Self-isolation day: 38. The story of a dyed-in-the-wool introvert, trapped in her home with her painfully extroverted spouse, two dogs, and a dwindling vodka supply, wondering if her husband always breathed this loudly or if, like his quarantine mustache, this is being done to annoy me.
My nerves are shot. And if I, a woman whose perfect Friday night is spent sending her husband out with friends so she can clean in undisturbed quiet, am feeling that Covid Cabin Fever, you poor folks who actually enjoy the company of other people must really be struggling.
I know we’re all just barely holding it together, and that sense of solidarity is basically the only thing keeping me sane right now.
I wish that I had something eloquent and profound to say, something uplifting that would help carry us through another Groundhog Day, but I don’t. And at this moment, I need a break from trying to stay grateful, optimistic, and calm. I just need it to be perfectly okay to not care about the bigger picture for a minute. Because this f**king sucks.
Maybe that’s what we all need. To just take 15-minutes to feel our feelings. To be ticked off and frustrated at problems big and small, and not have to have perspective. The disappointments and troubles in daily life didn’t stop because the virus showed up, and I think that’s part of the reason this all feels like too much. So take a minute at some point today to be a little selfish, to just let it out, because we could all use a little relief.
This one is actually from a good friend who works as a federal clerk. She’s been wearing a lot of bold necklaces lately to spruce up her attire, and yesterday, she sent this text, “Why didn’t you tell me Banana made an RBG necklace?!”
Meet the Notorious Necklace, honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dissent collars (currently half price). It could be a fun gift for the lady lawyers in your life. Loving the look of a big bold collar necklace?
This Lucky Brand necklace made with spotted stone screams Diane Lockhart. I also like this bright coral necklace from the Rack. This resin necklace, large link gold chain and this modern pearl necklace in white or Tahitian are all great pieces from Baublebar.
How about something light and cheerful, filled with singing, dancing, and a few quirky jokes? Enter Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
The show tells the story of a manager at a tech company who suddenly develops the ability to hear people’s thoughts in song. Hijinks ensue with plenty of fun characters, heartfelt moments and flash mob dance numbers. It’s a nice break from everything that’s going on. And since it’s off this week for the Easter holiday, it’s a good time to catch up.
Last month, my skin was a nightmare. Worst breakout that I’ve had in two years. Obviously, part of it was stress related. But like a lot of women trying to self-care, I was probably doing too much to my skin. So I reassessed and simplified, and now things are better.
This Stress Rescue Serum from Dr. Dennis Gross is saving my life. The ingredients reduce inflammation, promote healing, and boost glow. After a week, my skin is less red, less tired, and way less angry.
All I’m using on my skin right now is this face wash, this Stress serum, and this eye cream. And things are going so much better.
Is anyone else struggling to pick up a book right now? Oh, good, I thought it was just me.
Girls’ Night In would never steer me wrong, so I picked up Wow, No Thank You, a book of essays, to start this weekend. I assume it will be easier to read an essay than a whole novel right now. And I could definitely use a laugh.
These playful PJ Salvage pajamas perfectly illustrate my Friday mood: Is it happy hour yet?
If pajama sets aren’t your thing, you can also buy just the pants or the short. For a cute pair that you can wear this summer, I adore this dotted short set.
The Kitchn has a good post about turning pantry staples into meals. You know, in case you bought canned goods that you don’t know how to cook.
If you have canned chickpeas, eggs, and tomato sauce, I made this microwaveable Shakshuka on Tuesday with some aging vegetables added in. It was a not sad desk lunch that was filling and quick.
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Well, that was my week. It’s sunny outside, so I’m going to take a sanity stroll and listen to the birds.
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For those looking to read short stories rather than a whole novel, I heartily recommend “American Housewife.” It’s a delight.
Such a good recommendation!
Just bought the RBG necklace. I’ve had my eye on it and with discounts (including BR card discount), it came out to $43. Can’t wait to wear it to court.
As for the self-quarantine, I have tolerated being holded up at home okay. I am also an introvert (and a homebody), so it doesn’t grate on me as much as it does on my (also) extroverted husband. And, frankly, as a working mother of a toddler, my social life/free time/me time was limited before the pandemic. I also experienced a (somewhat) similar physical isolation last year when I broke my ankle, had surgery, and couldn’t really walk for nearly 8 weeks. (It was a really, really bad break resulting in lots of hardware.) Although I did have visitors then….
What I find mentally draining is the uncertainty of, well, everything. I have anxiety and, especially now, kicked into overdrive, it’s exhausting. And while I have been okay staying at home, I do worry about my toddler (and only child) being so isolated; not be able to socialize with other kids or go places where she can learn and have experiences. She’s too young for electronic socializing (she has NO interest in FaceTiming with anyone – we’ve tried) and so her social network is limited to her two doting, but older (late 30s) parents. I miss taking her on playdates where only toddlers can shriek with delight at random things.
The uncertainty is hard. How do you make plans, big or small, right now?
I know the feeling. I’m stuck at home with my 5 y/o (also an only child) and the combo of being a lawyer/kindergarten teacher/constant playmate is slowly driving me to madness. I’m very extroverted and social (and also factor in that I’m pregnant and can’t drink right now!) sooooo yeah. I basically hate everything right now.
Thank you so much for your honesty! I’ve been reading your blog for almost a decade, but I’ve never commented before (introvert over here too). Just wanted you to know how much it means to see these posts each day with all that’s going on!
Maybe Kyle is counting the Omer with that beard?
https://forward.com/life/424754/what-it-means-to-grow-an-omer-beard/
1: I’ve gotten a little bit better at feeling my feelings and crying hard for “no reason” (the global pandemic’s the reason) in the last week. I think it’s been good.
2: If you don’t listen to the Call Your Girlfriend podcast and you like Samantha Irby – you should listen to this weekend’s Call Your Girlfriend podcast! I’m looking forward to it this weekend (and I am also really struggling to pick up and make it through a book).
Thanks so much for sharing what is true for you. I have lost any patience I had and it wasn’t much to begin with-always believed it was highly overrated-and am now left with the one string I can play-gratitude. Today, I am grateful to you and for your blog and thankful for the RBG necklace post-one small win a day!
Yes! Totally get it on the feeling the feelings thing. While I am doing relatively well given “the circumstances” (able to work remotely, no kids, no underlying health conditions, with a partner), “the circumstances” themselves are shitty. It’s ok to let myself get mad or frustrated because things are not good in an absolute sense, even if in a relative sense I am doing ok. Once I gave myself permission to do that, I feel the feelings, then I move on and and I actually don’t dwell on them because I’m not suppressing them so much and feeling guilty about feeling them in the first place
Thank you for keeping up this blog during this time, it’s one of the few things on the internet that talks about COVID in a way that doesn’t stress me out.
I feel you on the extroverted partner thing. Thankfully they’re doing OK at arranging their own “playdates”, but man am I grateful for those hours to myself when they hop on voice chat to watch a movie or play games. I hope Kyle is able to find some way to connect with his fellow extroverts, and leave the rest of us alone for a bit 🙂