Covid Support Thread
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ListforLeslie- Maybe because I’m in Miami. We tend to be our own world down here.
As for my life, it’s pretty normal. We have the option to work from home, but my boss doesn’t really want us to, so that’s that. My boyfriend works as a residential tech for Comcast, and although they’ve limited the services they’ll provide, no one will make anyone go without cable/internet while stuck at home. So we both head out about the same time every morning, though traffic is way more awesome. While I used to go to the store about four times a week (I’m not good at planning and my market is within walking distance), I’m down to maybe twice. My dad just gave us a whole mess of toilet paper, so I’m a little relieved. I now realize that the only “fun” things my fella and I did was go out to eat and go to the movies, both of which are out of the question. So yeah, a little bored. Plus, I’ve been trying to deal with a little alcoholism issue and this was SO the wrong time to attempt to quit. But I”m being strong. Bored, but strong.
I’ve been meeting my mom at our local park to walk a few miles together (on opposite sides of the 6′ paved path). She’s been feeling a bit lonely and bored, like we all have, and I am going to “lend” her my youngest dog for the next week or two. We have two terriers and our little one is absolutely obsessed with my mother, she cries at the sight of her, and we all agree it will do my parents some good to have a warm, playful, snuggly distraction for a while. Her crate, leash, treats, and toys will get sanitized and handed over to Grandma at our next walk.
I should add we’ve been meeting at 7 pm or later. We tried earlier in the day but it’s too crowded and people are not keeping the appropriate distance. We meet, park 3 spaces apart, and get in a 20 minute walk when the path is deserted.
We are thinking of doing a socially distanced passover seder on our block. There are four or five MoT households on our very small old city block. We’ll set up with the families spread out fifteen or twenty feet apart.
I live in the Los Angeles area. My company is a defense manufacturing subcontractor; we received notice from the DOD that we’re considered essential and need to stay open as long as possible. We have moved to a modified WFH/in office schedule where everyone is staggered. I’m in 2 days a week. No one is sharing spaces. The company has a cleaning rotation for common areas (which are pretty much deserted) and people are doing the best they can to stay away from each other. I’m terribly worried because after having a tumor removed I’m still considered immunocompromised. Also prediabetic which I control with exercise and diet. (All 4 grandparents were diabetic…)
I started this job less than a month ago. I won’t get insurance until the 1st. I’m absolutely counting the days. I’m grateful they are taking this seriously though.
Supermarkets still look like a post apocolyptic wasteland. Stipped shelves are the norm. Stress-cleaned the garage and found a box of individually wrapped paper towels that I bought last year to clean up after art projects. So now I’ve been dealing with my stress by giving the paper towels to strangers in need via nextdoor. We meet in the park and keep a socially responsible 6 feet away from each other. I drop a roll of papertowels and then back away slowly while the other person waits to pick it up. I’m sure it looks like the weirdest drug deal ever going down. This is what I can do to help though, so it’s what I’m doing.
Okay, I’m beginning feel like a happy retiree. Today I hung out a hummingbird feeder I bought a few weeks ago at the 99 Cent Store and — lo and behold — a red throated humming bird has already swooped in multiple times. Kinda exciting. Very, actually.
I am also busy constructing a bird feeding station out of a old salvaged post, some feeders I bought off Amazon, oh, and some scrap lumber and metal tray thing of unknown origin for a low open feeder. I think it will be really cool looking. And functional. We shall see.
It’s definitely spring out here in the high desert. Which is exciting to see as last year I planted a ton of small, local cacti cuttings. Prickly pear, beaver tail, cholla, agave, etc. All of these survived both the hot summer and cold winter and are now either blooming or budding out with new growth. So that is fun to see as much of this land was barren sand having been foolishly scrapped clean by previous owners. (Grrrrrrrr.)
The new growth is especially encouraging as the plants are all pretty puny still at this point. But they have clearly taken root and now should keep right on growing. Eventually, most won’t even need watering as they grow wild around here. The idea is a restored desert landscape. Now that they actually are getting bigger, my vision for this place seems much more grounded in reality — and not just some the farfetched fantasy.
🙂
Anyway, trying to stay positive.
PS — And I am so very grateful I am not trapped in LA in my oh-so-stylish studio apartment. Whew…
hummingbirds are the most amazing thing ever. Was working for 6 weeks in California and spent every scrap of time I had off going to places they might be and watching them in wonder. You Americans might have a mad president but your birds are just amazing. Particularly impressed by your herons also. At home also in sort of wilderness and enjoying that some Red Kites have arrived, and trying to keep my poor 84+ utter socialite mother amused, not easy, I’m a happy hermit but she’s going bananas. I must learn to vivace. I have never really needed to before and it does not come easily.
Thanks, FYI!
If you are interested in seeing the desert, I very recently started an instagram for this house — which was already supposed to be up on AirBnB… but…
Anyway, it’s mainly just to highlight the my design work. I am rolling out pics slowly. One a day. Right now it’s a lot of blooming cacti shots as I am holding on more exterior shots until I get all the patio furniture painted.
Find me at… park_place_oasis.
PS — Yeah, Hazel. I agree! hummingbirds are pretty incredible creatures. That crazy whirring noise they make. Amazing! They found my feeder in less than 24 hours, too!
@BGM – that is awesome. There are hummingbirds here in Florida and I’v thought about putting out a feeder but I know I’ll forget and my mom would never remember. They are amazing though.
