Life in Isolation

Hey, folks. How's everyone holding up? Have you been doing your part to Social Distance (although, I do prefer one governor calling it Physical Distancing because we can still be social in other ways)? Have you done your best to try to slow the spread this week?

It's in my normal Bitmoji style instead of my LycoRogue persona, but I have this as my current Facebook cover picture. Felt fitting to share it here too.

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Banner edited together by LycoRogue

I truly hope you are all doing well. How are you de-stressing in this time of crisis?

Me? Well... it's still not writing. Sorry about that, everyone. Guess Camp NaNo hasn't really helped motivate me after all.

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I've been using this analogy all week, so I might as well use it here too. I'm like a puppy with too many toys spread out on the floor. There's just so much I want to do and play with, and I currently have seemingly unlimited time to enjoy myself. I get so overwhelmed with what I should attack first that I end up not doing.... anything... really.

I've been waiting for this opportunity for years. Time to watch all of those shows on my queue; I have about 60 items in my Watch List on Netflix, another 15 or so animes on Crunchyroll, and one or two shows on Amazon Prime, AND I would love to re-watch some movies/shows I haven't seen in a while. There's also the, like, A FULL MONTH'S WORTH of Critical Role on YouTube that Hubby and I can FINALLY start watching. I have time to clean my home! I can re-organize the pantry again, and sort though the dishes/utensils/containers/pots and pans/etc to figure out what should stay in the kitchen and what should be tossed/passed along to someone else. I can sift through the MOUND of "organize later" boxes I have on our closed-in back porch. I can finally attack the no-man's-land that is my spare room; formerly the library, now my Catch-All space when I need to "quick clean" so people can find a place to sit. I can reorganize Hubby's like 100-some tabletop/board/card games that is just this precarious tower on a sofa table in our living room. I can sift through mine and Hubby's clothes as I switch from cold-weather to warm-weather clothes. I can frame and hang wall art. I can organize my computer; empty out files I don't use all the time onto externals, check my backups and re-organize them, etc. I can update this blog! I haven't touched that Aspiring Writers tab in years. I could start transferring the old X-Future posts to the new forum that Hubby set up, or at least find a way to archive them and write SHORT recaps of what happened so everyone is on the same page. I can finally set up the HDMI splitter Hubby bought me last year so we can set up more consoles for the TV, allowing me to still play things on our WiiU or bring out his SNES or Gamecube. I can FINALLY do a craft I had on the back burner for 2 years even though I have all the items I need for it. I could get started on crocheting Christmas gifts, because I KNOW I'll forget to do so until about November or so and then not get any done by Christmas. I could read the book I've had since the fall and haven't picked up yet. Alternatively, I could read the hundreds of fanfics I have on my To Read list, and/or are pouring into the fandom daily. Heck, I could even use the time to finally get into the longer works of fiction that Taurus Pixie has but I haven't previously had the time to tackle yet. Of course, I could try to write my OWN fanfiction - be it finishing the Fluff Week stories, FINALLY finishing One and the Same, working on When Love Matters to help fill the void between seasons, or something completely different - or I could work on my original works - such as finishing world building for Gyateara or Glitches, or finishing Jolene's story Lost Loves and Paramores, or see if I can evolve Blame Fate for This into a more complete novel idea - or even just do more of my Meet My OCs write-ups for Tumblr. I also have TONS of video games I haven't played/completed yet, including a small handful of Legend of Zelda games despite it being my favorite game franchise. Yes, Breath of the Wild is on the list of LoZ games I haven't even started!!!! I could even just stalk Tumblr and Discord in order to fully immerse myself in the fandom, replying and reblogging all the time, and adding my own theories and other content. Really get my name SEEN within the fandom in order to better help build my base.

That's not even my full list, but you get the idea. I don't really get people who are already bored and stir-crazy. Like... I've got my retirement all set already. There is ALWAYS something more to do. Another task, another project, another activity, and more keep getting released as well.

Instead, I'm that poor puppy with an entire basket of toys out and I just nibble on each of them without ever fully taking the time to play and enjoy one. Can someone get situational ADHD?

I have only done the most basic of cleaning to keep us healthy, and I did organize ONE cupboard...

Hubby and I have gone through THREE of the shows on the list: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the latest season of HunterxHunter on Netflix, and the 2nd season of Altered Carbon. Later today I'm going to track down the premiere of season 2 of Fruits Basket on Crunchyroll. I'm also keeping up-to-date with the gaming livestreams and listicles by OutsideXbox and Outside Xtra, and animated video uploads by Overly Sarcastic Productions, all on YouTube.

I haven't read a single thing since I stopped working. Same with crafts. I just don't have the motivation/energy to get started.

I've barely touched social media outside of Facebook, and that's largely to just keep track of what's going on with my relatives and IRL friends. It's not even because of a flood of depressing COVID-19 news on those sites. It's because nearly everyone is home and EVERYONE is on Tumblr and Discord now, and if I'm not just planted in my seat, I cannot keep up. And if I try to catch up on what I've missed, I end up sitting there for HOURS. Meanwhile, that little ticker of new posts climbs up to double-digits that tend to hover around the 30s or so. I just can't. So if you've posted something the past month that you think I'd enjoy, please go back and tag me so I can see it. I'm literally just jumping on Tumblr long enough to see if I'm tagged in anything and if my posts are reblogged, then off again I run. Same with the Discord server I was invited to. I have alerts set up for the introductions thread for new members, and if I'm ever tagged in a comment.

Even the video games thing. I started off with trying to go further in Super Mario Odyssey, but since Hubby bought me my own Switch my video gaming life has more-or-less circled around Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Even so, I'm not on THAT nearly as much as I thought/feared. There's even been a day or two where I noticed it was past 10pm and I went "Whoops. I didn't do nearly everything I meant to today. Guess most of these tasks aren't getting finished...."

There was a Steam sale this past weekend for one of the games OutsideXbox showcased on a gaming stream, so I ended up picking up House Flipper. It's a chill and relaxing game. It's so weird, having a list of tasks/chores is fun for me in games like Animal Crossing and House Flipper, but having one in real life is daunting and boring.... Maybe it's because I can't just wave a magical mop at the hard water stains in my tub and they'll disappear in 3 seconds... Or maybe because I don't get paid for weeding or redecorating my own place. If only Game Logic worked in the real world.

That being said, I think the games I'm playing mean I'm craving structure again. I've had my fun. This is Day 17 of not having to work. Originally, I was supposed to be going back to work either this week or next one. Now, who the heck knows when it will be safe to go back, but I'm quickly burning through oil with the silly mindset that I AM retired and have truly unlimited time to do everything I want.

So my task this week is to set up a firm time structure to create some semblance of normalcy again. Also, that way I know I have time for everything I want to accomplish, at least, in part. I'll know I have time to clean, separate time to organize and rearrange, time to play video games, time to play AC:NH specifically - usually with the Hubby - time to check on social media, time to watch shows/movies, time to watch YT videos, time to read, etc. And, most importantly, time to focus on writing again.

Watch, once I get into this new rhythm will be when work re-opens and it all falls apart again... But at least I'd have tried....

Speaking of trying to set up some normalcy again, I want to give a shout out to three people who all had birthdays on the 5th:

First of all, here's to an...er... eventful?... big 5-0 to my one aunt.

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Thankfully, she and the whole family are well and safe. What a way to "celebrate" though, huh? At least she was able to get her surprise party at the end of February, before everything hit hard. Plus, her kids are still all living at home, so she had family to celebrate with her on Sunday as well.

Another Happy Birthday to one of my IRL friends CelestialTyrant, whom I got to reconnect with a bit more last night as he showed off his and his wife's joint island on AC:NH

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He and his wife also seem to be in good health and equally good spirits. I hope we can chat a bit more, especially with us being able to play Animal Crossing together. I'm telling you guys, this game is a godsend for extroverts. I think I've socialized MORE, and with more people ever, since I got this game. I'm hanging out with people nearly daily!

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Last, but certainly not least, a happy 7th birthday to my niece!

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She had a mermaid-themed birthday with her parents and brother, but Bitmoji doesn't have any mermaid images, so we'll go with the equally magical unicorn. Just like everyone else, my sister-in-law and her clan are all in good health, and the kids certainly are still in high spirits even though they haven't left their secluded property in the mountains since mid-March. That's right, they aren't even brought off-property to go to the grocery store or visit their cousins one house - and about an acre - over. That's because my in-laws know how to Social Distance. So round of applause to them!

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I'm glad that, even with circumstances being what they are, and my social butterfly of a niece being denied a party outside of immediate family, she still seemed to enjoy herself and love the love she was showered with all day regardless. Also, while not quite the Zoom Invader we've been warned about for Zumba, my nephew did "infiltrate" our session by poking his head in while his mom was exercising. So it was fun to see him also in a good mood, chocolate-covered face and all.

I hope all of you are equally in good spirits, and if not, I hope this blog helped you out a bit more. If you're like me, know it's okay to be a lump at home during this crisis.

• If you're a Creative, it's okay to not be creative right now. You don't owe anyone any new stories, or artwork, or crafted projects, or videos, or music, or any other form of creativity right now simply because you have "free time" to do them.
• If your house is disorganized, but it's clean in a hygienic sense, that's fine. Who's coming over to see it now anyway? If it's more stress to organize it than to sit among it, then just take a time-out. You don't have to organize simply because you "have time" now. However, if the chaos is stressing you out more, please try to find time to organize to the point where you're less stressed.
• If social media is overwhelming you for any reason, you don't have to stay on it. Find other ways of letting people know you're still alright, and let everything else wash away. There was content you missed before you joined, and you were alright with that, right? Once you feel comfortable to re-join social media just pretend it is your first day on the site and forget about all the content you missed. And, just like with the Creatives, you do not owe anyone more content on your end. If you don't feel like adding content your followers will find it elsewhere. If you lose people because of that decision, then it's their loss.
• If you don't feel like watching anything, or you want to watch something that isn't already on your list, that's fine. Maybe you need a change of pace now that the world is different. You don't HAVE to attack that To Watch list now that you have the time to do so. Your current attitude is different, so why shouldn't your entertainment tastes not also change?
• Same goes for reading. If you can't concentrate long enough to absorb the written word (first of all, sorry about these posts then), and/or the stuff on your To Read list isn't the style/theme/mood you want to consume right now that's fine. I love Pixie, but one of her longer stories that I still need to read is a realistic depiction of depression, and I also think PTSD???? NOT something I really want to touch right now when all I want is to lighten the emotional weight on my shoulders.
• If everyone else is telling you that you HAVE to join the AC:NH wave and/or play Doom Eternal or jump on the Final Fantasy VII Remake train, but you don't feel like playing any of those games, or even games in general, that's fine too. 

The take away here should be that, during this time of crisis, social distancing, and quarantines, you are not obligated to do anything you don't wish to do, as long as it isn't effecting others. So, as long as you aren't potentially contaminating others - remember, COVID-19 can be transmitted asymptomaticly - and you're not hoarding products that others also need, and you're not spreading misinformation about the disease, then you're good. You are not obligated to do anything else.

Except maybe changing your underwear... Make sure you're still doing that.


Take care, Friends. To try to leave you in a better mood, I'll send you off with yet another serene sky-gazing shot from my game of Animal Crossing. Man, I love taking these pictures....

Star gazing from my bamboo forest on Ghetta Way