Coping Strategies for Dealing with COVID-19

[HerNameIsBuffy]

38 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I'm cooking a pot of split pea soup, with carrots, onions, and garlic.  I'll be adding pasta near the end.  Good news is it'll be yummy, filling, has a fair amount of protein, and there'll be enough to last for days.  Bad news is there's now enough empty space in my refrigerator (I haven't shopped in over 2 weeks) to easily hold the leftovers.  Haven't had it in awhile and am really looking forward to it.

I made that Tuesday and it got some rare praise from my youngest.  I have texture issues so I puree mine until it's silky smooth.  I didn't add pasta, but put some little bits of ham - and cooked with a hambone.

I'll definitely make it again.  I'm going to attempt lentil soup this week inspired by the Jrod cooking thread.  I haven't had that since I was kid and can't for the life of me remember what they taste like so it will be an adventure.

[smittykins]

Since yesterday was supposed to have been MLB’s Opening Day, MLB Network and YES have been showing classic games.  Plus I’ve been playing a lot of MLB The Show 20(the game dropped on March 13, and I’m already in early May on the season).

[Gemini]

21 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I think the British to American translation means castor sugar = granulated sugar and icing sugar = powdered or confectioners sugar.

@Kailash is correct, caster sugar is fine granulated sugar which gives a better bake. Whizzing granulated sugar through the food processor works if you cant get hold of any. Icing sugar is powdered sugar.

I'm going to attempt my first fruit pie soon. We bake cakes, cookies and scones regularly but pastry scares me! 

I'm so glad for this thread. I'm trying to remain positive in front of the family, but sometimes it's so hard.  

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by Gemini

[thoughtful]

I have no idea if some of the things I've found comforting will help anyone else, but here are some thoughts.

Reading all of the warnings from people in Italy, and other places it hit before the US, moved me a great deal. Rather than increasing my dread, it made me think "They're going through all of that, and are still taking time to warn and advise us? That's heroic!"

Little things that people are doing to make life easier for others cheer me. For example, the town office, which usually charges more if residents pay bills online rather than in person, is waiving that fee, since we all have to pay online. They could have just said we had to pay online and left the fee in place, so it struck me as a nice gesture. So now I go looking for things like that to cheer me up.

Whether it's something big or small, the "look how helpful people are being to one another" factor really works for me.

Keeping in touch with people helps me a lot. Worries about the few people I haven't heard from at all since this started keep threatening to fill my mind. Reaching out to them, or at least getting updated by a third party, is the one aspect of it I can control.

Humor helps me - both trying to create it, and seeing it. However, as someone who has always been a clown, I've needed to be slapped down (figuratively, I assure you) a few times in my life, when I wasn't reading the signals that someone just wasn't in the mood. If people trying to be funny just annoy you right now, don't feel obligated to gratify us. If it's something online you can skip, skip it.

Any part of this that feeds my usual people-watching habit seems to help me. For example, I find it interesting to see how online systems have changed (or failed to do so!) for this crisis. Practically every website I've needed to use now has a pop-up about Covid-19 and what they are doing differently, and most seem to be keeping it updated. But even the one I found that wasn't was sort of interesting to observe (in spoiler, in case anyone wants to skip the details).
 

Spoiler

 

I placed a grocery order at a supermarket, which uses Instacart as their delivery system. I'd never ordered groceries before - I always just shop in the stores, so this was new to me.

They said it would come in two hours, which really surprised me (and I didn't count on it). Then they started sending me "your order will be delayed - here is the new time" messages, every half hour or so, for hours! Finally they asked me to set a new time, and the next possible option was four days out (which had been what I was expecting in the first place!).

I was more amused than upset, but it really seemed strange to me that an Internet-dependent business like that didn't just have a message that came up automatically, telling us that the delivery window was now unusually long, and showing options.

I assume the "your order will be delayed" messages are automatically generated, but it seems like not switching over to a realistic message must be creating ill-will and possibly some extra work for someone, which is hardly what they need right now.

 

I'm not naturally good at finding the silver linings in clouds. But I learned to do it years ago, with the help of a therapist. I make note of the things that I've learned, that will serve me in the future, from this - especially from online teaching.

I also keep looking for ways to help others. Don't pin a halo on me -- it's a selfish act!  ? I need to fix things,   and there are huge aspects of this nobody can control,  so keeping vigilant for things I can do eases some of the frustration.

 

[fraurosena]

Time to laugh about It.

 

[Ozlsn]

Going to be honest, I laughed.

Spoiler

We're still not on a total lockdown, and are being encouraged to go out for a walk (maintaining appropriate distance obviously). So I went running near my house last night, and it was very quiet and relaxing. Photo from where I went.

Spoiler

Saw kangaroos, but didn't manage any photos of them.

[47of74]

Hey guys, just saying, if you're planning on passing the quarantine time doing, well...you know...there might be a shortage of one very important item in the near future...

Quote

A global shortage of condoms is looming, the world’s biggest producer has said, after a coronavirus lockdown forced it to shut down production.

Malaysia’s Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms globally. It has not produced a single condom in its three Malaysian factories for more than a week because of a lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus.

That is already a shortfall of 100m condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state healthcare systems such as Britain’s NHS or distributed by aid programmes such as the UN Population Fund.

The company was given permission to restart production on Friday, but with only 50% of its workforce, under a special exemption for critical industries.

 

[thoughtful]

@coexist posted this on the Rodrigues thread, and I highly recommend it:

 

[47of74]

Dang.

Guess that's out as a coping strategy during all this.....

[thoughtful]

1 hour ago, 47of74 said:

Guess that's out as a coping strategy during all this.....

Well, it doesn't say there's no relaxation, or satiation, or even contemplation -  just salvation!

[47of74]

Smudge Lord has the right idea here....

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I had to use two small steaks today and boys are working so ...one for my lunch and one for the pups.

Yes, mommy is not only home for cuddles but I am parenting now cooking them steak.  They are giving this shelter in place thing 2 thumbs up.

[47of74]

Yeah stop and think before you offer to cut your S.O.'s hair during this time.

Quote

Isolation has apparently led a whole host of bored girlfriends to believe they have the skills of a professional hairdresser, though the guys with the botched fades and unfortunate trims might disagree. 

Being stuck inside all day can do some funny things to people, it seems. We’ve seen celebrities burst out into songs no one asked for, and regular people become TikTok stars as they dance the hours away.

With a lack of friends and family around to help guide us away from mistakes and poor choices, now isn’t really the time to start experimenting with potentially disastrous hobbies.

 

[thoughtful]

Ooooh, maybe long hair on men will come back to stay! I like it.

 

[fraurosena]

37 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

Ooooh, maybe long hair on men will come back to stay! I like it.

 

Rufus please forbid any men with balding heads to let their hair grow and wear ponytails though. 

 

[47of74]

A priest I know had a suggestion for people who are having trouble sleeping due to the pandemic.  Take breaks from the news.  He said he took a day off from news and didn't look at news sites or watch TV at all.  He said that night he had the best sleep in several days.  He's not advocating a head in the sand approach by any means but just that sometimes people just have to back away from the 24 hour news cycle for a while.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Idk if this is a coping mechanism or I'm just going squirrely but I'm running out of things to watch so I'm bizarre things I don't understand.

I like comedian Jim Gaffigan.  Not a huge fan, I wouldn't pay to see him...but he's funny enough and so I clicked on "Dinner with the Gaffigans" in which he live streams dinner with his family.

It's neither funny, nor interesting....but I've watched several episodes thinking there has to be something I'm not seeing but...it's a nice bland family eating dinner.  I don't get it.  Cna someone explain it to me?

 

[danvillebelle]

This is a weird thing to say and I don't know where else to put it.  But I wanted to say it in case anyone else is feeling the same way.

I said to my husband a couple of nights ago....I am glad his parents are both gone now and not living through this.  He agreed with me.

I loved them, but they could be really stubborn.  And I know my FIL in particular would probably have ignored the guidelines and gotten it somehow, and it would have killed him.  And he would have died alone.  

He passed last summer, in his home, in his own bed, with no pain (Hospice care for late stage cancer).  And I am thankful for it.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

7 minutes ago, danvillebelle said:

This is a weird thing to say and I don't know where else to put it.  But I wanted to say it in case anyone else is feeling the same way.

I said to my husband a couple of nights ago....I am glad his parents are both gone now and not living through this.  He agreed with me.

I loved them, but they could be really stubborn.  And I know my FIL in particular would probably have ignored the guidelines and gotten it somehow, and it would have killed him.  And he would have died alone.  

He passed last summer, in his home, in his own bed, with no pain (Hospice care for late stage cancer).  And I am thankful for it.

I mentioned to my sister how hard Mom and Dad would be fighting the directives to stay home if they were still here.  She said she was glad they were gone because of how she would worry.   Between trying to keep Dad from daily grocery shopping and dealing with his anger over not being able to go out to eat (and being told what to do) and Mom insisting on going out and shopping for everyone she's ever met so they could stay safe it really would be a whole 'nother level of difficulty.  

Both my parents died surrounded by their children...the thought of people passing alone breaks my heart.

[ADoyle90815]

I've also been dealing with how my dad finds an excuse to go to the grocery store every day, while I've been limiting my essential shopping more than ever. My niece's 12th birthday is Sunday, and my brother had to tell my dad not to come over as they're not having any extended family over this year, although when the gifts arrive, we'll arrange something where either he picks them up, or we drop them off at his doorstep.

I've been going for daily walks and bike rides in the neighborhood because it's still allowed, and I need the fresh air as well. People in my neighborhood are taking this seriously as they'll even cross the street to avoid being too close to others, so we don't see the huge groups that caused the beaches, outdoor sports courts, and hiking trails to be closed here.

[47of74]

34 minutes ago, danvillebelle said:

This is a weird thing to say and I don't know where else to put it.  But I wanted to say it in case anyone else is feeling the same way.

I said to my husband a couple of nights ago....I am glad his parents are both gone now and not living through this.  He agreed with me.

I loved them, but they could be really stubborn.  And I know my FIL in particular would probably have ignored the guidelines and gotten it somehow, and it would have killed him.  And he would have died alone.  

He passed last summer, in his home, in his own bed, with no pain (Hospice care for late stage cancer).  And I am thankful for it.

Yeah I'm glad my family members who are gone aren't having to live through this.  Especially my grandparents.  They'd probably be locked away in assisted living unable to see friends or family members and not seeing their children would have killed them as sure as the virus would have.  I'm glad enough they didn't live long enough to see fuck face tearing down everything they spent a lifetime building up.

My uncle who died a couple years ago was able to pass in his home and in his own bed too.  That's probably one of the better ways to go. 

5 minutes ago, ADoyle90815 said:

I've been going for daily walks and bike rides in the neighborhood because it's still allowed, and I need the fresh air as well. People in my neighborhood are taking this seriously as they'll even cross the street to avoid being too close to others, so we don't see the huge groups that caused the beaches, outdoor sports courts, and hiking trails to be closed here.

Yeah I try not to get too close to people away from home.  If I see someone when I'm riding I'll move over if it's safe just to not get too close .  I'm going out riding as often as I can now because I don't trust our cluster fuck of a Governor and loyal Trump sycophant to do a stay at home order right when she finally gets around to it.  That's how piss poor of a job she does as governor. 

[FundMe]

hi. not sure whether to join in or start a new thread (like I know how to do that, lol). I'm in recovery from alcohol. So many good things were happening....going to AA, new job, new sober living situation....now I'm spinning wheels.  Is there a thread here?.......because so many recovery sites are religion based, and I would love to snark at the same place I struggle, and succeed!

[Coconut Flan]

Each thing doesn't have to have a thread.  You can talk here if you want or in https://www.freejinger.org/forum/449-are-you-there-fj-its-me-margaret/ if you'd like it to be a little less public.  

[WiseGirl]

A 6 week old baby died of COVID 19 in my state. 

Stay the fuck home already people!

[Cartmann99]

 @HerNameIsBuffy, earlier today I had to use the bathroom, and the kitty in my avatar comes bounding in and immediately starts headbutting my leg to get attention. I asked him if he'd been talking to your kitties.