Mostly Apolitical Thread for Discussing/Venting our Rational/Irrational COVID-19 Fears and Experiences in 2020

Typical that just as there's an opportunity to really dig into that Tangerine Dream box set you can't get any DXM.

I found a load of cocodamol that was my wife's from before they upgraded her to morphine, so I guess that's what I'll take if I do get the 'vid. Think there might still be a box of regular paracetamol somewhere.

I actually managed to get an Ocado delivery slot tomorrow, dunno how much will actually be in stock though I did manage to add some TP!

I just put in our very first Instacart order ever this morning (after trying and failing all day yesterday to get an available delivery time) and couldn't schedule anything earlier than Saturday. We're pretty well set on essentials so no worries on that front, but I'm starting to fret about how I'm going to make three beers last until then. Intoxicants are a must in these trying times.

The eggs thing makes no sense at all, we aren't going to run out of eggs at any time soon unless this thing starts killing chickens.

I dunno, I heard they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night.

what's the best way to put together a will quickly? i know there are do-it-yourself options but any that are better than others?

― buzza, Monday, 23 March 2020 04:30 (nine hours ago)

I am not a lawyer (are you in the US?) but the templates they have online are totally fine if your estate is simple. The important part is having the 2? witnesses to sign all copies.

Ha josh

lol josh

The problem isn't the chickens, it's the distribution chains

I’ve had more eggs this week than any week in years probably, sorry Tom

The other day I was once again tempted by a beer52 “we miss youuuu” coupon so I signed up again and have a case of 10 craft beers for £10 on its way. Before anyone starts I am obviously not going to have them now, but I’m hoping they are gonna be tasting great a week or so from now

The one thing that we subscribe to and have delivered to our door once a month is some eco toilet paper made from bamboo pulp and I have no idea why we started doing this but not complaining rn tbh

I was just looking at pics/videos from hawaii of all the rental cars being parked in the stadium and in the grass near the airport. Not enough spaces!

It was an absolute quirk of fate that the weekend before the world went mad I was like 'oh hey, while we're out shopping, maybe I'll buy a big family-sized package of tp' (as opposed to the usual 'oh hey, just remembered we're almost out again, let me snag a sixer from the CVS on my way home from work'). #blessed

Did I post that Costco, or at least some Costcos, are refusing TP and water returns? Because I guess all these assholes bought more than they needed and are trying to give them back.

we always walk to the grocery store every saturday morning, so toilet paper is one of those things we always get if we don't need that many groceries for the week and have an extra arm available to carry a huge pack.

xpost I am glad they did that especially since they would likely need to destroy it now (and to prevent future hoarding).

I came back from the corner shop this morning with two packs of rough-as-fuck whaling vessel toilet paper and felt like an all-conquering hero tbh.

Another thing I'm getting used to but also don't think I'll ever get quite used to is the look of gratitude you get from a stranger when observing the six foot distance thing.

I was trying to buy pills yesterday, but because this woman was insistent on following directly behind me, i kept walking past what i needed like i was on a runaway conveyer belt

the look of gratitude you get from a stranger when observing the six foot distance thing

Occasionally a look of mockery.

My roommate, who I love, is locked down in NYC and happy staying inside. She says even going out for groceries feels like a dangerously bad choice.

We're so comfortable here in this house in a more rural area, with a garden and a patio and extra supplies stored in a basement--an embarrassment of space and resources. The essay about how living in a city is trading interior space for exterior shared spaces seems very otm. I'm struggling with how guilty I feel about having so much, instead of staying in BK and joining a community support network since I have transportation resources. And yet would it be a net gain to be one more person traveling around, increasing transmission risks? I think I'm going to throw some donations to a bunch of community support efforts right now.

It struck me when I was driving around yesterday that people in groups social distancing look like police manhunts:
https://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2015_25/1077741/ss-150616-dannemora-police-search-02_e77a4621eb2b0cd6d4e880bee18149cc.fit-2000w.jpg

The supermarkets here are deserted and the shelves are completely full. Not even a line at the tills. Seeing and reading about the lines in other cities and bracing myself for that and then the opposite is happening is definitely odd

No lines or supply problems here.

Today we saw (out the window) a guy using a McDo fry container as a mask.

Genius.

in orbit, F went to the store on Saturday and he came home so stressed out because people were getting too close the entire time (also I think he was treating it like a timed mission, which...I don't know why he would do that.) xpost

the vibe inside grocery stores right now is fucking grim. no eye contact, no talking. fucked up

many xps to anvil

i actually have never tried escalating (the chinese bioweapon thing)! might as well give it a shot, see what happens.

it's funny though, because she was all worried about [redacted political figure] being part of the conspiracy. give it a week or two, when [redacted political figure] gets really impatient and starts urging everyone to ignore the warnings and go back to normal life, and she'll be back in his warm batshit insane arms

I went out today. I had planned to bundle all the looming chores into one morning, so I dropped off some mail at the post office, deposited a check at the bank, got gas and bought some exorbitantly expensive cheap wine from the gas station, and picked up my meds. I wore my winter glove liners, which made me feel a bit like a freako but this is no time for vanity, of course. I managed to complete all of these tasks without removing my gloves (which is harder than it sounds - ruffling through pockets while wearing gloves to locate keys, wallet, cash, etc, was definitely a pain in the ass). The only thing that concerned me was the gas station didn't have one of those self-serve POS credit card readers so the High On Fire roadie-looking counterperson - who wasn't wearing gloves - had to take my card and swipe it. Anyway, I'm good now till I need groceries (probably next week) and otherwise don't plan to leave the house again until it's totally necessary.

Also, am I the only one who has been having a lot of trouble sleeping? I went to bed at 11 and woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep. My brain is still getting used to this, I guess.

No lines or supply problems here.

Today we saw (out the window) a guy using a McDo fry container as a mask.

I went to bed at 11 and woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep

that was totally me last night, but thank god for wfh because i feel like complete shite today

if you're not having trouble sleeping right now, are you even alive?!

I'm sleeping great. Obviously my body is preparing itself for some sort of horrible upcoming physical or mental trial.

i've been sleeping ok, but the nocturnal teeth grinding has taken a huge step up. getting headaches when i wake up. guess it's time to finally get a mouthguard.

As someone else mentioned upthread, I've been putting my phone into Airplane mode at 8pm every night and then just watching TV or reading a book or whatever until bed time

I've been sleeping an hour or two more than I normally do, which I interpret as a bad, losing-heart sign.

I sleep well but I also usually watch something soothing before bed- great british backoff, top chef and schitt's creek were great for this.

great british backoff

omg I suddenly have a great idea for a TV show

not a doctor but our national health authorities recommend trying to get an extra hour of sleep right now to help your immune system be ready to go

I'm re-watching Better Call Saul from the start and frankly we could all learn from Chuck

my wife got checked four times today for her authorization to leave the apartment, in her 5 minute walk back and forth to our grocery store. cops are serious today!

also sleeping weirdly well but that may change as rules become stricter and UK deaths get closer to Italy levels

i went to bed at 10:30pm last night and woke up at 7, fuck the haters

Even he selfishly violated his quarantine to fuck over his brother!

Xxxxpost

My son has been waking up at 4:30 AM, and usually can be assuaged, but I'm having a tough time getting back to sleep for the 4:30 - 6:30 time period. So the sleep is fitful and interrupted, which is a recipe for crankitude.

As someone else mentioned upthread, I've been putting my phone into Airplane mode at 8pm every night and then just watching TV or reading a book or whatever until bed time

― groovypanda, Monday, March 23, 2020 4:07 PM (four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Sound advice imo! I've had no trouble sleeping, and do switch off the phone and such earlier than normal (it "helps" that I'm drawn to the news all day already because of work, so I'm satiated come 9pm). Reading a book an hour before sleeping has been doing wonders for me, even before this kicked off.

From my ex who is a nurse in NOLA:

"Our ICU is full—all with COVID patients and all on ventilators. Opening another floor as ICU to take more patients. This is serious y’all. STAY HOME. I don’t care if your local bar is staying open or if you have spring break plans. Unless you want to be on a ventilator, or possibly cause someone else to be (if you’re carrying the virus asymptomatically), stay home. Stop hoarding supplies. Get what you need. Use it."

can’t remember if i shared this yet or not but there was quite a call-in on Radio Ulster over the weekend:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0877mb2

I'm sleeping great.

So am I! Because I don't have to get up and go to fucking work in the morning, I expect.

I'm keeping my home office space separate pretty well so far

having flashbacks to the time when I was in college and did some working remote and could literally roll out of my bed into my desk chair because my room was so narrow

I usually don't have any problems sleeping, but last night my anxiety kept waking me up. I've been particularly struggling with a feedback loop: For the last couple of weeks, I've had a mild postnasal drip that I'm almost positive is related to allergies, but it sometimes causes a slight sore throat and/or chest congestion, which makes me so anxious (even though I have no other COVID symptoms) that I start physically manifesting feelings of tension and discomfort, which then exacerbates the anxiety. It hasn't become a full-blown panic attack, but I feel like it's just on a constant low boil.