Lockdown diaries

[nsh]

I thought I would circle back here. The last month and the upcoming months will look much the same as my March diary did. Our family continues to isolate and I go out once every two weeks for food with mask and gloves.

Because we are in a rural area, I am able to head outside for a run in the early morning hours (at 6am) and I hardly see a soul (but I have seen two foxes, countless deer, and a couple snakes...and a cow). I will run a solo half marathon in two weeks. Running alone has been my salvation....it is my only alone time.

Homeschool continues until the end of June and we made a collective family decision to keep my daughter’s school routine throughout the summer minus the digital meetings. A couple hours of reading the Scholastic little reader series and writing her “diary” will hopefully help her avoid the summer slide as we anxiously await news of the fall and what public schools will look like in the Boston area. I am hoping first grade actually happens with her being in a normal classroom again with her peers. Our town will likely close an elementary school due to a budget shortfall from reduced tax revenues (all the big businesses and malls have obviously closed down and were a huge part of the tax base); there will be an influx of 600 new kids that used to go to private schools but whose parents can’t afford it, and so the pupil to teacher ratio will go up in public school....everyone is feeling the effects of the pandemic:/

Speaking of fall schedules, my work flow has steadily increased though I submitted final grades weeks ago because I am on my college’s committee planning the 2020-2021 academic year and redoing the entire curriculum. Multiple three hour zoom meetings every week until July when the plan is shared with the students. Whew. Our college has announced an indefinite hiring freeze, a pay freeze for everyone, and a hefty pay cut to the administration, and a large number of staff furloughs. It is quite depressing and my heart goes out to everyone. It is sad.

In my free time, I wrote a blog post for the Critical Refugee Studies collective about the pandemic and refugees based on my forthcoming new book:

https://criticalrefugeestudies.com/b...demic-response

I thought I would share it.

I wish everyone good health and well being as the world turns.

PS- I got a few masks for my husband and me from Tom Bihn. I also got a few from KitMade in various Liberty of London patterned fabrics (where I buy my dresses). They have been perfect for my grocery runs. When I run I wear a Oiselle neck gaiter that I can easily pull over my face when/if I see someone else out. This will be more useful when we return to the Boston area than for running in rural America.


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[TheLibrarian]

I got the job offer in Daytona.

It was a couple days of panicked decision making, it pays nearly 10K less than I was making but the taxes and cost of living are so much lower I'll actually break even if not be a little better off (it'll also help with forgiveness on my student loans). It was harder because I actually do like my job in DC but this new position is a step up and has room for advancement, plus I'll be living only about 90 minutes from my grandparents and my boyfriend (who has been 'bribing' me like crazy to try and sway my decision, lol).

Also, you know, BEACH!!! I could literally paddle board to work (assuming I find a place close to the water that is). My heart is breaking a bit knowing I'll won't be near the mountains and Shenandoah any more but I can visit. So yeah..... Now I get to uproot and move again 8 months after uprooting and moving (I feel like I had JUST gotten kind of settled before the pandemic). I'm not looking forward to fighting with my apartment complex to see if they'll just let me out of my lease or if I'll have to pay out the rest of the term (they're pretty terrible so that could happen).

My anxiety has been pretty up there the last couple of days so I had my boyfriend stop at Red Lobster last night for cheese biscuits and, well.............I ate the whole dozen in one sitting. I did feel better though, lol!

I was also recalled back to work in DC the day before I got the offer so I'm driving back up tomorrow (need to start packing anyway). I need to call my boss and see if they even want me to return now since I'll only be there a week or so before I'd need to leave again. I'm honestly, not sure how she'll take the news......We have a good relationship but also.... This isn't great timing for her (I would NOT have job hunted at all had I not been furloughed and she did fight to try and keep me so I feel a little guilty).

I am also not mentally prepared to have to wear pants again 😢




So yeah, I hope everyone is still safe and healthy and finding at least some thing like a new normal 😘

[aedifica]

Congratulations on the new job, @TheLibrarian ! And ooh, I hadn't thought of Red Lobster cheese biscuits in a long time. Those were yummy.

[twosandalz]

What a roller coaster! But it sounds like it's all working out well.