I’m not writing this for any specific audience. This is just to chronicles some of the events in my life during this crisis, if only so that I have a record of those in the future.
There’s No Place Like Home
It’s interesting how being isolated at home has an impact on my desire to connect with my family. Back when I was living in Chile, it was important for me to connect with my dad on a regular basis, and we got quite close chatting on Skype for (sometimes) well over an hour. It’s relevant to understand that my dad isn’t someone who likes to talk on the phone. He did, however, very much enjoy the visual experience of Skype, which is almost as close as being there in person.
While this COVID-19 crisis is going on, I’m trying to make it a point to give him a daily call—sometimes during lunch, sometimes after watching District 31, sometimes both. Since he’s 80 and not really getting much out of the house, it’s good for him to have interactions with the outside world. And honestly, it’s good for me too.
Hunting Gathering
Obviously the (almost) only reason I get out is to get food supplies. In addition to being a financially sound strategy (rather than eating out every other night), it means I’m eating healthier. And less. The result is that I’ve lost nearly 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks (a little less, actually).
I think I’ll keep that up.
While shelves aren’t exactly empty, there are shortages on the “usual suspects:” toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and (much to my distress) Greek yogurt. I guess I’ll have to start making my own yogurt pretty soon.
No Pain, No Gain
I always find it hard to dedicate time to training, and to turn it into a routine. Not having to commute to work (which saves me well over an hour a day) means I can get up a little earlier and make sure I train on a regular basis. I’m making it a general habit to do it around 6AM so I can cool down and get to work (remotely) by 8AM.
Bread and Circuses
Well, I’ve got the bread part covered, and I got myself a pretty decent supply of food for the next week. That said, the second part of the equation—entertainment—remains equally important. I’m glad to report that while all movie theaters have shut down (“Oh, WOE is me!”), I’m still able to get my daily dose of entertainment from Crave and Amazon Prime. My current watchlist involves watching the WHOLE Frasier series (and that is SO funny I can’t refrain from guffawing every episode) and Picard (which, as Trek goes, is pretty decent).
That’s all I have at the moment. More to come later.
–Jean