BeckoningCat

I'm angry that one of my roommates doesn't seem to be social distancing. It's a big place but the one place I can't avoid is the kitchen, unless I want to live off of peanut butter sandwiches and apples.

I do think changing up my schedule and flexibility is the key though. Planning ahead, like possibly moving my rice cooker and tea kettle literally into my room, as well as sticking dry goods like canned beans, rice, tea, peanut butter, fruit and bread in the closet. Then going into the kitchen once a day to actually cook a good meal or replenish my stores early in the morning, late at night, or when she's definitely out of the house. I have thought about wearing gloves though since the virus can live on surfaces for hours. I'm pretty angry at her. Maybe she'll wise up soon, but I can't control her, just me.

I'm also taking vitamins, herbal immunity stuff, and drinking lots of water to try to keep my own immune system up. There's only so much that can be controlled.

least

Walking my dog Billie is my favorite thing to do. It gets us out of the house and into the fresh air. I enjoy watching her sniffing everything carefully.

Venecia

Hi, all --

Aellyce, I had to smile when I saw your avatar and the "Go/No Go" sign. A few months back, I heard something for the first time: The "Go/No Go" final call before the landing of the Apollo spacecraft on the moon.

Here's what it looked like. The guy in the white vest leading the report is NASA legend Gene Kranz. People may also remember him being played by Ed Harris in "Apollo 13."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYMHAWAK7hk


This continues that scene. The guy in the rust-colored golf shirt is Mercury 7 astronaut Deke Slayton; he grew up in a town not too far from where I grew up but earlier, of course. It's pretty amazing how young the rest of the crew in that footage is -- watch what happens when one jumps up to mark a victorious landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urkBEs06njg

Which brings me back to how I heard this in the first place. It was a magnificent series of podcasts by the BBC called "13 Minutes to the Moon." Here's the link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2

There are so many terrific podcasts out there. Great way to pass the time as we hunker down together.

Aellyce

Haha Venecia, that was cool! The idea for the avatar was, of course, coming from the ambivalence associated with addiction and trying to overcome it, but it is also an actual concept in psychology and a biological control mechanism in the brain, well-known to neuroscience. It is literally called "Go/NoGo".

You have just reminded me of my interest in astronomy and space discovery - I will spend some time again exploring things online now that most of us not only don't have the privilege to go to space but not even to a museum in town

BeckoningCat:
Have you tried to discuss it with her and ask for a decent compromise for the home environment? It is certainly inappropriate for a roommate (IMO even family members) to behave that way when the other person wants more distance. I would definitely raise it and would keep saying it until it changes. Can be a good exercise in assertiveness

BeckoningCat

Yes, I have asserted myself I asked all roommates to not have guests over unless it was one person, distanced in their room and not in the kitchen. I also directly messaged her when I thought she might be out of the county in a more densely populated area and told her nicely that this is a pandemic and if she's there, she should shelter in place.

SO...she comes home either late last night or early this morning. I can see signs of her about. So I'm tense, anxious, and because of that fear, angry.

Then, I decide to go upstairs to the kitchen, wearing gloves, wiping everything down with a wipe, and she comes in and just crowds into the kitchen like nothing is wrong. I almost went from assertive to aggressive after panicking for a second, but then she starts talking about hiking and camping alone in a remote area of our county.

However, she still could have been considerate enough to let roommates know before she disappeared for 3 days that she was still social distancing and not out of the county. She could have said something nicely from a distance before just barging into the kitchen like she thinks it's funny.

She's immature, I think. Not a bad person, just like "oh you can't control me" sort of a thing. I am not trying to control her and I never have, other than asking her to clean up after herself in the kitchen (she can be messy sometimes) and then these requests I have made of EVERYONE during the pandemic. A mature person would have understood other people's anxieties or concerns and at least offered an explanation before or after, instead of just acting like everything is fine.

On one hand I'm annoyed by that, but on the other hand greatly, greatly relieved she was camping alone and not exposing herself to the virus. I need to find my zen place. I can't be stressing like this.

Anna

Oh, I feel you BeckoningCat, and your roommate sounds like a bit of a pain. This pandemic is nothing to joke about, and yet, there are many people like her who think this is all a fuss about nothing.

It sounds like you're taking lots of precautions and that's great.

Caramel

Some time ago I discovered online jigsaw puzzles here:

https://thejigsawpuzzles.com/

which I use as "chewing gum for the mind" while I'm listening to YT radio-comedies or audio-books, keeps me focused on what I'm hearing.
Thousands of puzzles, and the number of pieces and style of cut can be varied.

Caramel

A link here for "The 7 best at-home workout routines: training without a gym" - scroll down for little videos, descriptions and further links:

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/the...without-a-gym/

Aellyce

50 Ways to Stay SANE During the Coronavirus Pandemic:

https://thepracticalutopian.ca/2020/...irus-pandemic/

least

My best, and most fun and refreshing activity is walking Billie. It restores my soul to watch her so eagerly and efficiently being a dog. She doesn't worry cause she knows I'll take care of her. She takes each moment as it comes and enjoys every bit of her life.

I would do well to emulate Billie.

Here's my sweet Beagirl.

share picture

bexxed

Great post.

I’m on lockdown and am also a student (again). Classes start online on Monday after extended “spring break” which didn’t feel like a break to me no matter how you slice it, haha.

Anyway I’m trying to get ahead and have started working on some projects I’d put aside when this exploded for us on Friday the 13th, and have come upon a couple of gems that may help people who are working from home, or even trying to keep some sense of structure.

I get up, shower, get dressed, put on jewelry, and do my hair like I would any other day. Weirdly, putting on actual shoes also helps. It all helps me remember that I have something to do other than refreshing the news and looking for more carbs to snack on.

We are allowed to exercise outside where I live... for now. Before I “get ready” as described above, I go for a run with my dog.

I do not sleep in. My coffeemaker is still programmed for 5:51 am as it always is when the coronapocalyse is not in full swing.

Every day, I disinfect the doorknobs, countertops, refrigerator handles, coffee pot, bathroom, etc. I wash my hands and I don’t touch my face. Why? I’m not even interacting with people. For a very good reason. When these Shelter In Place orders ease, and we can mingle in public again, we almost certainly won’t have a vaccine yet. Therefore, these habits will be really important. And they are habits. Habits as we all uniquely know, take some time and practice to form. Better to start now.

I check in with the people in my life who are in essential services. They are getting daily text messages from me. I cut to the chase. “Hi, how are you doing today?” “How are you holding up?” I don’t joke with them or minimize anything. While I’m dealing with stir crazy, they’re dealing with life and death.

I bake things every few days for some elders in my life and drop off little packages at their doorstep, texting to let them know it’s there.

I’ve watched some of the livestream concerts referred to above and that has been really fun.

I’ve had some crappy days and those have been when I’ve gotten too enmeshed in the news. Don’t do that. I could go into the weeds on this one but the bottom line is it’s not healthy right now. Later it might be but right now it’s not. We are in for a long haul and if we get thru this without getting sick we beat some odds. I’m talking about from now to vaccine.

I’m not worrying about money. I am luckier than many but things look different for all of us me included unless we happen to be rich. The US just went from almost no unemployment to 30% almost literally overnight and everyone is going to be in the same boat so things are going to have to give.

Aellyce

I really like this attitude and strategy, bexxed. Completely agree, there is no better time to delve into new constructive changes and develop good habits than a period of crisis and/or when we are forced to make a new inventory of what is important and what is not. It is a good time to set new goals, IMO, even if we can't yet clearly see them through their implementation. It is a good time to make life reviews, plans, and small practical changes that will also serve us well in the future. I am doing the same in many ways and find it amazingly rewarding.

Venecia

Some really good ideas here! Caramel, it was neat to see that series of gym-without-a-gym videos. That physical exertion really can help us, mentally.

And Least, Billie is just a darling doggie.

Podcasts are a great way to pass time. My previous recommendation, "13 Minutes to the Moon," is a mix of science and history, with a lot of human drama added.

"Last Seen" leaps to other realms, but there is certainly a lot of human drama.

It is the story of the theft of priceless art pieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, which occurred 30 years ago this month. (Great NPR coverage here.)

This is a whodunit of epic proportions. Reporters from WBUR and the Boston Globe offer a 10-part series examining the still-unsolved theft. Each episode is about an hour long. I could not get enough of it when I listened.

The interviews are fantastic. They talk to cops, people from the art world, people from the crime world, defense attorneys and more. Some of the stories they share are harrowing; others are hilarious.

At the end of the podcast, the hosts identify who they think is the likeliest suspect. Some of the answers surprised me. I have a theory of my own.

An interesting observation made one of the many interviewees: Theft of art hurts all of us. Think of a book that can never again be read. Or songs we cannot ever hear again.

I cannot give this a strong enough recommendation. Here's the link: https://www.wbur.org/lastseen

Aellyce

For the philosophically inclided:
https://mailchi.mp/brainpickings/eri...l?e=96502ffc03

This is actually a recurring newsletter created by an excellent writer that I have been following for several years now (started in early sobriety). It comes out every Sunday and sometimes also mid-week. It has plenty of interesting thoughts, often very relevant to some current situation (like the above), with remarkable author and book recommendations.

I hope everyone is keeping up the optimistic spirit one way or another

entropy1964

Ok so even I'm getting a bit bored. Did yoga, walked the dog, took out trash. Did some laundry, talked to the ex about college refund, pondered whether I will get any Covid cash (doesn't matter....so many people need help way more than I ), found some TP on line, bought cat litter on line, 3 light fixtures. Very exciting I know.

I'm now going to try to understand why Flu viruses die down in the summer and what the likelihood of Covid doing the same is. Yeah, I know. There's really no data. But I really don't know why flu is seasonal. Is it just the heat?

Maybe some science person would like to educate me.

Have a great day people. Maybe a spa day. Except I hate baths. Haha. Facial? Ugh.

Aellyce

Entropy - here is a not too technical article about why Flu is seasonal.

The Reason for the Season: why flu strikes in winter - Science in the News

Some known Coronaviruses also tend to be seasonal (e.g. there are a couple that cause "common colds" that are more common during the cold season) and, as you said, it remains to be seen for this new one. Hard to say anything reliable about the likelihood right now but the dynamic in countries with currently warm weather will be useful, as well as seeing what happens in the Northern hemisphere moderate climates during the coming months. I know that scientists are testing the temperature and humidity sensitivity of the COVID-19 virus/infections in labs as we type here.

entropy1964

Thanks Aellyce. Yeah that's one of the ones I read. But it's pretty inconclusive. Basically they don't really know. Or at least that's my take. I find the research done on Vitamin D deficiency to be the most compelling. The whole fresh air and sunshine thing....its a thing.

I have to watch my Vit D closely because my anxiety/depression are far worse when its low. Depression in the winter, Anxiety in the summer. When I sit in the sun for about 10 minutes a day I seriously feel better. Of course too much Vit D is bad too so anyone reading this and thinking they will supplement make sure you talk to your dr. Ideally we all just get a bit of sun each day......then there's that skin cancer thing. But if it's limited, at least for me, its fine.

But I never get sick (if you don't include the cancer 'thang') so who the heck knows. Viruses will be viruses. Now I've jinxed myself. Ha!

So another day. Yoga, dog walk, lost my fricken glasses on said walk probs while picking up poop, good citizen that I am. Lol. Darn it. They aren't expensive, just readers, but that is one of those things that really bugs me. When I can't find my darn glasses. Oh life is so hard.

Poor dear daughter is going bonkers. I feel so sorry for kids. Imagine just graduating from college and then this shlit show hits. Come to think of it, I feel sorry for everyone on the whole darn planet right now.

On a positive note I watched Unicorn Store. Just what the dr ordered. So cute and silly and stupid. But fun. Perfect. I didn't think for 90 minutes.

Venecia

Nice to hear from folks!

Entropy, I know what you mean about sunlight. It does me a world of good to get some time outdoors. (Unfortunately, the next few days here are not supposed to be very nice here.)

Here's another addition to my list: Check out some of the great movies.

American Film Institute's Top 100

British Film Institute Top 100

I've seen 56 of the AFI's top 100 and 24 of the BFI's.

The BFI puts "The Third Man" at the top of its list and I have to agree. I saw it on the big screen a couple years ago, having seen it on TV, and the experience reinforced my admiration for the movie.

The one at/near the top of both that I've not seen is "Lawrence of Arabia." Wonder what those who've seen it have to say about it? Or other recommendations?

Aellyce

Venecia - I usually prefer more current movies at any given time, but from your lists, these are the ones I remember seeing and liking a good while ago. I've bolded the ones that I liked the best and would still consider as some of my favorites.

SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
STAR WARS (1977)
PSYCHO (1960)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
CLOCKWORK ORANGE, A (1971)
TAXI DRIVER (1976)

Trainspotting (1996)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Crying Game (1992)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
Gandhi (1982)
Brazil (1985)
The English Patient (1996)
The Remains of the Day (1993)

I saw the article linked below this morning posted on Twitter and quite relate to its views and suggestions. I definitely prefer to look at the current situation in a similar way, it's also something that comes more naturally to me (probably because I like to look at the larger picture and future implications in nearly everything) than viewing it only/mostly as a source of destruction and hardship (at the moment). Of course the two are intertwined, as it most often is in life.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriand.../#6e8c6faa442d

MyLittleHorsie

Not a science person, but essentially the flu just becomes less able to transmit, in warmer temperatures. Warm, moist air inhibits it's ability to travel as far, 2-4ft as opposed to 4-6ft.
The pathogen, or virus molecule is wrapped in a fatty layer in the case of Corona. The sun melts it, without the fatty layer, the pathogen weakens and dies. Medicinal alcohol, dish soap, anything that dissolves fat, works against it. Vodka does not.
My best friend's daughter is a nurse, she has Covid patients, she says they will be fine one minute and crash the next, requiring intubation.
From what I have read, those who have isolated the pathogen, at this point, do not believe it is man made or has been manipulated. However it can't be ruled out. It is in the same family as MERS and SARS, the latter, the virus that ravaged a few years ago, had been manipulated and escaped a lab. The vitus is zoological in origin, I sometimes consult with a non profit who rescues animals from roadside zoos etc. I have visited and once been invited inside the facilities. Their bio-security is insane and their employees are barred from donating blood. Such is the fear of certain zoological illnesses.

Anyways, if someone is looking for something fun, I am a huge fan of Baby Foot. It is a mild acid treatment you do at home, literally it is a fruit acid and a week later, your skin sheds like a snake. It is oddly satisfying and so gross.