To see more in this series “My Single Girl Story {Navigating COVID-19}”, click here.
I figured I’d use this platform to talk a little bit about coronavirus. I know that you are hearing so much about it on every news outlet and via social media everywhere, but I less want to know about the pandemonium happening around the world and more about ideas that people have to endure this comfortably. I also fully know that when I write about what’s going on in my life, I feel better.
So, here we go… and thank you for listening.
Let’s rewind quickly to a week ago…
I started seeing people talking about the coronavirus, and more talk about about toilet paper than ever before. As a single person, when I hear the news covering stories of major storms and health pandemics, I take notice. I am literally the only person who is going to take care of myself. While my social media was full of people screaming “don’t panic” loudly to their audiences, the undertone of that message along CAUSES PANIC.
I went to see Rachel Hollis in January (and still need to write about that experience TBH). While she was on stage, she advised us “don’t be dumb.” In that context, she was referencing life-changing leaps that were unplanned, but her feisty words have stuck with me post-conference. “Don’t be dumb, Kelly.” I never want to be reactive, panicked, and stressed about something I could plan for, and frankly, I can’t let Rachel down either. So, here’s the story of how I did my best to not be dumb, and how I continuously try to do this.
Stocking Up
With all the worries starting to bubbly, I casually started adding a few things to my Target drive-up order. I’m a bit of a frequent flier of this program, and so adding a can of green beans to my laundry detergent refill order seemed like no big deal. Last Saturday night, after spending way too much time on social media, I made a $100 order of dry goods officially pulling the ripcord and deciding to prepare for this thing.
To be clear, I eat Jenny Craig food every single day. My typical grocery run each week is simply fresh produce. All that being said, my cabinets are pretty bare overall, aside from a few canned vegetables and a variety of canned tomato products (ro-tel, diced, paste, and sauce). If we truly hit catastrophic state, I would have nothing to sustain me (except for said tomatoes, green beans, and a crazy amount of protein shakes.)
So, I quietly stocked up. In my head, I told myself that if I didn’t need it, I’d donate the goods to the food bank in town. I purchased pasta, things to make soup, oatmeal, and some pancake mix. I also tossed in a 6-pack of toilet paper and a 6-pack of paper towels, just in case. I know I contributed to the rush on TP, but I also know that as a single girl, I’ll use every square, and I’m stocked up until the fall now. Diet Coke (yes, I still drink it) also hit my online cart. I don’t care to run out of it. And, for good measure, I grabbed a box of shelf-stable almond milk in case I want get creative in the days ahead. Think this biscuits and gravy recipe, y’all.
Five days later and an incredible amount of news coverage consumed, I got increasingly nervous as additional stories of school closures started. Naturally, I went back to the grocery store and picked up a few more things. I added a pound of ground beef and chicken to my freezer, and bought some fresh veggies to freeze just in case.
Fun fact: I own a FoodSaver that I bought like 6 years ago. I used it for the first time this week in about 6 years – – I knew there was a reason I kept that thing! I now have diced veggies ready to make soup, should I decide to do so. I also grabbed some bottled water. I’m obsessed with water, and I know I’ll drink it down.
My last trip to the store was for wine. Yep, I strangely felt like the 7 bottles of wine + fully stocked decorative wine rack were not enough. This one’s a little nuts, but I like to drink the little bottles/cans of wine which are 1-2 servings because then I don’t feel the pressure of the wine going bad. Now, I have enough wine to host a small wedding. It’s completely normal…
I likely have too much, and remember we’re talking 3 extra cans of green beans (not 20) and one box of cereal, not 8. I’m safe, and as ready as I can be for whatever comes. I also know in my heart that if it gets truly bad, that extra bottle of hot sauce I picked up this morning isn’t going to get me very far.
Symptoms Showing Up
Like clockwork, the world started getting crazy around Thursday. You know, the same time that a nice wet cough started creeping up on me. I coughed intermittently all day long on Thursday, and when I woke up on Friday with a sore throat, I knew it was time to stay home from work. To be clear, I also have a runny nose and a wet cough, coronavirus (per the interwebs) is more dry cough + fever. That being said it is HIGHLY unlikely I have coronavirus, but have you coughed lately in the presence of other people? People are NOT amused by a cough or a sniffle, and they’re not afraid to tell you, offer the stink eye, and watch how you cover that.
While my work had not approved me to work from home quite yet, I knew my staying home was a good idea. Thankfully, my human resources team agreed.
When you have symptoms, it sucks though. I’m not going to lie, my brain has been playing the “worst case scenario” game lately. If I feel tired, I wonder if this means it’s worse than I think (now that fatigue has set in.) OR, I’m just sleepy. Mental gymnastics, y’all, I swear.
On Thursday morning when this started, I picked up some Mucinex DM so that I’d have it handy and a few Vitamin C gummies too. I found them at Walgreens – – close to my home and convenient. That DM (whatever it means) is the best thing to suppress my hacking cough. Managing my symptoms and making me feel normal is the name of the game right now.
Having symptoms also means I don’t want to expose my friends to whatever this is in the final days we might have to visit for a while. Given, I’m not a medical doctor, but I’m 99% sure this is just a cold or allergies. Either way, I canceled time with friends this weekend and have zero plans ahead until this clears.
Hot Girl Spring Falls Apart
I had plans for the most epic Spring of all time. Like TRULY next-level. From a weekend in Vegas with Kelly Clarkson and a psychic medium to a motivational evening with Dave Hollis to Mean Girls on stage in Denver, I had carefully curated the most epic spring.
One by one, they’ve been canceling. I’ve had four events between now and the end of April fall off the calendar thus far. It’s incredibly disappointing, but I totally understand. In some cases, like Kelly Clarkson’s Vegas residency, the appearances have just been postponed. So, it will be Hot Girl Fall or something like that I suppose.
But what do I do in the meantime?
One of my new colleagues told me recently said he needs 1) Someone to Love 2) Something to Achieve and 3) Something to Look Forward to. #3 just fell apart completely for me. I’ve got to work on that one…
Suddenly Bored
I’m a nester. It’s true. When things get stressful, I try to do things that make me feel like I am in control (even though I’m not.) Organizing closets, getting my car washed, running errands, mailing packages: These are a few of my favorite things.
I’ll be honest though, my house is close to spotless. Every stitch of laundry is done. I’ve cooked all the food that I can. And, I don’t really like TV so much. So, I’m curious what comes next. Tomorrow is a brand new day. When I don’t have a flurry of activity going on, I tend to worry and we can’t have that starting already.
I’ve got my eyes on a few new knitting projects. I’ve got to do some research on how to finish my taxes (Houston, we’ve got a problem here), and I need to check in on some family members. After that, I’m all caught up and just chilling.
Things I have in mind to combat boredom in the days ahead:
- Online Yoga Classes: I’m not looking for the hardest yoga class on the planet, but I’m thinking it does make sense to pull out my mat and stretch. There are so many online resources. I’ll let you know what I find in the days ahead.
- Knit Some Cute Stuff: I’ve got so much yarn lying about, and so many patterns just waiting to be tried. It’s time. Also, I have a sweater that I just need to sew together. How satisfying will it be to wear a full sweater that I made myself??? Stay tuned for pics.
- Maybe a Puzzle? I have two jigsaw puzzles in my cupboard that I’ve been meaning to try. This week might be the week, and one is a bunch of jellybeans. Perfect timing, considering it’s spring.
- Obe Fitness: I saw my favorite Food Network chef Katie Lee posted that Obe Fitness is offering a free month with code ATHOME. I’m going to sign up for that and get moving here at the house (once this cough goes away!)
- Get Outside: The weather this week is looking pretty good, and I honestly think some fresh air would be amazing. I’d love to walk around my lake, hit the trails near my home, and just breathe a little bit of that delightful Colorado air.
- Read Some Books: I have a bookshelf that has books on it that I’ve never read. I also have two books from the library right now, and our libraries are closed. I was worrying about having enough time to finish them, but I’d definitely like to prioritize them in the weeks ahead so they’re ready to be returned when JeffCo opens back up. I’m super sad the libraries have closed. In 2020, one of my goals was to leverage the library to read more, and I’ve been checking out books regularly. Such a treat in the community, I can’t wait until they are back in action.
- Resume Daily Meditation: There is absolutely no reason not to pursue this. Starts today.
- Write Here More Often: That’s an easy one, and definitely on my list. I’ve got a lot of stories and recipes to share in the days ahead (including a recipe for a comfort food recipe that I just had to make day two into this crisis.)
Hope you are doing well out there. I’ll check back in next weekend and share how things are progressing. Stay well, friends. xoxo