Five years ago today, it started.

[Jeebo]

Well, for me, at least.

The universities of Missouri and Illinois play an annual "border rivalry" softball game. On March 11, 2020, it was played at a neutral location, in St. Charles, Missouri, about halfway between the two campuses. I drove over for the game. I am a Mizzou fan and season ticket holder. The Mizzou softball stadium is less than two miles from my house. Illinois won the game that day, 2-1. Boo, hiss.

Back in Columbia after the game, there was an e-mail for me from the university. It said that because of the coronavirus epidemic, the remainder of winter and spring sports were to be played in empty stadiums, with no fans in attendance. That was when the plague began for me. Until then, it had been something in the news, in the background, but that e-mail suddenly made it real for me. And then, a couple of days later, all winter and spring sports were canceled outright. "March Madness" basketball, baseball and softball.

We all remember what the following several months were like.

-- Ron

[Sneederbunk]

1. The restaurant seatings closed on March 10, 2020.

[mwmisses4289]

2. I have the April 2020 calendar page from my work.

Blank, of course. By July, we were cautiously letting twenty five people back in, masking and social distancing required. It's only been the last few months we have gotten back to precovid levels of activity, and even we have to cancel a couple of things due to outbreaks of covid.
Hoping we don't end up with a measles outbreak, spring break is this week and we have kid activities going on.