Sanity in Solitude: Revisited

Last time, I provided some tips for those among us who are bored and craving interaction with others. I thought this time I would assess my own behavior and find out if I have followed my own advice.

Health

First on the list was health: I have continued the exercise regiment I started just before quarantine and have expanded it with additional exercises and more weight. It’s one of the first things I do in the morning after catching up on various phone things which I will discuss later. Do I exercise everyday? Nope, and I think that’s okay. Mark is trying a different exercise routine that is more focused and regimented, but that’s not for me. Different strokes, right? I can certainly attest though, that some days I wake up and certainly do not feel like having a full, productive day, but exercising is a great way to get me moving and feeling better.

Food...well...that one I’m not doing so well at. Sure, I sometimes have a breakfast of apples, bananas, and peanut butter, but I also bought way too many chips and dips to qualify as balanced. Plus, Mark’s mom keeps buying sweets and I apparently have no will power. She bought a cheesecake...how does she know my weakness?

As for mental health, I start everyday with my phone, but I try to keep the social media time short and avoid getting lost in the feed. I can tell that everyone is on more. I’ve seen lots of shareable posts and games from my family and friends. I’ve also seen a lot of posts of people making the most of their time with their family. I've posted a mixture of these along with many more photos of Robby, my cat.

I also practice my Spanish everyday with the Duolingo app. I’m at a 326 day streak, but i can tell you that I really don't want to do it every morning, or even most, but I keep at it to make sure I don't forget what I've learned and to expand my knowledge. I’m stoked to get to 365 and, one day, fluency. Sometimes, layer in the day, I meditate to clear my mind. I will admit though that I’ve been imbibing more than usual, but not all of it is stress. It’s also the realization that I don’t have to drive anywhere, so, why not?

Catching Up:

Our bold ideas about camper maintenance went to the wayside…whoops, but I have decided to focus on chainmaille more than I have been and am putting one new item up a day. I’m more excited than I have been in a while and I’m coming up with some pretty cool things (at least I think so). Notably, I’ve been working on a chess set, which I’ve had in mind for years at this point but never got around to actually making. Welp, on the white side, I have the pawns and the bishops done with some thoughts on some cool rooks coming up.

I’m thrilled I took my own advice and picked up some podcasts I’ve been neglecting. I’ve already gotten through the British and American Revolutions on the Revolutions Podcast (I started in the middle originally) and am completely up to date on NPR’s Throughline (my favorite) and am currently working on Embedded by NPR. I listen to others, but these are my top three and I definitely recommend them for those who like history (Revolutions and Throughline) and current events (Throughline and Embedded).

Oh, and the cork board has grown, but has run into the lack of cork issue.

Learn Something New:

My learning project is engraving. Years ago, I bought bracelet blanks with the idea to use a dremel and engrave interesting images on them. Well, I’m finally doing it...with limited success. I think it has potential, but I’m a long way from a finished product.

Mark has started cooking more. He’s coming up with all kinds of interesting recipes. The other day he made an egg souffle with a hot sausage and cheese ball inside. Anything with the word souffle sounds horrifyingly difficult to me, but he pulled it off and it was delicious.

Spend Quality Time With Family:

Mark and I have definitely been spending a lot of time together, some of it is quality. We hang out at some point everyday and we've finished up Borderlands the Pre-Sequel and are currently working on Borderlands 2. We’re both starting to get a little snippy with each other. We live in a very small place and only have so much yard to explore, but for the most part we’re fine.

His sister has come over from the main house a bunch of times and we chill out. We’ve played video games, watched movies, and played board games. They both have to study still, and I work around them while they do. Generally, it’s a nice little enclave that we have.

I have started spending a lot more time with one member of my family though, my cat Robby. We recently purchased a beanbag chair (Absolutely love it. Check out Cordaroy's) and it has turned into his throne. We sit in it often together. Mark and I are also working on teaching hi the outside bounds of the area. We live in a very rural area and, with supervision, I’m growing more comfortable bringing him outside without a leash. Mark has also been spending time with him, but since I sit on the beanbag more often and sit still more, Robby’s been gravitating towards me. For me, this truly is one of my favorite silver linings of this whole experience.

Express Yourself:

I haven’t painted yet... While I have been writing on and off and working on chainmaille everyday, one of my main goals was to start painting again. I will this week. Definitely. I know it’s an excuse, but I like to do it alone. I want to blast music and have the whole camper to myself. Painting is not my strength and I feel self conscious doing it around other people. I need to work on that.

Online:

I didn't include this last time, but omitting it again would be neglectful. When Mark and I moved from Pennsylvania we wanted to continue with our Pathfinder (table top role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons) campaign. We started Skyping in. Now, due to quarantine measures, we all Skype in. I love it. So, despite all of this, I hang out with my friends once a week. I can't cook for them like I used to, but at least they get my company.

Overall, I think I'm handling the situation fairly well. Generally, I try not to let the magnitude of the situation overwhelm me and I've been putting my time to (mostly) good use. Sometimes it's hard to get going and some days are definitely better than others, but I'm trying to make the most of it.

I'm also running 10% off in the shop with code STAYSAFE and half of profits will be donated to Humanity Forward, a non-profit that pushes for human centered policies and candidates and is currently sending microgrants to people affected by the COVID-19 crisis. To apply, click here.

Stay safe and sane, my friends.