For Those Who Are Stuck Home

Spending too much time online and binge watching

I have had a headache for over 3 weeks. And muscle aches. Some days I feel strong and do a lot, work my job, and take a walk. Today I feel pre-feverish. I hope I don't get a fever. It's too LONG to match COVID-19. If was going to get it, it seems like I should have come down with it last week or before. Maybe I'm an outlier and it will just linger for a month. I'm going to pay bills and do some more work work today. Got to bring home the bacon.

Listening to the best streaming rock music station in the solar system, Classic Rock Planet. Rock on!

Reading, especially from Internet Archives. 140 million books to choose from. Free.

Hiking around outside for an hour each day. Fresh air, deep breaths.

Thanks r3 will check out Classic Rock Planet

Cool "It's Only Love" is playing now Bryan Adams/Tina Turner

Working.

Eating.

Stressing.

Haven’t even been able to focus well enough to sit through a 30-minute sitcom.

London.

Working on my little garden, which I've more or less ignored for years. Weeding. Cutting things back. I'm about to create a vegetable patch.

I've lived here so long, every cupboard and drawer needs sorting.

Also transferring vinyl to digital - but I need to be in a musicy mood to do that, so it's been slow.

"...The same thing we do every day, Pinky...Try to take over the world."

I'm self-employed, so my daily routine hasn't changed a lot. My contact with the public has always been minimal, job-wise. While I'm working, I listen to music. If the weather were decent here, I'd go for my daily walk or jog, but it's bloody cold and we have snow arriving tomorrow. Lots of it. If I want to take a break, I'll watch a movie, or read a bit from my current book. It's pretty much business as usual for me.

It's been great. I'm used to this kind of thing. Sitting back and watching all the amateurs suffer in this staying home thing.

R3 Thank you! I'm listening now...great music!

R10 The programming and mix are just fucking awesome! I don't know where you are in the world but usually about 15:00 GMT they play about an hour or so of straight 60s rock. Infuckingcredible!

How are you all getting food? I have to make a quick stop at supermarket when I go for walk - keeping distance best I can. In NYC. Delivery has no openings.

In nyc here also. Went for walk to get coffee and paper. Noticing that many ships are just outright closed now. Not even “delivery pickup only”. Just closed. Even my morning bagel place which is always packed.

^ shops

Markets are fully stocked and open. Part of my hour a day walk is to the market about a km away. Otherwise, I'd be engaged in a non-government approved activity and subject to arrest. Fresh bread bakeries are closed, but plenty of bread in the market. Not concerned about the other shoppers.

[R10] The programming and mix are just fucking awesome! I don't know where you are in the world but usually about 15:00 GMT they play about an hour or so of straight 60s rock. Infuckingcredible!

Do you like listening to old radio shows from the 60s? I love it. Hearing the songs when they were actually current being presented...if so try mixcloud.

This is the first time any radio station in the world played Sgt. Pepper...before its release.

As a university professor, I still have to deliver my lectures online, have online office hours, while still having to attend about 3-5 hours of weekly admin meetings via Zoom or Google Meet, so still plenty to keep me busy workwise. Having eliminated the travel time to work, as well as the wasted time at work, I've been reading more, watching some things that had been sitting in my Netflix list for a long time, cooking more with my partner, talking to non-work friends on FaceTime,...

Butt plugs. Dildos. Anal beads.

R18 Hey, Professor! Sounds like you are leading THE LIFE! Will you ever go back to 'school'??

I'm looking at footstools on Scully & Scully, considering how to spend the extra $600 a week I'll be getting from unemployment.

R16 Thanks! I'm going to mixcloud now. Oh, I'm in CDT.

[quote]I'm looking at footstools on Scully & Scully, considering how to spend the extra $600 a week I'll be getting from unemployment.

R21 You'd be better off buying toadstools; at least some of those are edible.

Everyone needs to watch The Tiger King on Netflix. I couldn't stop watching it. The biggest group of vile grifters I've ever seen. You think you can't be shocked, yet my jaw was on the floor the entire time.

I also rented The Good Liar last night and it was fabulous.

R24 Thanks. I saw an ad for The Tiger King but couldn't figure out what it was about. I'll try it this afternoon during my allotted 4 hour movie time. ( I allow myself a double feature every afternoon.)

I would hardly call it THE LIFE, R20, not being able to go out and do normal things. On the other hand, if we completely shut down 'schools', 'colleges', you know places that will actually make you employable after all this settles down, what would the sad cunts like you do? Except continuing cunting online, of course.

Oh R26?

So you teach at a vocational school then?

Plotting. Planning.

The new Animal Crossing.

In London. Watching lots of telly, Netflix and iPlayer. Reading a couple of hours a day and making sure I get my hour of exercise. I live in Blackheath which isn't really as densely populated as other parts of London and we have a large open space so it's quite easy to get about outside without coming into close contact with anyone. Also all our local "essential" shops are still stocked and open so apart from the constant feeling of impending apocalypse, it's not so bad.

Went to the liquor store this morning to stock up and then to the grocery. Bought way too much deli shit - antipasto salad, seafood pasta salad, all sorts of carb-y stuff. I'm going to be a fat pig when this is over. A fat drunk pig.

Lol

[Quote] After years of wanting to thoroughly clean my house but lacking the time, this week I learned that wasn't the reason.

Smoking, taking adderall, wanking, skateboarding

Cannabis and MST3K.

Here in SF, my partner and I have been shut in for over three weeks (mostly because we work for tech companies that have told everyone to stay home since 3/4).

Honestly, my own take is this: I'm super grateful to have a loving partner and a job that I can easily do from home. My own personal comfort and conveniences can totally take a break. I'm more worried about society in general, and elders that live around me (and in my own family). I can easily see this as a time to reset and reflect, but I'm certainly privileged enough to have that attitude. I admire all the essential service workers out there risking their health so that society doesn't completely crumble.

All that said, I'm doing very focused work here, without office distractions/noise, getting a lot done somehow. Laundry and dishes are caught up. We are certainly cooking more and finding more ways to reuse leftovers, etc. I've been making a point to call at least one person a day, and have a lengthy conversation with them, because who knows if/when I'll ever see them. It's very therapeutic to have these catch up conversations.

Also, I worked out some issues with a family member over the phone. Things that have been lingering for decades were being brought out, accounted for, and apologized for. Additionally, one of my cousins had a misunderstanding years ago involving my mother, and they both thought the other hated them. Given the quarantines, a simple innocent mention of my mother, while on the phone to my cousin, caused my cousin to call my mother after many years not speaking. They had a nice conversation and have made amends with each other, and appear to have cleared up the misunderstanding.

I know this is a terrible time, and a lot of uncertainty is in the air. But, there indeed are some silver linings.

When I retired (about 10 years ago), I fell into a pattern of doing nothing but sitting around all day eating and watching TV. Eventually I realized the need to break out of that and started to do a lot of volunteer work, travel, Meetup groups, etc. Now that's all cancelled, and I've fallen back into my bad habits. In some ways, it's a good thing, because I really was doing too much before all this happened (two major foreign trips in the past three months; volunteer activities nearly every day of the week) and now I'm able to catch up with my full DVR and other stuff. And I don't mind being alone. I'm avoiding going out except to pick up online grocery orders (no going inside!).

Like never before, I'm watching Netflix, Tubi, PlutoTV, HBO, Xfinity on Demand, and Epix, and browsing YouTube for my bucket list fantasy of travel and RV videos. Oh, and yeah, some porn mixed in with it all.

I have not been out of my apartment for the last 4 days, and I'm stressing out because for the last 6 days or so, I've had an off/on mildly scratchy throat and some intermittent labored breathing. I'm in my early 60s with asthma and heart disease. I know that if I call the clinic at the hospital, they'll just tell me to self-quarantine (which I'm already doing) and to contact them if the symptoms take a sudden turn for the worst. The thing is, is that there are numerous stories of people who's health greatly deteriorated in a matter of hours (after experiencing only mild symptoms over several days) with some of them succumbing to the disease, and others ending up in the ICU. Every day I feel like there's an unseen jury deliberating on my life, and I have no idea what or when the verdict will be.

To help cope with anxiety, I've been plowing through all of my comfort food which is just about gone (I have a supply of dry and canned goods that will last me about 5-6 weeks). I can't help but feel more and more alone with each passing day. I have a few friends, and some family scattered across a few states on the eastern seaboard, but they're all in the same boat, too. Fuck, the entire planet is. Planet Earth is currently akin to a huge ship adrift and on fire, and nobody knows how to put it out.

I’m cooking for the family. This morning I made a quiche with leftover broccoli and spinach, and a mix of cheeses. We have crossword puzzles and home improvement projects, I’m resuming a yoga practice and walking outside in nature. It has been pretty nice. My SIL is a lazy cow and doesn’t lift a finger, so I’m making lots of delicious comfort foods. Sit around, whine and eat bon-bons all day, Princess, see where that gets you.

I'm doing all the household stuff I've put off for years, and doing online jigsaw puzzles and organizing my photo files when I get tired of that shit.

I've assembled the Ikea furniture that had been sitting in the box for the last year, moved stuff off the old shelves, put it on the new shelves, smashed up the horrible old shelves, moved all the living room furniture to accommodate the new arrangement, etc. What do I do next?

Anything I Should be doing..... finding a new job, working out, bathing, eating healthy, catching up on chores, cleaning and organizing....I’m not doing.

Instead I’m eating too much, sleeping too much, playing video games too much, too much TV, stressing out about the future...... Basically avoiding reality. How do I make the switch around to being productive again?

Hey R20! You just got served by the professor!

R40 When you find out how to make the switch, please post. I need to know. There is so much I need to do and I'm just being a slug.

R18 / R41 OMG! I am so sorry! I meant no disrespect. The professor's post sounded so ideal -- being able to work from home, reading, watching movies, cooking with his partner. I must have not expressed myself well. I thought I was being 'cute' when I asked if he would ever go back to school - obvious fail.

Workouts with my trainer/str8 boyfriend, Jenny Craig, cleaning house, shaving pubes, online pornography.

I do watch repair as a hobby so I worked on one I've had sitting here since Christmas and plan to work on a few others. I'm taking more time than usual to stretch out the hours. I'm also catching up on reading all the repair books I've collected but never got around to reading.

When not doing that I'm watching DVDs. Just finished "I'll Take Manhattan" on the weekend and plan to watch all the seasons of "Ugly Betty" next.

Watch repair sounds relaxing for some reason.

Pissing and shitting.

Golden Girls binge

This is my third week in self isolation. I’m working at home and am intensely busy, so I am wiped by the end of the day. I had been cooking and freezing meals for weeks but I am out of fresh food so no more cooking.

I cleaned out my desk and found a few unused gift cards, my long missing sunglasses and some old cards I saved.

I’ve been watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and The Office on Netflix.

I’ve been going for walks, hikes and riding my bike.

In between fretting about finances and gearing myself up to ask my father for a loan to help get me through this nightmare (I worked as a contractor so no unemployment for me; ACA health insurance $1000/month for now due to last year's income)...

I am binge watching Frazier and also watching Judge Mathis; reading a lot of digital newspapers and magazines; keeping up with DL; taking my dog for a few walks; irritating my cat by playing too much with her...

And dipping into to the 2 cases of wine I bought last week when I misunderstood Cuomo's decree to shut businesses (I thought that included liquor stores).

I've been watching the Waltons on Amazon Prime. It's $25 dollars a season. It's strangely comforting. Richard Thomas leaves the series after the fifth season. By the sixth season, though, they are repeating old story lines.

Should I file for that tax extension?

Federal taxes have been put back until July, but state taxes have not.

FYI to those who love to read - Amazon kindle unlimited is offering 2 month free membership.

Haha

[Quote] After this is over, can us essential employees get a month of quarantine while the rest of y'all run things for a minute?

All right, I've re-organized my personal library, done the laundry, laundered and re-hung the curtains, done the vacuuming, windexed everything including the decorative mirrors.

Should I try to trim my own hair in the bathroom? My barber is closed for the foreseeable future.

R42 I’m still a reality avoiding slug over here. How about you? I did a few things around the house yesterday so that’s an improvement I suppose.

Working my ass off. Business as usual. No time to rub one off.

God, no one else mentioning drinking way too much? Feeling completely unmotivated to do any of the projects that I have wanted to get done, including looking at what the hell is in the three storage bins under the bed. I get so much done normally when I’m busy but this has somehow made me into a slug. I think about dinner all day: what’s in the house, what could we make, do we need a trip to the store. A trip to the liquor store is about we need now.

Cooking. DL. Catching up on some work. Tiger King. Washed the car.

Working. My full-time, work-from-home job hasn't changed.

Way less freelancing but not nothing.

Reading.

Working out.

Watching TV.

Video chatting with my parents.

Talking on THE PHONE, which I dislike but appreciate for the moment.

Cooking a little more than I usually do.

Collecting Covid-19 data.

Getting high starting around 6pm.

R40 / R56 I've lost all ambition to do anything productive. My newfound blah-ness reminds me of the expression: "If you want something done, ask the busiest person." I would make lists of things I needed to do and cross them off with a great feeling of accomplishment. Now I don't even want to start a list!

I'm hoping this, too, shall pass.

Spending too much time on the Internet. Watching Youtube videos. Joined Discord and found chatting with the young guys enlightening. So many were furious a week ago at Trump for the "let's sacrifice granny for the economy." I loved their statements, most worried about their mothers. Some even considering violent acts. I think Freud may have been right.

But the new UI bill has quieted down this incipient rebellion.

R58 I’m the same way but instead of drinking, I eat. I crave high calorie foods and sweets! I don’t know which is worse, drinking or eating too much.

What’s Discord r62

Weirdly, I am in the process of moving across country to LA this weekend.

The move has been planned for three months. I thought it wouldn't go through but movers are considered essential businesses so they just showed up early this morning and are taking everything. My flight to LA tomorrow has not been cancelled, in fact, the airline just assured me it will still be on.

So as anxious-making as moving can be, on top of it, I'm doing it in the most surreal moment possible.

Hope West Hollywood is going to be livable for the next few weeks/months. If anyone here is out there, please let me know what it's like. I'll be living near Melrose Place.

[quote] Should I file for that tax extension? Federal taxes have been put back until July, but state taxes have not.

What state are you in R52? Most states have extended to July, following federal (NY has for example). No extension filing required for July.

r64

Discord is a chat group, mostly geared to gamers. But they have multiple groups about different topics.

Thanks Marie. Sounds young. I guess I’m stuck with y’all a little longer, bitches.

"What state are you in [R52]? Most states have extended to July, following federal (NY has for example). No extension filing required for July. "

I'm in California. If the California state tax deadline has been put back, google didn't know about it last time I looked.

I'm also trying to get a DMV appt, with no luck and no walk-ins, the deadlines for changing regular driver's lisences to Real IDs hasn't been put back, either.

r69 California extended the deadline a week ago.

VA Stae taxes are due May 1

I need to tape my mouth shut! My ass is growing by the day!

Three hours and 12 minutes doesn't seem like so much time at this moment in our confinements.

So, of course, this afternoon, I screened the Blu-ray of CLEOPATRA.

It was faaaaaaaaaaabulous!

I cleaned out one of my crispers. Threw away all the bad fruits and vegetables. Then I rinsed it out with soapy water. It’s a pain in the butt though because it’s bigger than my sink. Little messy. Now I’m taking a break.

I’m trying to clean and declutter. Problem is my partner has so much stuff and he never likes to toss anything! He still has video cassettes that he never watches. I feel like just throwing them away. I don’t think he would notice. I have to toss His old stuff behind his back. We don’t have the space anymore so into the trash it goes!

[quote]I have to toss His old stuff behind his back. We don’t have the space anymore so into the trash it goes!

I've been playing with my cat and basically spoiling her.

I've started cleaning my messy rooms, but it's disheartening because they are so messy. I don't know where to begin. I need Marie Kondo or a Datalounger to help me organize.

Try flylady R77. We all need her now more than ever!

R77 Whenever I get up off the couch, I do a five minute clean/declutter in a certain room. And then if I feel like doing more I do more. Then I take another break. If you do this all day you will get something accomplished! Just don’t take super long breaks.

Lolz

[Quote] Quarantine day 20

Thanks, [R78], I will check that out.

Also thanks, (R79).

It's raining on a day when I'd hoped to go out for an extended bike ride, so now the kitchen floor is scrubbed to the point of moving the furniture, and I've cleaned all the crap out from under the bedroom furniture.

I think it'll be another evening of virtual birding on inaturalist.

Great time to watch old soap opera episodes - that is how I'm passing the time

Reddit, housework, legalporno.com, dog walking, texting and FaceTime with my str8 married bf, long hot baths in Epsom salts, Hulu, ID channel, Mama’s Family repeats on Logo and Golden Girls repeats on CMT and Hallmark Channel. Lots of CNN but I’m cutting down on it.

Just went skateboarding. DMed with some people I never have before. I work out every other day but all I have at home is barbells. I have about 6-7 books I haven't read. I'm running out of toilet paper. Watched Fight Club 3 times. Watched Sitting Pretty with Clifton Webb yesterday that I DVRed.

I’ve been spending time on Chaturbate. Some of those guys are hotter than hell! They know how to work a camera and much else!

I'm so agitated that I'm working more than I usually do in between mindlessly cleaning. Sold a lot of things on eBay this year to pay for my vacation that is not happening, so I am making progress on the endless clutter. I don't watch a lot of TV, only have streaming Britbox, but am going to do a free trial of something else quite trashy. Not concerned about money for a change, just worried about everything else.

I’ve got the trots.

I’ve got the shits.