Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[Jeanne222]

8 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Me too, having had a bad anaphylactic reaction to Paxil, I am going to wait a long time and watch reactions before I take a chance. My son as a fireman has already had the Moderna vaccine and seems fine. He's in CA 

Moderna.  That's the one my son suggests.  I'm thinking it's the one without the live virus.  It ships cold but not frozen like the Fizer one.

[Jeanne222]

2 hours ago, deirdra said:

Guillain-Barré syndrome ?

My husband had that and he had NOT taken the flu shot!  Strange.  He was hospitalized twice and luckily it stayed in his extremities and did not go into his heart and lungs.

[Teafortwo]

Just now, Jeanne222 said:

Moderna.  That's the one my son suggests.  I'm thinking it's the one without the live virus.  It ships cold but not frozen like the Fizer one.

Neither of the vaccines have live virus. With both vaccines, it is still possible to be an asymptomatic carrier which means masks will be around for awhile (at least for those of us wanting to protect others).

[Kohola3]

8 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

I'm thinking it's the one without the live virus.

Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna have the live virus.  Both are the mRNA approach.  More information from University of Michigan Health.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Kohola3
spelling

[iwantcookies]

My grandmas only sister died from a reaction to a vaccine when she was very young. 
 

 

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

2 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

I'm thinking it's the one without the live virus.

Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna have the live virus.  Both are the mRNA approach.  More information from University of Michigan Health.

Yes, thankfully!  Also, most flu vaccines don't contain live virus either but dead virus, which can't make you get the flu.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

12 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

Neither of the vaccines have live virus. With both vaccines, it is still possible to be an asymptomatic carrier which means masks will be around for awhile (at least for those of us wanting to protect others).

And like the flu shot, doesn't mean you still wont get covid, just hopefully you won't have a really bad case.  I have a friend in the medical field who said, in reality we should probably wear masks around others, for at least another year.  He said until you get the world vaccinated, it's just a safe thing to do.  Because of the mostly unrestricted travel, we will keep spreading it around.

[Kohola3]

35 minutes ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

I have a friend in the medical field who said, in reality we should probably wear masks around others, for at least another year. 

Yep, figure on that being the case for those who have the brains to understand the concept of herd immunity (which means, according to Dr. Fauci, 90% of the population having been vaccinated) and the continued rate of transmission. 

I'm already planning my "summer wear" masks.  I did season-specific ones for fall, Christmas and winter once supplies were available.  Now I'll start watching for Easter, spring, summer material as soon as it's safe to go back into a store.

[Absolom]

I have to go to a hospital for medical treatment monthly.  I'll be wearing masks everywhere outside for at least a month or two longer than they require us to wear their masks at the hospital.   There are some places I may wear a mask to ongoing after that.

[Teafortwo]

I have no problem wearing a mask around others indefinitely. That's not to say I  enjoy wearing one. It's just a matter of playing it safe. But once I am vaccinated I will most certainly breathe a sigh of relief! I hope that the vaccine will soon be distributed to less wealthy countries as well as North America and Europe. 

[Teafortwo]

Has anyone seen or heard from @Kyanight lately? It just occurs to me I haven't seen a post from her in quite awhile. I hope she is okay.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Teafortwo

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Teafortwo said:

Has anyone seen or heard from @Kyanightlately? It just occurs to me I haven't seen a post from her in quite awhile. I hope she is okay.

I've wondered about her, too.  I hope she'll check in with us soon.  AFAIK, she's the only one among us, with a history of having been a plural wife.  

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Teafortwo said:

Has anyone seen or heard from @Kyanightlately? It just occurs to me I haven't seen a post from her in quite awhile. I hope she is okay.

I've also been wondering about her.  I just took a look at her profile and her last activity on the forums was on the 1st week of November.   I hope nothing is seriously wrong.  I also hope someone knows how to contact her.  😞 

[Sandy W]

6 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I've also been wondering about her.  I just took a look at her profile and her last activity on the forums was on the 1st week of November.   I hope nothing is seriously wrong.  I also hope someone knows how to contact her.  😞 

If you click on the black message box on one of her postings, you could send her a direct message off the board.  If she is checking in to read along periodically, she will see it and hopefully respond.  I too have been wondering where she is.

[Kohola3]

14 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I also hope someone knows how to contact her.

I dropped her a note through the message option.  Will let you know if I hear anything.  We've corresponded that way in the past.

[Jeanne222]

I think I'll be wearing a mask forever!  Well...my forever isn't that long age wise!

I will just feel more comfortable returning to somewhat normal life and being able to do some of the things I enjoyed before covid!

I'm beginning to feel a bit bogged  down with this isolation.  Things that didn't bother me before seem to keep going through my head!  I need to up and at em!

[Pickleinthemiddle]

8 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Yep, figure on that being the case for those who have the brains to understand the concept of herd immunity (which means, according to Dr. Fauci, 90% of the population having been vaccinated) and the continued rate of transmission. 

I'm already planning my "summer wear" masks.  I did season-specific ones for fall, Christmas and winter once supplies were available.  Now I'll start watching for Easter, spring, summer material as soon as it's safe to go back into a store.

My daughter just made some more this past week.  I use a clean one every day.  A few were spring and summer inspired.  

[Gramto6]

My son is sending me a box of N95 Masks (he is a fireman) after the first of the year. I'll be wearing masks for at least the next year to be sure! Still on the fence re the vaccine.

[laurakaye]

On 12/23/2020 at 8:42 PM, Teafortwo said:

Omigosh, LauraKaye, I did not know you were a front-line worker, and I am SO, SO happy to hear you got your first round of the vaccine!! ❤️❤️❤️

 

To be fair I am not really a front line worker, I am clerical support behind the scenes - I was grouped in with our department on my vaccine day.  I work for nurses that do direct patient care and I am in awe of every single one of them - and I also know that there's no way I could ever be a nurse.  That's why I admire them so much!

For what it's worth, I have been listening to a podcast called "In the Bubble."  Every episode deals with some aspect of this pandemic - the vaccine, isolation, the political transition, etc.  I learned a lot from a recent interview with Dr. Fauci regarding the speed with which this vaccine was developed, which was my major concern.  He explained (and I paraphrase this badly) that this vaccine has been in development for years on related viruses before Covid actually happened, so they weren't starting from scratch.  He explained it in a way that made me feel okay with getting it.  I've learned a lot from that podcast.

Also, someone mentioned a Bee Gees documentary and I need to know what it's called and how to watch it immediately!! 💗

[ginger90]

8 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Also, someone mentioned a Bee Gees documentary and I need to know what it's called and how to watch it immediately!! 

I believe it was on HBO.

You may find it on YouTube.

Edited December 28, 2020 by ginger90

[Jeanne222]

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-bee-gees-how-can-you-mend-a-broken-heart

 

I found this one on HBO over on You Tube.  Bee Gees.

[Teafortwo]

2 hours ago, laurakaye said:

To be fair I am not really a front line worker, I am clerical support behind the scenes - I was grouped in with our department on my vaccine day.  I work for nurses that do direct patient care and I am in awe of every single one of them

In my book, this makes you a front-line worker, since you're in contact with nurses who are in contact with patients. I'm very glad hospitals are offering the vaccine to support staff as well as medical. I know that this is happening at NYC area hospitals as well, although an acquaintance who is a young ER nurse at a major NY hospital says that some staff are declining to be vaccinated at this time. I was a bit surprised but I don't know if the decliners are medical personnel, housekeeping (such a vital role!), office staff or whomever.

[LilWharveyGal]

Can I whine for a minute?

At Halloween, bizarrely, I was not in the mood for Christmas music. Today, Dec. 28, I still felt like decking some halls so I checked out the local radio stations that started playing carols on Oct. 30. It's all back to normal! What the eff, people?! Can I vote that we play Christmas tunes from Thanksgiving to New Year's rather than blowing our wad pre-Halloween?

Thank you. 😁

 

[xwordfanatik]

Whining is encouraged here, LWG!  As a COL in fine standing, I will do some whining now and then, myself!

1 hour ago, Teafortwo said:

In my book, this makes you a front-line worker, since you're in contact with nurses who are in contact with patients. I'm very glad hospitals are offering the vaccine to support staff as well as medical. I know that this is happening at NYC area hospitals as well, although an acquaintance who is a young ER nurse at a major NY hospital says that some staff are declining to be vaccinated at this time. I was a bit surprised but I don't know if the decliners are medical personnel, housekeeping (such a vital role!), office staff or whomever.

I agree.  I am surprised that some hospital staff are declining vaccination.  Perhaps they've had a reaction to another shot?  I'll be ready when they get around to me, eventually.  I would have volunteered to test it if I lived where that was going on (Seattle?  And other places?)

BeeGees fan here, too.  I even liked the remake of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, with Peter Frampton, and I think it was widely panned.

[laurakaye]

I know several co-workers who are not getting the vaccine.  It's not mandatory - at least not yet.  I have no idea how this is going to play out.

[MsTree]

First time in Small Talk, so pardon the question if it's already been answered. What is COL?  I know what SOL stands for, but perhaps not the right context here 😉

[laurakaye]

COL can be "cranky old lady" or "clueless old lady."  If Mariah were to stop by your home and do some Sun Salutations in front of your house and you immediately ran for your hose to spray her off your lawn, you are automatically enrolled in the COL club. 🙂

[Kohola3]

59 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

COL can be "cranky old lady" or "clueless old lady." 

Yeah, my original intent was "clueless" since I never understand the references on the social media postings by the clowns.  But some days "cranky" fits the situation perfectly.  One thing about the COL's, we're flexible in our snark.

[Roslyn]

Quote

Quote

Great to see you "back on the board" again, Roslyn! Hope you are doing well

 

I took the quote from another thread from @Teafortwo ...

Thank you so much...this was sweet to read.  I am here off and on to read and catch up.  It's been a rough couple of months with some dental issues.  It was NOT the year for spring lockdown to cancel my checkup and I've had several rounds of antibiotics, and one root canal so far.  Hopefully everything will be done with my January appointment, but it takes forever to even get an appointment for evaluation right now. I don't do well on antibiotics.  My fatigue worsens and my brain goes fuzzy(er).

I am here to give support "likes" tho 😊

[Teafortwo]

8 hours ago, Roslyn said:

I took the quote from another thread from @Teafortwo ...

Thank you so much...this was sweet to read.  I am here off and on to read and catch up.  It's been a rough couple of months with some dental issues.  It was NOT the year for spring lockdown to cancel my checkup and I've had several rounds of antibiotics, and one root canal so far.  Hopefully everything will be done with my January appointment, but it takes forever to even get an appointment for evaluation right now. I don't do well on antibiotics.  My fatigue worsens and my brain goes fuzzy(er).

I am here to give support "likes" tho 😊

Sorry to hear you had to go through that, Roslyn. But glad to know you're okay! 

[Meowwww]

Ugh.  The whole “did I already have it” “do I have it” is making my mental health not so good. 
Rants ahead. 
You all know I’m an essential worker.  I work at a small family owned pet food store.  Staffing is a struggle at best.  
Background:  I am 50   

Hubby and I were in London in October 2019.  I have a history of getting horribly sick every time I travel.  This time, both hubby and I got sick. Lots my sense of taste and smell.  Horrible lungs, fever, etc.  went to a doctor in London and got antibiotics and they didn’t help.  After we got home, he was fine but my lungs were so bad I ended up in the ER.  No meds helped, I got better after over a month. News is out that it was in Italy in September  

FF to this November, I was really feeling ill and my boss sent me home for the 2 weeks.  It was awful for mental health.  Negative test. Was it COVID? Insurance won’t pay for an antibody test.   My doctor is amazing, and even he says the antibody tests aren’t so accurate  

I’m one who gets a bad cold at least twice a year. To the point I lose taste and smell, horrible cough.  Except this year...I am so sold on wearing a mask it isn’t even funny. I will always wear one while traveling from now on. 

Anyway.  Today I have body aches and a sore throat.  It’s probably the new winter storm here in Wisconsin   

This game of do I have it, did I have it is killing me.  I’m so over the worry.  
When I get sick, I get really sick.  So I’m stressing about if this is COVID, if it is, how bad will it get?   Did I already have it?  I have asthma and weak lungs.  When I was a kid, I had pneumonia every winter until I was 16 or so.  
 

My hubby is very cavalier.  He went to thanksgiving and Christmas at his 75 year old parents’. My in laws are wonderful but they aren’t concerned either.  They are almost desperate to have my hubby, his sister and brother and our families over.  I stayed home. I’m just worried because when I get sick, I get SO sick and I’m selfish to worry about myself lol. 
 

My younger stepson, 20, flew in from Mississippi a few weeks ago.  He’s been splitting his time between our house and his mom’s, and there are a ton of kids at her house. He’s feeling fine.  I’m thankful for my older stepson who also has refused to do family gatherings this year.  
 

I’m just so stressed about this whole thing.  I’ve been coasting along, feeling ok about it, but it’s all been building up. 
 

Long story short. I can’t change my situation. I don’t need advice.  I just want to know how you all are dealing with it.  How your families are or are not worried. 
 

Hugs to you all and thanks for listening. 
 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Meowwww

[Kohola3]

4 minutes ago, Meowwww said:

I’m selfish to worry about myself

Do not EVER feel that way, especially now.  We are all at our wit's end but you have to be out with the public which must be a nightmare.  Nobody is going to feel responsible for your health so you must absolutely be the one in charge of your precautions!  

I have to say that this is one time when not having a family has been a bonus for me.  You cannot divorce inconsiderate (and potentially fatal) relatives!  I honestly don't know what I would do in your shoes.  

[riverblue22]

I took a trip to California in 2019 for a family reunion, and I got so sick it ruined part of my vacation.  I did manage to drag around Disney Land with the grandkids but that really put me in bed for the rest of the week.  After that experience, I think I will mask up every time I get on a plane in the future.  One nice thing about this mask business is not being sick at all during these covid months.

[Meowwww]

24 minutes ago, riverblue22 said:

I took a trip to California in 2019 for a family reunion, and I got so sick it ruined part of my vacation.  I did manage to drag around Disney Land with the grandkids but that really put me in bed for the rest of the week.  After that experience, I think I will mask up every time I get on a plane in the future.  One nice thing about this mask business is not being sick at all during these covid months.

I so agree!!!  The mask has protected me from being sick.  I may look weird in the future, but if it helps me not get sick, who cares lol n

46 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Do not EVER feel that way, especially now.  We are all at our wit's end but you have to be out with the public which must be a nightmare.  Nobody is going to feel responsible for your health so you must absolutely be the one in charge of your precautions!  

I have to say that this is one time when not having a family has been a bonus for me.  You cannot divorce inconsiderate (and potentially fatal) relatives!  I honestly don't know what I would do in your shoes.  

I love my in laws and my hubby.  I just kind of feel alone in my heightened state of worry.  Thank you.  Hugs. 

[Rabbit Hutch]

On 12/28/2020 at 1:03 PM, LilWharveyGal said:

Can I whine for a minute?

At Halloween, bizarrely, I was not in the mood for Christmas music. Today, Dec. 28, I still felt like decking some halls so I checked out the local radio stations that started playing carols on Oct. 30. It's all back to normal! What the eff, people?! Can I vote that we play Christmas tunes from Thanksgiving to New Year's rather than blowing our wad pre-Halloween?

Thank you. 😁

 

Agreed.  Am on a quick 10-day holiday run with hubby, and we're still playing it at night.  Don't  care what people think.  Just like the Grinch said, "It's both joyful and triumphant at the same time!"  😛

[Kohola3]

On 12/28/2020 at 1:03 PM, LilWharveyGal said:

Can I whine for a minute?

At Halloween, bizarrely, I was not in the mood for Christmas music. Today, Dec. 28, I still felt like decking some halls so I checked out the local radio stations that started playing carols on Oct. 30. It's all back to normal! What the eff, people?! Can I vote that we play Christmas tunes from Thanksgiving to New Year's rather than blowing our wad pre-Halloween?

Got my vote on that!  Ditto on the decorations.  I leave everything up until Little Christmas (Jan. 6) and then it comes down slowly.  Nothing better on dark mornings and early evenings than the glow of Christmas lights.  I watch my Christmas DVDs or things I have taped when the mood hits me.  One holiday at at time, people.  Nothing Christmas until after Thanksgiving!

[laurakaye]

9 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Long story short. I can’t change my situation. I don’t need advice.  I just want to know how you all are dealing with it.  How your families are or are not worried. 
 

I thank a higher power every night when I go to sleep that my family and I are okay for today.

As for how I am dealing?  I alternately check out mentally, or I get so anxious I need medication.  I have been reading a lot in order to check out.  I try to walk every day to check out.  I am sleeping more.  It's a struggle to eat healthy because my instinct is to hit the comfort food hard and gain 20 pounds and then get mad at myself for doing it.  I haven't properly watched the news in months.  I obsessively check the "Covid Act Now" map to see how the country is doing, and how my state/county is doing.  I rely on the weekly videos from our local health department because it's way too easy to fall down a rabbit hole of misinformation and online fighting/name calling.  So....in short - I am all over the place.

I am curious to see how others are dealing/not dealing.  I think it's honestly way too much information/directions/divisiveness/confusion for one human brain to handle for so long of a time.  When I think about my own tiny bubble of family and how even we are divided, it's too much to handle.

[Kohola3]

22 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I am curious to see how others are dealing/not dealing. 

I only watch PBS news and then not every night, can only take so much.  Check the District Health website for up to date facts but not daily, can only take so much.  Watching our governor's press conferences when she has them, our Chief Medical Officer is wonderful.  Otherwise I remain in my little bubble (me and my neighbor) and read a lot so I don't think too much.  I have taken up watercolor so am taking online classes for that.  Our local Lifelong Learning groups are doing Zoom classes so I am watching most of those even if I'm not all that interested.  Preparing for a long winter where getting out is difficult at times (waiting for the plows to come through as we speak).  And watching the vaccine rollout schedule to see where we are.  RIght now my group is just before the general population so not much hope it will be soon.

But every time I start to get "woe is me" I harken back to WWII where London was bombed nightly. there was death and destruction and rationing and kids were sent away.  And it went on for YEARS.  So I try to buck up and tell myself not to be such a wimp, we've only been at it for a few months.  We can do this.  We have to.

[laurakaye]

12 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

But every time I start to get "woe is me" I harken back to WWII where London was bombed nightly. there was death and destruction and rationing and kids were sent away.  And it went on for YEARS.  So I try to buck up and tell myself not to be such a wimp, we've only been at it for a few months.  We can do this.  We have to.

This is spot-on.  I just read the book "The Splendid and the Vile" about that very subject (Churchill's attempt to get the US involved in WWII and the constant bombing).  It was literally amazing to me how Londoners managed to go on with their lives, but they did.  I too sometimes think about how we are also going through a type of war ourselves in 2020, and I wonder about the long-term effects it will have on everyone.

[Absolom]

12 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Long story short. I can’t change my situation. I don’t need advice.  I just want to know how you all are dealing with it.  How your families are or are not worried. 

I know.  Every asthma attack, is it asthma or COVID shortness of breath?  One of my daughters is hypervigilant and the other is more relaxed.  They each think the other is a bit off.  Trying to not mediate between them and yet handle their concerns for my health has been a challenge.  My son is you do what you're comfortable with, mom.  That helps.  

Being concerned for your health and following CDC guidelines isn't being selfish.  People who ask us to accept their potentially reckless standards is selfish.  They are refusing to set their personal desires aside for the common good.  

I was a bit of a nervous mess when the pandemic first started, but I've kind of settled into what risks I'll accept and which I won't.  I ditched grocery delivery, but I go to the store as little as possible and at off hours.  I double mask most of the time in stores.  I wait outside at the vet.  Basically do what I can to be as safe as I can and try to let it go.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

5 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I thank a higher power every night when I go to sleep that my family and I are okay for today.

As for how I am dealing?  I alternately check out mentally, or I get so anxious I need medication.  I have been reading a lot in order to check out.  I try to walk every day to check out.  I am sleeping more.  It's a struggle to eat healthy because my instinct is to hit the comfort food hard and gain 20 pounds and then get mad at myself for doing it.  I haven't properly watched the news in months.  I obsessively check the "Covid Act Now" map to see how the country is doing, and how my state/county is doing.  I rely on the weekly videos from our local health department because it's way too easy to fall down a rabbit hole of misinformation and online fighting/name calling.  So....in short - I am all over the place.

I am curious to see how others are dealing/not dealing.  I think it's honestly way too much information/directions/divisiveness/confusion for one human brain to handle for so long of a time.  When I think about my own tiny bubble of family and how even we are divided, it's too much to handle.

I don't know how to describe what I am dealing with, probably some depression, anxiety.  I have never been a napper, now I do a few times a week..is it boredom ?  Back in April I had to put to sleep my beloved dog, a month later was laid off from my job..I am still unemployed going on 7 months..I couldn't even get some seasonal work, I don't know why, I am only 52 - I was in the travel industry for 30 years, I am not sure why I am not even getting much interest, I am well qualified, educated, personable - my resume is updated and done quite well. I am getting discouraged and only have about a month left in savings now. My state pays next to nothing in unemployment, I think we are the 2nd lowest in the country. I have a home that the loan is through FHA and they aren't offering deferred payments, so once my "time" is up, they expect full repayment or a loan modification which is also stressful. I know I am not alone in this situation, but sometimes I feel like it.  I have no motivation to do anything because in my mind, there is always tomorrow...

[Sandy W]

12 minutes ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I don't know how to describe what I am dealing with, probably some depression, anxiety.  I have never been a napper, now I do a few times a week..is it boredom ?  Back in April I had to put to sleep my beloved dog, a month later was laid off from my job..I am still unemployed going on 7 months..I couldn't even get some seasonal work, I don't know why, I am only 52 - I was in the travel industry for 30 years, I am not sure why I am not even getting much interest, I am well qualified, educated, personable - my resume is updated and done quite well. I am getting discouraged and only have about a month left in savings now. My state pays next to nothing in unemployment, I think we are the 2nd lowest in the country. I have a home that the loan is through FHA and they aren't offering deferred payments, so once my "time" is up, they expect full repayment or a loan modification which is also stressful. I know I am not alone in this situation, but sometimes I feel like it.  I have no motivation to do anything because in my mind, there is always tomorrow...

My heart goes out to you MFM.  I too am suffering with inertia and an uncharacteristic tendency to let projects go unfinished.  My workspace at home is heaped with at least 20 items that need attending to, and yet, I start in on something new.  Hoping I guess for stimulation.

The travel industry is suffering greatly I'm sure.  As tempting as the bargain excursions offered presently are, I am reluctant to book anything for the future.  Even with assurances that postponements are available with no penalty, I'm not sure that a year down the road I would have the stamina needed for the adventurous tours that are most appealing.

You have a real gift for expressing yourself with clarity.  Have you considered writing a travel blog for those armchair travelers that could only enjoy the experiences you no doubt have had with 30 years in the industry, through the eyes of someone who has been there, done that?  I have read with gusto Anthony Bourdain's (RIP) books, knowing I would never see these exotic places and partake of the meals personally, but he took me there, right along with him.

[Rabbit Hutch]

Don't wanna crawl outta bed?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna take your online yoga class?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna shower?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna learn something new?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna walk the dog?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna do LIFE?

Do it anyway!

Let's face it, sometimes life is just a slog, and we just gotta muddle our way through it.  Besides, I don't care for the alternative!  🧟‍♂️

Feel free to add your own personal "Don't wanna dos" to the list.  Maybe we'll make a bonfire outta them when this is all over.  🔥

[laurakaye]

I love reading travel blogs, especially if they are also funny (I adore Bill Bryson books, for example).  This might be something to look into!  Incidentally, since these threads have been slow (come on, season 15!) I have been doing some re-reading of old threads - lately I have been going back into Janelle's threads and @Mahamid Frauded Me's "Strife" posts have me snort-laughing.  SUCH good times. 🙂

I understand the inertia as well.  When I was off work from mid-March to May, I thought about all the things I was going to do - organize the kitchen, clean out my closets, do some jigsaw puzzles, etc.  I did none of those things.  I couldn't even read - and I typically read 70+ books a year.  I kind of wandered around like I was lost in my own house.  That's when I did some research into the brain on stress - even though the threat of Covid isn't the same type of immediate danger that causes "fight-or-flight," the reaction in the brain is very similar.  If you're going for a walk and you think about getting charged by a bear, you won't enjoy the walk.  Similarly, if you're off work due to an unseen, lurking pandemic, you likely won't be able to relax enough to do something productive.  Your brain is protecting you.  That made me feel a little bit better.

Also, I have a friend who is a travel agent.  I told her that although travel is super slow right now, I have the feeling that it's going to come charging back in a huge way - maybe not until the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022, but ALL I daydream about right now are the places I want to go but can't - and with this pandemic, my priorities are changing.  I don't want STUFF.  I want EXPERIENCES.  I want to GO TO ALL THE PLACES.

[LilWharveyGal]

12 minutes ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

Don't wanna crawl outta bed?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna take your online yoga class?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna shower?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna learn something new?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna walk the dog?

Do it anyway

Don't wanna do LIFE?

Do it anyway!

Can someone please send this to Janelle? 😆

[xwordfanatik]

MFM, we know that you have a great sense of humor, and I agree with LK, your Strife posts are hilarious.  You write well, and as Sandy says, with your experience and writing ability, do consider a travel blog.  You have a lot of love here.

[Rabbit Hutch]

10 minutes ago, LilWharveyGal said:

Can someone please send this to Janelle? 😆

Heheh, it would probably send her flying to her air-fryer.  🙄

[Kohola3]

Don't want to wear a mask, miss a party, cancel a wedding, stop traveling, give a flying fig for your fellow man?

Do it anyway.

[xwordfanatik]

32 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Don't want to wear a mask, miss a party, cancel a wedding, stop traveling, give a flying fig for your fellow man?

Do it anyway.

Times 1,000,000.

[Teafortwo]

16 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Long story short. I can’t change my situation. I don’t need advice.  I just want to know how you all are dealing with it.  How your families are or are not worried. 

Glad to see you back on the board, @Meowwww. I was thinking of you but I couldn'It remember your screenname. Knowing you work in a pet store, I was hoping you'd managed to stay well. 

I've been almost completely isolated. I speak with neighbors I run into in the street, backing away from them when they get too close for comfort. I participate in a a couple of weekly zoom gab sessions with friends. I speak often with a friend on the West Coast who is equally strict about avoiding others during this time. 

My favorite cousin had covid in late April through most of May. His primary symptom was delirium; he also developed pneumonia. He has been hospitalized twice, the first time for covid, the second, 4 months later, for a serious blood infection called camphylobacter. He is lucky in the sense that his main ongoing symptoms are psychological (anxiety and depression) but not otherwise physical. He can exercise; he can breathe. He also retired in August, which he'd been wanting to do for a couple years. Unfortunately his wife is not on the same page regarding caution. She had the option to teach her high school students from home, which he urged her to do, but she's chosen to go in to work every day. So he worries she and his kids will get infected, or that he'll get reinfected. 

My problems are that a couple of neighbors in my building don't follow the rules to wear masks in the hallways, basement laundry room, etc. I've been going to a local laundromat on warmer days, as there are generally few people and better air circulation there, and it is much cleaner. However, with hearing about this new, more contagious strain of the virus, I've stopped. The other day I washed my duvet cover in the bathtub. No mean feat. I live in NYC in a small apartment building, as many of you will remember.

I'm basically anxious all the time, except for when I check out and watch cat videos. Leaving and entering my building makes me anxious, since I don't know what could be floating around in the hallways (no ventilation). I'm anxious on the street, where I am continuously on the alert for people approaching without masks. I do wear a face shield over my mask. I restrict my grocery shopping to a couple of local stores, one of which limits the number of people inside. The other is small and has a plate glass window. If I see someone inside with a lowered mask, or if there are more than four shoppers inside I don't go in. I did not eat any take out food or deli sandwiches until the beginning of September. Now I purchase both about once a week. 

We've had mice and construction workers in our building throughout this whole pandemic. The construction crew is limited to one or two people due to covid, which means that the work (an apartment renovation right above me) has been protracted. They hope to finish this spring.

The worst is an inconsiderate neighbor who refuses to enter and exit his apartment quietly, which means I am often startled by the slamming door, which rattles me every time and is worse than the construction noise because it happens at all hours. 

I was severely anxious and depressed during the summer and took anxiety medicine. I was pretty much immobilized during that time and barely eating. I finally weaned myself off of the medication and began walking and eating again in late August. I discovered in late October that I'd lost 15 pounds. I could have used losing 5 but 15 was too much. I've gained some back though.

I do agree that it could be worse -- as another poster mentioned, London during WW II. I think I would have fared better if not for the situation with the neighbor. It is very unfortunate because the other neighbors are very nice. This is a kid whose father bought him the place, and he's a drug user. The co-op board admitted they made a mistake approving their purchase.  Among other things this kid travelled within the US over the summer, and did not follow NYC quarantine rules in place at the time (which increased my anxiety to a nearly paralyzing level about leaving my apartment during that time). "Hell is other people" as Sartre said.