don't bank on it

Mine is an odd isolation.

"Odd" in the sense that it is really not much of an isolation at all.

With a few exceptions, my routine is about the same as it was before the coronavirus spooked everyone inside -- even though it has yet to show its pointy little body locally. Well, as far as we know. Accurate data is a bit scarce in these parts.

Today is Wednesday -- the day that Dora comes to help me to clean the house, and I go to San Patricio to drop off the laundry and to buy fresh produce.

Dora was a bit late this morning. She had stopped to talk with people who had congregated near the soccer field. Apparently, a dead body had been found.

When I drove over to San Patricio, the police and detectives still had the road blocked and were talking to a few people. And that is exactly all I know about the incident. The rumors, of course, are flying.

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My laundress was pleased to see me. She counts on the busy days of Semana Santa to make up for the slower parts of the year. Of course, Semana Santa turned out to be just as slow. I am satisfied with her usual next-day service. Today she said I could have my clothes, sheets, and towels this afternoon. I will leave her a premium for the favor.

While I was there, two northern couples stopped by dressed as if they were bank robbers. That made me pay closer attention to the number of northerners on the street. Some masked. Others not. The former group eliciting smiles from Mexicans. Apparently, I am not the only person who has a rather light definition of staying home.

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The bandit crowd made me wonder if any of them have appeared at the bank dressed like that. Armed robberies are not rare here. Customers are asked to remove hats and sunglasses, let alone the classic wear of the Jesse James set.

But I will not find out today. As you can see from the photograph at the top of this essay, the bank is closed. On Wednesday. And it will be closed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well. During the "stay-at-home" request, the bank will be open only on Monday and Tuesday.

That explains why the line waiting to get into the bank yesterday stretched from the door through the parking lot and around the front of the hotel next door. I was going to stop at the bank to get change for my ATM-birthed wad of 500-peso notes. It was not worth the wait.

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If I had actually been practicing self-isolation, I would have missed all of that.

And, yes, that is what we call in the law business as justification.