How are you doing?

[doglove]

I know this board is dead, but y’all have to be out there right? I feel stressed and anxious. I haven’t really left the house since the baby was born to avoid the flu, but this Covid 19 is so much scarier. We’re still taking dog walks, no one seems to be out in our neighborhood except for the people with dogs. How are you? Take care of yourselves during these scary times.

[tiramisu]

I'm here! Writing this from a waiting area at/that's part of a hospital ER. I'm feeling anxious and stressed also. It's been hard. Just working as usual since we've literally gotten no communication even saying that we'll be continuing to work. Sad I don't get to go visit my parents this weekend, but I don't want to give my mom virus exposure as a birthday present.

[mags]

I was in hospital for 4 days, now home for 4 and im going friggin nuts! and starving for another 2 weeks at least.

[kaneen]

I'm here. We had 500,000 bikers in town last week for Bike Week so it's likely just a matter of time before we become a hot spot. I'm trying to be vigilant about taking precautions but still living my life.

My company is AMAZING. They stopped all non-essential travel at the beginning of this month requiring SVP approval for anything you think is "essential". For me that means I get a very nice "no travel" period. I've been home for 3 weeks and won't travel at least until after mid-April at this point. I cannot remember the last time I was home for even a month straight in 20 years or so. They took it further last week instituting 100% WFH unless you are deemed essential for the office. And even "essential" folks were told if they are not comfortable coming in that they could stay home with no negative repercussions. And finally, this weekend we were told everyone below VP level will get a one time bonus in the amount of two weeks pay to help alleviate financial burdens many are feeling. I'm always proud to work for this organization but am now more so than ever.

[mags]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KANEEN!!! And Happy St. Patrick's day everyone.

I want to work for your company! They sound awesome.

Stay safe ladies!

[tiramisu]

Oh my goodness kaneen, that's really wonderful of your company!!

mags how are you feeling?


Happy St Patrick's Day!!

[spindle92]

I am beat, both physically and mentally.

I work for Target. Normally I am not on the floor, I have 4 stores that I rotate through and train. Because of the virus and the sheer state of panic, I have been working on the floor side by side with my team members. This is worse than black friday and it is dya after day after day.

Yes there are some kind people out there but there are a A LOT of not so kind people. We are getting screamed at, not just yelled at but literally screamed at by guests because shelves are empty. Trucks come nightly and people swarm the stores first thing in the morning. Limits have been set on items but trust me, people work the system to hoard stuff.

I am off today and it was a real struggle to get out of bed. My body physically hurts.
This AM I went for a nice long walk in the local park (it is completely empty so I didn't feel like I was not distancing myself from people) to try and recharge my brain.

Tomorrow starts a 6 day stretch for me, maybe longer depending on what happens at the store levels, and I am just trying to recharge and prep mentally for it.

[mags]

tiramisu I'm really tired, sore, and staring, other than that I'm fine

spindle92 you poor thing I want to throat punch most people these days.

[chalupa]

Stressed and anxious describes me, too. My company has the ability to enable everyone in corporate to WFH, but has chosen to carry on with business as usual, but with no travel and no visitors permitted in the office. I feel like it's so reckless, especially because everyone's job can absolutely be done remotely. Anyhow, I have a lingering cold from 2 weeks ago - I really just have the cough left over at this point. Someone complained to my boss and higher ups that I was in the office sick, and I was told to work from home. I regret nothing, and I might be a bit thankful for this cold.

I have two direct reports - one was traveling with me 2 weeks ago and has the same cold, and the other is pregnant. I had the pregnant one get a doctor's note from her GYN early last week so I could get her a WFH exception, and the second one was sent home with me yesterday for the cough, so I feel really good about extracting my immediate team from this mess, at least. I feel like the company is not going to change direction until someone is confirmed with the virus, and then we'll all have been exposed.

In funnier news, my fox-news loving mother sent me a recipe for homemade disinfectant with essential oils. She's been making her own cleaners with essential oils for forever - now she's really bringing out the big guns if she's willing to use bleach! LOL. I already own normal cleaners, because I am an adult who likes having a clean home.

Our grocery stores are picked bare, but we're otherwise fine here. I tried to stock up at the grocery store over the weekend, but there was just about nothing left. Not a single head or bag of lettuce, not a single potato or onion, etc. I ended up with only Ben & Jerry's and frozen pizza, so I'm over here living my best life this week.

[kaneen]

Thanks mags!

[doriswe]

Heeeyyy….I'm officially WFH until probably 4/6, if/when they send kids back to school (we're currently following the school's direction). The courts I work with are suspended until then and possibly longer. DD came home so "I can use your electricity/food and not mine" and DS is home schooling until at least 4/6. I'm trying to maintain a routine for all of us and have already lectured both of my new "coworkers" about being chill when I'm doing video conferencing.

I'm trying to not ingest any more news about everything because my anxiety has been high. I'm watching lots of mindless TV and doing long lists of things I'm grateful for. I'm sending out fun facts (via email) to my team at work so there's something positive in their inboxes and group texts to check in on people.

My mom was trying to book a flight to Taiwan at 11 PM last night, but sounds like Taiwan shut down their airports as of midnight. My brother has her all whipped up about being in the US right now. I'm all "really? put her in multiple airports and on multiple planes?" She's not compromised or anything and does a great job of social distancing already. Plus she's a freaking nurse, so she clearly understands what to do.

[chalupa]

Today sucks. My BFF and I were chatting yesterday as she picked up her marriage license for next month, and she kept saying "in case we can still get married". And today she decided the smart thing to do was to postpone. She's handling it with grace and class, and I'm the one crying, LOL. Her plans are to go ahead with her wedding ceremony as family-only IF her church reopens in time for the April 25th ceremony, so I won't be able to see her get married. I will certainly be at her rescheduled reception in October, but I'm currently having a little moment because IT'S NOT THE SAME. Apparently I'm suddenly a bridesmaid-zilla over here.

My BFF was the first of 3 weddings I have this spring, so I'm guessing similar changes might be coming for my other friend's wedding and my sister's, too.

While I am aware that there are much larger issues going on than missing weddings and travel, it sucks. And my grocery store was cleaned out of Ben & Jerry's last night.

[neonpink]

So last Wednesday the 11th, I was on my way to Paris. Things were weird but not as weird as they have become. The group i was traveling with thought what could happen in 9 days. So When the news hit mid flight (over Iceland) about the 30 day Europe closure, we booked flights to London while we were still flying to the continent. Deplaned, went through customs, and walked to the airline desk to see if we could do anything the line went across the terminal. We said Plan B it is and flew to London.
As we were waiting to board the plane We booked flights out off LHR for 400 pounds round trip back to Atlanta. (One way was 2,500) We also booked and airbnb in Soho. As we landed in London we heard about the France boarders closing, the Netherlands next. We felt a little bit more relaxed from this point until Saturday we heard about the 30 day ban leaving the UK starting Sunday night at 11:59.
We lived it up a little in London in an amazing airbnb and tried to make the best of it. It's been a wild ride.
When we arrived at Heathrow we were given a form to fill out, which we gave to the CDC when they boarded our plane in Atlanta. They stayed on for an hour looking at us. They took 5 people off the plane. So I am monitoring myself closely.

However once we came back I learned that someone that was at the tailgate I attended for a Soccer match had it and didn't show any signs until the next day. I'm currently working from home and under quarantine.

[neonpink]

Also I have never washed my hands and used hand sanitizer so much they hurt. While my group was walking around London which was emptier than usual but still had people around. We played the game of everything and everyone is lava.

[doriswe]

Y'all, I'm not sure I'm going to make it at home with these people! They're suddenly needy toddlers and driving me insane. It's day 1...uggghhhh. We just ran to the store to get a couple of things so we can hunker down for good and DD is all "oh, I'm just going to walk around coughing." Uhhh, no. Then DS says "it doesn't matter since I won't get it anyway." OMFG you guys. My boss is supposed to be figuring out doing WebEx meetings and cannot figure it out and just keeps sending out blank meeting invites.

[mags]

chalupa My BIL was supposed to get married in early May in Dallas. They have now moved it to July. Im hoping it happens

[tiramisu]

Tomorrow will be my first real day off, like off from everything. It's going to be weird.

[chalupa]

Mar 18, 2020 17:36:16 GMT -5 mags said:

chalupa My BIL was supposed to get married in early May in Dallas. They have now moved it to July. Im hoping it happens

I hope it does, too!


I am now fully expecting not to make it to Cozumel for the May 8th wedding, and who knows if my sister's end of May wedding is going to happen. 

[doriswe]

Mar 19, 2020 1:00:38 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

Tomorrow will be my first real day off, like off from everything. It's going to be weird.

I'm really glad I have work stuff to do....I think the lack of that shitty structure would be really hard to adjust to. 

[kaneen]

Hi ladies! For those suddenly working from home and finding the lack of structure difficult I have a tip. I've been working from home for quite a long time now and the best thing I ever started doing is to force structure on my day. I actually schedule my day. Each morning I'll look at my to-do list and decide which things I need to do that day. Then I'll block time on my calendar (leaving it showing as open in case people need to schedule actual meetings with me) for each of the items. It has made a huge difference in my productivity level. Hope it helps for those who need it!

[doglove]

I am going stir crazy, which I know is first world problems. We haven’t left the house in a week if only to do dog walks. I try not to read the news all day otherwise I just feel more stressed out. I am too tired to read, but D is still eating every 2-3 hours so I can’t nap for more than 1-2 hours. At least A is off for his three day weekend tonight so I can get a larger chunk of sleep.

The sleep deprivation is the hardest y’all.

[mags]

Mar 18, 2020 20:35:06 GMT -5 pinkplasticdoll said:

Mar 18, 2020 17:36:16 GMT -5 mags said:

chalupa My BIL was supposed to get married in early May in Dallas. They have now moved it to July. Im hoping it happens

Um if you end up in Dallas I would like to meet up with you .

Oh hell yeah!!! We are set to arrive the 16th, wedding is 18th and fly back on 19th. Let's make it happen!!! 

I will have a car

[mags]

chalupa all those things suck, im sorry. Especially, for your sister

doglove its awful isn't it? I have not gone outside in 10 days, nothing nada, I do not know if I will survive this. I know for you with the baby it makes it harder because you don't get that break away time.

Stefan is working from home, he does a couple of days aa week so I am sort of used to it, but everyday is a whole different ball game. He starts work at 6:30 AM and done by 3:30. ugh

[downtoearth]

Honestly, I'm feeling more lonely when my kids are at their dad's. I usually fill my time away from kids with social activities, skiing, exercise class, nights out, and baths/reading, but these are mostly canceled and I'm not good at staying in a quiet house. It's like forced me-time therapy and I think I have too much of that for my extroverted and mom-centric lifestyle I want.

So many of my friends who are moms (honestly they are mostly moms, sorry to the dad's who are home, but generally the dads are still full-on working because of institutional sexism) are staying home or working from home to help their kids learn, and get outside and do interesting things during this quarantine, and I feel left out and sad that I don't get my kids for several days each week. I know that is just divorce, but it sucks that I can't be there with them all the time, and especially now. There is this dark, ugly hole in my heart when I see others who are complaining about all the time and the arguing/fighting and too much time together. I want to check their privilege for #1 complaining that they have to be around their kids (that I know they love, but are annoyed with), and #2 that they have the privilege of a two-income family and ability to stay home and make stupid homeschool schedules with cute plans and structured "PE" and "Intro to drawing" and not have to freak out about money right now when I am basically living on savings, and my work/industry has been slowing for 3+ years thanks to current political climate and GOP budget cuts to environmental and research/cleanup. So I guess... I am not great.

I know it's stupid to feel like this - in my head - because this isn't the point of quarantine. It's about stopping people from dying and not overloading our healthcare system, and I'm trying really hard to keep that in perspective. But my heart is hurt that my friends get to spend so much great time with their kids connecting, have their kids close now (even hear them fight and tease), and get to have a "break" from real life for a moment. It's not a "break" or "relaxing" to not know what my kids are doing for 3+ days at a time or to know that they are spending all this "family time" with with two people I don't respect. It hurts more than normal to have to pass them off, and it feels like another not-fair moment because I don't have the luxury of not working through this, so I can't spend all day with the kids even when they are with me - I have to keep trying to get things done and take meetings in the other room, etc.. It's so much easier when the kids are in school and away from XH 8+ hours per day for some reason - it feels like I'm raising my kids with a community of teachers I trust and respect, and that they kids are at XH's for less time. I just want to figure out how to have a spring break with the kids - staycation or remote camping style vacation - in a week that they'll remember different from their quarantine time because I need that time with them, not because it matters to them. I need to feel connected to them in my own way.

So TL/DR - I'm not a fully healed divorced mom yet b/c I am jealous that my kids have to go to the other house, and I don't like being alone in my own house for long periods without some socialization.

[downtoearth]

Mar 16, 2020 22:18:11 GMT -5 mags said:

I was in hospital for 4 days, now home for 4 and im going friggin nuts! and starving for another 2 weeks at least.

Stay healthy and I hope you have a quick recovery - and get over that starving feeling. I bet that sucks. 

[downtoearth]

Mar 19, 2020 9:24:30 GMT -5 kaneen said:

Hi ladies! For those suddenly working from home and finding the lack of structure difficult I have a tip. I've been working from home for quite a long time now and the best thing I ever started doing is to force structure on my day. I actually schedule my day. Each morning I'll look at my to-do list and decide which things I need to do that day. Then I'll block time on my calendar (leaving it showing as open in case people need to schedule actual meetings with me) for each of the items. It has made a huge difference in my productivity level. Hope it helps for those who need it!

I need this tip - even for when I am at work. Thanks!

[doriswe]

kaneen, I'm going to try and do more of that. When I make the choice to WFH I'm all "yyyyeaaahhhhhh" and now that I'm forced to do it I'm all "nnnooooooooooo." lol

[gault]

I'm with kaneen in that i feel very lucky to work where i do. The entire company has been told to work remotely, all 4000+. The cost of covid 19 testing is covered by our insurance. We are transitioning to even new hires being shipped a laptop and doing new hire orientation online. Lots of change and emergency management. Lots of teamwork.

I've been home since feb 20, either recovering from surgery or working at home, so I'm definitely starting to get a little stir crazy. But overall things are ok. Bf's job is considered essential since her works in health care (drug/alcohol counselor) so he's still going to the office every day for now.

[doriswe]

Mar 19, 2020 14:09:16 GMT -5 gault said:

I'm with kaneen in that i feel very lucky to work where i do. The entire company has been told to work remotely, all 4000+. The cost of covid 19 testing is covered by our insurance. We are transitioning to even new hires being shipped a laptop and doing new hire orientation online. Lots of change and emergency management. Lots of teamwork.

I've been home since feb 20, either recovering from surgery or working at home, so I'm definitely starting to get a little stir crazy. But overall things are ok. Bf's job is considered essential since her works in health care (drug/alcohol counselor) so he's still going to the office every day for now.

This situation is a logistical nightmare for our clients who need AODA testing/counseling in the community. And with jails kicking people out, we're just holding our breath that people in our courts get through this safely. I'm convinced it's going to be the purge lol

ETA tell your bf I really appreciate the hard work he does!

[tiramisu]

So far I'm treating today like a regular weekend day. I did the dishes, I'm going to vacuum, and then hopefully get at least one online dance class in. I'm thinking I'm going to try to practice my routines, as well. I'd typically be dancing for 3 hours today, minimum, so I need to get movement in.

This evening I'm going to have a phone date with the guy I've been on 4 dates with. He dropped off a bottle of wine, a card, and a bouquet of flowers earlier this week and tonight we're going to each open our bottle of wine (he got the same one) and have a glass while we chat.