the crowd and declares, “You know that you should either learn to cover your mouth or stay at home”

    Bwhahahahahaha! OMG....I LOVE Cindy!!!!!!!!!!! You tell 'em, girl!

    I'm a germ phobe when it comes washing the tops of canned food before I open them because god only knows how many hands have touched those cans. Also, I always wipe the top of the can on my Arizona Green Iced Tea before drinking it. AND, whenever I order a coffee at Starbucks, I always wipe the plastic sip-top before drinking because the people behind the counter who pour the coffee are constantly touching money and money is filthy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The funny thing when he told me about this is that I have seen her do similar things, when she grabs her collar and pulls it to her face sure makes a statement all by itself.

      Cant say that I blame you for wiping down the cans and cups, like you said you never know where the hands have been that touch them.

      Delete
  3. I wash my hands constantly and keep Purell in the car, so I can use it when I get back in the car. I also hold my breath when I'm walking by people who are coughing and sneezing.

    My oldest daughter is an RN in home health care. She got points deducted on a state inspection visit for putting her bag on the carpet in someone's house without a towel underneath it! We laughed and laughed at that one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Bijoux, Cindy also does a lot of hand washing and avoiding the coughers and sneezers is a given for most of us, cant say I wash my hands as ofter an you two, but definitely when I need to ;)

      I can just see the state inspectors deducting points for that, I guess she was supposed to have a special towel just for that purpose ha ha

      Delete
  4. An amusing yet important post. Had to smile at the way Cindy shouted “You should either learn to cover your mouth or stay at home”. Nice one!

    I never put a bag on the floor, especially a toilet floor. I know to some it seems a bit over the top but people don't realise there are more germs on a floor than anywhere else. I wear blue rubber gloves when doing jobs in the home but I don't take them out with me. Perhaps I should!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Valerie, I like to discuss important issues in a fun way, a lot of things we don't think about and this discussion so far has brought up many good points, like placing your bag on a floor, especially in a public toilet, good thing I don't carry a purse :)

      Rubber gloves my wife swears by, and realistically it's not a bad idea.

      Delete
  5. I have to admit, I'm a bit phobic about Ebola being here in the United States. I'm not that phobic though to wipe down the handle of the shopping carts at the store, though they have the sanitizer right there. I think because I work at home and I'm not exposed to the "general germ pool" so to speak, I'm probably less concerned about germs than I should be.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The media sure has scared the heck out of us all with the Ebola virus, I know it's a serious matter but fear sometimes gets the opposite results than you were going after, education on anything is key, and scaring the heck out of folks like the media has done only causes innocent people a lot of grief.

      Our stores also have the sanitizers for the shopping cart handles and the Dr. offices have the hand sanitizers too, I suppose it's not a mandatory thing but good for those who want to use them.

      Good to see you Betty

      Delete
  6. I wash my hands often and well, but I'm opposed to all those anti bacterial soaps. They are outlawed in Europe, and for good reason.

    I can't remember the last time I was sick - maybe seven or eight years ago. When viruses dare come near me, I just give them a don't-mess-with-me glare.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you on the anti bacterial soaps and such, normal soap for me, also I am one to avoid antibiotics and try to let my body fight off most of the stuff, works more than not :)

      Delete
  7. Having been in medicine for 40 years before retiring, I'm on the cautious side in terms of contagion. But our immune system is usually quite good at dealing with the millions of germs we encounter each day. For me the exception is my youngest granddaughter. The plague child. When she has a runny nose and wants a bite of my ice cream I hesitate at least a second before giving her the spoon. Then I drive home and take ibuprofen for some days until the fever goes away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being in the medical profession and or in the role of a care giver will make you more cautious, you make a good point about our immune systems encountering the large number of germs each day, most people would freak out if they realized this.

      Isn't it true the reason most kids seem to be sick all the time is simply due to the fact that their immune systems haven't been built so to say because they have not been exposed to the number of germs as adults have so far.

      I have also been on the receiving end of the Grandson with a snotty nose either wanting a bite of something I have or rubbing his nose on my sleeve...Gotta Love them anyway :)

      Delete
    2. Hey, just read your comments over on cranky's blog. Yeah, you can comment all you want on mine. I did what was probably an ill-thought out respose there, might be deleted, he's deleted my stuff before.

      Delete
    3. adding the link wasn't a bad idea, I think it actually was good for the post, and you are welcome here anytime also.

      Delete
  8. Do you have any phobias or fears about the spread of germs in public?

    I should, since I work in the engineering department of one of Columbia, South Carolina's local hospitals. My duties can vary from the massive air handlers, nasty places, that suck fresh air into the buildings and old air out to surgery. I try to wash my hands at least once every two hours when I'm in clean places. Over the years I've been hit with sudden illnesses, twenty-four hour bugs, that I figure came from me touching a contaminated surface.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hand washing is definitely not a bad idea, contaminated surfaces are more common than we think and sudden illnesses pop up due to these.

    Welcome aboard Beach Bum

    ReplyDelete
  10. A lot of people say they're a germophobe, but my list is a lot longer than some of them can even imagine. What Cindy did on the airplane is exactly what I do in a movie theater. And the thought of my head resting where someone else's head rested? Yeegads. On the two times I've ended up in the hospital, my bed rails, TV remote, telephone, tray table and call button had a fresh scent of Clorox.

    And I can dread for weeks an upcoming trip home due to the motel we will stay in. Joe still leaves a tip for the housekeeper, even though by the time we leave, the room is 100% disinfected and a lot cleaner than when we walked in. In other words, life for a true germophobe is sheer hell.

    And I'm open to any suggestions that Cindy has for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cindy says to tell you that she is 100% with you on the Motel, Hospital Room, Movie Theater, and actually everything you said, so with that said she has no suggestions but is open to anything when it comes to staying away from germs.

      Delete
  11. P.S. You're now listed on my blogroll.

    ReplyDelete
  12. No, I can't say that I'm a germaphobe. I like to think of it more as common sense. I DO wipe down the handles of grocery carts with the sanitizer cloths that are available... but if there aren't any in the container, no biggie. I did fine all those years when they weren't there to use, so I'm not gonna sweat it if they aren't there now. In public rest rooms, after I wash my hands, I keep the paper towel on my hand to grab the door handle, and then discard the towel. Don't usually touch the banisters in public places, either. But like I said, I think of those measures as simple preventative measures regarding surfaces I know a multitude of other people, possibly sick people, have touched.

    BUT I also have a mess of grandchildren, AKA snot machines and germ factories. If one of them, with a running nose, cough, fever, or whatever else kinda ailment (like pink eye) wants me to hold them, I do. No question. If I get sick, I get sick. (The doc said I had the WORSE case of pink eye he'd ever seen...)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never thought about holding onto the paper towel to open the public restroom door with, that is actually a good and simple tip for everyone.

      Cindy worry's more than I do about these things but in the end when in comes to the Grandson, like you snotty nose or not she grabs him right up ;)

      Delete
  13. My wife is more meticulous about cleanliness than me, although she falls well short of the obsessive level of your good lady. Cindy must never feel able to relax, so I sympathize. I wash my hands more than the average person, particularly when I'm cooking.

    Good to read your stuff again, Jimmy - I've linked up with your new site.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Bryan, Welcome back my Friend, you are correct in that she never seems to feel at ease, like you I wash my hands when needed but really don't worry over it as my wife does.

      I added you to my blog roll also

      Delete
  14. Oh yeah I do...
    I can go into a public restroom and do everything that needs to be done without touching anything with my hands. I can do most of it with my foot. Once, I was stuck in a restaurant restroom because they had no towels that I could open the door with. I really didn't want to use my foot, because I know most people just grab the handle and open it.

    Cindy must be really discrete about it sometimes, I didn't even notice her cringe and then pull out the Clorox wipes after she shook my hand last week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes sir public restrooms are the worst, Cindy also used a paper towel to open the doors and such I have found out, I only use them if absolutely necessary and I can't wait until I get home.

      She hasn't gotten to the point of having a problem shaking hands that I know of, but you never know the Clorox wipes may come out when we are not looking ha ha

      Delete
  15. When Michael was in the hospital and after he got out, we had to use masks and gloves quite often, especially when changing bandages on his drive line. After he had the transplant, he had to wear a mask for several months. He was sure glad when those could be put away!

    PS: I'm going to have to follow you again. This isn't coming up on my dashboard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have to use the masks and gloves in Michale's situation I suppose it becomes natural after a while, and absolutely necessary too, I just imagine it did get old for him after a while.

      Thank you, you are correct in that you have to follow the blog again, I changed the url address which lost me all of my followers, I have been trying to contact everyone but haven't been clear it appears.

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by, jump in and tell me what you think, or just say Hi, I really appreciate your comments.