Author Topic: How's everyone doing?!  (Read 7643 times)

Online Rob

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How's everyone doing?!
« on: March 23, 2020, 05:31 PM »
Since everything is basically come to a screeching halt... I figured we could commiserate here and see how everyone is.  We were buying a new condo and backed out of it last week just because nothing seems stable and I didn't want to dump our nest egg into real estate until I feel better about it.  I'm working from home, so far so good, but it's all weird.

Chicago is Shelter in Place, so we're only going out for exercise and groceries at the moment.

How are you doing?

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2020, 06:19 PM »
I've been working from home as well in my home office/Star Wars Toy and prop museum.

The kids are on spring break, but Governor Putz ordered schools closed until near the end of April.

Not a roll of toilet paper to be found in town.
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Offline Scockery

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2020, 10:22 PM »
Uh, had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?

Offline Jesse James

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2020, 12:14 AM »
We aren’t in shelter in place yet but are prepping for it.  As part of the auto industry I’m considered an “essential worker”, and my gf is also for her profession, so they’ve been prepping us for that giving us papers to get us through checkpoints or pull overs or whatever. 

Our boy was booted from college a while back so he started online classes or whatever the profs are doing just today.  He played Xbox with his brother (who’s laid off in Cincy) all weekend haha.

Found out about my company keeping from us a confirmed infected person at a site in the district and one that may have implications for myself and where I am not to mention a myriad of customers and who knows what else because they didn’t want to say too much or anything.  🙄

There wasn’t a lot more going on...  I am in such close proximity to my parents that I’m a bit on edge.  Our company could mitigate things by cutting out some aspects they are simply refusing to cut out...  our older employees have already taken off on leaves of absence.  I’m less in the line of fire than the retail employees are but we are all together and the company basically wouldn’t make drastic changes unless forced to do so, so it’s frustrating.  They’ve also put out multiple “we are sending extra supplies” notices since early March and literally sent nothing extra to any site in our district lol.  Can’t make it up.  Execs need their bonuses though.
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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2020, 01:00 PM »
Uh, had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?

You magnificent bastard!
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2020, 03:08 PM »
Uh, had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?


Uh, negative. We have a reactor leak here, now. Give us a minute to lock it down. Large leak; very dangerous!

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2020, 05:20 PM »
Hope you don’t need TP for that reactor leak.😬
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Online Jeff

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2020, 12:32 PM »
This social distancing experience has really opened my eyes to how some of those OCD people must live their lives.  Touch a doorknob?  Wash hands.  Check the mailbox? Wash hands.  About to eat? Wash hands.

My kids (off school since 3/6) are stir crazy.  They miss their friends.  They miss their sports.  They miss their normal routine.  Our school district has started testing long range 'distance' (aka "at home") learning and it's a huge drain on my time.  So stressful trying to make sure they are doing their at home school work while I try to do my job in  "work from home"  mode. 

I'm a full-time "work from home" employee.  I'm a full-time teacher making sure my four "at home" school students are staying on top of their work and not playing PS4.  I'm a full-time chef preparing three meals a day for six people.  I'm a full-time house-cleaning service doing dishes, laundry, wiping surfaces with lysol wipes, etc.  I'm a full-time worrier as I catch up on the latest cases/death #s worldwide.

But the worst part is, there's no end in sight.  There is a very, very good chance that schools don't reopen until next Fall and "at home" school is the new normal for my kids this Spring.  My wife and I are still trying to understand what that means.  Will we be allowed to go back to work at the office?  If so, who stays home with the kids to make sure they are doing their schoolwork and not goofing off all day?

I keep trying to focus on the positives.  I am lucky enough to still have a job.  One where I am able to work from home and be here for my kids.  I'm not one of the 150k+ who have had to file for unemployment this month in Minnesota. (150,000 and growing!)  Just trying to count our blessings to offset all the bad news out there right now.
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Offline JediJman

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2020, 03:10 PM »
This social distancing experience has really opened my eyes to how some of those OCD people must live their lives.  Touch a doorknob?  Wash hands.  Check the mailbox? Wash hands.  About to eat? Wash hands.

My kids (off school since 3/6) are stir crazy.  They miss their friends.  They miss their sports.  They miss their normal routine.  Our school district has started testing long range 'distance' (aka "at home") learning and it's a huge drain on my time.  So stressful trying to make sure they are doing their at home school work while I try to do my job in  "work from home"  mode. 

I'm a full-time "work from home" employee.  I'm a full-time teacher making sure my four "at home" school students are staying on top of their work and not playing PS4.  I'm a full-time chef preparing three meals a day for six people.  I'm a full-time house-cleaning service doing dishes, laundry, wiping surfaces with lysol wipes, etc.  I'm a full-time worrier as I catch up on the latest cases/death #s worldwide.

But the worst part is, there's no end in sight.  There is a very, very good chance that schools don't reopen until next Fall and "at home" school is the new normal for my kids this Spring.  My wife and I are still trying to understand what that means.  Will we be allowed to go back to work at the office?  If so, who stays home with the kids to make sure they are doing their schoolwork and not goofing off all day?

I keep trying to focus on the positives.  I am lucky enough to still have a job.  One where I am able to work from home and be here for my kids.  I'm not one of the 150k+ who have had to file for unemployment this month in Minnesota. (150,000 and growing!)  Just trying to count our blessings to offset all the bad news out there right now.

Well said.  I'll add that we're fortunate enough to have 3 levels in the house where the family can spread out a bit.  My wife works in the main level, kids are mostly upstairs or in the basement, and I shift around depending on whether I need to get some space or be there helping them out.  The kids are technically on Spring Break and enjoying the time off school, but distance learning will kick in next week and its going to be a whole new ball game.  The kids have started keeping a journal of their experiences as this is definitely something they're going to want to look back on someday.

I'm also really thankful for work right now.  I'm a contractor and my role was initially supposed to end on 4/10, but super thankful for my client extending my role through end of July.  That's at least one less stress to worry about, especially given very few companies are even thinking about hiring.  I can't imagine all the people who suddenly have no income and no options.  A close friend of ours is a small business owner with several employees who can't work with the shut down.  I don't know how they're going to make it through this if businesses are closed down for months versus weeks. 

Whatever your situation, take a minute to appreciate all that you and your family have going for you in the midst of all this.  Chances are, it could be a lot worse for all of us.
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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2020, 12:02 PM »
If this doesn't end soon my quarantine/work from home beard will qualify me to be a member of ZZ Top!

For someone who was in the USAF for 20 years, it's a bit of a new thing!
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Offline JediJman

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2020, 04:36 PM »
If this doesn't end soon my quarantine/work from home beard will qualify me to be a member of ZZ Top!

Roll call!  How many of us have started growing beards?  I'm a ways away from the ZZ Top club, but it's almost long enough to start hiding things in there...
Climbed a mountain & never came back. I will not quit & I always fight back 
From this moment for all my life. What could I say? Was born to be this way. And what could I say?  Just livin' for today

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2020, 04:52 PM »
If this doesn't end soon my quarantine/work from home beard will qualify me to be a member of ZZ Top!

Roll call!  How many of us have started growing beards?  I'm a ways away from the ZZ Top club, but it's almost long enough to start hiding things in there...

Okay... maybe this is the way I can sneak in new Star Wars figures from now on?  ;D  Of course, it doesn't hide the bank statement.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2020, 05:55 PM »
Hope you don’t need TP for that reactor leak.😬

I am sitting on a stockpile....

Oh wait, that doesn't sound good
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Offline Diddly

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2020, 10:45 PM »
If this doesn't end soon my quarantine/work from home beard will qualify me to be a member of ZZ Top!

Roll call!  How many of us have started growing beards?  I'm a ways away from the ZZ Top club, but it's almost long enough to start hiding things in there...

I needed a haircut before all this started so I already looked bad. Might as well grow a beard too. :P

As for me, I'm doing okay and I've been lucky so far. I moved at the end of February and am still getting settled in, but glad to have gotten that done before all this happened. Still employed for now and able to pay bills. But I know a TON of people who have been laid off, from service industry people to dentists, and it sucks. And it sucks knowing that this is going to go on from anywhere to 6 weeks to 18 months, and these friends of mine aren't going to be able to get new jobs until it ends. It's the weirdest and most uncertain the world has felt since September 11.

Not to get political, but since $1200 doesn't go far here, I'm planning on donating my "relief check" to some sort of local charity, if I even get one. Not sure if anyone else has considered that
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Offline Chris M

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Re: How's everyone doing?!
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2020, 09:23 AM »
Little late here, but Dallas, and most of the surrounding area is now in shelter in place.  I've been transforming my classes from teaching face to face for almost 20 years to going 100% virtual.  I've got all advanced placement kids, so that is an added bonus to the difficulties.  But my wife is also a teacher for dyslexia so it's especially trying on her because she offers a therapy that is better served face to face.  My daughter is brilliant, so online learning is pretty easy and she's very well disciplined so it's been a blessing for us.  However, when USA Gymnastics halted the season, she was crushed.  She had two big meets left and was rocketing through the season, probably going to level up for next year and open some doors for her.  So we'll see how that plays out.

What's getting me at the moment is not being able to get into the gym and lift.  I can do body weight work at home, but that's just not the same.  My 11 year old workout buddy loves it though.  The three of us go and run/bike 3-4 afternoons a week, so it's not all bad.  I normally work all morning, from 7 or 8 until 2ish, workout, and then go to the garage and work on some commission model projects for clients for a few hours.  We bought a new house a couple of months before this all started, so we've enjoyed being home in the home.
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