04/14/2020 Tuesday

I'm listening to Bocelli's concert as I write this ! What a gift !! It is so inspiring that individuals are so generous with their talent during these difficult times. Still under high wind warnings and the temperatures will be in low 40's later in the day. Reading through the Peeps comments (Hate them...roasted marshmallow IS the best), I realized I didn't eat any jelly beans this year. I LOVE them, but one thing positive about sheltering in place is that I am willing to avoid a hypoglycemic episode and going near a hospital, at all costs. I did end up cleaning out the storage room yesterday and it was very therapeutic. I'm going to scrub down the family room/guest area, full bath, exercise area and laundry room downstairs today. DC was out in the garage to do some straightening up, after he got frustrated not being able to find his stabilizing stuff for the lawn mover prior to starting it for me. I keep the floor and shelving with canned food, outdoor stuff, and dog stuff organized, but I refuse let him expect ME to keep his two work benches and tools tidy. I hide my set of tools so I don't have to deal with his cluster.. His recovery is much slower this time, due to lack of PT and the fact that this leg/hip was much healthier to begin with, so he isn't working with long dead nerves and protected muscles this time. He ordered a bike stand (sounds like Shirl's) which should be here Friday, but I'm hoping I can reorganize the exercise equipment to lure him down.

I'm sorry, I am reading all of your posts here and on FB and enjoy keeping up with all of you, but I just haven't sat and made notes to personalize my responses in a bit. TY Shirl for doing such a great summary !

Diane, you are one of those people who has shared her talent and generosity with so many. This is the good part of a crisis and hopefully outweighs where some nastiness has occurred. Thank you for the masks - everyone here is jealous!

Weight 123.4, WW Bluepoints 9. I need to food shop today. I hate that I have to feel nervous about going to the store. I am only going once a week as opposed to our pre-pandemic 4+ times a week. Having to plan for longer isn't a big deal but having to be nervous about the event itself is. But I still stand by my gut feeling that I'd rather do the choosing and handling myself vs. having 1-2 additional intermediaries whose possible contact with sick people is unknown to me.

Other than that no plans today though I may wash my bathroom and bedroom floor if I can get the swiffer liquid. If not, I found a site explaining how to open the old swiffer bottle to put my own floor cleaner into it.

How weird to get excited about a paper towel purchase! I hope they really arrive!

Stay safe, stay home, stay healthy!

I am sharing your thinking about shopping for my own groceries. I can get in and out fairly quick. I'm well stocked on most things, but do need to buy perishable. That's usually the perimeter, and can be done quickly. Wash, mask up,shop, wash again, unpack, throw away bags, wipe down counters, wash again, done.

I have been going Tuesdays between 9:30-10 am the last few weeks and I find the stores really quiet. And today the only thing missing on shelves was disinfecting wipes! But you can get liquid disinfecting cleaner and soap in bottles, paper towels and toilet paper. Not the same selections as in the past but at least it is there. Oh and bread has returned.

Yesterday was a very chaotic day. I really feel for parents trying to work from home. I was always amazed when people would suggest to me "could you do some work from home" but now I know the answer: 10000% to the hell no. I mean, obviously, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. But I felt like a terrible worker and an even worse mom. I had to constantly redirect the girls and lose my train of thought every time. Worst. Feeling. Ever. I have had 3 tasks pile up at once: new leases for our tenants (easy), learning the probate process (not hard but definitely not something I've done before and want to get it right) and writing a contract for a friend of ours who is purchasing a business (really hard because I definitely want to protect his interests!!)

That being said, my self-esteem initially was unsteady as I wondered if I could do it, and then shot up as I realized I could. It was so nice feeling useful.

I feel Peps and DD on not wanting to teach online.

Initially, I thought I would learn how replaceable in-person dealings were. Now, I crave human interaction more than ever. I also think you learn so much more from in-person interactions. They give you the ability to look in people's eyes, read their body language. I've seen this through our dealings with medical professionals over the phone. What a mess. Church online is...lacking. At least for me. Nothing beats a sanctuary filled with live organ music. And even the things that seem to make the most sense, like grocery delivery, indeed something I'd contemplated prior to the current climate, is victim of virtual miscommunication. Example: I put in for the long foil as in extra wide. They did not have it in the length I requested. Fine. So I asked for the long one in any length. I followed up with: did that make sense? I got a thumbs up. But I received the normal short foil instead of extra wide. Even now I'm not sure if my request makes sense.

Rich and I stay very active. We are extroverts. And I cannot wait to get back to it.

One thing that has come out of WLS is my unwillingness to eat gross food. That sounds obvious and yet it's not. I mean, sometimes what we need is not always what we want. That's not what I'm talking about. In attempt to lose more weight ahead of my surgiversary, I've bought some "healthier" food. Yesterday I made a piece of Ezekiel bread. I have eaten this on diets in the past. I hated it. There is nothing to be proud about feeling like I know how to force myself to eat yucky food, healthy or not. But this is an interesting time. I also feel the need to conserve, so not only did I feel guilty about not eating healthy food, I feel bad about being wasteful Of course I need to make good decisions, in maintenance an especially in weightloss.

I totally agree with your observations about information/feedback we get from being face to face. And church. My church has a wonderful choir, and music in the Mass is a huge part of bringing me to a place of stillness. Watching it online is better than nothing, but it doesn't reach me the same way. In general, I love live music, and we go out frequently to hear local performers. I miss it so much.

LOL on online ordering! My SIL asked for 4 bananas and got 4 bunches! She put extras in Easter baskets which she left at her daughter's doors and is going to have a freezer well stocked with banana bread.

Good morning, hanging with you all on my morning break. Had an all staff meeting this morning, and a department meeting via Google hang out.

Not much else going on, I have a huge pile of paperwork to chip away at, so I will probably be at it into the evening tonight. But then I can turn my attention back to teaching.

There is a lot to be thankful for at our house. I am keeping my focus on that today.

Has anyone been in touch with Ann? I know she said she was taking a break, but it seems as though she's been gone for awhile ....

That note was 4 days ago (Friday). Hopefully all is well with her.