It finally hit me – I’m bored. I looked at the calendar yesterday and it’s been eight weeks since my last “official” day at work. 56 days. That’s a long time. I remember back in 2001, I got laid off and it took me approximately five months to find a new job. But it was different back then. The world was open, I was able to go to the gym and work out, I was actively interviewing and networking. I should also mention that my rent back then was around $725/month for my one-bedroom apartment in Twin Peaks. So my expenses were practically nothing. Most importantly, I knew it was just a matter of time before I was employed again and everything would be fine. Things are very different right now. I’ve noticed several shops here in town that have gone out of business. And Neiman Marcus has filed for bankruptcy. It’s definitely starting to feel like end of days.
But let’s get back to the boredom. I actually noticed that my mood had started shifting a few days ago. I haven’t done my daily hour-long power walk in three days, haven’t run in a week, and am feeling generally lethargic. I’m also not really interested in cooking and have gotten takeaways the last couple of days. And it seems like the weather has mimicked my mood because the beautiful sunny days stopped two days ago. It’s cool and overcast – the kind of weather where you don’t feel guilty if you don’t get off the couch all day and watch James Bond movies.
It’s not all gloom and doom though. Snug is still getting out for a couple of strolls each day and I’m still making the bed every morning. Sleeping in is never an option with Juno – we were up this morning at 6:05am. And I am brushing my teeth – so that’s something. It’s just I’m ready to get back to normal. And I know that the new normal will be very different from the old normal but I’m okay with that. I think what I miss is having a sense of purpose – having a reason to get up and get dressed in the morning. I’m really tired of wearing sweats. It reminds me of going on a long vacation – no matter how incredible the trip is, there’s always a point when you’re tired and ready to go home.
So yes, I’m going to head back to Oakland in the next day or so. My friend mentioned finding a new steep route on a hike in the Berkeley Hills that I’m anxious to check out. And there are rumors that businesses might be able to start reopening in the Bay Area around May 18th. This isn’t 100% confirmed as the shelter-in-place order isn’t slated to end until the end of May. Of course, it’s scary reading about the uptick in new cases in states that decided to reopen too soon. I guess we’ll see what happens. But I volunteered to help out and get the store ready to reopen, whenever that is. I’m also hoping that a stimulus check might have arrived… but I’m not going to hold my breath.
In more positive news, the new season of Dead to Me just came out on Netflix. I rewatched season one in anticipation and for those of you who haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it! Christina Applegate is friggin’ fantastic. And I’m looking forward to checking out the new season of Billions on Showtime when I get home. No, I still haven’t watched the new season of Ozark yet but I’ll do it soon. And I haven’t watched Hollywood either.
I’m going to wrap up today’s post with a shout-out to my mom since it’s Mother’s Day… Thanks for being so generous and allowing me to stay in your beautiful home. It’s not nearly as fun being here without you (though I do enjoy watching TV more without closed captioning). And I’m sorry I broke your chicken.
Snug and Bee in Quarantine 