Week in Review: Week 215
MONDAY
nervous weather day
erranding through the puddles
grateful to be home
Today was a little hectic and I was a little frazzled between the weather and having to be “out in the world,” and a work project I was feeling unsure about. I had myself convinced I was having shortness of breath, but I really think it was just some nervous jitters. Once I got back home I felt fine.
TUESDAY
I worked all day and worked all night. The End.
WEDNESDAY
Jodie and I “co-styled” pleated skirts on IGTV (Instagram TV). First time I’ve done IGTV so that was exciting…and why I was up til midnight last night getting everything figured out and done.
And now I want a rainbow skirt.
THURSDAY
Today was probably my “clearest” day of the week. Some work days have felt so scattered, it’s hard to prioritize when everything seems like the most important thing. But today was a good day, I was able to prioritize my To Do list and just work my way south from the top and got a lot accomplished.
It was probably a good day to hear that NY has extended the “stay at home” order through May 15. That’s another month. And yes, I’m perfectly comfortable being home alone, but….you know how drug addicts love their drugs, but they’re not good for them? That’s probably how me being home alone is for extended periods of time. I LOVE it…but it’s maybe not that good for me.
The things I’m really missing are: food prepared by someone else (take-out, fast food, eating out) and being able to take pictures of different things. It’s killing me that I can’t be in the city recording this time. Never again (well, til the next pandemic, sigh) will the streets of NYC be EMPTY. I’m sad to be missing gardens and all the signs of spring. I dreamt that I was on a local beach and there were tons of dolphins cavorting just beyond the waves, and I just KNOW they’re Really There and I’m missing them!
FRIDAY
Twenty days of working from home. I’m shocked it’s been that long. If someone asked me how long I’d been working from home and I didn’t really have time to think…I’d say two weeks. Ha.
SATURDAY
Just a quiet morning here…it’s drizzly and grey outside so I’m not terribly motivated to be productive. I could easily spend 99.5% of my time indoors, alone. If I could just go out now for deli breakfast sandwiches or a slice of pizza or McDonalds ice tea or a fresh bagel, I’d be perfectly happy.
I enjoy watching Governor Cuomo’s morning address on the internet. I usually miss most of it during the week while I’m working but I always watch it on Saturday. He might be my new imaginary boyfriend.
Yesterday I thought that today I would try and get this apartment straightened up a bit so it doesn’t look like a person in quarantine lives here (#funnynotfunny), but now I’m really not feeling it. I will at least do the kitchen as it is over-run with dirty dishes again. But first I think I’ll go read on the sofa for awhile.
And then…I fell off the face of the earth.
SUNDAY
Gah. I turned my phone OFF yesterday. OFF. Not just the ringer. The phone OFF. If you know me IRL you know…I have never done that before. NEVER. On the rare occasion that my phone is being wonky and I think I should reboot it to straighten it out, I struggle with turning it off for the 10 SECONDS it takes to reboot and turn back on. If my phone battery goes anywhere close to dying (and to me, less than 50% is close), I get all…twisty and anxious.
But a) I needed a little alone time (I know, I know, I am the only one on the planet who wants LESS interaction right now), and b) everyone else on the planet wanted to connect. My phone would Not. Stop. Buzzing. First I turned the ringer off, but VIBRATEVIBRATEVIBRATE was making me nuts. So I turned TEXTING off – I didn’t even realize you can DO that. And honestly, it doesn’t work WELL, because some things were still coming through VIBRATEVIBRATEVIBRATE so finally I just turned the whole damn thing off so I could read in peace. And then I forgot I’d turned it off and missed two “zooms” I had wanted to do…as I was reading (alright, and napping) I’d occasionally think, hmm, could it be time for the call yet, no, they’d text or call me if I didn’t show up…forgetting that I’d turned the phone off. Ha. And much later, when I realized (oops), it didn’t occur to me that oh, right, pandemic, people dying right and left, maybe I should tell them all I’m okay, I just slept/read through it…so I just continued my (glorious) radio silence til this morning when I looked at my phone and saw 12million messages, and I tried responding and couldn’t…because texting was still “off,” (not sure what “off” means to Apple, but it’s definitely not what “off” means to me) and ugh. I sent out the I’M ALIVE message, tried to reschedule with my daughter, who I then proceeded to have a text fight with and. Ugh. Stupid day.
Maybe the coming week will be better. If not, there are always wine smoothies.
What I’m reading
The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison. This is the book I complained about being too sexist. I realized later that it was written in 2013. Not that that makes it okay, but times are changing so quickly, and at that time…even though only seven years ago…maybe it wasn’t as…I don’t know. I decided to give it a couple more chapters…and maybe I became inured to it, or maybe it was just in the beginning when the reader was first learning about the characters that it seemed so in your face, but it seemed to ease up. So I continued to read. And while not my usual kind of book (psychological thriller – and I found it to be neither particularly psychological nor thrilling), it was a “page-turner,” and what had me on cell phone lockdown all of Saturday afternoon. There were a couple annoying loose ends at the end, but…it definitely grabbed my attention and held me. I’m going to give it a 3.6/5 for readability and grip.
Also, there were several paragraphs in the book, I think three, that seemed far more insightful than the rest of the book. The main character was a therapist, who she kept to mainly “easy” (non-dangerous, non-self-injurious, etc.) patients, but she didn’t really seem like a therapist (as far as dealing with her own past and her own relationships), but she (she? the author?) had a couple very wise things to say. I wish I’d marked them all, but it only struck me towards the very end that there had been a couple of these moments…but I’ll share this last one with you: “She never saw the point in fighting with a man who was not going to reform. Acceptance is supposed to be a good thing – Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Also compromise, as every couples therapist will tell you. But the cost was high-the damping of expectation, the dwindling of spirit, the resignation that comes to replace enthusiasm, the cynicism that supplants hope. The moldering that goes unnoticed and unchecked.”
I could go on and on about that, but that could be a whole separate post. Or series. “Bettye’s Views on the World.” I will save you all from that.
Here’s some things
-> Because some people have wayyy too much time on their hands right now, here’s how to color coordinate your phone’s home screen.
-> It may not come to this…but as my mother always said “it’s better to have an umbrella and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” So here is where you go to register for a mail-in ballot in your state come election time. This is not political. But everyone should be voting. Don’t wait. Do it.
-> This is kinda cool. You know those sound apps, like rain or waves or whatever? This goes one step better as you combine your sounds of choice. Rain + thunder + wind…or waves + wind…or birds + crickets, etc.
Okay, cats and kittens, y’all have a good week now!
jodie filogomo
Wow…I’m not sure I could be without my phone on…not that it rings that much, but I might go into withdrawal…haha (and you think I’m kidding).
I laughed when you said you wanted a rainbow skirt…you’ve looked already I bet? Did you see this one: https://shopstyle.it/l/bgexO I mean this one is adorable also, but it could be too short? https://shopstyle.it/l/bgevK
I must say I’m glad you didn’t really fall off the face of the earth…it would be very lonely without you!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
Believe me, that’s just how desperate I was to ESCAPE. I generally CANNOT LIVE without my phone!
Will have to look at the skirt links you sent!
Karen
I hear you about the phone and everything else. Everybody is sending encouraging and “did you see this horrible thing?” messages, funny photos, memes, YouTube singing, free masterclass opportunities …..! Some days replying to all of it in a friendly, supportive, grateful way is just way too much. I want to think about something else now. And still be in touch with everybody! How to do that without going rogue??? We need a COVID break! xo karen
bettyewp
I need an “all those other people in quarantine” break 🙂 Work zooms are ENOUGH…by the time I’m done with work for the day I’m DONE. When possible I get up and away from the computer, turn off my phone ringer, and escape to the sofa to either read and watch a movie…and I’m not generally a weekday movie watcher.
Bettye (on the verge of going rogue!)
Iris
I agree, I could be a ‘stay at home’ hermit way too easily. I haven’t left the house for a month except to walk in my own yard – and don’t actually know when I might leave. I’ve about worn my ‘ratty clothes’ out – I really am tired of them. Plenty to actually do – and today is one of those “I don’t want to do anything” days.
I’d love to turn off my phone too, but I can’t. It’s the connection to my implanted heart monitor and someone would come looking for me for sure. Not to mention the kids who call every day. And, I’m blessed, I’ve had lots of “how are you – do you need anything?” texts from friends.
What a world we do live in now. You, please be safe!
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
bettyewp
Yeah, as much as I’m trying to “get dressed” each day, I hate “risking” getting “good clothes” dirty when I don’t HAVE to. Without a washer and dryer and access to laundry only once every couple of weeks I have to be really mindful of that.
I hear you about turning your phone off…and am glad you’re keeping it on!
Andrea
My husband and I are working from home. We sit at two ends of a huge dining room table my mother left me. Whenever we learn that Gov. Cuomo’s daily address is on, we turn the TV up so we can hear him. His voice is so calming and reassuring, and he’s so rational! I instantly recognize his voice now.
We live in Maryland, and weren’t all that familiar with Gov. Cuomo until all of this started happening. I could definitely see him running for president.
bettyewp
Ha ha, I’m a little ashamed to say that I live in NY and was ALSO not all that familiar with Gov. Cuomo til all this started happening! Under normal circumstances, I pretty much stay away from all things political. But I have enjoyed “getting to know him” during this time. And I’m glad he’s our governor right now.