Friday OT #1 - I've Been Walking Central Park, Singin' After Dark

[Angie]

Just kidding, nobody is allowed out to Central Park right now.

What do you miss most from pre-COVID days? Sports? Sitting in restaurants? Always being able to walk in and buy toilet paper?

I actually miss alone time, which sounds counter-intuitive. I'm working one week in the office, one week at home. During the weeks at home, I love my children more than anything on Earth... but they are EVERYWHERE. Someone is always talking to me or touching me, which I generally love, but I need some alone time every day. I'm a much better mother, wife, and person on my in-office weeks.

 

[oldman]

Probably eating lunch and working on the NYT crossword (Sunday edition) with our accounts receivable person, at work. She also happens to be my oldest daughter.

 

[mj4cy]

I normally work from home full time so not much has changed other than when I get anxious/restless I miss the freedom to go get errands done or set up lunch with friends. Also miss alone time on weekends. Only way to get it is to take turns sleeping in or going for a run.

 

[cmjh10]

March Madness

 

[wxman1]

Just the ability to do what we want and not having to worry about catching something.

My wife is really struggling with the alone time thing too. She had to go to her empty grandparents house yesterday to take a test and ended up just sitting there vegging out for a bit because it was quiet and no one was climbing all over her.

 

[Al_4_State]

Life. Like all of it. This is Hell.

 

[Angie]

Just the ability to do what we want and not having to worry about catching something.

My wife is really struggling with the alone time thing too. She had to go to her empty grandparents house yesterday to take a test and ended up just sitting there vegging out for a bit because it was quiet and no one was climbing all over her.

I am sort of jealous of her, in all honesty. That sounds amazing! I worked yesterday with a dog on my lap and a child in my armpit for most of the morning. Normally I love the cuddles... I just need a bit of quiet and nobody in my bubble each day for a certain amount of time. I bet she just soaked it in!

 

[JM4CY]

As much as I didn't think I would say this, just going to my damn job.

 

[MeanDean]

Not living in paranoia/fear that every time I feel like coughing I panic and think, "Oh ****! I have it !"

I've literally stewed over it WAY too much especially last week and over the weekend. I've decided it's best to step back and not read each and every post or news item about the doom and gloom. Just for my own mental health.

The weird part is I've always been sort of fascinated by new or emerging diseases. The first I remember was Legionnaires Disease in the 70's. So I was following this for quite a while. But my fascination is only FROM a DISTANCE. Keep that **** away from me.

 

[madguy30]

I generally don't really miss much for the sports and such. The NCAA tourney is great, but it would have been the Final Four tomorrow, and then over on Monday, and then we remember like 3 games from the whole thing.

Otherwise I don't eat out much and don't go out to drink very often at all so that's not new.

I generally travel to see my parents and I miss that as being normal, and am really worried about when that's going to be able to happen, if at all.

Otherwise it's weird being really careful opening doors, or trying to figure out how to get groceries.

 

[Entropy]

I miss my students.
I enjoy my field, but talking to others about it is what gets me out of bed.

I also miss concerts and live theater.

 

[BCClone]

Not much, my life isn't a whole lot different than it was before. Except for eating in restaurants, and I prefer the take out because nobody orders drinks so I save 10-15 bucks when we grab meals( I'm cheap). I usually tip, so I still do that to help out.

 

[IsUaClone2]

I've been retired for 16 of the last 18 years so I should be familiar with the way the game is played but at this time, things seem different. My wife's friends are occupied with their husbands and their grandchildren that are not being raised properly, so I have been conscripted to discuss/debate the world's problems ranging from what my mother did wrong when raising me to the conspiracy behind who created and released the Norvel virus with the intention of subjugating the free world especially the U.S.

Two things have changed. Firstly, I knew that you had to listen to make a discussion effective. What has happened is apparently I'm not very good at the listening part so she, being a former school teacher, has decided that I need to practice my listening skills because as a manager, people had to listen to me but I didn't have to listen to them (her interpretation; my protests to the exact opposite disregarded). Secondly, repetition and redundancy are required parts of helping someone develop their listening skills; same script, same conclusion everyday.

Even she has remarked that this seems like the movie Groundhog Day. I need to go to the gym and she needs to go to lunch with the girls.

 

[Clonefan32]

I don't think I miss sports as much as I thought I would. Sure, I miss them. But aside from Iowa State everything else I watch is with somewhat casual interest. Even as a Cubs fan it's hard to get too geared up about individual games.

To me it's just casual get-togethers. Having people over to grill. Going out for a few drinks.

The other thing is the uncertainty. It just gets old having to second guess everything you are doing. Are you over doing it? Are you not doing enough? Am I doing enough for the kids? How should my small business be handling this? Just hard to feel confident you are doing the right things right now...

 

[Farnsworth]

Getting together with friends, virtual happy hours have been fun though.

Today is my wife's birthday and it sucks not being to go out to eat with our core group of friends like we normally do.

 

[Clonefan32]

The other thing that's getting me is just the lack of variety. Every day feels like Groundhog's Day. It used to be you kind of plugged your way through the week in order to get to some fun weekend plans. Getting together with friends, kid's sporting events, etc. It's just a feeling of not having much to look forward to that gets depressing.

I've started rationing out household tasks in order to leave myself things to do. I could go do the laundry now, but what would that leave me to do tomorrow?

 

[BCClone]

This would sound cruel, but I wonder how things would go if the internet crashed for a week, everywhere. I grew up on a farm 8 miles from anywhere so I’m patient and can entertain myself, only had the 3 channels also.

There could be riots and looting if that happened.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Just the excuse I need to post this smooth jazz song

 

[madguy30]

This would sound cruel, but I wonder how things would go if the internet crashed for a week, everywhere. I grew up on a farm 8 miles from anywhere so I’m patient and can entertain myself, only had the 3 channels also.

There could be riots and looting if that happened.

I was about the same but not as far from others. But had a bunch of land and a creek and sheds filled with hay and farm animals, basketball hoop and room for area kids to play a baseball game or football game in our yard.

It was the good life and really makes it pretty easy for me to disconnect when I do.

 

[Buster28]

I really miss baseball. Tonight would have been the Giants' home opener. I wait all winter for the regular season to start up again. Love watching the broadcasts from SF - just seeing the ballpark and hearing the familiar voices of the broadcast crew is calming. It would really suck to lose the whole season to do this stupid virus. Losing March Madness was bad enough for me, but the possibility of zero baseball in 2020 really hurts from a social/entertainment perspective. Big picture, not being able to watch or go in person means very little, not counting those non-major leaguers who rely upon the sport for their livelihood. But if I'm allowed to think of my own selfish wants, yeah - it just sucks.