Quarantine Meme

[dreamshark]

 Not sure where this originally came from, but it seems to be missing an essential question 0:

 

0. Are you actually in quarantine? And how long has it been?

 

Started an informal self-quarantine on March 17 after returning from a domestic airline trip. Staying in except for essential shopping and outdoor exercise. Occasionally speaking to neighbors from distance of 6+ feet. Just as those 2 weeks were expiring the state issued a "stay at home" order, so we just continued what we were doing. It's been about 4 weeks now. 

Honestly, my life hasn't changed much except for fewer grocery shopping trips. I was never a very social person.

 

1. Are you an essential worker?

    No, retired. 

 

2. How many drinks have you had since the quarantine started?   Probably 2-3 per week? Mostly a beer or glass of wine with dinner. 

   We've started sitting out on our front lawn from 5:30-6pm to wave to our neighbors  and sometimes I grab a beer for that. So I might be  drinking a little more than usual, but not much.

 

3. If you have kids... are they driving you nuts?

   n/a. 

 

4. What new hobby have you taken up during this?

   Just compulsively reading about coronavirus and related topics.  Oh, and I've made a few masks. 

 

5. How many grocery runs have you done?

   Two. But I've been to the drugstore 3 times to pick up family prescriptions. None of the trips felt dangerous - stores were not crowded and people were maintaining distance.

 

6. Do you have any special occasions that you will miss during this quarantine?

   Just Minicon and regular Minnstf meetings. And a cancelled trip to visit daughter and grandkids in May.

 

7. What are you spending your stimulus check on?

  Donations to local food shelves.

 

8. Are you keeping your housework done?

    Sure, why not?

 

9. What movie have you watched during this quarantine?

   Mostly TV episodes. Only real difference is that spouse is watching with me more often than he used to.   We've been rotating among Altered Carbon, Warehouse 13, Hamish Macbeth. On my own I am  pecking away at Outlander and Letterkenny. and, um, Tiger King. Oh yeah, I did watch a movie: "Freaks."  Not the 1930's one about carnival freaks - a recent indie scifi about mutants. Not perfect, but kind of haunting.

 

9b. What are you reading

  Rereading "Generations" [Howe and Strauss]. Because it's the Crisis of the Fourth Turning, people!

 

10. What are you streaming with?

    Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu (on a PS3)

 

11. 9 months from now is there any chance of you having a baby?

     No

 

12. What's your go-to quarantine meal?

     This makes no sense to me. It must be for people who normally eat all their meals out and don't know how to cook?  If anything we are eating more varied meals because we have been sorting through our old recipes and cookbooks. But mostly we are eating what we always do.

 

13. Is this whole situation making you paranoid?

     Not really. I'm following the rules because I believe that social distancing is the only thing that will help, both to protect myself and as a public health measure.  I have cut way back on grocery shopping, but it doesn't terrify me.  I have to remind myself to keep my distance from others in the store, be careful about touching things, etc.  I am probably more paranoid that I will cough and freak out everybody around me (I have a chronic dry cough due to allergies).  I have always hated being crowded, and finding it a relief that I don't have to go anywhere with crowds and that everybody has expanded their preferred personal space to about where mine has always been. 

 

14. Has your internet gone out on you during this time?

    No, it's been fine. Streaming may be a little slower than usual.

 

15. What month do you predict this all ends?

   Ends? It's not going to end. I guess I expect social distancing guidelines to start easing up in May or June, which will  lead to rapidly increasing rates of infection and new rules being imposed. The plague is not going to "end" until we have an effective vaccine or 60% of the population has been exposed and developed natural immunity, probably sometime in 2021. But the economy and social structure in the US will never be the same again. It's too early to tell if those things will ultimately get better than they were before or massively worse. IMHO, it could go either way.

 

16. First thing you're gonna do when you get off quarantine?

   Strictly speaking I am not on quarantine, just following shelter-at-home guidelines. But the first thing I will do when I can travel again is visit my daughter and her family in Oregon. 

 

17. Where do you wish you were right now?

  Lately my computer has been showing me breathtaking shots of Portugese mountains and seacoast on the login screen. I had never actually thought of visiting Portugal before, but it's starting to look pretty good. 

 

18. What free-from-quarantine activity are you missing the most?

 Day to day, being able to shop for groceries whenever I want (and finding what I'm looking for on the shelves). Bigger picture, being able to travel.

 

19. Have you run out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer?

 I have not been able to buy either anywhere. Not out of toilet paper yet, but starting to worry a little. I never had any hand sanitizer except for a bottle of homemade, which has mostly been used up making my own wet wipes for wiping down things like shopping cart handles. I really wish I could buy just one package.

 

20. Do you have enough food to last a month?

 Probably, but getting low on perishables. It's time for another shopping run. We could live on rice and beans and tuna fish  for quite a long time, but I'd rather not.