The Devolving of Humanity

As I sat at the dining room table, eating my breakfast of BBQ Pork Fried Rice with a good helping of soy sauce, it occurred to me just how much the pandemic has affected the non-infected who are stuck at home.

When hubby asked me, “Why are you eating that for breakfast?”

My explanation was simple, “it has scrambled eggs in it.”  

“I see,” he said.  Then he proceeded to fix himself a bowl of the same. 

Hubby’s modus operandi (i.e., Latin for ‘Method of Operating’, abbreviated “M.O.” on cop shows), has definitely shifted. No judgments here, just observation.  Between the two of us, hubby is (by far) the emotionally stable one. 

I began to notice little weirdnesses going on with me a couple months ago, nothing as dramatic as breakfast this morning, but slightly disturbing. I imagine that a mental health professional may see a few of them as red flags for – something. 

Like the disgusting ‘frat house’ behavior.  So far I have managed to limit this to only in front of the dog, but I fear that one day, without thinking about it, I will let loose with a belch that Booger could be proud of in front of hubby or at (egads!) the post office. 

If you don’t know who Booger is – read no further.  You are too young to be exposed to the confessions of somebody’s grandma.  I would hate to be responsible for shattering your naivete. 

Meanwhile, I go about my day apologizing to my dog for each gross noise I create, but I am not ashamed.  Truth be told – I am getting really long and loud with all the practice.  I’m almost proud of myself. 

My personal hygiene tends to deteriorate when I’m anxious or depressed, but it has now reached a record low.  Why bother to waste time “gussying up” when I can’t go anywhere, or visit anyone?  Even the video conferencing does not prompt me to wear make-up anymore.  I look so zombified on video with or without make-up.  If I do wear make-up it transforms me into a  Zombie Ho and who wants that?  

Oddly, I  find the whole ‘wear-a-mask’ thing highly convenient.  No need for foundation or lipstick.  And best of all, no need to wear those uncomfortable temporary teeth!

None of my favorite clothes fit anymore. So, I mix and match comfy with not-too-tight. Then there are days I fall asleep in my clothes and I wake up in the morning already dressed.  A true time-saver, really.  But after three days I get bored with the outfit and I need a shower.

Three months into the quarantine and my house is a filthy mess, I have too many hobbies to want to cook or clean.  The guest rooms have been uninhabitable for the last 2 months, and their condition continues to deteriorate the longer we go without any guests.  Large bins of fabric and yarn and unfinished projects are stacked about waiting to be organized.  The bed is covered with the things I am currently trying to organize.

Our living room is more like my sewing room with a TV.  Oh, and when I am not sewing, I’m working on the last few edits to make before I send my novel out into the wild.  I will keep you posted.

 

I like to play DVDs of comedy and musicals while I sew.  Yesterday,  I ‘watched’ Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, and had a grand old sing-along for 86 minutes.  A great way to finish binding a quilt!

30 Sun Bonnet Sue blocks sashed together for a friend.

Today’s agenda is Zoom Church, then begin cutting out fabrics for the first of three baby quilts I want to make this summer.  I still need to design the last one, which will probably be a crazy quilt, if you know what I mean…

♥  TTFN  ♥

 

Time For a Gratitude List

Yep.

Or as Grandma would put it- “Count your blessings!”

The weather has turned colder and gloomier, matching my personality of late.  I have been neglectful of my “Be the Sunshine” self.  My grooming habits have disintegrated into “who cares?”  Even all the ‘forbidden’ foods I’m stuffing into my face are not helping me feel better.

I know I am depressed & wallowing in self-pity.  I also know that I am smarter than this and I have many things to be grateful for that I should be focusing on.  And I will, grandma, I promise.

BUT FIRST…

I need to rant a bit.

Remember in late February when the coronavirus was declared a Pandemic?

As cases and death tolls piled up all over the US, it reminded me of Stephen King’s The Stand and the plague that wiped out 99.9% of the population.  Anyone who read the book or watched the mini-series on TV thought of that story.  I came upon a tweet by Stephen King that said coronavirus was nothing like that plague – it was not nearly as bad. Someone tweeted him in reply “Dude!  Have you read that book?”  This amuses me greatly every time I think about it.

I hate that there is always a “catchphrase” when there is a catastrophe or shocking event. The one that really irritates me is, “The new normal.”  It’s new for sure, but it is not normal. No one wants it to be either.

Suddenly – all the toilet paper vanished. No one remembers people buying mass quantities. Sanitizer solutions, alcohol, and disinfectant wipes vanished. Frozen meats and dairy items, also vanished.  And if you wanted any bread – you had to make it yourself.  We wondered what would be next.

Everything is coming back to the shelves now. Except for the T.P.  Stores have to ration 1 roll per person, per day.  Rationing?  Like in WWII?  Not only paper for personal hygiene, but the kind you write letters on.  This makes me wonder if the stationary is a TP back up plan.  I wonder about many other things too.  Is diarrhea a symptom, BTW?

For instance, I wonder if the Senate Hart Building ran out of T.P., or if the White House has a surplus of darn near everything under the sun.  All those press conferences in March and we did not hear anything interesting and pertinent – like hoarding or shortages.  The local news was full of these interesting (and often disturbing) things.

The other thing I wonder is are people obeying the “Stay at Home, Save a Life” philosophy?  Maybe most are. I would like to think so, but it’s upsetting when I make my twice-monthly trip to the grocery store and there is traffic in town like normal (not the new normal but the old normal). People out and about without masks, even though our county is providing masks for free to everyone who wants one.

I bet they would wear one if they could see the dreadful spores floating and bouncing about.  Or not.  I have been told, “I’m not sick.” Or “I don’t believe in wearing a mask.”  Do you believe in death?  Because that is what is happening all over the world.  Moron!

Why can’t there be laws against stupid?  Grrrr!  That is a topic for a completely different post for another day when I am feeling grouchy.

Thanks for listening.  I feel much better now!

Stay tuned for my next post: Counting my Blessings.

♥  TTFN  ♥

 

 

Under Construction

You may have noticed weirdness here at JodiLeasPlace.  Not the usual weirdness, that is my brain, but technical changes, design & color changes. 
Since I have my own domain now – jodileasplace.blog, it is time to reinvent and decorate the place.  

The plan is to make things more readable, and aesthetically pleasing.  In other words: cooler than before.  And, I need a mental break between finishing one novel and choosing one of the 3 I found waiting in my filing cabinet to work on. All three are worth a second go.  The dilemma I have is – I really want to start Something Incredibly Different. 

Tomorrow is April 1st and Camp NaNoWriMo.  I know that the best course for me is to work on a thorough outline so I can stay on track with the story. Taking nine years to finish the last novel has taught me that -Ha!  Do I outline one of the filed 3 and play it safe OR do I jump out of my comfort zone and go for it?

Please, faithful Reader, help me out here!  Send me your professional opinion via the comment section!  

♥  TTFN  ♥

BTW: No rodents were harmed in the designing of the blog header.