It’s Monday, and I am taking a breaking between laundry detergent delivery and a FaceTime conversation that was a little fraught.
My day job is a freelance writer, and this morning I got back to what I refer to as my mercenary writing (the stuff I actually get paid for). It’s time; a few deadlines for April are approaching, and I like to get my stuff in a couple of weeks (at least) ahead of time.
Today’s first topic was 2,000 words on testicular pain, and this afternoon’s topic is breast pain.
I could not figure out a way to work this in to the actual article, but I have decided to open a new sports bar after Pandemic 2020 and call it The Twisted Testicle (TM). Then I will coin phrases like, “Don’t get your testicles in a twist,” which is quite a bit more serious than panties in a wad and so forth.
And then I submitted the first article to my editor and realized how strange it is to be writing anything about anything except COVID.
And then I realized that what we might need now more than ever is anything about anything EXCEPT for COVID.
Or not. I guess we all deal with things differently.
When I log on to the Netflix or the Hulu or the Amazon at night, I am looking for frothy, stupid comedy or cooking shows that stop just short of making me feel like a total moron, but the movie Outbreak was #9 across the country when Khristian Weeks and I watched it last Thursday, so it seems I might be one of the few who functions that way.
I haven’t checked lately, but I would be willing to bet that apocalypse programming is doing pretty well, even this week as Baltimore stops justshort of a shelter-in-place order to help save idiots (and their families) from themselves.
So what to do, how to think, how to feel, what to watch? How strange is it write about breast and testicular pain, except that there are still people with painful boobs and balls, and they need information, too, right?
This blog is the mental ramble that rainy cold weather prevented me from physically taking today.
So let’s make a list: what are you watching/reading/listening to as we continue with our social distancing?
I’m watching anything with outlines. Cartoons are the kisses to my forehead when I’m wrung-the-fuck out. And, yes, after learning yesterday my office was knowingly exposed to Covid-19 by company leadership, i am, truly w-r-f out.
KNOWINGLY? Meaning they knew a person had it and let them in, or didn’t let them go?
Good times.
I am also in self-quarantine (not just distancing) as my kid’s roommate’s brother has it. So we can be shut-ins together.
I usually email you back my thoughts as I love the conversations we had in person and now they are in writing. And, I am changing, or this situation is changing me, and I am taking on more visibility. So, here I am.
We have been re-watching entire episodes of British Baking (and this lulls me to sleep the deepest relief-giving sleep that I have great need of). And I am reading: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma and The Great Influenza by John Barry. So, there’s my participation in the swarm towards apocalyptic curiosity. In my defense it was in our great room bookshelf because my Mom left it here a couple visits ago. Miss you! See you in class tonight xo
The Great Influenza! How is that? I am down for a contact-free book exchange if you are!
I love the GBBO. I was illegally downloading the first episodes out of England back when it had lower production values and was more explicitly educational, and I have watched most seasons at least twice all the way through. I actually have written in my phone “Make frasier,” that strawberry cake with cream because I thought strawberries would be in at the markets now. Alas….
Thanks for sharing your stuff (and yourself!). <3