Lockdown diaries

[PaulT00]

Latest news from the UK is that the Prime Minister himself has tested positive for COVID-19!

Meanwhile, a neighbour who already gets milk delivered 3 times a week has kindly added a carton of goats milk to her regular order and will drop it off on our doorstep. Initial reports on the BBC seem to indicate that - late in the day! - the supermarkets are going to be tasked with organising extra deliveries to people like myself and partner, who are being asked to self-isolate for 12 weeks due to serious pre-existing health issues... not sure how long it will take as they are claiming they're already flat out, but we'll see.

Sorry to hear about your situation, @TheLibrarian - not good at all. I haven't read about what the US is doing to support people; in the UK there are some huge support packages to try to either encourage employers to keep people on (by means of the Government paying up to 80% of their wages!) or to support the self-employed on a similar basis. But it will all take time to implement. I count myself extraordinarily lucky that - at the moment - my job seems to be safe and I can work from home as normal.

Talking of WfH, we have a team chat in Teams which runs all the time - a colleague posted yesterday that we were all chatting as if we were at our office desks as normal! - and still having regular daily video conference calls. I even, yesterday afternoon, had a video chat meeting with a colleague who prior to the latest upheaval was resolutely office focused: he wouldn't even voluntarily pick up the phone or use instant messaging apps to talk to me when I was working remote, but would reliably be "all over me" as soon as I walked into the office. He's having a bit of an adjustment period I think! I've heard of other people using Zoom, or Houseparty, or WhatsApp, to keep a degree of social interaction going.

I'm finding concentrating a bit difficult I must admit - so I'm now trying to filter out a lot of the bad stuff. The team chat at work has a definite policy of No coronavirus chat! - people are hunkering down I think. I'm getting a lot more interruptions than usual from my partner for some reason, and not sleeping terribly well at the moment. On the plus side, I'm spending a lot less money than I usually would - who knew the best way to save money was to have nowhere to go to spend it?

[Traveltech]

Quiet here in Plymouth, MA. I’m retired but a full time volunteer able to wfh. I’m fortunate to be able to get out for walks (wish it were a bit warmer however!)

We’re missing family, especially as we had a tragic death two weeks ago, and can’t be together to help or even to have a funeral.

@TheLibrarian so sorry to hear about your situation. I have good friends in similar situations I am trying to virtually support. We chat daily. It’s probably a good idea to drive to be with family. Being alone in a dark time is not good. Thinking of you too @xyppy

@sidneygirl do you have an Alexa or iOS device? Some parents are using these to schedule their kids day. Alexa comes on with a comment “9 am reading time”, then “9:30 stretch”, etc. Kids seem to be responding to that.

[TheLibrarian]

Sorry to hear about your situation, @TheLibrarian - not good at all. I haven't read about what the US is doing to support people; in the UK there are some huge support packages to try to either encourage employers to keep people on (by means of the Government paying up to 80% of their wages!) or to support the self-employed on a similar basis. But it will all take time to implement. I count myself extraordinarily lucky that - at the moment - my job seems to be safe and I can work from home as normal.

They just passed a bill to give everyone $1200, which is something but also.... The rent on my 400sqft studio in a kind of run down building is more than that (Welcome to the DMV and our ridiculous cost of living.....). I *STILL* can't get ahold of the unemployment office and a coworker I ran into the other day said he heard that it'll take 2 or 3 months to get everyone set up. So.... I'm not sure what I'm going to do but I've got at least a few days to think about it.

I just BARELY made it to FL, they started checkpoints at the state border hours after I made it through. I have already managed to get sunburned The boyfriend and I were supposed to be leaving for a Caribbean cruise today instead he helped me detail the car and I sent in an application for a job down here. It's a long shot but I think it might be a good fit.🤞🏻I brought a lot of my sewing stuff and some craft projects with me. I also promised the boyfriend's daughter I'd help her dye her hair purple. So, trying to get stuff done and keep busy, keep my mind off stuff.

Thank you to everyone for the kind words ❤️❤️❤️ It really does help, its easy to just get bogged down with dark thoughts when everything is kind of going to hell. Just being in the sunshine helps too. So thank you!!

[kathryn]

So many reports on grocery delivery! I forget that there are lots of places that have it as it isn't a thing where I live.

I love having delivery available, but have many friends and family in areas where it's not. Heck, I grew up far enough into the country that there was no delivery of any kind, except USPS and the Schwann's man. Because of that, I definitely don't take the delivery options at my current home for granted.

I just heard from a friend in Utah the other day that her small town has a local guy (not a service, just one guy) who calls himself Speedy Gonzales and does delivery. My parents who don't have delivery where they are right now have been doing phone orders for pick up, so that they don't actually have to go into the store, which is another option that may be more widely available than delivery.

[AshleyM]

I actually just hopped on the forums to see if you had posted an update, @TheLibrarian , so I am glad to see this. Glad you made it to FL and to loved ones. Make the most of the sunshine—we could use some of that at my house!

They just passed a bill to give everyone $1200, which is something but also.... The rent on my 400sqft studio in a kind of run down building is more than that (Welcome to the DMV and our ridiculous cost of living.....). I *STILL* can't get ahold of the unemployment office and a coworker I ran into the other day said he heard that it'll take 2 or 3 months to get everyone set up. So.... I'm not sure what I'm going to do but I've got at least a few days to think about it.

I just BARELY made it to FL, they started checkpoints at the state border hours after I made it through. I have already managed to get sunburned The boyfriend and I were supposed to be leaving for a Caribbean cruise today instead he helped me detail the car and I sent in an application for a job down here. It's a long shot but I think it might be a good fit.����I brought a lot of my sewing stuff and some craft projects with me. I also promised the boyfriend's daughter I'd help her dye her hair purple. So, trying to get stuff done and keep busy, keep my mind off stuff.

Thank you to everyone for the kind words ❤️❤️❤️ It really does help, its easy to just get bogged down with dark thoughts when everything is kind of going to hell. Just being in the sunshine helps too. So thank you!!

[bchaplin]

I feel very, very fortunate to be home, and particularly lucky that I bought a new place last year and had the opportunity to fix it up before all this happened. It's very cozy and if it wasn't for all the fear and anxiety I'd be pleased to be here.

My kitchen is tiny-ish but now has a lot of beans and rice packed away. Local businesses around me, including a bakery and some smaller neighborhood grocery stores, are opened for phone-in orders and sidewalk pickups, which is how I'm managing; I'm avoiding grocery stores, which don't seem that safe to me, and I don't want to put an Instacart worker at heightened risk to pick up my food either. I have an attic that is now my home office as well as bedroom, and I plan to grow some herbs on my deck, so if this thing lasts into warm weather I'll have some mint to add to my booze. That's about as far ahead as I can think right now.

Worried about family members, who are all facing various situations and difficulties. We are planning a Passover Zoom Seder to replace getting together.

Every day feels so surreal; it's hard for me to believe that we are living through this. The hope that I cling to is that the entire world is facing the same crisis, and all our collective energies and intelligence are focused on solving it. Despite the fact that it means we are competing for the same resources, like masks and ventilators, it also means we are sharing solutions.

[moriond]

Worried about family members, who are all facing various situations and difficulties. We are planning a Passover Zoom Seder to replace getting together.

@bchaplin ,
You're probably already aware of this, and your seder event would not be publicly announced, but to all the myriad people who are using Zoom (@Buffalonian, and others who have posted recently in this thread about using Zoom for work or remote instruction like @nsh , @xyppy , @PaulT00 , and others), please take precautions about using Zoom.

See, for example, the Ars Technica article:

Security tips every teacher and professor needs to know about Zoom, right now:

https://arstechnica.com/information-...oom-right-now/

(I realize people at universities with good IT support probably know this, and Zoom has a lot of documentation to address this, but the incidence of zoombombing events has been steeply rising.)

moriond

[Bogiesan]

I thought this thread was about keeping personal journals! Do that, too! You can write on your computer or iPad but look around the house to find those Moleskine notebooks you bought on a whim and never opened. Find a nice writing instrument like those old fountain pens you never bothered to learn how to use. Start small with the date and some reflections or statements of fact or a poem or a doodle or serious sketch. There are hundreds ss of journaling and diary sites on the interwebs.

[TheLibrarian]

Yesterday was a weird day, or I guess maybe everything feels weird right now. I was finally able to get through to the unemployment office and get a claim started but it'll be a week or two before I know if it was successful. For some reason my anxiety really spiked after I got off that call so my boyfriend and I went and played some tennis (so more sunburn, lol). And then, I got a call for a job interview next week. I am shocked that they actually called me back (still a long shot but its a start). So good things! Still just feels very weird.

Hope everyone else is doing well and staying healthy!

[goblin]

Yesterday was a weird day, or I guess maybe everything feels weird right now. I was finally able to get through to the unemployment office and get a claim started but it'll be a week or two before I know if it was successful. For some reason my anxiety really spiked after I got off that call so my boyfriend and I went and played some tennis (so more sunburn, lol). And then, I got a call for a job interview next week. I am shocked that they actually called me back (still a long shot but its a start). So good things! Still just feels very weird.

Good luck with your interview!

[Sydneygirl]

Quiet here in Plymouth, MA. I’m retired but a full time volunteer able to wfh. I’m fortunate to be able to get out for walks (wish it were a bit warmer however!)

We’re missing family, especially as we had a tragic death two weeks ago, and can’t be together to help or even to have a funeral.

@TheLibrarian so sorry to hear about your situation. I have good friends in similar situations I am trying to virtually support. We chat daily. It’s probably a good idea to drive to be with family. Being alone in a dark time is not good. Thinking of you too @xyppy

@sidneygirl do you have an Alexa or iOS device? Some parents are using these to schedule their kids day. Alexa comes on with a comment “9 am reading time”, then “9:30 stretch”, etc. Kids seem to be responding to that.

Thanks for the suggestion but we're actually quite a low-tech family so no Alex / Google device.

We've opted for a piece of paper on the wall with the schedule which the kids are actually using - often they ask "what's on the schedule?" mostly hoping it's Morning Tea or Lunch time!

[backpack]

I believe journaling is a lifesaver, as in using fountain pens to put thoughts on paper.

Art journaling or any kind of art producing is also a lifesaver.

I have been home with all kind of crud since december 15, I ordered grocery delivery during that time.

I started to feel better and went out to vote in the presidential primary, our county was , then, ordered to be on stay at home order.
I might as well since this looks to be the best spring for clean air but, the worse for airborne pollen.

In every description of hand washing for safety, I could not help notice that health professionals always add "on intact skin", so I believe that people who suffer from psoriasis, eczema, shingles or, other skin conditions, as well as, scrapes, cuts or insect bites should be especially careful and wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants.

I do hope every state in the U.S will set up for mail in voting, virtual state party conventions and delegate votes mail in.
As you can see, I am concerned about that and the need to protect people and small businesses in these challenging times.

"Look for the helpers" said Mr Rogers mother's, I am glad he shared that saying with us and am grateful to all the helpers worldwide, especially fellow TB forum participants and, of course, the wonderous TB Crew who is using their combined knowledge and skills to make the essential masks for the battles against the virus.

Thank you so very much to all!

[nukediver]

I live in the northern half of New Jersey, which, like NYC, has been hit particularly hard. Since November, Mrs. Nuke and I have been dealing with a sarcoma that she was diagnosed with. The good news is that after several intense rounds of chemo, radiation, and surgery to remove the 5-pound mass (we named it Voldemort when it was first discovered ), she is on the road to recovery and has an excellent prognosis. Unfortunately, about the time all hell was breaking loose here, I had to take her to the ER due to C. diff. The hospital system we've been going to is one of the most heavily impacted and I had to leave her there, alone, for a week.

We have been on lockdown since right before this last hospitalization. I've been working from home since then, and am able to take care of her which is a blessing in disguise. Between work (my job is in emergency management in state government) and being a full time caregiver, I have been too busy to dwell on being stuck at home. Working in emergency management has been surreal - we spend so much time practicing and holding drills and mock disaster responses, so when a real one hits, sometimes you find yourself slipping into thinking "this can't be real", and then being jarred back into reality.

We live in a small townhouse in a densely populated area, so going outside involves first looking out to see if anyone else is nearby. This is particularly important for Mrs. Nuke as she is immunocompromised. I am envious at times of those of you who can step out into unpopulated nature and soak in the beauty and peace for a bit. The flip side of that is I live in a town which has over 50 restaurants, most of which remain open and deliver, so we're supporting local business and sparing ourselves cooking duty. Our neighbors have been great, baking and cooking for us, and we have our friends' 22-year old son who does grocery shopping for us once a week. Mrs. Nuke constantly jokes about being married to an emergency planner, as we had over 30 rolls of toilet paper, 2 cases of water, and enough canned goods to last a year even before the coronavirus .

As for entertainment, we're slowly working our way through all those things we've added to our Netflix lists. I haven't been bored enough yet to tackle some of the around-the-house projects that have been languishing.....

My sense is that here in the northeast we will be on lockdown a good deal longer than most people would like. We all need to remember it is a temporary situation, and these actions we are being asked to take serve a larger purpose (it's not about us!). We will come out the other side of this a changed people, but let's hope we learn from it as well. Everyone please stay safe!

[Traveltech]

@nukediver thank you for the work you’re doing during this emergency, But how awful that Mrs. Nuke has been going through such a scary and painful treatment during this pandemic. I’m glad she has a good prognosis. Keep her safe.

[backpack]

Nukediver, I am so sorry about Mrs Nukediver diagnostic and her lonely stay at the hospital.

The great thing is that she has a spouse who knows what to do in case of emergency and is on the road to recovery.

The flip side to quiet and wildlife in rural areas' isolation is that food and necessity delivery is almost impossible. So people have to drive to a store. Internet access might also be iffy.

Thank you for your knowledge and service in those most unsettling times.