Small Talk: The Hourglass Sandbox

[tribeca]

Okay so I thought I finally found a way to pay for my dental work.  Just work three jobs.  One Full time two part-time.  Work 9-5 at the store. Sunday’s at restaurant as cashier and home  companion-overnight  3 nights for a lady who has early Alzheimer and has anxiety issues about being alone.  

Finally thought I had enough saved. Then my car broke down.  So had to start over.  Two home-companions quit so they were desperately filling hours until they found Two permeant people.  So one week worked 64 hours at my part time job.  So did half dental work and going back in two weeks to hopefully finish. 

I did have one bad day where I just felt nothing was working for me.  One coworker who works one day a week and husband pays for everything decided to tell me God does not guarantee everything 🙄. My friend/coworker told me to ignore her and said she would be chipper all the time if she had a sugar daddy or sugar momma or a sugar anything.  We laughed way too much over that. 

Thats my novel for today      

[boes]

5 hours ago, tribeca said:

Okay so I thought I finally found a way to pay for my dental work.  Just work three jobs.  One Full time two part-time.  Work 9-5 at the store. Sunday’s at restaurant as cashier and home  companion-overnight  3 nights for a lady who has early Alzheimer and has anxiety issues about being alone.  

Finally thought I had enough saved. Then my car broke down.  So had to start over.  Two home-companions quit so they were desperately filling hours until they found Two permeant people.  So one week worked 64 hours at my part time job.  So did half dental work and going back in two weeks to hopefully finish. 

I did have one bad day where I just felt nothing was working for me.  One coworker who works one day a week and husband pays for everything decided to tell me God does not guarantee everything 🙄. My friend/coworker told me to ignore her and said she would be chipper all the time if she had a sugar daddy or sugar momma or a sugar anything.  We laughed way too much over that. 

Thats my novel for today      

I'm so sorry, and one big Raspberry for the coworker with her Hallmark card emotion assault.  Having the dental work is bad enough but to get a setback in paying for it, when you're already busting your chops to just keep your head above water.....I feel for you.

Life can be hard and you need to be able to say that out loud and be HEARD.  I hope things get easier for you, sooner rather than later.

[BuckeyeLou]

16 hours ago, tribeca said:

Okay so I thought I finally found a way to pay for my dental work.  Just work three jobs.  One Full time two part-time.  Work 9-5 at the store. Sunday’s at restaurant as cashier and home  companion-overnight  3 nights for a lady who has early Alzheimer and has anxiety issues about being alone.  

Finally thought I had enough saved. Then my car broke down.  So had to start over.  Two home-companions quit so they were desperately filling hours until they found Two permeant people.  So one week worked 64 hours at my part time job.  So did half dental work and going back in two weeks to hopefully finish. 

I did have one bad day where I just felt nothing was working for me.  One coworker who works one day a week and husband pays for everything decided to tell me God does not guarantee everything 🙄. My friend/coworker told me to ignore her and said she would be chipper all the time if she had a sugar daddy or sugar momma or a sugar anything.  We laughed way too much over that. 

Thats my novel for today      

Oh My! You have your hands full!  Hopefully, life  gets back on an even keel.  And yea, Boo to sanctimonious people and their 'advice".  Sending positive vibes your way.

[Frozendiva]

Was made redundant today. Still in a state of shock.

[boes]

41 minutes ago, Frozendiva said:

Was made redundant today. Still in a state of shock.

Oh Frozendiva, I am so sorry, that's just awful.  There's nothing to say that can make it better, I know, but I devoutly hope things will get better in time.  

hang in there as best you can.

[Frozendiva]

16 minutes ago, boes said:

Oh Frozendiva, I am so sorry, that's just awful.  There's nothing to say that can make it better, I know, but I devoutly hope things will get better in time.  

hang in there as best you can.

I was one of three (or maybe more) today that were laid off. A shock after just over 20 years there. I get a year's severance, so..... was expecting it more early next year. I suppose since my current door closed, another is opening.

[DisneyBoy]

That's what they say...I wish it were that automatic. For now just cast a wide net. Can you do more caregiving/companion work? Take more shifts at the restaurant?

I legit want to tell off Miss Provided For. When you're in a safe privileged situation, recognize it, be grateful and keep it to yourself. Folks are struggling!

Did you finish up the dental work tribeca?

[tribeca]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:41 PM, Frozendiva said:

Was made redundant today. Still in a state of shock.

I am very sorry to hear this .  You have a positive attitude which will help.  Hopefully something wonderful and perfect for you will open up soon.  

20 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

That's what they say...I wish it were that automatic. For now just cast a wide net. Can you do more caregiving/companion work? Take more shifts at the restaurant?

I legit want to tell off Miss Provided For. When you're in a safe privileged situation, recognize it, be grateful and keep it to yourself. Folks are struggling!

Did you finish up the dental work tribeca?

Thank you. The restaurant is slow now.  Only one day a week. It’s gas money and although I don’t really use the discount it’s ni when it’s there.  The companion job is where I have been to get extra hours.  Actually had to turn some away last week as they would interfere with full time job    

My dental work.  Wednesday have an appointment.  Over half done after that and down to owning $400.00.  

Thank you for asking. 

[DisneyBoy]

No problem - I just spent 220$ on a regular dental cleaning, nothing fancy. It never used to be more than 150$...self care is expensive.

[bannana]

On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 7:41 PM, Frozendiva said:

Was made redundant today. Still in a state of shock.

I have been where you are.  It is a shock.  Mine was after 17 years.  PM me if you want to talk.

[tribeca]

Had a really busy weekend.  It was a roller coaster ride of highs=and lows.  Saturday my friends Harry Potter wedding.  We had a lot of fun.  The hall was decorated like Harry Potter hog warts school.   The food was catered by food trucks.   The couple was together for a long time so when the officiant (?) said we have all waited a long time for this a lot of people said yes out loud.  It was mostly fun but sometimes weddings are sad for me.  It’s depressing being at these functions alone and having no one to dance with.  

[tribeca]

Happy thanksgiving to those who are celebrating today ❤️

I volunteered to work at restaurant.  Need some cash and really had no where else to go.  

[boes]

1 minute ago, tribeca said:

Happy thanksgiving to those who are celebrating today ❤️

I volunteered to work at restaurant.  Need some cash and really had no where else to go.  

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope the tips are good and that the people are nice.

[Kitty Redstone]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Yes @tribeca as @boes said I hope the tips are good and the customers treat you well. 

[tribeca]

The restaurant I work part time at had their Christmas 🎄 party last night.  They closed early so families could celebrate.  They had a cookie decorating table , a Christmas paper tree building contest and karaoke.  It was a lot of fun.  They gave out raffle tickets and handed out a million prizes.  Of course I did not win.   I have the worst luck.  The gave out 3 awards one for person who came in every day with a smile , most welcoming to new employee and most energetic. Then the regional manager came and gave an award to restaurant management for doing so well and having lowest employee turnover 

[Silver Raven]

The actress in the controversial Peloton ad has joined the cast of B&B

[peachmangosteen]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

The actress in the controversial Peloton ad has joined the cast of B&B

I find this so hilarious lol.

[DisneyBoy]

I want to tell you all how much I appreciate having you to discuss this nutty show with, month after month. It's helped more than I can say, and been a real pleasure. You are great folks. I hope you get some nice times this holiday with your friends and family.

[WendyCR72]

7 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

I want to tell you all how much I appreciate having you to discuss this nutty show with, month after month. It's helped more than I can say, and been a real pleasure. You are great folks. I hope you get some nice times this holiday with your friends and family.

Same to you, @DisneyBoy, and all of the other posters here. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays to everyone. And may 2020 bring all of us good health and happiness.

And if the remaining soaps could stop sucking so badly, that would just be the cherry on top!

[tribeca]

It’s been a strange couple of months.   The lady  with Alzheimer’s I was taking care of on weekends needed more medical help.  She declined so rapidly it was sad.   She passed away last week.  
   So I went from working as a caregiver 36 hours to zero.  It feels so strange to be thinking of a paycheck when someone dies.  
   I am still working full time at store and part time at restaurant.   There just is always another bill or something.  
    Would rather have some nice news in personal life but I don’t have a personal life.   Sigh 

[boes]

2 hours ago, tribeca said:

It’s been a strange couple of months.   The lady  with Alzheimer’s I was taking care of on weekends needed more medical help.  She declined so rapidly it was sad.   She passed away last week.  
   So I went from working as a caregiver 36 hours to zero.  It feels so strange to be thinking of a paycheck when someone dies.  
   I am still working full time at store and part time at restaurant.   There just is always another bill or something.  
    Would rather have some nice news in personal life but I don’t have a personal life.   Sigh 

Tribeca, I'm sorry things are tough right now.  Don't beat yourself up about thinking about the paycheck, it's a separate issue from the care you gave and the concern you felt.  It's a cold world sometimes, please think kindly of yourself when the cold creeps in, if you can.  

The news tells us how great the economy is, but I mostly see and know individuals and families in a daily struggle to get by.

I wish our board could give you a collective hug, you deserve that and so much more.

Take care.

[Lisa418722]

6 hours ago, tribeca said:

It’s been a strange couple of months.   The lady  with Alzheimer’s I was taking care of on weekends needed more medical help.  She declined so rapidly it was sad.   She passed away last week.  
   So I went from working as a caregiver 36 hours to zero.  It feels so strange to be thinking of a paycheck when someone dies.  
   I am still working full time at store and part time at restaurant.   There just is always another bill or something.  
    Would rather have some nice news in personal life but I don’t have a personal life.   Sigh 

I'm sorry to read you are going through a rough time right now. It makes sense to think of a paycheck when it suddenly stops the way this one did.  You can be sad (or whatever feeling you have) because the lady died, but you still need to think of a paycheck.  I've been in job over 5 years and while I've gotten raises, my paycheck has not grown that much because of all the costs (increased insurance costs, I have to pay for parking, etc.) coming out of my check.

Personal life??  What's that????  Yeah, I'm giving up on ever having any sort of personal life.

Edited January 21, 2020 by Lisa418722

[boes]

So how are you all doing with the coronavirus lockdown?

We started laying low and laying in supplies in the second week of February, staying off mass transit and rescheduling appointments in the city.  Which I miss, terribly.  But our household are all in the at risk categories so it seemed wise.  Now we're in mandatory lock down out here in the Bay Area.  Our rates of infection seem to doubling daily.

How are all you doing?

[Frozendiva]

Boes, I am at home. Western Canada is not on lockdown. Yet. I am active on Twitter (Frozendiva29). Laying low. Laughing at the hoarders. I have my own small hoard but I tend to buy stuff year round when it is on sale so I always have an extra bag of sugar, flour, some pop, a few cans of soup, packaged rice, some canned hams, etc. Most tend to get used up by May. Keep in touch with some former coworkers and check in on my relatives. Got my hair done a couple of weeks ago, had a job interview last week (I have a year or so buyout package). Alberta (Western Canada) is still low for infection. However, most of the shops are closed and the grocery stores are setting hours aside for the seniors and most vulnerable to shop, have reduced hours of operation. I go to the mailbox each day and try to go for a short walk. Our Prime Minister seems to give daily updates.

[QueenSerena]

Hanging in there, only making necessary trips to the grocery store and/or Target, and working from home for the foreseeable future. If people could stop hoarding certain items, that would be greatly appreciated, but we're still in pretty good shape from the various trips I made last week. My flyover state has had a relatively low number of positive cases, but even here we have people displaying all the symptoms who are unable to get tested because they don't meet every last criteria (even though extensive testing has proven to be so helpful in other countries).

So I plan to just ride it out inside for as long as is needed, but I'm worried for people who can't work from home, and especially for those who work at hospitals or places of retail that will stay open no matter what and are super stressed right now (and of course for older family members and neighbors). And I'm just praying it doesn't get as bad as I fear in places that already struggling (NYC, Washington state, northern Cal, and that's before you get to places like Italy where it's just beyond dire). And I saw this evening that California's governor is requiring everyone to stay in place, with few exceptions, so I'm hoping such a painful measure can ultimately be a huge part of what gets us out of this.

One thing that's helped, though, is seeing the positivity and honesty on social media. It sucks for everyone, and we're just trying to figure out how to get through it, so I enjoy seeing stuff like this from one of my favorite goofballs:

 

[BuckeyeLou]

The Hubby & I are retired Seniors, so we are staying in and watching lots of Netflix. But, my Anxiety is heightened...I have young Grand-children, and their parents work(my one daughter works in an Urgent Care Center), they live thousands of miles away, so I cant help them.   We stocked up on food & supplies, and yet found ourselves at Target today to find things we had forgotten, can not believe the aisles of empty shelves.  This is worse than after 9-11.  So glad my Hubby is retired because my husband used to fly around the world & had made many trips to China & Italy!   Just worried about what is going to happen to all the people losing their jobs!  Prayers for all....Wash Hands & Stay Well Everyone!

[DaphneCat]

We're in PA.  I'm home and Mr. Cat has been working from home.  Mr. Cat did a little panic buying but it was actually when he was in Philadelphia (still working) so it was at Reading Terminal Market.  Rather than clean out the grocery store shelves he probably actually helped a few of the local merchants who sell there.  Supposedly it is still open but they can't be getting anywhere near the amount of traffic they normally get with most of the commuters and tourists not coming in anymore.

I'm behind a day watching the show because lately there has been a "presidential" press conference every. single. day.  And it's always exactly when Days is on.

[tribeca]

I was visiting my parents in Florida when everything seemed to get worse.   Wanted to stay longer.  Had to go back to work or so I thought.  Was not looking forward to going on airplane.  Tampa airport security always thinks I am hiding something in my bra.  Yes , they are called breasts. 
   The first day home go to work.   Store is closed to public.  Our assistant manager husband was in contact with someone who had virus.  No one told me this.  Coworkers were told they could self quarantine but would not be paid.   Then the next day the whole company decided to close for 2 weeks.  So I worked four hours to help loot proof the store.  
     The restaurant is to go only.  Only managers are working.  
thought I would use the time to clean and organize.  That has not really happened    

[tribeca]

How is everyone holding up today?

[peachmangosteen]

I haven't been holding up well for like a month lol.

[BuckeyeLou]

5 hours ago, tribeca said:

How is everyone holding up today?

My Anxiety has been heightened, but I am hanging in there.  I wish DAYS would give me some romance & adventure to take my mind off real-life, but instead they give me 'chips in brains", swapped babies, murder & mayhem~~

[Frozendiva]

I am holding up. It snowed overnight, so I had something to do in the cold (-12C with a -20C windchill). I get waves of emotion, and am pretty bored. I like solitude and my own company, and can amuse myself, but it is getting to be a bit much. I also struggle with disrespectful, noisy neighbors on the other side of my duplex. Their unit has been for sale since the fall and has not moved. Thought they would be gone by now.

The geese are back and the other birds are starting to nest. The white jackrabbits are turning brown so spring is here or will be.

Just miss having somewhere to go for an hour or so. A drive is nice and gets you out of the house.

 

[boes]

I'm back and forth, up and down.   The last few days have been mostly okay except when it all seems to be getting to be too much.

On the plus side, we are absolutely blessed with wonderful neighbors who always think of us when they go shopping, so we're good with supplies for the most part.  We started staying close to home and stocking up starting around Feb 20, before the panic buying started, though even then you could see the stores running out of paper products in particular.

My oldest brother died on March 18th and with the coronavirus protections and restrictions in place then, even most of his children and grandchildren and extended family couldn't get to where he and his wife lived.  Luckily, one of their sons and his family lives close by, so my sister in law wasn't and isn't completely alone.  I spoke with her and the kids today and she's having a tough time of it as you'd expect.  It's very hard for her that they haven't been able to hold a funeral of any kind, since nobody can be together.  He didn't die of the virus, but of a sudden heart attack.  

One of my cousins, an oncology nurse has the virus and is in isolation at home.  Her husband doesn't have it.  So far so good for her, hopefully it will continue that way.  She was due to retire in two months.  

And I can't help thinking of how hard so many people have it -those who've lost their jobs, those who are in unstable living situations, people, like so many for whom life was already a struggle, and now this.

Be as kind as you can to yourselves.  

[DaphneCat]

Boes, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother.  It must be really hard for his wife in the sense that she doesn't have the opportunity to have a funeral. 

We're lucky in the sense that Mr. Cat and I are both introverts and neither one of us is particularly "twitchy" to go out and about.  We also have enough space that we can only interact when we want to - we don't have to listen to whatever the other is listening to if we don't want to.  We're trying not to whine about the fact that it's been rainy and gloomy for several days in a row.  Looking forward to actually be able to go in to the back yard or sit on the patio. 

Our former neighbor dropped by about a week ago (his grandson bought the house and brought him over to see the changes he's been making.)  He's very elderly (in his 90's) so it was nice that we could stand in our back yard and catch up.

I wonder how may divorces will come when this is all over.

[WendyCR72]

I'm so sorry about the loss of your brother, @boes. And this whole situation certainly doesn't make the stress any less. Please keep your chin up.

[howmanywords]

I was going to come here and vent a little about the anxiety I've been dealing with the last few days (living in NY we are getting hit very hard) then I read your post @boes and my stress seems so minor.  I'm so very sorry you are dealing with all this.  You bring so much laughter here I hope our little family here can hopefully bring you some comfort through what I'm sure is a very difficult time. Sending you condolences. 

[boes]

6 hours ago, howmanywords said:

I was going to come here and vent a little about the anxiety I've been dealing with the last few days (living in NY we are getting hit very hard) then I read your post @boes and my stress seems so minor.  I'm so very sorry you are dealing with all this.  You bring so much laughter here I hope our little family here can hopefully bring you some comfort through what I'm sure is a very difficult time. Sending you condolences. 

Thanks, howmanywords, so much.  Please tell us about how you're doing - I ache for you all in New York with all you've been through, and now this!  How are you coping with it all?

[Lastwaltz]

Well, my friends, I'm glad there's a place to commiserate. 

@boes thanks for leading me over here - now I'll drop by here often. I'm so very sorry about your brother, and for his dear wife and family. I am the 6th of 7 children and I worry about my compromised older siblings every day. Peace and strength to all of you. 

We are hanging in there. At first, we were seeing our daughter and her family (my Mackenzie!) regularly but for the last two weeks we've been distancing. I didn't realize how much I grew to depend on seeing the baby to lift my spirits. Yesterday we had a 5 minute visit when my daughter brought her laundry over -- thankful for small favors at this point. And thankful that her fiance -- a delivery truck driver -- lost one job and gained a new one within a day. Hopefully with our help they can get along and pay the bills for the duration. 

My husband and I are doing pretty well -- kind of determinedly cheerful and kind to each other. He is an extrovert and is finding it very, very hard not to see his buddies and work his bartending job. The money isn't much -- the job was mainly for his entertainment. I'm more of a hermit by nature, so I'm able to adapt a little better, although I'm used to having more time to myself while he's at work. But as he said, "After over 40 years together, we can adapt to anything." Phew! 

Love to all, and thanks for making me aware of a new place to check in every day. 

[peachmangosteen]

10 hours ago, boes said:

And I can't help thinking of how hard so many people have it -those who've lost their jobs, those who are in unstable living situations, people, like so many for whom life was already a struggle, and now this.

First if all, I'm thinking of you and your family right now. Also, this above, yea. When I think about how much worse others have it than I do that ends up making me feel even worse because I start to feel guilty and stupid for being in such a bad place.

I had just started working at a grocery store in October after having not worked for many years due to just lack of motivation and anxiety and, honestly, probably depression. But my anxiety right now is just at an all time high and I asked for 2 weeks off. I'm supposed to go back next week but like I just don't think I can do it. Then I feel bad about that considering so many others are working in grocery stores right now in terrible conditions for shitty pay. I've been putting off calling my manage and telling her I just can't come back right now. Just having to make a phone call sets my anxiety off. 

I don't really mind not going out yet. I am mostly a homebody anyway and I have my family with me, so that helps. But then it also hurts because I get worried about all of us being close all the time. Fucking hell, it's just a vicious cycle of anxiety lol!

On top of all this, I'm bummed because the network I get Days on preempts the first half hour every day for updates.

[Lastwaltz]

3 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Fucking hell, it's just a vicious cycle of anxiety

You can say THAT again. I have to take a Rx for it every few days it seems. It can't be good to have all of us anxious people cooped up, lol.  I'm in the Boston area -- we're all living for the warm and sunny days to spend outside, which have been few and far between this month of March. I think that may lift us all up. 

[peachmangosteen]

4 minutes ago, Lastwaltz said:

I'm in the Boston area -- we're all living for the warm and sunny days to spend outside, which have been few and far between this month of March. I think that may lift us all up. 

We've had a couple warm, sunny days here this past couple weeks and it really does help a lot. Thank goodness spring is coming!

[BuckeyeLou]

14 hours ago, boes said:

I'm back and forth, up and down.   The last few days have been mostly okay except when it all seems to be getting to be too much.

On the plus side, we are absolutely blessed with wonderful neighbors who always think of us when they go shopping, so we're good with supplies for the most part.  We started staying close to home and stocking up starting around Feb 20, before the panic buying started, though even then you could see the stores running out of paper products in particular.

My oldest brother died on March 18th and with the coronavirus protections and restrictions in place then, even most of his children and grandchildren and extended family couldn't get to where he and his wife lived.  Luckily, one of their sons and his family lives close by, so my sister in law wasn't and isn't completely alone.  I spoke with her and the kids today and she's having a tough time of it as you'd expect.  It's very hard for her that they haven't been able to hold a funeral of any kind, since nobody can be together.  He didn't die of the virus, but of a sudden heart attack.  

One of my cousins, an oncology nurse has the virus and is in isolation at home.  Her husband doesn't have it.  So far so good for her, hopefully it will continue that way.  She was due to retire in two months.  

And I can't help thinking of how hard so many people have it -those who've lost their jobs, those who are in unstable living situations, people, like so many for whom life was already a struggle, and now this.

Be as kind as you can to yourselves.  

So sorry to hear of your loss, boes.  That has to be hard for your family, not being together to grieve.  And hope your cousin recovers from the virus: it seems like some folks have a hard time of it & some folks recover quite well.   Seeing the scenes at the NYC hospitals is so scary!   Here in the Midwest they expect a surge in cases.  At least Spring has finally arrived, we've had some sun & the plants & flowers are starting to bud...so that is a good sign.   I am good with staying home, but my newly retired Hubby is getting restless, so he thinks of things he needs to do & hops in the car for a drive 🙂  Wishing everyone good Health!

[tribeca]

@boes sorry for your loss. Prayers to you and your family. 
 

Anxiety is at all time high.  My friend and I talk or at least text everyday.  She says mediation helps her.  I just can’t clear my thoughts.   Enjoyed yoga classes in past but it’s just something I get into at home. Maybe will try it again. 
   We received a text message and call from full time job.   They will be closed until April 11 now.   Then we will get a message each Tuesday about what is happening.  
  Only really went out once to grocery store. Two male neighbors actually offered to help me.  Then later that night another male neighbor knocked my door invited me over to watch a movie and asked if I was in a relationship.  Asked my friend how I should feel that the only way guys find me attractive is if there’s a pandemic.    She said well the bars are closed. 
  Prayers to all. 

[howmanywords]

The best way I can put into words what Im feeling is this level of fear and anxiety that I had right after 9/11. It is downright terrifying now. I'm afraid to go out to simply go pick up prescriptions and groceries. I have NEVER seen NYC like this. Businesses are closed and some will not survive, but Im also dealing with the daily stress of having a sister who is a nurse and working under conditions so poor that her hospital is making doctors and nurses reuse masks. This hospital currently is overrun with people with this damn virus. My husband is a first responder and is barely sleeping. Anyone else feel like this is some sick nightmare? Hugs to all who need them.

[boes]

39 minutes ago, howmanywords said:

The best way I can put into words what Im feeling is this level of fear and anxiety that I had right after 9/11. It is downright terrifying now. I'm afraid to go out to simply go pick up prescriptions and groceries. I have NEVER seen NYC like this. Businesses are closed and some will not survive, but Im also dealing with the daily stress of having a sister who is a nurse and working under conditions so poor that her hospital is making doctors and nurses reuse masks. This hospital currently is overrun with people with this damn virus. My husband is a first responder and is barely sleeping. Anyone else feel like this is some sick nightmare? Hugs to all who need them.

I'm so sorry for all this stress and anxiety to be literally on your own doorstep.  With your husband a first responder and your sister a nurse I don't know how you could feel anything other than fear and anxiety.  I hope that you have times when it at least lessens, when your husband walks through your door, safe, and your sister makes it through another shift so far unscathed.  The world has turned into a scene from an apocalyptic film except now we're all in it, and this is real.  I don't know if you have people you can talk to about it, express your fears and feelings, but as imperfect as any online forum might be, please let us know how you're feeling and doing, and what you're going through and we'll try to be there as much as we can.  At least we can listen.

Howmanywords, take care and don't hold back, not with us.

[Lastwaltz]

Sending love and strength to @howmanywords and everyone else. This will take a toll on all of us for far longer than the quarantine and crisis itself. I'm glad we have places like this to spend a little time every day. 

Keep us posted. 

[DaphneCat]

I just want to say that I hope people feel better after venting here.  Even if I don't respond, I'm listening.  Sometimes, just saying it out loud can help.  I hope people feel this is a caring place to say it out loud.

[Frozendiva]

Canadians, Americans, and all the rest of us, are in this together.

[tribeca]

Everyday I call and check on some elderly friends they are lucky their daughter and granddaughters live downstairs.  They are in eighties usually very active.  They Would usually plan an activity each day,   The wife has handled the staying in much better.  Husband at first was going out. The other day he got dizzy and passed out in bathroom.  When I talked to her she said after that he stayed in bed all day and did not eat anything,   Asked if she called doctor she said the office would not take her call and had a message to call 911.   Asked her if she could call a different doctor.  Finally was able to get her to talk to a friend who is a nurse,  friend was able to take his blood pressure.  It was so low she said he needs to go to ER. 
daughter drove him,  you basically drop off patient and leave. No visitors. He remembered his cell phone but not his charger .  He has a phone in his room now.  He was dehydrated and he was bleeding inside.  When I talked to him he was about to have a test.  He has been on a liquid diet for two days,    His wife messaged me today that he will be sent home today,  

[boes]

1 hour ago, tribeca said:

Everyday I call and check on some elderly friends they are lucky their daughter and granddaughters live downstairs.  They are in eighties usually very active.  They Would usually plan an activity each day,   The wife has handled the staying in much better.  Husband at first was going out. The other day he got dizzy and passed out in bathroom.  When I talked to her she said after that he stayed in bed all day and did not eat anything,   Asked if she called doctor she said the office would not take her call and had a message to call 911.   Asked her if she could call a different doctor.  Finally was able to get her to talk to a friend who is a nurse,  friend was able to take his blood pressure.  It was so low she said he needs to go to ER. 
daughter drove him,  you basically drop off patient and leave. No visitors. He remembered his cell phone but not his charger .  He has a phone in his room now.  He was dehydrated and he was bleeding inside.  When I talked to him he was about to have a test.  He has been on a liquid diet for two days,    His wife messaged me today that he will be sent home today,  

Tribeca, you're a really good friend to that couple.