We’re hanging in there… how about you?
This weekend, my family got in our car and, for the first time in months, left town. We drove three hours west and have spent the weekend in an airbnb. We brought all our own food and drink so basically we just moved our sheltering in place to a different place. And, it’s been glorious. We’ve sat around a fire pit trying to see who is best at throwing rocks into glasses, hiked down and back up a mountain trail where we saw no one, chopped wood with a stupendously heavy maul, roasted–OK, burned–marshmallows, and caught (and threw back) three fish.
Today, we’ll go home and, I have to say, I am kinda dreading it. Living with COVID seems like something we’ll all have to do for some time and, today, just thinking about the months ahead wears me out. Our state is slowly reopening and the future is so uncertain. It’s hard.
Last night, our family talked about the next few months, what choices we’ll make, and how to best handle the stress. We all agreed that the very best thing we could do is practice gratitude, to focus on what is going right and to remind ourselves of all that still brings us joy.
AAR brings me joy–I love waking up each morning and seeing what comments youall have made since I last signed in. I love reading the reviews our staff write and adding books I know will cheer me up to my TBR. I am grateful for it all… except the technical hassles but that’s a topic for another column.
So thank you. When I feel like life sucks, you guys remind me it’s only parts of life that suck right now. But enough about me, how about you? How is everyone doing? What’s keeping your spirits up?
My husband just received word that he will be working from home until January. So our dining room remains a home office for him (and one of our daughters) for the foreseeable future. On the one hand, I’m grateful he has a job and is able to work remotely. On the other hand, that’s a lot of family togetherness. Lol
Many of the 20 somethings I know who’ve come home are heading back to their cities in June. I think togetherness is great AND I am ready to have a bit of my own space back. My husband reopens his office next week–we’ve been together nonstop for months. I will miss him AND I am ready to have a bit of my own space back.
Things in the UK are a bit muddled, to say the least. Lockdown is easing in England, but not in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – my eldest daughter is at university – well, she’s just finished, actually – in North Wales, and as Elaine says, we’re not supposed to travel long distances; if we do drive further afield, it has to be to somewhere we can get back to on the same day, and that’s not Wales (I live on the opposite side of the country). But I think I might be able to get away with sneaking over the border in a few weeks!
I tend to be a bit of a homebody anyway, so in some ways life isn’t much different from other days I’m at home! I’m not big on TV any more – simply because it takes something really special to take me away from whatever book I’m reading or listening to (unless it’s a rubbish book!) I tend to have a rough weekly meal-plan in my head when I shop – not always knowing which days I’m working means I have to be fairly organised on that score – but now I try only to go out once a week, that is coming in handy.
We’re enjoying some incredibly unusual weather in my part of the country – we’ve had several weeks of warm weather and almost unbroken sunshine and while I’d like to visit a few places, I can at least sit outside and breathe the much cleaner air!
Air quality is much cleaner, and that is one of the things I’m incredibly grateful for right now. I keep reading articles that address work-from-home as a permanent cultural change for perhaps up to 50% of corporate culture once this period comes to an end. I think that would be wonderful and do a lot for our environment. Google, Twitter, and Facebook – American tech companies headquarted on the west coast where I live — have all announced that to one degree or another, work from home is going to be a permanent option for their workers going forward.
I’ll just say that for my three kids–all in their mid 20s–are finding working from home far less satisfying, supported, and reasonable than working in an office. All their employers are happy to have workers always on call. It’s my hope that workplaces will allow those for whom working at home works to continue to do so but for those that need the office that will still be an office.
I’ve telecommuted for years, so the shelter in place order mainly affected how many hours I work, not where I work. One things that company telecommuting experiments made clear years ago is that remote workers must be self-starters who don’t need much supervision, so permanent telecommuting is definitely not appropriate for all workers.
It’s tough for the young who could use more mentoring. But what I see is companies who are now able to expect workers to always be available and working. If you were in the office and pulled two all nighters in a row, someone would probably be telling you to go home and sleep. One of my kids has a great team and working remotely is what they do. But the other two, where companies have implemented it recently, aren’t doing a great job of setting limits.
Remote working works really well for people who are disciplined and aren’t susceptible to distractions and who can create a schedule where work/life balance is managed well. In those cases, it’s wonderful for so many reasons. I’ve been doing it for years and it allows me to create my own schedule on my terms. I can leave in the middle of the day and go to the dentist or doctor’s, etc., without having to seek permission. It gives me independence in my work. I don’t have to spend lots of money on professional wardrobes, money to commute, time spent commuting, wear and tear on my car, etc. It’s not for everyone, but it should be an option going forward for those who want it and are in an industry where it’s feasible. I’m imagining that when the dust settles, it will be an option for many. I have lots of friends who have longed for remote work for years and are finally now given the option. I think employers will see that it’s an option that works for many and can adapt going forward. Office space is expensive, and when viral outbreaks occur, obviously working in an office is not safe. Many of the work responsibilities employers have long believed needed to be done in person really don’t. And yes, employers can still micromanage employees if that’s their labor practice. That’s never been an issue for me. I teach my classes online now and distance learning works very well for many. It’s not for everyone and it doesn’t work well for some academic fields, but it works for many and will become a much bigger part of our landscape when all of this is over.
And we can breathe fresh air better now, which is what this mini thread was about. Pollution is a grave issue in our world and even if 30% of today’s corporate workers stay home after the pandemic, it will make a difference. Everything counts.
I’m grateful for space to take solitary walks. Hubby also fixed the brakes on my bicycle so I can now ride my bike for extra, much needed aerobic exercise. I’m enjoying the backyard wildlife. My reading as well as listening to audios has slowed, but I think now is a good time to read more deeply and indulge in some re-reads and longer books languishing in the TBR.
One thing the quarantine has revealed to me is how much of a quintessential homebody I am—and how much I resent the compulsory nature of having to be that right now. Prior to the quarantine, on weekdays I would go to work, then run errands, and generally spend the rest of the evening at home—cooking, reading, watching a favorite British murder-mystery series. Socializing was usually a weekend thing—maybe dinner out or a day trip to somewhere close by—but whatever we did happened on our time and by our choice. Now, I’m not going to work or running errands, but still cooking, reading and watching my favorite shows (Inspector Lewis is in heavy rotation right now—one of our daughters did a “study abroad” session through her university at Oxford a few years back and she points out all the places where scenes are set). It’s not that my life has changed vastly, but that it is the way it is because of factors way beyond our control. Still, I’m grateful that I have my family safe with me, that my husband and one of our children are able to work from home, that I’m able to read and cook for long, uninterrupted stretches of time, and that—so far—none of us has exhibited any symptoms. I’m also not on any social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and try to limit my news intake to an hour of BBC World News & NPR in the morning and looking at a couple of news aggregate sites during the day—otherwise I know too much news (especially of a political nature) would be sending my blood-pressure through the roof.
I’m spending most of my time someplace other than the 21st century. When I’m working, it’s on a historical novel set in the 18th century, and when I’m reading, it’s older books. I’ve discovered that my library’s online collection includes not only old favorites but also older books I never got around to. I’ve been enjoying Cyril Hare’s legal mysteries and I just checked out an E. Phillips Oppenheimer and a Phyllis Whitney that I never read before.
One thing I’ve noticed is that I spend a lot more time than usual thinking about food. Not that I want to eat more, but I want to use things up. including leftovers, so I don’t have to go to the store again and be depressed by empty shelves.
Oddly despite a pandemic, I’m having one of my best reading years in quite a while and that has definitely kept my spirits up. I keep reading on social media from authors I follow that writing right now is very challenging in terms of personal mental health as well as content that seems applicable today with social distancing, and I worry a little what the next crop of new releases, those written during the pandemic, will look like. But for now, I’m loving so many wonderful new releases.
Also, I live in a state where the overwhelming majority are supporting our governor and staying home and wearing masks in public. Going to the store feels safe here in Oregon. We’ve had one of the lowest rates of infections and I hope it stays that way. I had to take my niece to the dentist last week and the safety measures in place were very reassuring. Having said that, looking on social media or watching the news can fill me with anxiety for the culture wars that are brewing. My spirits are kept up regularly though by falling back on my strategy of tuning out that which I don’t want infiltrating my personal bubble :) My partner calls me hardcore because I mute the TV when certain politicians speak and have for a year and a half now. It’s empowering. I am a shameless supporter of cancel culture; I delete, block, and mute social media posts from people I don’t want to hear from and when that fails, I happily scroll right past. Getting through the next six months of a pandemic and presidential election though worries me, for sure, because I fear the craziness can consume us. It helps knowing that I’m good at self-protection.
Looking forward this summer to nice weather, dinner outside on the patio, long walks with my dogs, riding my horse, and teaching online safely from home. I hope everyone finds coping strategies to get through these strange days!
“I delete, block, and mute social media posts from people I don’t want to hear from and when that fails, I happily scroll right past.” Sound advice, Blackjack. Sorry if I got on your bad list. I miss some of the stimulating debates we had here on AAR and enjoy reading your posts even though we don’t typically share the same views on life, politics, and art. No hard feelings. :)
Without having to commute I find myself with even more time to read, which is a huge stress reliever during these times. Although working from home creates a huge temptation to “take a break” and pick up a book for a quick read (no such thing).
Speaking of technical hassles…I know a few weeks back a few fixes were made – including the Power Search. But I can’t figure out what was actually fixed! It still doesn’t save a search list if you hit the back browser and I also confess I miss being able to sort the headers, a function which looks like it got removed during the latest upgrade.
You’ve never been able to save a search–I am still trying to figure out how to do that.
You can sort on the headers. Just click on them!
I have been reading profusely and attempting to dent the tbr but it grows faster despite my attempts. My gym opens today and it’s time to work off the 2.2 kgs (the scale says 3.6, I love the accuracy of all scales but not one that measures my weight) and no more detours to the bakery. I am looking to watch British mysteries and will appreciate some recommendations – I have watched Bodyguard (loved it) and started and stopped Broadchurch (couldn’t handle the dying of young boy and the anguish of his family). AAR has been a safe haven. Thank you for keeping us sane, Dabney! All the best to everyone here.
We just started watching <i>Line of Duty</i> which is by the guy who did </i>The Bodyguard</i>. I adored <i>Broadchurch</i> but it is pretty grim.
Have you tried <i>Vera<i>? It’s not grim. I love <i>Unforgotten</i> but it too is grim.
Thanks for the kind words.
I like British mysteries too, Usha. Have you tried Unforgotten. It’s on Amazon Prime and a very good series with a strong partnership between the two lead detectives. I think it’s been mentioned here on this site as a recommendation.
I enjoyed both versions of Broadchurch (even the inferior remake just to compare the two) but if they were released now, I would be skipping them as well. I’m just not in the mindset for anything really disturbing now. I can take fantasy violence like Kresley Cole and her Immortals or superheroes but Broadchurch is just too real.
I also enjoyed The Bodyguard and would recommend Knives Out if you haven’t seen it yet and enjoy the Agatha Christie type of mystery format.
I’ve been sheltering/quarantining in my home and working out of it full time for about two months now. I’ve been working even more hours than I did before (and I already worked a lot) due to crises that have come up.
I escape to books (even more than usual), my iPad and here. When I need a five minute break I hop over here to AAR to see what new interesting comments or discussions are posted. I check out the new reviews, book links etc. It’s some fresh perspectives that aren’t from coworkers, family or friends. I enjoy seeing opinions from other people all around the world who share my interest in romance.
I really appreciate the thoughtful comments and the chance to take my mind off the daily grind of work and life right now.
Thank you–we are happy to help!
What’s keeping my spirits up? Making outrageous comments here on AAR, of course! We are not supposed to do what you did, Dabney, here in the UK and travel to stay in an Airbnb but instead I have done a lot of reading, binged-watched ALL 7 series of Mad Men with my husband, now re-watching Outlander from series one, enjoying our outrageously glorious weather with meals on the patio with a lovely glass of cold rose in hand and shopped via “click & collect” for those neighbours who are 85, 93 and 97 respectively. Takes a lot of time to make sure they get exactly what they want. And now I know all of their dirty little food secrets as well!