JCC Coronavirus Escape Pod (Vent/Emotional Support/Share/Homeschool Help!))

I didn’t think I could love my cats more than I already did. Being shut inside for the past two weeks with them has proven me wrong. They’re amazing. Perhaps the best cats in the world.

 

aw, that's great @Bor Mullet! are you able to share a photo of them here?

I'm a cat lover too, though I haven't had one myself since childhood due (mainly) to my allergies :-(

 

Yes, @Bor Mullet - hope you can share photos of your kitties!!!

 

Something for y'all doing the homeschooling thing, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is offering some free online courses to the general public, looks like some stuff suitable for high school students, and some for kids as young as 8.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media...0OiyA7WoqmPnmIwcHpZPCEM#.Xn3_bz1l3D4.facebook

https://news.erau.edu/headlines/emb...ourse-catalog-to-florida-high-school-students

 

Good news I finally got a Brain Pop account per suggest of @anakinfansince1983 and there are a lot of videos available, Free We convinced my younger son to watch one of them today as well as doing the scholastic lesson. I don't know if Scholastic is going to continue to add lessons. I'll be really sad if they don't, because they are the thing my son seems to be the most willing to do.

Also on a walk with my older son today we saw a guy out on his balcony of his apartment doing jumping jacks. It warms my heart to see people being creative and following simple life saving instructions. All the idiots out and about are not making me happy (to put it in terms allowed by the TOS).

Mostly I've just gotten overly worried today about what's going to happen in this country and I'm feeling my first real bit of cabin fever. I didn't even bother to call my parents, because talking to them can be frustrating (my mom at least is a Trump supporter) and I can't always deal.

 

It's impossible @Runjedirun to not over worry or have moments of self doubt. I kinda had that the other night where I felt like the biggest coward/loser ever that my only contribution to this is staying at home in comfy clothes and trying to put together a "online classroom" for the next several weeks? I felt horrible absolutely horrible about myself like I should be doing more. Much more. Anything I can. Hell if I didnt have kids/wife i gladly volunteer to be a geniuna pig. Figure this crap out. But i had a friend of mine who is a doctor text me "keep my kids occupied" and realized that was my way to help.

 

So this morning I did some yoga, drank my coffee, ate some breakfast and began to put things away around the house. Found the kid's backpacks in the living room. They hadn't been touched since two weeks ago Thursday (last day of school). I opened them to make sure there was no food in the lunchboxes before I put them away until (well I don't even know if school's going to start in the fall, so who knows when). Seeing the flyers in the backpacks about upcoming events at school was a punch to the gut.

I did manage to clean my dining room like I haven't in about two years. I spent a year + being injured and then I spent whatever time I had running around going to concerts and NBA games and whatever I could because missing a year of my life was awful and I knew it could happen again so I was doing everything and anything and I was only saving the minimum and you know what? I have no regrets, if this world ever opens again I am going to back to crazy enjoying life.

I'm also doing laundry, did some dishes, washing the sheets on our bed. You guys dishes and laundry are the only normal I have left, that's scary!

 

[part of the below is cross-posted from the main cvirus thread]

CROSS-POSTED:

wow. I found this vid kind of sobering and depressing, as I followed absolutely none of that advice when I was doing my pre-lockdown stockpile-shopping activities about 2 weeks ago (honestly didn't realize then that it was necessary/advisable). I have a "curbside pickup" order of groceries I'm scheduled to pick up on Monday, so I'll have to start implementing these stringent measures then. I wonder if I should wipe down everything I have in my pantry, fridge, and freezer now too, even though now, what remains of those newer items is all mixed in with older items in those locations.

I was reading an article the other day how all of this necessarily heightened attention to constant disinfection practices is affecting people who already struggle with actual OCD involving cleaning rituals. It said it has set some of them back in their management of their condition, for obvious reasons.

It also mentioned in the same article I think that there are signs that some of those on that extended lockdown in Wuhan seem to have developed agoraphobia as a result of their experience, and are afraid/hesitant to go out more even now that the restrictions there are starting to lift.

I have more personal thoughts on this issue, but I'm thinking I should stop here and put those in the "escape pod" thread


NEW (RELATED) POST FOR THIS THREAD:

I don't think I have ever had actual OCD, but I have had long-standing problems with recurring anxieties that seem to be in the same "wheelhouse" (i.e., the "need to double-check" something, like "did I lock the door/turn off the oven," or over-worrying about health symptoms that I or my husband experience, as in "omg, maybe X symptom is a sign of cancer, etc."), though it's never been to the extent that it's interfered with my daily functioning. But the recurring worries about how I haven't been following all the best practices with this virus situation so far have definitely been bothering me.

Like at first, I had been reassuring myself about how I picked up the most recent Rx I got by going through the Walgreens drive through (thinking, "whew!, that must've been much safer than going inside!," ...but then when I got home, I disinfected the card I paid with, but not the plastic pill bottle itself (somehow that never occurred to me). It's this kind of stuff that has the potential to keep bothering me for however long this whole thing is going to go on (18 months, I'm guessing) :-(

Does anyone else here find themselves worrying about this kind of stuff?

 

I know we're all experiencing this, some worse than others, but I'm just so miserable, angry, and depressed about all this. Trying to stay in touch with friends and family, but I honestly don't see the point.

 

These pictures were taken before the lockdown/situation grew worse, but here are pics of my cats. Hopefully that helps cheer people up:

 

Short answer is yes.

It does play on your mind. I'm now wearing a pair of disposable gloves when I go out for the food run, get back take off and bin, wash hands, but that's still not close to what was outlined there. Recycling bags is a big deal in the UK now, but combine that with social distancing and it's probably safe enough? Maybe.

Then again, my local area has been, on every trip I've done, a ghost town save for at the shop, which is limiting numbers inside. For the local 7-7.15 runs locally, I might only see 1-2 other shoppers and we all keep our distance.

Even so, still plays on my mind.

 

Ugh, I ordered a handwriting workbook that was described as being for the 1st grade. Um, this book is half in cursive. They never taught cursive in 1st grade and now they don't teach it at all. But maybe we can use the other half, son didn't seem very excited. And the flash cards advertised as site words. No, they are just letters. Son does like them and we did use the letters to make a few easy words before he got disinterested. I have no idea how people order things online and get what they are expecting. It seems to always be a fail for me. I wonder what the 1st grade math book will be.

 

Thanks for sharing @PCCViking , they look adorable

 

The best advice @Jedi Ben I heard so far as come from my physician. Don't act like everyone has it except.you. Act like YOU have it and nobody else does therefore you are doing everything in your power to not give it to other people. I think that is really good advice, at least if you are a good person. I think some people would take that the wrong way regrettably.

Don't ask @Runjedirun don't ask. So thankful I am married to a elementary principal. I be so lost trying to teach "new math". She totally in charge of that. Then again she is in charge anyway.

 

By that metric Luke, we're not doing bad - only one of us, me, does the food run. Scariest one was Friday because that was into town, but the Sainsbury runs are far quieter.

We're being cautious on packaging on deliveries too.

 

They are. Don't let their cute looks fool you. They, especially Marbles (the first picture) can be quite the mischief makers.

 

Thanks for sharing pictures of the furry children. They are adorable.

I've been doing wipe down of most groceries and all packages for while now. Very OCD sis in Maine sent the remainder of her cleaning supplies to us today (her boyfriend can get more apparently). My knuckles are starting to get red and cracked from all the Lysol wipes and hand cleaning, but I'll manage.

I am not fond of the stress eating and the anger seeping through (and sometimes at mom.) I always apologize, but I feel bad about that.

A little skittish about the Fed Ex delivery coming on Monday (and groceries coming Wednesday night). The UPS guy wasn't wearing any protective gear on his face (he was wearing gloves, but I opened the door as he put the delivery box down on the porch and turned away. Yelled "Thank you very much!" while showing him my ID.

I wish Fed Ex would do this too. I have to call before I start new job on Monday morning to ask Fed Ex if the driver can just leave the package on the porch and acknowledge me from at least 6' back.

It was nice hearing the blue jays as I was bringing the food delivery inside this morning.

Trying to limit my news to as little as possible, while still staying informed.

Working to keep my health up and mom's too (If I keep overcooking these chicken tenders, I think she may start refusing it). I wish I could do more to help her. The cobra venom pain killer helps her knees on non-rainy days; so grateful I ordered more of that (Nyloxin if anyone wants to know).

Anyway, I hope everyone here is okay. Just rambling...

 

They think I belong to them since they're cats and I'm merely a human.

 

I'm sorry that you're struggling so much. I hope this is just a temporary "adjustment" phase and that you'll be feeling better soon. We all need to support each other through this.

 

Everyone's milage may vary, I think the experts said we're all going through periods of unexpected grief.

This is the first time in my life that I have to conclude there is a reasonable probability I may not be alive 6 months from now, no matter how many precautions I've taken and how much I've practiced social distancing, all it would take is just one little thing I might overlook. It's a real possibility, and I have to c I me to terms with that, and also that I would merely be sharing the same fate as thousands already have.

Things look pretty grim, and the odds are against us (sorry that's just a film reference actually)

 

Something to consider is that, for all we all occasionally butt heads in here, is it can be a surprisingly supportive environment. More of your personality than you think will come across and people respond to that.

For instance, giving a like on a post is easy, but how do you reckon the various posters who are health workers feel when they log back on to escape it all and find a slew of likes? Sure, it ain't much, it ain't physical, but it's something; it's a form of appreciation from people that's entirely safe and within their power to give.

Most of us can't do that much or, let's be honest here, we're intimidated by this virus and there is reason to be so.

For myself, being involved with the C19 response by my employer helps give me that sense that I'm contributing something. Without that, I'd feel more lousy. There is ye olde wisdom that goes: Know what you can do, what you can't do and the difference between them. Its centuries old advice but remains accurate.

Also:

 

I'm surprisingly calm about the germs. You guys, I have a 6 year old with Autism. Today he wanted to walk outside with me, which is great. I tell him the playgrounds are closed. I tell him there is a sickness out there we don't want to catch. It's also wet because it rained outside, so I'm hopeful he won't want to go on the wet playground. Well, he went right on ahead of me towards the end of our walk to inspect the playground. Swings were not wet and didn't appear closed to him. "It's not closed." He put his hands on the chains and had a swing. Yeah, there's really nothing I can do. He just doesn't get it. We come inside, he washes his hands, he touches the package I told him not to touch. I tell him to wash his hands again. "But my hands are clean." You can explain it all day, he doesn't get it.

I'm not sure if it's the Autism or because he's 6. He doesn't see dirt he doesn't think his hands are dirty. Also I don't want to yell or get angry or threaten to take something away over things he just doesn't understand. It's heart breaking every time he asks if there's school on Monday. He misses school and no matter how much I tell him no school until at least August he doesn't understand that either.

I have this feeling every time I get behind the wheel of my car, but it's not super overwhelming. It's just the unfortunate truth with my commute everyday in a high volume area with crazy people on the roads. And even I could and do make mistakes. Please don't let this fill your mind too much. Take breaks from the news when possible.

 

More wisdom from olden tymes: This, too, shall pass. It's just a matter of time until there's a vaccine or cure, and this will all be just a weird memory... except for the anti-vaxxers.

 

I wouldn't say I'm intimidated, per se, but I do recognize that my becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, would just add to the overwhelming load that local hospitals have to struggle with right now. And it might not even save my life.