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

can we, like, crowdpunch that boss until he relents, like Bill Murray's brother

Personal good news: I just got another message from the DC courts, saying that I will NOT need to report on Monday, and this round of service is completed.

Οὖτις: I was furloughed for four weeks during the 2018-2019 Federal Government Trumper tantrum sequestration. (My employer is a Federal contractor, so they had no money coming in on my contract. But they did keep our benefits active.) I didn't apply for unemployment, because I had savings and didn't think it would last that long, but would have been eligible. I remember the worst part was the uncertainty. But at least then I could go out, go to a movie, etc. So far I've coped with working from home, but only because I've been busy for the last week.

Please note, his company still hasn’t drawn on their line of credit. Jordan is trying to convince him that that conservation of cash by cutting 75% is not worth the loss of employee effort, which would end up costing a lot more.

that’s yet another fucked thing, our system doesn’t have a cut-out for salaried employees to take assistance if their position is diminished

my friend who used to work on a factory line had a couple weeks per year of nearly guaranteed lay-off years ago, and it was straightforward. they’d only shut down the line for several weeks, he’d know it was coming and get his paperwork in order to file for temporary unemployment, go hiking along the great lakes for a week or two, and come back right after. obviously not a lifestyle for everyone, but he knew the rules and the standard deviation

Just1n3, shakey, I’m so sorry.

Thank fuck for that I can rest easy now I've had my office government text message.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lv7b1o6917cnu44/png%20image%202.png?raw=1

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/ETuAqILXYAEkkM0.jpg

so sorry to hear people’s bad news. all this is happening so quickly.

i lost my job about two weeks before all this really kicked in (i reported bullying at work, and they removed me a few days later), and now the job market for people like me has just ground to a halt. ‘er indoors is still working, and i’ve got a reserve tank of money to get through the next few months, but the timing sucks.

i reported bullying at work, and they removed me a few days later

well now this is bullshit on top of bullshit. sorry AA

So, when is a good time to kick out one’s alcoholic and belligerent husband after years of putting up with his lying about the problem at hand? Apparently last night, if you’re my little sister.

He really is an asshole and she found 18 empty beer cans had accumulated over the course of one day.

oh jesus, that's awful. I suspect this time of extended closeness will result in many reckonings.

I’m not clear where he actually *went* because this news arrived overnight via my mother, who had to deal with a weepy, whiny drunk man phoning her at midnight to complain about her daughter. She needs to block that shit NOW.

friend of mine is a manager at a whole foods in oakland; she says it's just a round-the-clock shitfight. idk whether they have masks/gloves, but she's expected to work many extra hours without extra pay because she's salaried

it's not like i want to lose access to food or have people starve, but maybe there really should be a general strike

It's unbelievable that Whole Foods managed to get worse leadership than the libertarian-hippie nutjob they had pre-Bezos.

xp - there's only one Whole Foods in Oakland -- the one near my house. They do have staffing round the clock normally. Not to be all Captain-Save-a-Corporation. ... Also, that store, idk, I feel like when Amazon bought it they rearranged shit to encourage people to get delivery rather than actually buy groceries there, because they moved things around, and changed register staffing, such that the lines are ridiculously long ... like, the Friday when everyone freaked out and bought all the food? ... The lines weren't any longer than usual ... only difference was more people with larger quantities. ... They also fucked with the in-store music.

Supermarket aisles aren't designed for this 2m apart thing. Maybe they need to have a one way system that traverses every section, but then the queue by the till gets in the way.

And we're all going to die like the golgafrichans from a disease picked up from the 'pay now' part of those touchscreens.

I kind of like the way you end up with things you wouldn't normally buy, like mango chips and coconut milk.

Also, has anyone told the olds that 2m is 6ft?

Tell them it's roughly the height of King George VI and they will understand immediately.

Shakey, Just1n3, I'm so sorry about your situations. Shit's real.

and aa. sorry folks.

It's going to be a really bad time for the people self-isolating with alcoholics, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Someone I know has already banished her husband to the van. Allowing him back for toilet breaks.

I’m waiting for Minnesota to wake up - I’m pretty sure my sister’s husband is self-isolating in his van too

Shakes, just1n3, aa best of luck.

aa, are you in the US? If your employer's action was directly related to your complaints of bullying, you might want to speak to an attorney depending on the state (especially NY/CA).

nah, i’m in australia, and i was casual so they could let me go at short notice without a reason

that is some bullshit. very sorry.

thank you. it was total shit (and pushed me onto antidepressants for the first time in my life) but the current world situation really throws it into perspective.

aa, Justine, shakey, wish yall well

<3

Yes, hadn't even read your own situation AA, amidst all the rest. Be well <3

The couple two floors below us in our 6 story building I mentioned before, the ones who both got the symptoms on Monday? We found out yesterday they are still taking their toddler to the park. These are friends of ours (correction: were friends of ours). My wife tore into them yesterday by text but it’s okay because they are “taking every precaution” apparently. FFS!!!!

good luck and best wishes to just1n3 + AA + ou tis

and, oof, Jon. thanks to your wife for telling them not to

I guess it's hard to explain to a toddler that there is no park time for 2 weeks, but, that's what's got to be done, so...

(and it's also hard to explain to a toddler not to run off and get within 2 metres of anyone except mum+dad!)

xp ffs does the park include play equipment?

really sorry just1n3, aa and shakes. hoping situations don't end up as dire as they seem.

My mum was “self-isolating” because her gf had a cough (likely chest infection), which meant only leaving the house to go for a walk, or to the shop for paracetamol and milk, or to work to get her laptop... I don’t think the meaning of quarantine has been effectively communicated to a lot of people!

I left the flat to put my rubbish out (which I will do as infrequently as is hygienic, probably won’t do it again before isolation ends) and I put on gloves, mask, outerwear that hadn’t been touched inc shoes. Part of it is a fear of being strung up by my neighbours of course!

The only thing that’s annoyed me about my neighbours is my upstairs neighbour soaped down her balcony floor and when she rinsed it, diluted Flash went into pots containing herbs I’d repotted into them 90 minutes before.

And now I know what killed my giant lavender and rosemary plants. Grr.

I don't like to get too personal on here, but I'm a tad concerned about getting my meds through this. Without going into detail, my meds aren't strictly a matter of life or death like, say, insulin, but they will certainly keep me from going crazy while locked indoors for the foreseeable future. I realize that the pharmacies are remaining open for the time being but my meds are such that I need to call and request a new refill each month (they don't refill automatically like some of my other meds), and I'm definitely worried about not being able to reach my doctor to perform what is by most metrics a nonessential task. Is this selfish?

What I wouldn't give for a billiard table in my house right about now

the flour thing is real in the UK. cannot buy it for love or money...

― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 24 March 2020 21:18 (yesterday)

Would like to hear the part of the story where you tried to use love to buy flour.

i wouldn't

The Miller's Tale

paul this is just my experience in nyc but a lot of doctors have been just straight up approving meds for an extended period of time. contact your doctor if you can, see what’s possible

Tracer: I don't know whether you're still flourless, but a lot of local bakers near us seem to be shutting up shop and selling off all their flour stocks to the public, so check social media for any near you that might be doing this. We're picking up 6kg from ours on Friday. One problem that everyone including bakers is having though, is a major shortage of yeast, so you'll need to make sourdough or pitta or something else instead

yeah paul, i had the same situation and i renewed online. also my pharmacy is offering deliveries. i had to give the delivery guy cash so i told him to keep the change.

at the very least call your doctor and see what your options are. there is no sense in letting anxiety about not-having the meds make everything worse!

AA, if it's any consolation every time I see your screen name I think of the Kinks song and am reminded of the thread where we determined it may have more chords in it than any other rock song and it makes me very happy.

Speaking of Australia, was just talking with my SIL in Sydney, and it sounds like they're finally starting to take it seriously there. Though my BIL (in construction) is still working, and they only just now closed the (big) beaches. Most amusing is my niece still has to wear her school uniform when she's attending online classes.

Thanks Brad and La Lechera. Obviously I'm not the only one in this boat but it's comforting to have confirmation of that. I'll call my doctor today and see what my options are.

Someone I know has already banished her husband to the van. Allowing him back for toilet breaks.

Is it wrong that that actually sounds kind of nice to me right now? Of course I don't have a van but if I did, I could just go out there with some books and some weed and a bottle of Jim Beam.

AA, if it's any consolation every time I see your screen name I think of the Kinks song and am reminded of the thread where we determined it may have more chords in it than any other rock song and it makes me very happy.

The one where Turrican listed all the chords used alphabetically?

someone tried to pawn her spouse off on us last week because she needed a break. This week she has been sending us pics of him cooking and vacuuming.

i found out that a relative of a close friend is trapped in her house with an emotionally abusive husband* :( that has been on my mind. i am not worrying about her actively but that has to be unimaginably bad.

*he was also physically abusive once, several years ago, but the toll of unrelenting emotional/psychological abuse is both invisible and extremely heavy to bear

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it a lot. But we have options - more than most Americans - and will probably land on our feet eventually. I’ve been pretty homesick for New Zealand these last couple years but moving back wasn’t financially viable. But if America’s economy tanks, it might just be!

Paul, I agree with LL - contact your dr and see what can be done. I’m with kaiser and one of their few good qualities is the ease of prescription-filling through their app, plus free shipping. They even take care of contacting your dr when you run out of refills. Your meds aren’t less important than insulin, they’re just different.