I’m taking a break from my whole two days of blog posting about our rocky relationship with California to check in with y’all during this lockdown. No, I’m not Southern, and I don’t know why I keep saying y’all, but it’s my new thing for the week.
So much time on our hands, what to do, what to do? Enjoy our vices, that’s what. As long as they are inside and you wash your hands and don’t touch your face. Every time someone says, don’t touch your face, my hand immediately wants to touch my face. An itch comes out of nowhere.
I self-diagnosed myself years ago as an introvert (despite Meyer-Briggs telling me I’m more of an extrovert. As if.) and this time in the house continues to be glorious. I’ve been unemployed for six months-due to relocation, not because I got fired or threw my hands in the air and quit-and so this lockdown is really no different than what I’ve been experiencing for months. But, now, since I no longer have to look for a job (yes, I did get one, but my start date has been pushed out indefinitely) I can do pretty much whatever I want:
- Television. My best friend, my savior, my first love. I have carte blanche to watch it whenever I want, and whatever shows I want. My husband is stuck in the office on the phone, working all day, so the tube is all mine. I love all things murder. A couple new shows I’ve been enjoying are The Murders Tapes and The Lake Erie Murders. Hoarders, another favorite. I’m obsessed with it. Of course, everything on Bravo, but they are in-between shows right now. And, let’s not forget number one right now: The Crown. I am officially an anglophile. I was before, but this show has taken it to a new level.
- Virtual Happy Hours. Good lord. Gin martini’s in the middle of the week? Why not? I do make amazing blue cheese stuffed olives. These Happy Hours are starting to kill me. I think I’m aging at a rapid rate, with booze replacing the blood in my veins. It’s been awesome catching up with people, but could it be that even I have limits?
- Keeping a clean house/showering. Why? Why must we keep up the façade of being respectable, clean citizens when no one is going to see? Except for Happy Hours when I throw on some makeup and put daytime clothes on, of course. At this point, showering every other day and picking up the house occasionally seems acceptable.
- Exercise/Eating too much. I’m still working out. Ugh. I work out at home anyway, so I can’t even use this lockdown as an excuse. I’m forcing Brian to do it as well, and so far, he hates it. I’m trying not to shovel food into my mouth every five minutes, and so far, that’s not working. I’m hoping to come out of this not a much larger version of myself. A new snack we will be trying out this week (a friend gave us the suggestion) is a new flavor profile for popcorn. It’s called “Amish Country Popcorn” and consists of a four pack of seasonings-White Cheddar cheese, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheddar cheese and Ranch. I was told that these makes popcorn taste like Cheetos or Ruffles sour cream & onion chips. Sounds good to me!
On a serious note, with this new found freedom also comes sadness and grief. Uncertainty and helplessness. Our world is forever changed, and will never be the same again. Many, many people are risking their lives daily and we all need to remember that. Thank you to the healthcare professionals, small businesses, and teachers that are doing their very best in this very awful time.
To the rest of us mere mortals sitting this out at home, we must continue to support each other, stay connected, and for god’s sake, enjoy your vices!
Social distancing Photo credit
Junk food Photo credit
An Honest Swallow 
Tell me what you think!