HERE’S A NICE SUMMARY OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN KNOXVILLE. “Be prepared, not scared” is the motto of our mayor, and she’s really taken the lead on this issue, much to my approval. So far there’s still only one confirmed case in Knox County, a student from Japan who was quarantined on arrival. Tennessee now has a total of 52 cases confirmed, up from 39 yesterday, the vast majority in the Nashville area. [UPDATE: I should’ve hit refresh, now it’s 73 cases, and 2 in Knox County.] But they’re only now starting to do much testing, and I’m sure that more testing will reveal more cases. I’d be shocked if there weren’t dozens of people walking around Knox County with the virus, all unaware but probably infectious.

Meanwhile, the Insta-Wife and I are winding up necessary stuff this week — like seeing the tax accountant — while reducing our exposure everywhere else. We had what was possibly our last nice meal out at lunchtime today. We’ll still be going to medical appointments, grocery shopping, etc., but we’re going to start avoiding the gym, and most of our other haunts. I bought a pair of Bowflex adjustable dumbbells off Amazon, that go from 5 to 52.5 pounds. (I’d considered buying those for ages, but until now figured it was better to go out to the gym.) With that, a chinup bar, and the ability to go running or (once we open our pool, set for next week) to swim, we’ll manage to exercise sufficiently.

We have plenty of food — and toilet paper, natch — for an extended stay. I generally keep at least a couple of weeks of both on hand, not counting emergency stocks, and I’ve run those up while shopping over the past several weeks. It’s weird how our lifestyle of just a few weeks ago seems so free and easy in retrospect, but such is the way when calamity strikes. Let’s hope this calamity is no more serious than it has to be. And I know some of you all still think the whole thing is a hoax and a nothingburger — and I very much hope you turn out to be right, but that’s not the way to bet.