Due Preparations for the Plague

I haven't been able to settle to anything the past few days other than obsessively going from the news to Twitter to Facebook and back again. I went grocery shopping three times in four days because I did one normal grocery shop and then a thing happened on Sunday that I will tell you about later (it's a long story and I come off like a loon in it, but why be coy) and then we found out Angus was coming home yesterday so I took Eve for her bloodwork (masked gloved person at the entrance with hand sanitizer and screening questions, only two other people there, chairs all placed a metre apart from each other) and then went to the grocery store in the same parking lot (very few people, easy to stay far apart, wiped down the cart). I got to the checkout with milk, bread, meat, cereal, fruit and vegetables and snacks and glanced back at the bearded hipster dude behind me who had.... two cans of Guinness and a pack of gum. I felt like he was doing the apocalypse better than I was.

Anyone else keep doing Personal Plague Math? It sucks that this happened this year because of this, but it would be worse if it was this. It sucks that this happened to my kids now because of this, but it would be worse if it was this. People with little kids dealing with quarantine or self-isolation? I salute you from a healthy distance away, because almighty lord, I cannot imagine. Pregnant people, people with wedding plans, people who have had vacations cancelled when they were barely hangin' on? And then, obviously, health care workers, essential service workers, people who can't just shelter in place and try to hang on to their butts until this is over? Will this be over?

I finally managed to read a book for a couple hours today without checking my phone. I kept forgetting that the people weren't in the same circumstances I am in now, and wondering why they could walk around talking to people and going to restaurants.

I should probably try to blog every day. Along with walking outside every day, doing some weight-bearing exercise every day, cooking something from scratch every day. I might not though. I might just say fuck it and just go with the flow. Matt has decreed that our family of introverts can do whatever we want all day (Angus has online course stuff and can't NOT work out, and Eve walks the dog every day and is studious so it's not like they need hounding) and then we will come together for some kind of family time at or before dinner. Today that meant Eve and I eating at the table while Matt and Angus tried to fix our ancient Wii because Angus decided he and Eve should play Mario Kart. And that is why our latest Amazon Prime order includes both laundry soap and a triwing screwdriver for Nintendo's freaking proprietary screws (yes I am trying to think of how to work 'proprietary screws' into a dirty comment, let me know if you come up with a good one).

I've been slipping into my usual at-home mode, which is staying up way too late, starting to cook stuff at nine p.m. and having to stay up after midnight to finish, forgetting what day it is. I haven't decided if I'm going to rein that in or to what extent, but I just realized I can finish this now and get to bed before eleven, so here goes. Stay safe out in there, everyone.

Comments

Swistle said…
YES plague math. I have been doing plague math. Older kids miss more important stuff, but little kids are harder to be home with, etc. It's great we have THIS, but unfortunate we have THAT, etc.

I too have been uncertain how much to Impose Order and how much to Go With The Flow.
Nicole said…
I think all the time about people with weddings, etc. R's colleague and his wife are now working from home - he's in same business as R WHICH I WILL NOT STATE PUBLICLY - and his wife is a lawyer. Their kids are 2 and 5. PRAY FOR THEM.
StephLove said…
I keep hearing about how people are filling all their free time at home and I think WHAT FREE TIME? I feel like I have a lot less-- trying to work with so many people in the house is terrible for my focus. Even with the kids doing a lot more housework than usual, I feel like I'm behind on everything. Beth is stressed about work, too.

My sister is supposed to get married in July. Not sure that's happening.
Busy Bee Suz said…
Plague math. Hmmm. I was going to say I wasn't do it, but we've mentioned several times how we're glad Lolo's wedding will be next year and not this one. Can you imagine having to cancel after a year of planning?

I believe I love your children. They are self-sufficient and good souls. It's good that your son is not in NY; it seems pretty bad there.

I'm trying to avoid FB (like the plague) because of so much bad information. I never knew how stupid some of my friends are...

Take care. I can't wait to see what you did at the grocery store to deem yourself a possible loon.
XO
Ernie said…
Please write every day. Pretty please! You can always make me laugh. (why be coy?) I will be contemplating a good line with 'proprietary screw' for days here - keep you posted. My hubby is a necessary medical guy, so he is only home here and there. They are taking all patients' temperatures as they arrive now. I agree 100% with Beth - I feel like I should be ordering photos to fill photo albums and get that shit up to date. I cannot even stay on top of the laundry right now and I am not even babysitting. Why? My kids are kind of causing me to lose my focus but only because I refuse to be OK with constant TV watching. My kids all have e-learning to do. I am definitely doing the math - asking Ed how glad are you that your senior trip to Europe was last year? I am kind of envious of people whose kids are super young that they aren't really 'missing' anything -but being stuck inside with them might be torturous at some point. I always liked when my kids were really little and we were home, but we were on the go a lot too. I also enjoyed nap time. Rough day here with Lad bolting back to NY without our permission. Very unsettled about his behavior and Coach now has to drive out there alone to get him and his stuff. Long ass, sob story to be posted on my blog tomorrow if I have the energy and the time. Again with the time, what I am up to even? Well, my kids are all making a meal each night. Careful what you wish for. Lots of assistance and approximately 12 phone calls from the grocery store as they shop for ingredients. So maybe that 'splains that.
Lynn said…
Did you get your Wii working? Ours crapped out about a year ago and I created an at-home cleaning kit based on a YouTube video. You get a blank disk and stick a cloth band aid on it at a certain place and then gently insert it and move it around to clean the laser head.

We have been playing a LOT of Mario around here. Also a LOT of Rock Band. Hopefully there are careers available in this area because heaven knows my kids are not doing any school work.

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