Swine Flu and other signs of spring

Am I germ freak? I don't know. Does opening public restroom doors with paper towels qualify me as one? So you can be sure this Swine Flu thing has set me into a panic.

I'll admit, I ordered face masks online the minute the news broke. They still haven't arrived yet and hopefully they will before the epidemic hits. I've seen a couple of people wearing them on the subway and while some people stare at them as if they are freaks, I think they are simply ahead of the curve. Mind you, if there is even one confirmed case in Brooklyn, I will don the full Michael Jackson attire.

In the meantime,we are just washing our hands a lot and purelling like mad. And of course, Clorox wiping. I first got into this habit last year when A. got one stomach virus after another (and the rest of the house, too) and I became convinced we were all re-infecting ourselves.

Luckily, I am not alone. My friend Maja is equally vigilant about hand washing/purelling/Clorox wiping. Which lead to an interesting email exchange about all the things we Clorox wipe. Her list:

keys
credit cards
wallet
outsidde and bottom of purse, purse handle
stroller handle and cup holder
stroller safety clips
car seat clips
doorknobs in the house
the outside doorknob and lock
the computer
cell phone
faucets in the house and handles
outside of pack of wipes
steering wheel in car
outside of the purell bottle
pump part of all soaps and purells


I don't do all of those but here's what I do:

bottoms of purses and bags
doorknobs all over the places
light switches
the outside of garbage cans and diaper genie
computers
faucets and counter tops
outside of diaper wipes
the changing area and drawer where I get diapers
cellphones
purell bottles.
tv remote controls and fan remotes

I’ve even taken it downstairs to do the banisters/doors of my apartment building. And it goes without saying that I take off my shoes/change my clothes/wash my hands the moment I come in from riding the subway.

Does this all classify me as crazy? I don't think so. Just a control freak who is attempting to obtain control over something she really can't. But hey, it makes me feel like I'm doing something. And that is all that most of us want, anyway.