lemonycake

Kid Gloves Stealthily attacking By-Tor slays his foe

Jacob's Ladder

Happy birthday! :)

I'm so terribly sorry to hear this. I don't know what to say other than we're here for you. RIP Mrs. Bear

Happy belated birthday, EagleMoon! :)

Sorry this is late, but I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing birthday, Blue J!!! :)

I am taking this as seriously as I need to (which is serious, to be sure, but not getting swept up in all the histrionics and hysteria). I also can’t imagine how long it’s going to be before we’re back to ‘normal’, or how that normal is even going to be defined. I think the psychological impact of all this is going to be a LOT longer-lasting than the public health concerns involved. I am fortunate to still be getting a good paycheck through all of this; I go to my office one or two days a week, and the rest of the time I work from home. I’d love to just be able to take myself out to dinner somewhere. And I’m bummed that there’s been no college basketball tournament. But hey, I’m healthy, and so are all of my loved ones. So any of my complaints about the situation we’re all in are pretty meaningless by comparison. I’d say it’s optimistic that we might be in a lot better shape by June or so...but that’s what I’m really, really hoping for. Hi Blue J! I share your exact sentiment. I am limiting my exposure to the news, which has been a barrage of depressing and panic-inducing headlines. I check once a day to stay up to date with new information and guidelines, but stay away from the hysteria and unhinged comments... Honestly, how is that helping the situation? More people will feel compelled to be spiteful to each other. I take the virus very seriously, but even people who take it seriously are getting tired of the constant doom and gloom. I agree that the psychological aspect of all of this has totally been overlooked so far. No one is prepared to be suddenly isolated and plunged into a depression for an indefinite amount of time. The government should be working on a concrete plan or provide financial aid for those struggling during this time. So far, there has been no mention of aid for college students or people who were unemployed prior to the outbreak. I'm very happy to hear that you get the chance to work from home and are still getting paid! You and your family's health should definitely come first before anything else, but don't forget that mental health is just as critical. Take a walk outside from time to time, and spend quality time with your loved ones. I too genuinely hope we will emerge from this by June. Where are you located? My area is supposedly 2 or 3 weeks before the peak of the virus.

Get those practise hours in! Organizing can be a stress killer. I am trying to convince myself that the silver lining of this whole thing might be more time to focus on neglected hobbies. I am also naturally introverted, but I live alone and need to see at least one human being regularly to function. Your wife must be feeling the effects of social distancing much more :( Weirdly enough, I was really stressed about the virus when it was nowhere nearby, but I'm not that worried anymore. I was the first in my circle to urge others to stay alert and practise proper hygiene back in January. If I or someone else catches it anyway despite our ongoing efforts, then it just can't be helped. Fingers crossed what you read is correct and we will start to see it die down eventually

Haven't been on this board in a while! :hi: I am trapped in a tiny room during the shutdown and am going stir-crazy with hundreds of thoughts and questions running through my head, and I realized just how important regular human interaction is for my mental health. I swear as soon as this is over, I am never blowing off any invitations to see people again. A few observations during quarantine: -I am still coming to terms with the gravity of the situation. This is the first time I've experienced a crisis warranting a global shutdown for an indefinite period of time, and I've been feeling a fair amount of anxiety on how long this is going to last and how things will return to normal. -I was really looking forward to my summer courses, but they've been switched to online. I am much more motivated to learn when classes have an interactive element so that I know I am actively absorbing information. -I miss hanging out in parks and talking to strangers and going to meet-ups and cooking for friends and not having to avoid people :( The latter half of 2019 was blessed--I got to know a lot of smart and awesome people who share my interests. For the first time after my toxic relationship, I could say I was happy and confident again. Then 2020 came and slapped me in the face I hope everyone is safe and keeping busy with distractions. What do you have planned for the following weeks? For me, this is a good time to get back into reading for pleasure, exercising, leaning new recipes, creative pursuits, and playing Animal Crossing! :yay:

Happy birthday, Cy! I hope that you're having a wonderful day and that things have been going well for you. :) Have some Gentle Giant in celebration of this special occasion. Medieval troubadours are serenading you in spirit! :dweez:

Happy anniversary! :dweez:

I'm sorry to hear this, lemonycake. It sounds like you two made wonderful memories with each other and I hope they are of some comfort. Thank you so much, blueschica Indeed, I had a great relationship with my grandpa and I'm glad I'll always have wonderful memories to hold on to. Sorry for your loss. It sounds like he was a wonderful man. Thank you, goose.

I'm sorry to hear this, lemonycake. It sounds like you two made wonderful memories with each other and I hope they are of some comfort. Thank you so much, blueschica Indeed, I had a great relationship with my grandpa and I'm glad I'll always have wonderful memories to hold on to.

Sorry to hear this, Lemonycake. I'm glad to hear he was a positive person in your life and that he left a good impression on you! My grandfather was a good person also, and he dedicated his life to helping others although it was through religion. He passed on in 1972. My father was a fun person also, and I was distraught when he passed fifteen years ago. It's going to be rough for a little while, but keep up thinking of the good times, and it will pass. Once again, condolences! Thank you so much, OldRUSHfan! Yes, I'm really glad that I had such a fun and caring person in my life. I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. I'm sure he was a great person also, and same goes for your father. It must have been really tough for you when he passed, but like you said, the good thing is we have these fond memories we can look back on. I appreciate the kind words! I'll be okay