I wasn’t trying to order a Happy Meal.
Tag: COVID diaries
Stringing the lights
I started putting up our Christmas/Solstice village the day after Halloween.*
And I’m not alone in this. The Boston Globe has reported on this phenomenon all across our region—and, I’d suspect, more widely across the country, too.
So many people started decorating for Christmas on the Sunday after Halloween — before the foam tombstones had been respectfully packed away —that Nov. 1 has rightfully turned into the kick-off to Christmas this year.
And I don’t blame us.
Continue reading “Stringing the lights”
Where has the time gone?
Yeah, I was gonna do this whole COVID Diaries thing, wasn’t I? If you’re a writer who knows you’re living though history, it would be a good idea to capture some of that daily history along the way, am I right? ESPECIALLY if you’re a blogger who kinda specializes in doing lightweight socio-cultural analysis.
(Here’s the place where I’d usually hit the “read more” command to put the rest of this post behind the jump.* Of course, I can’t find that command in the new editor, nor can I find a way to get back to the classic editor. 2020, why you gotta do me like this? I am seriously gonna step away for a bit to regain my composure before continuing.)
Love Notes
Whoops. As predicted, I had a few more busy days of working hard towards a late-night deadline on Monday, May 4th. And then I just went into recovery mode for a minute or two. Early bedtimes, passive time watching different series finales on DVR. But nothing as active or mentally demanding as writing—either here, on Will4Will, or in my pen-and-paper journal.
I mean, I was still writing for work. But once I got to the end of the formal workday, I was all ready to be lazy during my evenings.
And that’s how 9 days have passed between blog-posts here.
Temporarily Plaid
Today it finally happened. Today, 50 days into my personal lockdown timeline, after 7 weeks of “pandemic nesting,”* it finally happened.
Today’s the day I gave in and worked in my PJs.
(I think the plaid on plaid is what really makes the look, don’t you?)
Because Words Matter to Me
I have struggled at times with how to refer to my status during these COVID days.
Working from home? That’s true, but it doesn’t even remotely carry the weight of all the social distancing protocols we’re trying to adhere to for safety. Homebound? That has a bit more of the “stay in the fucking house” energy that we’re living with. But it’s not a true name, since I am heading out of the house every 7-8 days or so on some quick essential errand.* Sheltering-in-place? That’s close to accurate, since Gov. Baker is certainly encouraging folks to stay home, and since my “work-at-home” status is indeed driven by the fact that our offices are closed. But there’s isn’t an actual honest-to-Gaia shelter in place order for MA, so that phrasing still isn’t entirely true.
For the most part, I keep coming back to the term “lockdown” as the closest useful analogue I can find to describe my and my family’s status during this particular wave of the pandemic.**
But the one thing I won’t be calling it? Quarantine.
A Buffet for the Senses
I may have to buy a new calendar to keep track of all the cultural programming being offered in response to all the stay-at-home orders.
In all honesty, I am more likely to print out some free calendar templates for the next month or two. Any calendar I ordered would need to be shipped here over some indeterminate amount of time, and I needs to get myself sorted now.
(Too many choices!)
Pandemic Brain
Tomorrow marks 7 weeks in home isolation for me. As of today, the US remains ahead of the rest of the world with 824K cases and 45K deaths. My home state of Massachusetts is holding down the number 3 spot in the country, while my home county is holding down that number 3 spot within the state.
(Here’s a screengrab of Google’s stats dashboard for corroboration and context.)
And I am still incredibly fortunate. Every few days brings more individuals in my extended friends circle who have contracted the disease, but so far they have all been able to recover—and recover at home. And (knock wood) everyone in my immediate family remains healthy and safe in their different homes and locations.
So, really, no legitimate reasons to complain.
And yet, I gotta say it: I’m not doing as well as I was when this all started.
A Tiny Dose of Paranoia
This has been a brutal week for me and my spring allergies. BRU. TAL. The sniffles! The sneezing! The perpetually runny nose! Those uncomfortable bits of dry skin that build up where one’s nostrils meet the upper lip, on account of all the nose-blowing caused by the sniffles and congestion….
Oh, was that a bit TMI? #SorryNotSorry
Of course, during these surreal COVID times, there’s also all the symptomatic second guessing.
From Good to Great
Today, I’m not cribbing my actual post title from a 70s or 80s cut. But today’s topic did bring a 1980 classic to mind, so let’s keep the playlist going a little bit longer, shall we?
And the great insight that brought this tune into my head (drum roll, please):
I have entirely too many clothes.
Self-Love: It's Just Another Lifestyle Change 