April Chitter Chatter (2020)

[Ryrin]

                        

 

                                                      

 

 

Thriving or Surviving?????

[LilyElizabeth]

Missing seeing everyone, so surviving mostly. 

[LadyWordsmith]

Can it be both? Mostly thriving to be honest. I already teach for an online public school. My son attends said online public school. So this is our 5th year doing full time productivity from home. My husband has done 'some' work from home over the past couple of years, so him coming to full time from-home is not a huge adjustment as a household. (Just for him, because he's the only extrovert and he's going a bit stir crazy even with work). 

Most of my social circles have jumped on finding virtual ways of meeting up to talk, and I've managed to talk to people I almost never see more in the past two months than I do when we meet up in person. That said I'd rather have my packed weekend schedule of SCA events that I normally have in April instead of 'everything is cancelled or postponed.'

Completed two large long-term SCA scribal commissions while school was closed. Then when they reopened us on Monday (again, we're 100% virtual so it was the state catching up with who can do what), I caught up on all my grading. School 'really' kicks in Monday, and then it will be business as usual out of necessity for the next 6 weeks until the end of the semester. 

We've been doing a lot of cooking: old faves and new experiments. I've made Challah, (We had so much corned beef and cabbage we are STILL eating cabbage...which has amazingly not gone bad yet. Our refrigerator is amazing), green curry split-pea soup (new experiment, my recipe), black-eyed peas with ham and onions (slowcooked), and a variety of other things: mostly vegetable and meat dishes in bulk without heavy sauces, so pretty healthy all things considered. Though I'm probably making cookies tomorrow. I have some butter that's going to expire that I need to use. ? 

Stressed out about everything going on in the world - yes. Worried? Yes. Cleaning everything that comes into my house like it's covered it cat litter - YES. But so far we are all healthy and I intend to keep us that way. So we're spending family time watching movies, playing games together, chilling with the pets, cooking, and generally doing okay for now. 

[LilyElizabeth]

I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. I didn't realize just how much of a people person I am. I don't know why I didn't realize it, but I didn't. I am falling apart, not being able to see my clients and coworkers. At the same time, I'm grateful that I still have a full-time job. Even in essential industries, many people are getting hours cut. Last night, I went to the grocery store, partly because I needed things, but partly because I just needed OUT! The grocery stores here are so depressing. I had to go to two stores and still didn't get a lot of the things I wanted. Tomorrow, I'm going to try the Walmart in my old city in the morning. Maybe I'll have better luck. AND, we are about to run out of TP. So, I'm really struggling right now. 

 

To be honest, yesterday was an especially bad day at work. I didn't find many people answering their phones, and left a lot of voicemails. That was frustrating. 

[JamesBrown]

Thriving. I can't believe my good luck. Back in the autumn, my wife and I put down a contract to have a new house built, and we were lucky to sell our old house in February, just before COVID-19 brought everything to a halt. Now we're sheltered in an apartment until the new house is ready, I get to work from home five days a week (saving my six hours a week of commuting) and financially I'm in great shape.

 

I'm knocking on wood, all this good luck.

[LilyElizabeth]

I'm doing much better than when I wrote that post. I've adjusted to working from home. I am getting out a little, picking up food boxes for my clients and delivering them, while practicing social distancing. It helps to be doing "normal" things, even if just a little. 

[Ryrin]

It sure does. I had a short period of pretty bad depression and anxiety last week. 
 

I miss people. Going to the gym and having lunch. Shopping. I realize that I’ll need to stay home even after they let up.

 

Better this week. Gardening. Taking dogs to a large county park. Spring cleaning but still, on some level, I still feel pretty awful about this.

[LilyElizabeth]

I miss people, too. I missed going out to lunch with my co-worker to celebrate our one-year anniversary with the company. I know it's a little thing, but we can't get that back. Maybe next year. I just miss being around people that I know. I do go grocery shopping, but that doesn't meet the need in any way. 

 

This won't last forever. 

[Dar'Jen Ab Owain]

There are times im thriving and times im surviving.

 

I miss the routine for my son to school, me to work, and then getting to go home. But all that is rolled into one now. Blessed to be able to work from home and that my son's education is able to continue online. But it is a challenge with my father, son, and I in an apartment. We are making it work. My son and I do the shopping with masks and gloves to help avoid contact as much as possible and spreading it to my dad. We get creative with meals, cause finding certain foods is not easy. So trying to be optimistic and make the best of the situation.

[Ryrin]

I just realized it’s May. Need to get new threads up!