Where have all the bloggers and blog
readers gone? I considered using this as my title, but it just sounds too
depressing. I would have thought people would have been bored and been
more anxious to turn to blogs to touch base, catch up, commiserate. I
have not found that to be the case. At the risk of sounding pathetic, I
MISS MY PEOPLE!
It
has left me wondering . . . Are you out standing in lines waiting for a toilet
paper truck delivery to arrive at your nearest Walmart - or worse yet a more
distance Walmart because someone posted on Facebook that a delivery was
imminent? Are you scrounging in your pantry to concoct a dinner of sorts
minus fresh ingredients? Or are you like me: wearing a whistle and
begging your offspring not to tear each other apart?
Do
you feel like you have been polled? You were perhaps unaware of my
polling techniques, but I have gathered based on responses that my readers are
uninterested in reading about the somewhat outdated goings on of me and my
tribe, my 'pre-virus' posts, if you will. Those posts that I carefully
filed away, ready to magically appear while I was busy with my class are now as
interesting as reminding loved ones to use hand sanitizer umpteen times a
day.
A
few of you tuned in to check out the post I had scheduled to magically appear
while I juggled diaper changing, laundry, after school games, driving to
dancing, with my potentially time consuming writing class that had me freaking
out because of the fear of the unknown - of course the new 'fear of the
unknown' is totally different now.
So
some of you checked out my post about the
offensive Floridian woman and her daughter's Floridian Irish dancing
teacher - but people stealing seating and speaking snarky at dancing
competitions is apparently not as interesting as how we are surviving.
More of you seemed to be more focused on whether or not fellow shoppers
at the grocery store considered stuffing me in my own trunk in the grocery
parking lot as a mandated 'self' quarantine because I released a series of tiny
coughs. Didn't read that one? It's aptly called 'It's
just a tickle, promise.'
NEW
HABITS: Coach came home yesterday around lunch. I got all
excited. Reinforcements? (I will describe the offspring
mentality and my desire for reinforcements in a later post, because I managed
to stretch this non-topic out in my uncanny talented way to make it longer than
I thought possible). No. Not the case.
Coach's
physical therapist office is connected to the health club. That sweet,
wondrous health club with upbeat music and a variety of classes and
top-of-the-line equipment and familiar faces and amazing instructors, that
place that helps me maintain my sanity. The place I visit daily under
normal circumstances -where I push myself and burn calories and feel stress
melt-away and sometimes chat with other workout friends. Yeah, that place
that is currently shuttered until whenever.
Since
the health club is off limits to Coach, he wandered home between
patients. People, this is SO rare. Um, then he told me he had to go
to the bathroom. Like REALLY go. He is accustomed to taking a short
walk to the health club when these, ahem, circumstances arise. There are
multiple options and no obvious culprit for other people to point at and scoff
at afterwards, if you catch my drift.
 |
| This vision used to tick me off, now it supplies me with a small amount of panic. |
As
a public service to the people and patients that work and get treated in a
small space that only houses the ONE bathroom, he opted to come home and REALLY
go to the bathroom here. Has he not heard that there is a toilet paper
shortage? He is the only family member with another facility available to
him, but alas. I understand. He does not want to have people who
can barely walk after surgery attempt to run from the building.
Still,
I would have preferred the reinforcement scenario to the "Hi - just
here to stink up the place, because you will all still love me afterwards
unlike my employees and patients."
Are
you forming new formerly discreet habits while in lockdown? Do
tell.
17 comments:
Let's see- I have hidden the dish soap, because my kids like to pour out way more than they need. I have sent out dire warnings that paper towels are limited commodities, and if I find them using them for things like wiping down the outside of their water bottles, there will a reckoning. The toilet paper situation has been explained in detail, with consequences of what happens when we run out- I have the spray bottles ready to go with names on them- feels very postpartum to me. Oh, and none of my children (ages 17, 15 and 12) have worn pants since Sunday, because why bother to get dressed if you aren't leaving the house? Eggs are also in short supply, so no eating 6 or 8 hard boiled eggs at a time, just because you are bored (we're an egg eating family, and go through 3 dozen a week or so). I expect our school systems will not go back this academic year, and I am grateful that my oldest was held back and is only a sophomore. I wouldn't want her to be a senior this year or even a junior stressing about getting into college.
I read your blog, you make me laugh, and I do not blog myself. Jill
I know you're not pointing a finger at me. I've read them all damnit.
I scoffed at my husband for using a paper towel yesterday when he clearly could have used a rag or a cloth napkin. Does he now know this is the end of days and I want to die while still having paper towels in the house?
I'm like your husband, I'd much rather drive home to stick up the place than to risk being in a one-hole shitter and leave a trace of myself. :)
My coach's office is 30 minutes away and some days he'll come home (at his regular time) and will go right to the bathroom for a longer duration. I will stand by the door and give him my famous one line: There's no place like home. To poop.
Yeah, I really do entertain myself.
I went to the grocery store today and it wasn't that bad although I've still not found ground turkey and I suppose I'll have to make dog food without it this time. My poor, poor dogs. LOL
I'm happy that there is still fresh produce and fruit too.
So, are you almost out of your case of TP?
I need to remind my husband to take care of his business at the office (as long as it is still open) in order to save our toilet paper! I saw an article that people are stealing toilet paper from all the rest area bathrooms around here. Desperate times....
Kara - We eat a lot of eggs too! I was a bit nervous when the kids went to the store and couldn't score any eggs. They got the most expensive eggs known to man at the second store they tried. Might have been laid by a golden hen. The very next day Coach came home with dozens of free eggs from the neighboring health club's kitchen, because they were closing. I have a junior in high school. He needs to do some tutoring before he can take the ACT and now that looks unlikely.
Jill - So you're the one I make laugh? Cracking myself up over here. Glad you decided to say hello.
Suz - I shoulda put an asterisks in this post '*not referring to Suz*' - ha! Of course I don't mean to point fingers, but I do wonder what everyone is up to. Aren't people finding more time on their hands? I know I can always count on you for a fun comment.
My kids have been going to the grocery store daily. Three of them just left to go now. Helping them plan the meals they are going to make and what ingredients is sucking the life out of me.
This was a very unpredictable upsetting day- I will post about it tomorrow. No one is sick, but one of the kids has flown the coop. Sigh. Sweeps up hair from the ground that I have pulled out of my pre-bald head. Anyway, then I cut a bunch of boys' heads of hair because they looked scary as hell. Just NOW getting to the computer to write for my class assignment. I hope we all survive this ordeal. Oh, and I have a post upcoming about how I tried inserting ground turkey into meals and wow was it met with protest. I am sure my kids would gladly share the ground turkey variety meals I have stored in my freezer with your dogs. In fact, I think one of them might have even said 'this tastes like dog food.' I kid - but they probably said it under their breath.
Beth - Coach is about to embark on a cross country road trip tomorrow - long story, will post about it tomorrow. I will have to remember to have him bring his own supply of TP.
I am definitely reading more blogs than ever. It is helping me NOT to read CNN or my Google homepage. I can only do news in small doses anymore and limit myself to checking the damage only once per day now. Also, I am taking it one day at a time as I just can't think about how long this will go on.
"Home throne". That is what we call our toilets. We have a rule that we don't poop anywhere other than "home throne". Unless we are on vacation, obviously. But I am not a public pooper, so that rule isn't even broken on vacation.
Are you still babysitting? I didn't think that was still going on with the social distancing happening but what do I know. Because I don't watch the news but once per day.
Kari - I am sticking to my standard WGN news in the morning. Since I slept till 9 am today - unprecedented, but the nonsense with Lad started last night and it is emotionally draining, so there wasn't much morning news left to watch today. The nursing home with the many cases is not far from us - really close to Coach's clinic. Yikes.
I did not work out of the home for very long, but when I did I do recall the awkwardness of needing to GO when there were, ahem, witnesses or victims near enough and hated to feel pinpointed as the culprit of a stink-fest.
I do not have any babies at the moment. That is a whole separate blog post that I will punch out soon -after I describe the disaster that was today.
I think a lot of people only have a work computer. No office work, no computer, so no blogs. Alternatively, you might be n=bookmarked at work but not at home. That’s what I’m telling myself has cut views by half.
Queen - had not thought of that. Good point. Good to hear from you. Here's to you and yours having enough toilet paper to roll around in a spare roll and play like a mummy.
I've been right here - we're self-isolating for two weeks since Angus came from the U.S. - but I haven't been able to settle to anything normal for a bit. It was up in the air whether he was coming home or not, which I had resigned myself to but it was really hard. Then I felt horrible for him leaving his friends and school and his girlfriend over a border that is closing. I'm a bit surprised at all the people who are immediately able to get kids working on schoolwork and cook and bake and be basically normal. I took a few days to stress and read bad news obsessively. I have cooked, but only starting at nine p.m. and ending around one a.m. and then reading until my tablet hits me in the face. I think I might be resisting settling into a new routine because that means I've accepted that this is going to be a long-term thing. Which I basically have, but my anxiety is still resisting. The Coach story was funny, though. Also, I love 'no eating 6 or 8 hard boiled eggs just because you're bored'. I bought another dozen when I knew Angus was coming home for cheaper protein. Alright, it's 11 p.m. and I need to finish off my ribs and Mongolian Beef. Good night.
Ali - my college guys are lost without the health club, but after patients leave he is letting them go over and use his clinic that is equipped with some stuff. My sleep schedule is totally off. I cannot decide if it is because I have college kids home, because I don't have to be up early for a workout class or babies arrive, or because my body is stressed out more than I realize. I am also kicking some indoor ass on my workouts. Lifting weights till I might collapse because I insist I have the time. There are not enough family friendly movies out there to keep us rolling on our family movie night binge. Good night - so good to hear from you. Get a good night sleep. I am debating going with Coach to drive out to New York tomorrow. Ugh.
To address your question about where have all the bloggers gone, I believe they ditched blogging for Twitter, FB and Instagram and perhaps other social media I'm not aware of. I'm still an old fashion blogger it's my way of journaling so along with FB and Instagram I suppose I'm keeping my social distance. The craze for running to the store for toilet paper seems silly to me. If everyone stayed calm and shopped like normal humans there would be plenty to go around. The husband and I have always made a habit of stocking up whenever there was a sale of things we normally buy, for which I'm grateful. We are not part of the crazy shoppers. The only thing annoying about this dang virus is the fact it might be keeping me from seeing our soon to be newborn granddaughter. I hear the hospitals are not allowing visitors and I want to be careful when they come home as well.
Stay healthy and keep washing those hands!!
Couple things...tell Coach to flush as soon as it hits the water and/or pop onto Amazon and get some Poopourri...yes..there really is such a thing. My sister swears by that shit! One night, I was in the casino with her, she had to go really bad and off she toddled to the bathroom which is a good 25' walk and than it's another 15' to get to a toilet (even further if you want the privacy of a handicap stall!). A bit later out she strolls. I'm sitting there and within a few minutes I notice a sweet scent in the air. I look at Candy (my sister)with a funny look on my face and she bursts out laughing. "What's wrong?" she asks..."do you smell a marshmallow scent?" "It's my Poopourri and the scent is campfire!" True story.
Here in NY our governor has been cracking down hard. Big time self quarantine. I guess that happens when you have the most number of positive cases right now. We are retired so I am pretty good at staying home and amusing myself. However I did venture out to Aldis today and they had a pretty good inventory except for eggs, toilet paper and yeast...I cannot find friggin' yeast anywhere! I guess I am not supposed to bake my own bread. I did get a good tip on facebook from a chef...she says grab some of those flat tortillas, flour, corn, whatever, which are pretty reasonable and have a long shelf life. They can "stand in" for bread...roll lunch meat in them, chicken breast, salad, veggies, scrambled eggs...if you can find them..etc. We don't need no stinkin' bread..lol.
Also, I will be looking for a good plumber and having a bidet installed in the bathroom...and than I won't need stinking toilet paper either. lol. Sigh...they no longer make Sears catalogs...all those stories our parents and grandparents told about using catalog pages in the outhouse...lol.
I gather there is an issue with one of your offspring and they have flown the coop. Sorry about that. I, myself, bolted at 18, mainly because I finally was the oldest kid in the house and got a bedroom by myself and wouldn't you know it? Gramma came to live with us...damn. I just hope he didn't fly to Florida for Spring break. Those kids are crazy, but than again, so were we when we were that age..fearless we were and gonna live forever. He will be back, I came back a couple of times.
Speaking for myself, I've been preoccupied with my new life of having the boys doing school at home and my husband working from home. Today I am teaching a class online. I'm trying to stay as healthy as possible, physically, mentally, and emotionally. That's what I'm doing.
Saimi- I think my stories are too long for facebook and instagram, etc. Hell my stories might be too long for this blog. Ha.
Congrats on the new baby! I hope by the time the baby arrives you will be able to visit.
Cheryl - I have actually heard of Poopourri, but I cannot remember where. That is hilarious.
I have a huge bin of old socks - some not so old. I always hope to find mates for these socks and every once in a while I drag it out and compare it with the latest group of missing socks. If need be we will dip into the old sock bin, use and toss if we need to survive without toilet paper.
Heading to New York today with Coach to get Lad's stuff from his apartment. Long story - will post in a bit.
Nicole - I have been surprised at how different time slips away with extra bodies in the house even in the absence of the babies I usually sit for. I would have thought that I would have more 'free time' but it doesn't feel that way. Coach is still at work, but managing the peeps and who is studying and who is being too loud and who is sleeping in - (college guys are on break this week) often involves some parental refereeing. It is a different kind of busy for sure. I am creating workouts inside and have felt like I have gotten a good workout in, but I am not getting out of bed as early while the gym is closed which means my day starts later. All so odd. I did get to walk outside for an hour and a half yesterday. Great to hear from you and good luck!
I'm around but getting around to reading blogs later and later because I get caught up in work stuff...that's the problem with working from home - it's too easy to get caught up and not "quit" for the day. I keep meaning to post but who has the time? An oxymoron if there ever was one - I'm home but I don't have time.
Gigi- I believe it. Who woulda thought I would be less able to sit at the computer with big kids home vs the babies I normally have underfoot? The upside is the babies nap. My kids are also capable of bigger messes. In the car driving to NY to empty Lad's apt. Irritated thst I am missing time at home to organize closets, etc. As if.
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