Blogging in the time of COVID-19 is different. My entire schedule is different. Writing in the afternoon is becoming more common. I wish it wouldn’t. Notice I’m still saying COVID-19 even if the world is saying “Novel Corona Virus.” That causes too much confusion as there are many corona viruses and what applies to one doesn’t apply to all. Some people think that dogs can catch COVID-19, they can’t. They can catch other corona viruses. Shouldn’t it be viri? Where are my Latin speakers? I strive to be as pedantic as possible in my language 😊.
Yesterday’s expedition was to the hospital. I’m not sick, I was just dropping off a specimen at the lab. You don’t want to know what kind. It’s not much of an expedition as it’s an 9-minute walk from home. I discovered it’s much easier to drop off a specimen that have blood drawn. There’s no signing it or waiting around. It’s, “put it in that basket.” That was simple. I successfully avoided catastrophizing on the walk over. For me, at least, using the word “catastrophizing” helps me to not catastrophize. It’s so weird how you can consciously play mind-games on yourself. I came straight home, that was a mistake. I should have taken a walk and gotten some exercise. Social distancing and taking walks are not incompatible. My favorite walks involve having nobody around me. They are alone times.
A short while after I got home I got a call from my doctor. She had the results of the blood tests I took last week. For the most part they looked good but there was a little inflammation. The sample I gave yesterday will look into that in more detail. It will take a few weeks for those results to come in. You might have noticed that I don’t consider medical information personal. It’s not about me, it’s about my body.
On the food front the plantain I made yesterday came out extra good. I’m not sure if it has to do with my cooking or the plantain. The one thing I recommend is start with a very ripe fruit. Technically a banana or plantain is a berry. They are berry berry good to me. This morning I splurged and made the lumberjack special for breakfast; chocolate chip brioche French toast, sausages, and scrambled eggs; with real maple syrup and European butter of course. My Italian coffee went well with it.
Part of my mental health homework is talking on the phone with a friend every day. When I’m not in isolation there are many days, perhaps half my days, where I don’t talk to anyone. But now I that I’m having no physical contact I figured it’s more important to talk to make up for that. I’m going to be giving a lot of hugs when this is over.
I’m keeping very busy with Social Distancing Streaming Concerts. People are posting events often and I have to make them events on our page. While I’m not applying any editorial discretion, I am making sure they people aren’t being spammed. On the page you’ll find some of my favorite artists, and some I would never listen to. I’m all for curating but that’s not what this is about. This is just letting people know what’s out there. Here’s today’s schedule.
Go to the site to get the links. I’m going to watch House of Hamill and maybe others.
Other than people fighting in stores where people are acting like it’s Black Friday, people are for the most part being more pleasant and friendly than usual. That’s what happens in a crisis. It happens every major snowstorm. Civilization coming to a halt is a major inconvenience, it can be even more for those struggling economically. But it also provides a much-appreciated time out. We have nothing to do but stop and smell the roses. It’s a staycation. I’m keeping busy with Social Distancing Streaming Concerts and talking to friends. So much so that I haven’t had time to read which I very much want to do. It gave me the initiative to finally call Leah. I used to speak to her every day but haven’t for years. Leah is one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and we drifted apart. The longer people are apart the more difficult it becomes to reestablish contact. We worry that the other person doesn’t want to speak to us. We worry that we’ll have nothing to talk about. Those things might happen, but they might not. I loved talking to Leah again and she loved talking to me. Don’t be shocked if I give you a call.
I just felt my beard, yes I touched my face. I have taken advantage of being home to not shave. Then I read that makes you more susceptible to COVID-19. As I’m trying to be careful, for the sake of others I’ll have to force myself to shave today. I have a transmale friend who like me is sitting around in sweats but is shaving because it’s still exciting to them. In a certain sense anyone trans is an adolescent at first, giving the new hormones a test run. They’ll be through it when shaving becomes a chore. I found that entire exchange delightful. I love that someone is getting joy from having to shave.
I am finding joy in not being depressed, a virtuous cycle. Prozac and therapy do wonders. It’s not a magic pill, it works slowly and still needs the help of therapy, but it works. It has a noticeable effect. I look back at some of my dark times and see how my depression and anxiety made my relationships with other people more difficult for my friends and myself. My behavior was self-destructive. I apologize if that ever hurt you. Bri and I used to joke about excusing our mental glitches with, “It’s the meds.” My mental glitches are due to me being an idiot. For many of my faulty behavior it was, “not being on meds.”
Wise Madness 