Personally, life hasn’t changed that much during the COVID-19 crisis, as far as my routine. I have worked from home for years, which is terrific—especially now. So, I still work full-time from my laptop, ably assisted by my 3 cats, in my office with a huge window looking onto my yard and quiet street. Plus, I’m an introvert who very much prefers my own company and have no problem staying entertained at home, as long as the internet is up and I have books to read. (Of all the necessary closures, I miss the library the most, for the DVDs and the novels. Now, I am re-reading Louise Penny’s Canadian mysteries from my own shelves, so I’m happily set for awhile.) I continue my daily early morning walks, through the neighborhoods and golf courses for an hour or 2; I see pretty much the same people now as pre-crisis, maybe because it is too early in the day for the now-at-home families to be out. I still do online yoga some days at lunchtime (well, I’m getting back into it slowly, as my broken wrist heals–also slowly) and ride my exercise bike some evenings. Going out for errands used to be a break in routine that I looked forward to; now, I dread running low on perishables and having to zip into HEB at what I hope is an off-time with less of a crowd but decent stock. Once back at home, I leave my shoes in the garage and try to sterilize whatever I managed to find, wondering if the trip was worth the effort and the risk. So far, I’m not arranging grocery deliveries; it doesn’t seem to work that well, especially with all the shortages now. I did set up automatic deliveries from Amazon for some staples, and as always I have regular orders coming from Chewy’s for the cats’ food, treats and litter. So, we’ll manage.
Suggestions to stay sane, or at least distracted:
—TED Talks. This is a showcase for smart people who speak well in public, on absolutely any topic imaginable. It’s addictive. https://www.ted.com/talks
—Yoga with Adriene https://yogawithadriene.com/ She lives in Austin. Beginner or expert, you can join her group as a paying member, and I’m sure she’d appreciate that. But, she also has an endless amount of material available totally free. https://yogawithadriene.com/free-yoga-videos/ Maybe get started with one of her month-long sets (she hosts them live every January) and do a routine each day. Here is one set– https://yogawithadriene.com/free-yoga-videos/true-30-day-yoga-journey/
—Jeanne Robertson’s comedy routines are available on YouTube. Her acerbic yet genteel wit delivered via Southern drawl charms me no end. Here’s a good one to get you started, and from there you can sample as you like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1_W0LCHwK4
—Air Pano has astounding photos and videos. See the world, without wearing a mask…. It’s like watching The Amazing Race minus the obnoxious contestants. http://www.airpano.com
—Rat Race Rebellion/Virtual Jobs and Side Gigs is an online resource that screens work-from-home job offers (a sadly scam-heavy area). So, if you want a part-time or full-time job you can do at home, definitely check them out. But, they ALSO list tons of side gigs, such as filling out surveys, you can do online. It won’t replace a regular paycheck, but it can fill a chunk of your day and even be entertaining. If you don’t need the money personally, donate the funds to a favorite cause; to do even more good, challenge family and friends to do the same. https://ratracerebellion.com/
—Foster a cat or dog. If you are looking for something tangible, not to mention cuddly, consider bringing a homeless pet into your household during this crisis. Area shelters are crowded with animals but low on volunteers, while adoptions are way down. And, spring is here, which means babies—lots and lots of babies. Newborn kittens and puppies are high-maintenance, and shelters will not be able to take them in or keep them alive. If you can foster a pet temporarily (or adopt one permanently) you will be saving a life. And, pets keep you busy, engaged and optimistic. There are many area shelters, and they can set you up for foster care or adoption with social distancing precautions observed. Options include Thundering Paws (cats), Addicus Legacy (dogs), and Austin Pets Alive (cats and dogs).
–If you have kids at home now, I’m sorry. I cannot even imagine how much that complicates things…. But, while you have a captive audience, consider teaching them basic skills that this crisis has demonstrated people still need. Like how to plan and cook meals. And clean the house. Laundry. Yard work. Pool maintenance. Basic repairs. And if YOU don’t know how to do those things, look online—there’s a video out there covering just about anything. If society became more self-reliant, that would help us all.
Perspective is key.
A week ago (March 29), these were the numbers on COVID-19, cases/deaths:
Worldwide US Texas Travis Co.
720,415/ 33,908 141,125/ 2,458 2,552/34 179/1
Today’s numbers (April 5):
Worldwide US Texas Travis Co.
1,269,313/69,346 334,745/9,572 6,812/127 484/6
Also, the stats today report 16 confirmed cases in Lakeway’s zip codes of 78734 and 78738.
Things I wonder about….
–How many people were killed today, a Sunday, due to Gov. Abbott last week allowing in-person church services to be held again, despite expert opinion, local orders and common sense saying that’s a really, really bad idea? It isn’t just people attending the services who were jeopardized, but everyone those people will come in contact with over the next 2 weeks, plus everyone THEY come in contact with, etc., including medical personnel eventually required to treat the sick. Some will die. They were killed today; they just don’t know it yet.
–How can anyone think this is the time to invite folks into their homes to paint the kitchen, clean house, move furniture, and do other routine chores? How can anyone be so oblivious as to arrange for a professional to come to their home and give everyone mani/pedis? (Yes, I saw all of that and more arranged on local social media sites last week.) What will it take for people to stop endangering themselves, their families, and everyone caught in the wake of their recklessness?
–Mostly, I wonder how bad will things be a week from now?