How are you spending your time during quarantine?

[Hanso]

My country has already closed its borders and told citizens to stay at home and practice social distancing. They are gonna announce a federally mandated quarantine any moment now.

I'm really frustrated since I've been keeping an eye on this whole Coronavirus crisis since the very beginning, and when I saw how the situation worsened in Italy, I debated whether or not to go back to my hometown and be with my family. At first I decided to stay and sit for one of my pending final exams from college, but by the time I changed my mind it was already too late. Long-distance travels within the country have been banned, and even if I could travel, I wouldn't do it in case I got the virus and I just don't know it yet (it can take up to 2 weeks before symptoms start to appear).

Anyway, I don't necessarily hate staying at home all day, since I'm used to not going out for extended periods of time. I'm sure a lot of introverted people can relate  

I've spent these past few days playing Neoquest II on Insane, and it's just as hard and frustrating as I thought. Progress is very slow, but I'm getting there, and I really want that gold trophy.

Quite a few books that I haven't read yet are patiently waiting for me on my shelves. I'll get to them eventually.

I've also been checking twitter a lot. I don't really use the site, but lately it's been filled with lots of quarantine memes that are helping me cope with the fear and stress.

And finally, Youtube. Lots and lots of Youtube. But I should probably stop watching so many videos and pick up my Japanese textbooks once and for all. I'm way behind on my lessons   

 

What about you guys? What have y'all been doing and how are you feeling?

[epona1]

I'm glad you opened this topic.

My university closed last week, all classes have moved online, though the workload is the same. I have one exam that has been postponed to... Nobody knows.

I don't hate not having anywhere to go during the day ether I picked up playing Neopets from last summer break. Other than that I read books and work on a sowing project. The hard part is that I can't see my friends in person. And the absolute worst part is seeing people not being able to visit their frail parents and grandparents, and reading in the media about people dying alone.

I hope your family is healthy and stays healthy Hanso!

 

 

[Mouseykins]

I'm in Alberta, Canada. This week came some unexpected changes for us. I'm sure there's many Albertans who expected these changes but I wasn't one of them. Maybe I was just trying to convince myself this will all blow over and not impact us. We all do what we have to in order to cope with change and uncertainty.

Monday we went into our nearby little city to get groceries. We do have a small grocery store in the small town we live in, but prices are higher and there's not much of a variety. So making the 40 minute trip 1 - 2 times a month is worth it. While shopping I kept my youngest in her stroller and away from people and things she could potentially pick up. My older 2 children were instructed not to touch anything and keep their hands in their pockets. I made sure to bring hand sanitizer with us and as soon as we got home we all washed our hands thoroughly. Part of our reason to choose shopping now was we had all come down with a cold. We were all finally able to go do our shopping. On our way home I finally had the chance to check my email and learned that all schools in our province have been closed until further notice, which could be for the rest of the school year. I got an email from my daughter's principle stating that they are working on a plan for our kids to continue their education at home. My oldest is homeschooled so I already know the drill and went into full homeschool planning mode for my Kindergartner. I picked up my daughter's things from her school Tuesday morning and learned Wednesday afternoon that her teacher is putting together weekly work packets for the kids to be picked up every Monday starting on the 30th. Now I can relax a bit knowing her teacher is providing us with work and I don't have to scramble and purchase resources. One of the items sent home with my daughter's things was a birthday card from her teacher. My daughter's birthday is on the 30th. The 17th I was supposed to be parent helper for her class and I was going to bring a treat for the class. That didn't happen and I've been saddened by it and seeing the birthday card brought me to tears. I'm honestly more upset about the schools being closed than my daughter is.

I'm used to being cooped up in the house so that's not a big deal for me. My kids are worried about going outside and my oldest asked me if it was safe to go outside and play today. I told her she could go outside as long as she doesn't go near anyone and stays in our yard. Which is not an issue because our yard is rather large and no one bothers us because of our giant dog. It was too late for her to go outside when she asked. My kids are learning about all sorts of scary things like quarantine and the virus, but they're handling it all really well. I'm proud of how resistant to change they are.

Tuesday and Wednesday my KGner and I have done some of her lessons. Today we actually read two books with her reading most of the words with minimal help. Until we get the learning packets we have work to complete that was sent home from her teacher when the class moved onto a different lesson. I don't know of any child who doesn't like to color, my KGner does not like doing school activities that force her to color. She'd rather practice her writing instead! My oldest is homeschooled, so I've been splitting my time between both of them.

To keep us busy when we're not learning, my husband and I have games on the PS4, the kids play in their room, or we'll watch Disney+. The last two nights before bed we've been watching Frozen II. It looks like the new Star Wars movie is being added to Disney+ early as well. It may already be uploaded, but I haven't looked yet.

My youngest has a birthday on Saturday and my middle has her birthday on the 30th. Every year between their birthdays their Grandparents come for a visit. But I think with the uncertainty of this virus I'm going to suggest they stay home. They're elderly and have health issues so I don't want them traveling so much if they don't necessarily need to. If anything we can go out to their place for a couple of hours and set up their computer with the internet so they can video chat with their grand-kids every day if they wish.

My youngest had an appointment at the end of this month for a fluoride varnish treatment on her teeth and that's been cancelled. The kids do have a dentist appointment scheduled for June, so I'm hoping by the time we get to June they've got more of a lid on this virus and we can hopefully start getting back to normal. Even if it means schools remain closed until the fall. Doing my best to stay positive through all this!

Stay safe and healthy TDNers!

[midnight_spell360]

I am always amazed by Neopet players that are such amazing moms! @Mouseykins You are a wonder to behold! Your power, strength, and nurturing heart has me appreciating what all the moms are doing for their kids in this surreal event. Thank you for sharing your experiences, both @Hanso and @epona1 , I am glad that you are keeping calm and busy when things seem very unsure and not right. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, trying to move forward with my 'studies' online and just hoping that I will be able to start college in the Fall, God-willing.

I have been the typical teenager, sleeping & playing Overwatch, and yes-lots of YouTube. My mom has only been going out to her Well Deserved Wellness visits to her chiropractor since our car accident in Feb. (on the 27th, no serious injuries but the airbags didn't deploy and we got banged up a bit). I go with my mom to do shopping so that I can reach things for her and make sure that she is ok (sometimes ppl like to make crazy comments but so far nothing more than "Shout Outs" from their cars, maybe bc we were driving my older sister's car that contain bumper stickers: Black Lives Matter; Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican; etc.). Honestly, it's just good to get out and walk around, so I don't mind. We're scheduled for some rain this week or else I'd be working on the yards. I am thankful that we don't need much and can just take it easy & dad still can go into work in his Lab making computer parts & circuits. I can't imagine how this affecting other families that are not able to go to their jobs and will not be having their salaries coming to them for this shut down. 

I hope more ppl will share their stories, their frustrations and silver linings, anything they need to vent or would like to share. It makes me feel that I'm not alone just to read Dawn's bittersweet moment of seeing the birthday card for her daughter that touches your heart that how the young children's lives are being changed by this and not being able to do what we normally do-have a child's birthday shared by more than her immediate family.  Again, very glad that you shared these glimpses of your changed lives-thank you!

[Rune Valentine]

It's so interesting to see how different things are in other countries. I live in Southeast Asia and when the news of COVID-19 broke out we've all been on high alert. The government has not been perfect in its response but I am glad they have started to take things seriously. On March 9th when news of 2 patients testing positive for COVID-19 all classes were cancelled. It's nearing the end of the schoolyear here and thankfully my daughters are young enough to not be too affected by this (5 and 3). We got their school books from the Friday before and I've been able to give them something to do while waiting this whole thing out. We're currently on Enhanced Community Quarantine meaning no school, non-essential work, all malls are closed (except for supermarkets and pharmacies), no mass gatherings - church was even cancelled and most parishes live-streamed Sunday service. No one in or out of the Metro area without proper cause. There's checkpoints and guards asking what you're doing out and about. 

Honestly I'm more afraid for other countries that haven't yet taken the threat of this virus seriously. Seeing posts and photos of people still gathering en masse is worrisome. I've been an introvert all my life so hanging out at home doing whatever is basically what I do best. The kids are being entertained with printed worksheets and a ton of toys I've been hiding for them to slowly start playing with. It's basically a stay-at-home vacation for them at this point. Thankfully there has not been much panic buying (and no one is hoarding toilet paper!) but I am worried that supply chains will be crippled due to the mass quarantine. Also there's news that there have been cases of Bird Flu again to add to the virus. Honestly I wish I were a kid again where I didn't have to worry about such things. Here I am at home with young kids and elderly parents and I'm just trying not to lose my mind worrying if things will get better or be alright. 

Funny side note though, I had to argue with my parents last week to specifically not go out anymore due to the virus. The tables have definitely turned from me being the defiant teenage daughter to now having to tell my parents they're not allowed to leave the house. Silver linings, I guess.

[ClockNotWork]

I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and being in a major city sucks right now. I'm doing my best to social distance and self isolate because it's easy for me to do, I just play online games, and neopets. The problem I'm having is I'm a home health aid, I work from home taking care of my in-laws who are both very sick. And I have everyone and my sister and brother-in-law working against me because they refuse to stay in the house.

It's insanely frustrating. Then the in-laws keep sending me out of the house to pick stuff up for them. Even though I wear gloves and a mask every where. I'm at a point where someone is going to bring Covid-19 into the house, and it's going to really mess the sick people here up, and there will be nothing I can do about it. Everything I say is falling on deaf ears. I don't know what else to do. No one will listen to me. It's times like these I hate being American. Then when one of them does catch it they will be crying to me about it, but it will only be their own fault for not staying home.

[midnight_spell360]

1 hour ago, Rune Valentine said:

I had to argue with my parents last week to specifically not go out anymore due to the virus. The tables have definitely turned from me being the defiant teenage daughter to now having to tell my parents they're not allowed to leave the house. Silver linings, I guess

At least I am not at that point yet but my dad might get into "wanderlust" mode if his company shuts down. I hope it doesn't become a real battle.

28 minutes ago, ClockNotWork said:

It's times like these I hate being American.

I feel like that a lot, quite honestly. So glad the Troll in Charge has stop calling this virus a hoax! God save us from the stupidity of so many ppl!!! 

[coolmusic_girl]

There is a possibility that there gonna initiate a Lockdown tomorrow. So I am not going to be able to do anything on here if they do. 

I don't have internet at my house.

Edited March 19, 2020 by coolmusic_girl
I don't have internet at home. *SOB*

[Hanso]

@midnight_spell360 I totally agree, reading about other people's experiences gives us a sense of unity, doesn't it. It makes us realise that we're not alone in this. This is part of the reason why I've been checking Twitter, to see how other people have been coping. Italians have been very unique in that regard: you have entire quarantined neighbourhoods playing "I spy with my little eye" or throwing huge balcony parties. They are on another level 

@Mouseykins You're one badass mom! Though I'm sure most of us here already knew that   It must be a relief to see your kids handling the situation so well.

Quote

My youngest has a birthday on Saturday and my middle has her birthday on the 30th. Every year between their birthdays their Grandparents come for a visit. But I think with the uncertainty of this virus I'm going to suggest they stay home. They're elderly and have health issues so I don't want them traveling so much if they don't necessarily need to.

I would definitely recommend you to tell them to stay at home, since they have the highest risk of getting really sick from the Coronavirus. If they insist on visiting, don't be afraid to be firm. Which brings me to @Rune Valentine's post:

Quote

Funny side note though, I had to argue with my parents last week to specifically not go out anymore due to the virus. The tables have definitely turned from me being the defiant teenage daughter to now having to tell my parents they're not allowed to leave the house.

Older people can be very stubborn, and sadly, tons of them have been turning a blind eye to the threat posed by the Coronavirus.  This article put it best:

Quote

Younger adults and their boomer parents are dealing with some serious role reversal right now, as we beg the same people who begged us not to do drugs or play in traffic to keep themselves home and stop getting their health news from conservative talk radio. 

It also offers some very solid advice on how to talk to older family members about quarantine, so I recommend checking it out.

It's great how your country took preventive measures so early on! Even if the government was criticised (I mean, that's kinda unavoidable) you guys are setting a good example for the rest of the world.

 

5 hours ago, epona1 said:

My university closed last week, all classes have moved online, though the workload is the same. I have one exam that has been postponed to... Nobody knows

How have your online classes been so far? I don't know about you, but most of my teachers don't handle technology very well. Ever since I started college I've only had a couple of online classes and they were all kind of a mess  Because of this my classmates and I are wondering if we'll have online classes the entire term or if classes will be suspended altogether until further notice. I'm on my final year, so I hope that doesn't happen.

[Rayd1978]

Here in semi-rural Nebraska my personal life hasn't changed much.   I didn't go out a lot before, so staying home is nothing new.   I work a manufacturing job, which has put some new policies in place, but was pretty big on remaining sanitary before all this started.   My only real changes are that the local Wal-Mart has changed hours so it's not open when i get off work, need to do my shopping before or on my days off, and the local D&D group has stopped meeting for the foreseeable future.
Local stores got wiped out of TP and sanitizer, but keep getting supplies in of most stuff, though just get wiped out again.   Have been a few crazy hoarders, but most local folks seem to be more reasonable, so can find options with only a little effort.
Have a lot of friends in bigger towns who are having problems.   Many of them work service jobs, waiters and the like, and are basically unemployed now.   Jobs either can't or won't offer any sort of pay while shut down.    Are promises of easily accessed unemployment, but last I heard that was just talk and hadn't lead to cash in the bank as yet.

[Duma]

I work in an "essential job" company so I still have to go to work everyday until I get any of the symptoms. 2 people have already been quarantined at work that I know of. We have a lot of crazy but understandable rules now as we try to work without being at risk or being a risk to any one else.

All people in my country need to work at home if they can and a lot of stuff is closed. Luckily no grocery stores or pharmacies and such. Some shops have taken measures against the hoarding too by putting a max amount you can buy on stuff.

As an introvert that lives alone I don't mind to be at home and I wouldn't have minded either if I couldn't get to work (as long as I would get payed!) but the one thing I do miss a lot is my training. Since January I finally switched position at work giving me the opportunity to do some sports again and I've been loving it. We had a seminar planned for mid April but the seminar and the trainings have all been cancelled. I would have celebrated my birthday with them. I've been practicing a few things I remembered at home but it's not the same. I'm not complaining though, (well maybe a little, I think that's because everything else in my way of living hasn't really changed much so it feels as if my hobby has been stolen from me but not the work stuff) but it's only a minor thing. I also know of ppl who had a deceased relative (not due to the virus) but they can't hold a funeral with friends. There's no more than 10 or so people allowed. No food or drinks or any of that. Officially they're not even allowed to hug each other to comfort one another since we all need to keep at least 1 meter of distance between people. We've been sending out virtual hugs as that's the best we can do at the moment.

I hope all TDN'ers and their families are and will be safe!

 

[epona1]

34 minutes ago, Hanso said:

How have your online classes been so far? I don't know about you, but most of my teachers don't handle technology very well. Ever since I started college I've only had a couple of online classes and they were all kind of a mess  Because of this my classmates and I are wondering if we'll have online classes the entire term or if classes will be suspended altogether until further notice. I'm on my final year, so I hope that doesn't happen.

Well today my teacher fiddled with her microphone for half an hour before we could start  Though these video conferencing services are often overloaded with so many people staying at home so it was not her fault it took so long to fix.

I love it when teachers decide to make a video instead, I really like being able to pause the teacher and take good notes!

Sucks being in your final year though! I hope your university comes up with a good solution, we will be having online classes for the remainder of the semester, which is a weird thought but it will be ok.

29 minutes ago, Rayd1978 said:

Have a lot of friends in bigger towns who are having problems.   Many of them work service jobs, waiters and the like, and are basically unemployed now.   Jobs either can't or won't offer any sort of pay while shut down.    Are promises of easily accessed unemployment, but last I heard that was just talk and hadn't lead to cash in the bank as yet.

This is honestly so scary! I mean the people protect their nation by staying home, the nation in return must protect it's people by making sure they can pay their bills...

[Nielo]

48 minutes ago, Duma said:

I work in an "essential job" company so I still have to go to work everyday until I get any of the symptoms. 2 people have already been quarantined at work that I know of. We have a lot of crazy but understandable rules now as we try to work without being at risk or being a risk to any one else.

All people in my country need to work at home if they can and a lot of stuff is closed. Luckily no grocery stores or pharmacies and such. Some shops have taken measures against the hoarding too by putting a max amount you can buy on stuff.

I'm one of those people working from home right now, and while I don't like it (I don't mind being home a lot, introvert that I am, but I'm easily distracted, which makes being productive while working from home challenging XD), I'm lucky to be working in a sector (IT) that can easily switch to working from home. I can only admire all the people like you who still have to go into work, and have to deal what all these extra rules and regulations!

[Winter]

Well, in the UK there's no quarantine (yet)... 

School closures were only announced yesterday and will come into effect after tomorrow, where they'll be closed until further notice. Nurseries and colleges will also follow. Most (if not all) universities are already conducting classes and courses online, and if there is any not yet doing so then after tomorrow they will be. Individual companies and institutions are closing, events are being cancelled or postponed, weddings are being limited to 5 people, but there are no lockdowns or quarantines in place yet except the prime minister urging people not to go to bars, pubs, or restaurants and to avoid non-essential travel but without rules or laws being put into place, the majority of people are still going to be going to work...

Obviously, travel in the country and abroad is extremely limited with lots of Brits currently abroad being stranded in whatever country they are in. I had to cancel a meetup with 2 of my best friends at the end of this month (they live on the other side of the country) so I'm disappointed about that, but prioritising the health and safety of my family, friends and the people around me is what is most important. I could be very critical of what exactly the UK government is doing right now (especially in comparison to the swift actions other European countries have taken) but I'm going to try to stay positive, keep up-to-date with live updates on the news, and hope everyone is doing what they can to stay safe, healthy, and happy. 

[Mouseykins]

8 hours ago, midnight_spell360 said:

I am always amazed by Neopet players that are such amazing moms! @Mouseykins You are a wonder to behold! Your power, strength, and nurturing heart has me appreciating what all the moms are doing for their kids in this surreal event. 

I can't imagine how this affecting other families that are not able to go to their jobs and will not be having their salaries coming to them for this shut down. 

It makes me feel that I'm not alone just to read Dawn's bittersweet moment of seeing the birthday card for her daughter that touches your heart that how the young children's lives are being changed by this and not being able to do what we normally do-have a child's birthday shared by more than her immediate family.

Thanks for your kind words Midnight_Spell!

We are one of the "lucky" ones because our finances will not be impacted by the quarantines and isolation measures. My husband is on Long Term Disability and was actually forced to resign from his company because they had no modified work for him and had given away his position to someone else who is just abusing the responsibility. With my husband being on long-term disability, our insurance company pays him at the end of every month so we've always got money coming in. I'm a stay at home Mom, so I have no income. I'd be terrified if he actually did have to go to work as he's around people who are unhygienic and other people that travel a lot.

7 hours ago, Rune Valentine said:

Honestly I wish I were a kid again where I didn't have to worry about such things. Here I am at home with young kids and elderly parents and I'm just trying not to lose my mind worrying if things will get better or be alright. 

Funny side note though, I had to argue with my parents last week to specifically not go out anymore due to the virus. The tables have definitely turned from me being the defiant teenage daughter to now having to tell my parents they're not allowed to leave the house. Silver linings, I guess.

Things are so much easier when we don't have to be an adult lol. I'm trying to stay current on what's happening, particularly anything related to my area without worrying too much.

I feel like I may have to have that argument with my inlaws soon. I'm not looking forward to it, but I hope they'll understand it's because we care. They can be stubborn at times.

5 hours ago, Hanso said:

 

@Mouseykins You're one badass mom! Though I'm sure most of us here already knew that   It must be a relief to see your kids handling the situation so well.

I would definitely recommend you to tell them to stay at home, since they have the highest risk of getting really sick from the Coronavirus. If they insist on visiting, don't be afraid to be firm. Which brings me to @Rune Valentine's post:

Older people can be very stubborn, and sadly, tons of them have been turning a blind eye to the threat posed by the Coronavirus.  This article put it best:

It also offers some very solid advice on how to talk to older family members about quarantine, so I recommend checking it out.

It's great how your country took preventive measures so early on! Even if the government was criticised (I mean, that's kinda unavoidable) you guys are setting a good example for the rest of the world.

How have your online classes been so far? I don't know about you, but most of my teachers don't handle technology very well. Ever since I started college I've only had a couple of online classes and they were all kind of a mess  Because of this my classmates and I are wondering if we'll have online classes the entire term or if classes will be suspended altogether until further notice. I'm on my final year, so I hope that doesn't happen.

Thanks for your kind words Hanso! It is definitely a relief for them to be handling the situation so well. Mind you the only thing that's really changed is my daughter can't go to school and we're not going out for walks. But we haven't been going out for walks for a while because the weather has been cold.

I will definitely be insistent on them staying put. I don't even want to go out unless I have to.

I hope your school can put together some kind of plan for you so you don't miss out on your final year. Here, for High School students that are graduating, my division was quick to put in place a plan to help these students continue their education and be able to write the provincial exam for their courses. The provincial exams haven't been cancelled, but the education people are working on a system to allow students to take these exams.

@epona1 That is my favourite part about taking online courses. The ability to pause the teacher to take notes or pause them because you need to tend to the needs of your children or pup.

My biggest concern right now is my neighbours are back from spending time in the U.S. and I really really hope they will self-isolate for 2 weeks. They're usually coming and going constantly while they're home.

[ranga_muffin]

I'm in Melbourne, Aus. I'm staying home, except for occasional reluctant trips to the shops for food. But I too tend to stay home anyway. I think we are still allowed out, but they're encouraging people to work from home or stay home as much as possible. The shops are decimated. People have been panic buying for at least two or three weeks, so it's hard to get anything like non-perishables. I haven't seen toilet paper at the shop in over a week and a half, and even then it was a few packets left on a pallet being guarded by a security guard! We have enough food for now, but it's just the uncertainty about how long this will last and if manufacturing/shipping will have to close down.

I have uni on Mondays and Tuesdays, but I didn't go this week, and they've finally transferred everything online. I'm not really sure how that's going to work as yet. One of my classes involves us practicing interviewing each other, so i feel like that won't work too well. My mum works in a hospital, so she's still working, but it does worry me.  I was also supposed to be doing a placement soon, possibly in a hospital, but that's up in the air now.

I know i'm not in an at risk group, but I don't have the best respiratory system as it is. I was getting so many posts on fb that it was making me really anxious, and when I get anxious it gets hard to breathe! worked out nicely for me eh? So i've had to hide a lot of news info, and stick to the quality meme content that I actually have fb for!

I've just been trying to catch up on uni work, watching netflix, nc trading and stress eating chocolate!

[sunny098]

Just wondering how everyone is coping with the COVID-19 outbreak. Where I am in the SF Bay, it seems we're still allowed to go out for walks but have to maintain distance (although California's been getting a very wet March right now).

Things do suck a bit. I seem to have a bit of allergies and a minor cough (no other symptoms, and I'm fine in air filtered room), but it freaks everyone out.  I'm actually been dealing with vision impairment for a while and I use a white cane unfortunately, so I never get close to anyone almost all the time.

[Mouseykins]

My husband ventured out today. We forgot a couple of things on Monday when we went to get groceries. He's also picking up a small present for our two girls who have birthdays this month. Our youngest has her birthday tomorrow. I ordered her something from Amazon but it won't be here until the 30th and Dad found something else she might like. He's also get a lint roller thing a doodle because our Great Pyrenees is shedding a ton these days and the air gets everywhere! In about 3 weeks we've used up a 500 sheet lint roller. He also wanted to get some shop towels to clean our kitchen and bathroom because they're more durable than paper towels and we may be able to clean them for reuse, depending on which ones he gets.

Stores in my area have already changed their hours so that the opening hour is for seniors and individuals with disabilities or medical issues making them more at risk.

In early March my daughter picked up a cold from school. She kindly passed it on to the rest of us. We know it's not COVID-19 related because it wasn't in our province at that time and we're not travelers or been around anyone who has been traveling. Mine has turned into an allergy-like sinus cold. I still have a cough, but it's so much better than it was. I'm hesitant to really go anywhere unnecessary so people don't stare at me.

Fun fact! My KGner who is missing out on going to school now has done more school work this week than her homeschooled sister has. My KGner is way more interested in learning and thinks it fun whereas my homeschooler thinks it's a chore and she'd rather be upstairs playing with her horses.

[radical.ravenclaw]

I live in California and we were just put on a semi lock down, meaning we can still go to the grocery store and pharmacy but besides that, stay inside. 

Besides being on Neopets, I recently got a puzzle to work on and if you're thinking about doing the same, get a BIG one. 750 just doesn't cut it, and then afterwards use it as art and frame it! Also any books you've been planning on reading, now is the time. I'm currently reading The Secret Life of Bees and it is AMAZING! I highly recommend it, the next on my list is The Color Purple. 

Make sure to get some fresh air sometimes! Watch for your mental health and keep in contact with your mental health care provider, it does me wonders since I do struggle with mental health!

[trickkey]

I live in Kansas and so far there's a few confirmed cases, but there's no complete quarantine yet where people are forced to stay home since people are stocking up on food and toilet paper. Gosh, don't get me started on how people are hoarding TP. It's not mass hysteria yet but a lot of people are panicking and freaking out by the closings of libraries, schools, and some other places. I'm trying to remain calm but alert and informed. Panicking doesn't help anything in my opinion, and hysteria is a bad thing. It's good to be alert and informed about the virus, but panicking isn't a good place to be. I'm especially trying to remain calm because of the temporary closing of my county's mental health center. I've been an emotional wreck/ball of stress, so I was hoping I'd be able to go to the crisis recovery center to be able to get resources for my problems and see my case manager and ask her for help. But I have yet to be able to do anything about my emotional/mental state.

But as for how I'm dealing with my self quarantine is a brighter, more cheerful series of answers. ^^ 

I've been playing video games and writing in my stories, mainly. Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch is out and I started playing that last night when it was released at 11pm. (The Digital Version.) I named my island 'Unity' and was questioning whether it was a good name or not, but thinking on it more, staying united in situations like this can often help ease people's fear about things that cause panic. (e.g. the virus)

I've also been playing Rune Factory 4 Special for the Switch. I LOVE Rune Factory and Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games. I've played Harvest Moon since I was young and the same can be said for Animal Crossing. I got a Gamecube as a kid one Christmas when it came out, and my dad bought me Animal Crossing for the Gamecube to go with it, and I have played so many hours of it, as well as made many happy memories. I still have my original copy of the game that my dad got me years back, too. It's a ball of nostalgic memories and I feel so happy and peaceful whenever I play it. I've played (and loved) every Animal Crossing game except the Wii-U board game type one. I heard it was a disappointing game in the series... I've played all of the Rune Factory games, too! And most of the Harvest Moon series of games. I'm super excited because Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (the Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town remake) is coming out confirmed this July! And my b-day's in July, so I'll have a game to look forward to! ^^

I'm so blessed to have the things I do have to keep my mind calm, and I'm so grateful for the things I'm able to do because of those things. I will never take for granted the ability to use the internet so I'm able to talk to my friends. I've have had a migraine for 3 days straight, but it finally started easing up yesterday night. I have been dealing with chronic migraines since I was about 13. I'm turning 29 this year... I get them pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times, but the days I don't have migraines are always little blessings. And I could have a lot worse than what I do, so I'm glad I only have the list of health issues I deal with and not anything worse. My mom beat cancer and has been cancer free for I believe 4-5 years now. She had the treatable kind of Leukemia and conquered the illness like a boss! ^^

One of the best things for me to stay calm is writing. I write my own stories, poems, and sometimes I write Haiku poetry. I started learning how to write Haiku poems when I was in a crisis recovery center, since there was not much to do there when no groups were going on. I wrote a couple while I was there that related to emotional or mental health with the imagery of the words. I also drew a frog and left a message on the picture I thought would help encourage people going through the same kinds of things I was, and the staff put it up by the phone everyone would use to call their family. My friend actually went to the same place about half a year later and told me that the drawing & message I'd done was still up by the phone. It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside to know that my little artwork and message was helping people enough to stay up on the wall of the commons area for so long. I sometimes wonder if it's still there. ^^

If anybody's interested in reading any of my Haiku poems, let me know! I'd be happy to share! I also wrote a poem for my dad to show him how much he means to me, since he gets discouraged when he can't do things for me. I tell him that my love for him isn't based on what he spends on me or when he treats me to something, and that my love for him is because he's a caring, loving, and wonderful dad, but he doesn't seem to know the extent of how proud I am to have him as my dad and how grateful I am to him for being my dad. I got inspired one night when he seemed a bit down in the dumps and wrote a poem expressing how much he means to me, decorating it and giving it to him either that night or the next day. My mom told me that he couldn't stop talking about the poem and how much he loved it and it meant so much to him. I wasn't sure how much it'd affect him positively, but I know it meant a lot to him because he taped it up to our bathroom's mirror. And I'm so glad I was able to cheer him up and reassure him. Sometimes I still need to reassure him that he doesn't need to do anything extra than being my dad for me to love him, but I think the poem really touched his heart. <3

 

& Apologies for the wall of text.. I got on a roll writing and kinda rambled a bit, there. ^^;;

I hope ya'll are doing well and staying safe & informed! ^^

[sunny098]

3 hours ago, Mouseykins said:

My husband ventured out today. We forgot a couple of things on Monday when we went to get groceries. He's also picking up a small present for our two girls who have birthdays this month. Our youngest has her birthday tomorrow. I ordered her something from Amazon but it won't be here until the 30th and Dad found something else she might like. He's also get a lint roller thing a doodle because our Great Pyrenees is shedding a ton these days and the air gets everywhere! In about 3 weeks we've used up a 500 sheet lint roller. He also wanted to get some shop towels to clean our kitchen and bathroom because they're more durable than paper towels and we may be able to clean them for reuse, depending on which ones he gets.

Stores in my area have already changed their hours so that the opening hour is for seniors and individuals with disabilities or medical issues making them more at risk.

In early March my daughter picked up a cold from school. She kindly passed it on to the rest of us. We know it's not COVID-19 related because it wasn't in our province at that time and we're not travelers or been around anyone who has been traveling. Mine has turned into an allergy-like sinus cold. I still have a cough, but it's so much better than it was. I'm hesitant to really go anywhere unnecessary so people don't stare at me.

Fun fact! My KGner who is missing out on going to school now has done more school work this week than her homeschooled sister has. My KGner is way more interested in learning and thinks it fun whereas my homeschooler thinks it's a chore and she'd rather be upstairs playing with her horses.

Oh yeah having a slight cold and allergies the worst right now. 3 weeks ago I was suppose to go into the eye clinic at Stanford for more tests. I had a bit of an allergic cough. Now I have no idea if the nurses thought I was completely blind or something cuz I do use a white cane. They had me go into a quarantine room at the EYE CLINIC (I can't believe they had that prepared), and this nurse in full on hazmat came out to ask me questions and take my temperature. They kicked my mom out immediately, she actually had a slight cold (which cleared up in like 2 weeks, no other symptoms, and it was really light). My whole family have been avoiding people as much as we can for weeks as if it's the plague, and when we have to meet up we took as much precautions as we could, so there is no way we could have came into contact with COVID-19 very easily. Also they didn't even guide me the way you normally guide someone blind (normally you hold onto the elbow of a sighted guide), the nurse walked far in front of me and made noise, told me to follow with my cane (and they deal with blind folks/low vision at this clinic). This was before all the lock down stuff happened here in California.

 

3 hours ago, radical.ravenclaw said:

I live in California and we were just put on a semi lock down, meaning we can still go to the grocery store and pharmacy but besides that, stay inside. 

Besides being on Neopets, I recently got a puzzle to work on and if you're thinking about doing the same, get a BIG one. 750 just doesn't cut it, and then afterwards use it as art and frame it! Also any books you've been planning on reading, now is the time. I'm currently reading The Secret Life of Bees and it is AMAZING! I highly recommend it, the next on my list is The Color Purple. 

Make sure to get some fresh air sometimes! Watch for your mental health and keep in contact with your mental health care provider, it does me wonders since I do struggle with mental health!

I thought you're still allowed to go out in California for a breath of fresh air, walk, or run, but you have to maintain 6ft, unless you live in the same household. Not too sure, don't quote me on it. My vision conditions been acting up recently (neurological) and it's been semi-hard to read things (even large print), and news sites don't always have best compatibility with screen readers. I've still been going on small walks, although it's very rainy. No one gets in my way anyways because they don't want to get whacked. 

[Mouseykins]

@trickkey There may be online resources available during the quarantine/isolation period.

@sunny098 That seems rude considering 3 weeks ago I don't even think the virus was that much of a problem in the US yet. But I could be wrong since I don't live in the US. Either way, they could have just asked you to leave if they were uncomfortable. California was just put on their lockdown as of today.

Now in my province there have been some changes. Alberta Education has cancelled all provincial exams for grade 12 students. These exams I believe are needed for post secondary, but they might waive that or have the students take them in August, provided the virus has been dealt with by then and isn't much of a general threat to the public. Nothing new from my daughter's school so things are going ahead as planned for them sending home work packets starting on the 30th. Because I have a printer I may have to print everything myself, which is fine. I'm fully stocked on paper and ink and have all the school supplies we need. The only thing I need is lessons from my daughter's teacher so I know what to teach.

During my husband's brief shopping adventure this afternoon there was still no TP on shelves, but there was bread. He picked up a couple small birthday presents for our girls and some ingredients to make them their cake. At Walmart they're no longer allowing people to use their own bags and will bag your groceries for you, but you have to pay the 5 cent per plastic bag fee still. Superstore, from what I've read is still letting customers use their own bags provided they bag their own groceries. They're also waiving the 5 cent plastic bag fee for those who don't bring their own bags. They may stop allowing the reusable bags in the coming days. Because Walmart is still charging for bags I told my husband I would have just put everything loose back in the cart and put everything in bags before the groceries went into the vehicle. He didn't think of that so he got a couple plastic bags. Which is fine because we could use some. I had a whole stock pile under my kitchen sink but we had a leak and they all got gross so they were thrown out.

My husband had a chat with his parents tonight and they're still planning on coming out for a visit, just not anytime soon. They're waiting to see how things transpire over the next little bit first. So that's good news!

Edit Below

Today is Little Miss' Birthday. I'm probably just going to take out a cinnamon cake from the freezer for everyone to have a treat. Because two of my girls have a birthday so close together we're going to do their cake and presents on Wednesday where it's halfway between both their birthdays. In the meantime we'll be spending the weekend catching up on housework. I may get my husband to do a project upstairs that has been put off for a while to give him something to do. Frozen II just came out on Disney+ this week so the kids have been watching that constantly. I have some work to catch up on and I want to make digital versions of my learning resources I have for sale so teachers purchasing products can give their students digital access to the files, plus finish a couple I've been working on.

[jellysundae]

I keep wanting to reply to this, but reading through everyone else's big posts fries my brain.

But I'm gonna try and say something, though I can't respond to others as I'd like to.

All pubs here in the UK closed last night. Boris urged the nation to not go out for one last pint... yep, dream on BoJo; the  pub next door to me, and the one over the road, were both heaving. Much hugging going on... People here last night being just as foolish as those moronic spring breakers.

In other news... Aw, ain't that sweet. Hope they both sanitised their hands afterwards.

Oh wait, there's more!

AWWW!   Yeah, he seems like a keeper!

The supermarkets are on a massive hiring spree whilst everywhere else is closing, and the sewers are getting blocked because of people having to use wipes and tissues and kitchen towel because selfish panic-buyers have taken all the loo roll. This must be the same pretty much globally? Sales of those bidets you fit to your loo must be sky-rocketing, though we (wee? *groan*) in the UK are just SO bidet-phobic that they maybe haven't occured to many people here yet.

I have my own problems to overcome here. I have MS; I can't walk very far and I can't carry very much at all because of nerve fatigue and general instability, so have grocery-shopped online and got home delivery for a number of years. I had a shop delivered on Wednesday - that's 3 weeks-worth of food, I can't mentally manage to get a shop together quicker than that - but I can't book a slot for my next shop as there are none. You can book up to 3 weeks in advance and that's what I do, but now... none available. I've been staying up till midnight to try and snag one as the next day becomes available but I clearly don't have a fast enough connection/computer, and LOTS of other people are engaged in the exact same pursuit. It took about 5 seconds for the page to load last night, by the time it had - no slots available.

So I'll have no option but to make my way to the closest supermarket and do what I can myself. I'm going to get one of those wheeled shopping bags - I can get it delivered to this particular supermarket - and that will help alleviate some of the obstacles life is throwing at me right now. But will it magically make the stuff I want to buy/need to eat be on the shelves? I have dietary needs because of the MS too This store IS doing this:

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, all our supermarkets will dedicate 8am - 9am to serving elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers, as well as NHS and Social Care workers. They will just need to show us their pass or ID when they visit.

I am one of thoese vulnerable people, but I don't have any way to prove this unlike disabled badge-holders. I have this card that says "the bearer of this card is taking Tecfidera" like that's gonna mean a thing to anyone other than some medical professionals. So yeah, fun times ahead for me!

I'm fairly confident that things will improve once the supermarkets have more staff though and can dramatically increase the home delivery options - there's a LOT of drivers and vans going begging now with other places closing - and this interim period that's going to make things rather difficult (and risky) for me won't last too long.

This situation has at least given me a reprieve from having to go get stabbed at the doctors! I have to have bloods done every 3 months to make sure my meds aren't gonna kill me (not an exaggeration, sadly ) but they've cancelled all non-essential appointments, so my super non-compliant veins don't get to misbehave for a while. Last year I was supposed to switch to new meds, I clearly dropped through the cracks and that never happened. I could have chased it up but I'd have had to take the first tablet at the hospital and then spend 6 HOURS on an ECG machine because this stuff can mess with your heart rate, so I was happy to let things slide. Turns out to have been GREAT that I'm not now on this stuff though, as it's an immunosuppressant and I've have had to self-isolate for 12 weeks, with my current groceries situation I'd have been in big trouble!

But what I'm actually doing is no different to what I do any day, sat here on Neopets mostly! I also caved and bought Bloons Tower Defense 6 so that I can continue playing after the death of Flash as I don't see the older games continuing after that. Isolation is no big deal for me though as it's just business as usual. Silver lining? Good job I'm another member of Team Introvert, isn't it.

 

[epona1]

OMG @jellysundae I'm so sorry! Is there anyway you can reach out to anyone who can help? Is there anywhere you can complain to? You can't be the only one in this situation.

 

2 hours ago, jellysundae said:

 

In other news... Aw, ain't that sweet. Hope they both sanitised their hands afterwards.

Oh wait, there's more!

AWWW!   Yeah, he seems like a keeper!

 

I had to stare at this for a couple of seconds before I got it..

 

21 hours ago, Mouseykins said:

Fun fact! My KGner who is missing out on going to school now has done more school work this week than her homeschooled sister has.

Good for her! Wanting to learn is an important life skill to have.

[jellysundae]

3 hours ago, epona1 said:

I'm so sorry! Is there anyway you can reach out to anyone who can help? Is there anywhere you can complain to? You can't be the only one in this situation.

Thank you *hugs* My mum will do what she can, but it's not at all practical for a bunch of reasons, and with no guarantee of there being anything on the shelves. I just need to suck it up and get myself out there. I am looking at shopping trolleys on ebay right now - I want a cute one :3 - I wonder how long people will be allowed to use them though, after what @Mouseykins said about Canada and re-useable bags.

I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to get myself out - i have some filter cartridges at the store to collect - and ask someone in the store about what I need to do to be able to visit the store during those hours set aside for the more vulnerable. I suppose I really should try calling customer service of my regular supermarket and explaining my situation. I'd not be expecting them to be able to do anything about it, but the more people who contact them about this the quicker they'll expand the available deliver slot, or actually give people priority.

On 3/20/2020 at 8:49 PM, Mouseykins said:

Fun fact! My KGner who is missing out on going to school now has done more school work this week than her homeschooled sister has. My KGner is way more interested in learning and thinks it fun whereas my homeschooler thinks it's a chore and she'd rather be upstairs playing with her horses.

Maybe when she sees her sis enjoying it it might motivate her to like it more as she'll feel she's missing out? Or get competitive over praise, lol. Is there stuff you can do, maybe practical stuff,  where they're learning together/ helping each other, anything like that? I know that might not be realistic because of the age difference.