The new normal.

April 24th 2020

I live in NY state, so my current normal will continue to be as it is for at least the next 21 days. I have been trying to keep myself in the positive. Generally Mondays start out that way, but by Tuesday afternoon...I find I have had enough and long for days of what seems so long ago.

 The last several weeks have been....well not so much fun. Like most, I have been wearing a mask when I am out and about. Generally, I try to refrain from leaving the house unless I absolutely have to. Grocery shopping, dog walking, and picking up any needs has been my normal. I have gotten to a point where I simply hate leaving for any reason. Store's make me panic. People are much to close to me and my normal shopping times are generally much more crowded then usual. A new normal at the grocery store has been grab it and go. I used to pride myself on coupon clipping and store discounts. i would have my grocery list in hand, coupons already cut out and discount card ready to go. The new normal is higher grocery bills, face masks and PARANOIA. I even find myself freaked out when I'm out walking Riley....will you please move to the other side of the street, you are getting much to close to us.

However, being on quarantined has afforded us more meals at home. . I so miss a nice meal out. I'm running out of meal ideas a home. I even made tuna noodle casserole the other day. I have never made this, I don't think I ever will again.

 We have had a few evenings of pizza, which normally would cost less and taste better. (just so you  know.) We also had Chinese one evening, and a very expensive take out from Tully's. Everything food seems just so much more expensive.

I have time to sort through those odd photos and clean out areas that we had long forgotten about. I found few fun photos and had to post on FB my own graduation pics.

 One day I spent cleaning out a trunk full of the kids papers from grade school. I took a few pictures to keep the memory....

 The new normal includes having time to clean up areas of the house we didn't want to venture in. Mark and I spent some time cleaning out the basement and he did the garage. My craft room was cleaned out the first week of the shut in.

Coffee creamer has become a new normal. I felt like treating myself one time at the grab and go grocery run and purchased some fancy creamers....now I am addicted, especially since my mornings last so much longer then they ever used to. Coffee and FB, coffee and games on my phone, coffee and all those binge watching of shows on Netflix.

No day has been wasted in this new normal.......well not really... I mean if you consider I am now watching tv made for a 16 year old for multiple hours during the day non wasteful.....Having already binge watched The Tiger King and a few other must watch series....I have found myself hooked on Outer Banks, and I just completed the 1st season of 13 Reason's Why. (I did get to watch some of it with my son, there I needed some excuse)

New normal has been school at home.....Lucky, this hasn't been to much of an issue. My son has been independent in this area. Although I have had to remind him a few times to get to it.  I am fortunate that he seems to be content to stay in his room and hasn't been eager to get out of the house and hang with friends. Me at his age would have LOST MY MIND........

My new normal has been virtual walks in places like Hawaii.....

 When the weather has been yucky out, I have been putting on youtube and walking in place in areas all over the world. I have done Disney Parks, a few nature trails and several National Parks. I noticed the other day there are some virtual runs....(Not gonna happen even in place) of places in Europe. I might walk fast in Paris this afternoon.

My new normal has been ALL about the dog. Riley has never needed to go outside more since this whole pandemic began. I simply can not understand how he managed for some many days stuck inside all the time in the past. He literately has to let me know he needs to go out just about every 15 minutes...

My new normal....was a video interview through zoom, team meetings through the teams app , and  completing my work online while sitting on the couch and watching things like 13 reason's why.......
I had a time line for my fall internship and actually had a video interview. This was very different.

My new normal misses my friends and family. I did visit my parents once. My mom made masks and I went over to get them. I also got a visit from my oldest. He was looking for masks. I miss my daughter terribly. She is "stuck" in Florida struggling through an online class that was suppose to be in person, and having lost her job due to the nonessential work, she has been homesick. Everytime I speak with her I miss her.
I haven't seen my friends at all. I do get to chat with them in texts, we chatter on FB.....but we don't get to do anything together.
For now...I guess we will all have to create a new normal.