ByElizabeth Hours Updated
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Thursday’s Workwear Report: 9-to-5 Ankle Cuff Work Pant

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

These pants just make me happy. I find that a lot of brightly colored pants aren’t work-appropriate, not because of the color, but because the cut makes them look far too casual. I appreciate that these pants have a very polished look but aren’t your typical black or navy. In terms of tops, black paired with yellow always looks a bit severe to me, so I would wear these with navy, gray, or white. I really love the idea of a crisp, classic, white oxford shirt tucked into a pair of super-bright pants.

The pants are $79.95 at Eloquii and available in sizes 14–28. 9-to-5 Ankle Cuff Work Pant

For straight sizes, Court & Rowe has ankle pants in “citrus lemon” on sale for $66.75 at Nordstrom.

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308 Comments

  1. “It must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.” -Arthur Dent, in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

    https://giphy.com/gifs/friday-talking-38oFEVp0xt7sQ (Mos <3 Def)

    This is hard and it sucks to remember, again, when I wake up, that we're in a global pandemic the likes of which nobody alive has ever seen. Crisistextline.org is a free service where you can text with a crisis counselor. Text HOME to 741741 for help. I haven't tried this but I know someone who has and she said it's easy and they are helpful.

    We're doing our best, all of us, you and I, we're taking care of ourselves and our loved ones and our community and our work. It's tough days but we are rising to the challenge. I watched "Hitchhiker's" last night and took heart from the message on the book's cover:

    "It is said that despite its many glaring (and occasionally fatal) inaccuracies, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy itself has outsold the Encyclopedia Galactica because it is slightly cheaper, and because it has the words 'DON'T PANIC' in large, friendly letters on the cover."

    https://giphy.com/gifs/glitch-max-capacity-flash-jfuKOYJ9vQiu4 (warning: flashing colors; from the original teleseries)

    Get through the next minute… get through the next hour… get through today. We're all in this together & you're doing great.

    3. I’ve been thinking of The Hitchhiker’s Guide all week! I love those books so much.

      Today is the day that I buckle down and have a productive work from home day. I have not been doing my best at it this week and I want to get better.

      1. Fwiw, and maybe others in leadership can follow suit, but I’ve told my team now is not the time to be productive, now is when we just get through this. Be kind to yourself – productivity expectations will come back soon enough. Right now, adjust and stay mentally healthy. Good luck everyone.

        1. That’s so kind of you! My bosses have been flexible too – but for my own purposes, I want to feel more productive. But you are right that we have to prioritize taking care of ourselves too.

        2. Our boss has extended some kindness as well, but the expectation to bill eight hours a day has not gone away.

          1. Yeah ours have expressed their own fears and sorrow about this all, but at the same time, the message is that we meet to keep billing as much as possible because we need the money (small-midsize firm). I am so stressed and sad. The pit in my stomach just won’t go away.

          2. +1

            Small-midsized firm here as well. I get it, I really do, but it’s a weird tone that’s been set. Don’t come in, health is our priority, but also, every arbitrary deadline still needs to be met and please still find a way to complete non-urgent tasks requiring the participation of other people even though the world is shut down. Also, bill. Also, the several partners are physically in the office.

          3. Yes, this. We are definitely under pressure to bill as much now, while we still can, because it’s clear our work is drying up (have had two clients cancel projects, and a third that was in the process of signing an SOW just told us to put the project on hold for now). Aside from any outside pressure, I feel a responsibility to help the company bank as much as we can – I know they will try to float our entire workforce for as long as possible, but it’s not something that’s sustainable if we don’t have new billable work coming in. So I’m feeling extra bad about how distracted I’ve been.

          4. big law is not kind. they finally agreed to let (almost) everyone WFH, but announced they’re running time reports nightly to see who’s productivity declines. so that just gives me the warm and fuzzies.

    4. I appreciate the “you’re okay” from an internet stranger. We had a terribly tone-deaf meeting where leadership told us “big brother is watching” and that “in no way should you consider yourself able to multitask watching your kids and working” and they should see “no drop in productivity.” I cried. I’m doing my best.

      3. Yikes. Those people sound awful and I wouldn’t want to work for them…I hope this crisis passes quickly so you can look for a new job working for nicer people!

      6. What in the actual hell? What is the alternative to multitasking? “No, sir, I plan to keep working as usual and just send my small children out into the forest to hunt wild game and forage for edible plants?” JHC.

    5. I’m loving this exchange from a very informative article in the New York Times about preventing transmission (I started wfh yesterday and it feels like a gd month, so it’s helpful to remember it’s important):

      “I started working from home a long time ago,” Dr. Hanage said.

      “It was just a week ago,” Dr. Jenkins noted.

      “Right, it was just a week ago,” he said.

      “It feels like a year ago,” Dr. Jenkins said. “At the same time, we pulled our kids from school. And we spent the first part of last week urging parents in our local community to pull their kids from school, if they could. It was quite a difficult week.”

    6. Thank you! My phone background is Don’t Panic because when I first got a smartphone I thought it was the closest equivalent to my own personal Hitchhiker’s Guide. I’ve kept it on there because it’s just a good motto for life.

      Don’t Panic. Stay Home. Wash Your Hands.

    7. Thanks for these – and the reminder to take out the Hitchiker’s guide and start reading it to my kiddo ;)
      Also – I went shopping today for my weekly trip and while it was sad/scary to see the depleted shelves I am SO grateful for the workers keeping the shops open for us. If you’re able to, donating gift cards to your cashiers/UPS drivers/Postal workers as you’re checking out is a great small way to feel like you’re helping. It made me feel much better to do something, and the cashier/bagger were both SO grateful.

  2. Elizabeth, these are cute, and I can surely wear them in the office on Friday’s when I am not conducting depos. Our status conferences with the court are now all by telephone, and the judge has given all of us continuances from all trials until after Memorial Day, unless the virus clears up before then.

    I did NOT walk at all yesterday, and it is raining in NYC today, so I will stay in again. I heard that they will let some prisoners out of Rikers Island who are infirm and therefore more prone to get the Virus. Will that include Harvey Weinstein? I wornder if I am the onley person wondering? What does the rest of the hive think?

  3. Thanks, peeps here, for turning me on to Shades of Light for lighting needs. Do they ever run sales or do free shipping? WFH is highlighting my woeful lighting and since I’m not going out at night, I can computer shop for things.

  4. question for the hive – should I be trying to avoid eating the food in my freezer/pantry so that i can save it in case we run into supply chain issues or end up under a quarantine and can’t leave the house and for now just eat fresh food that i buy each week? i also live in a hurricane prone area and while it is not hurricane season yet, that is on the horizon and we have two toddlers

    2. I was wondering the same thing – see my post below about the lack of meat at my grocery store. I’m not sure what to do. Right now I’m leaning towards eating fresh food and keeping canned goods for later. I’m still getting carryout sometimes.

    3. I am eating fresh food for as long as possible and saving my freezer/pantry food in case there is an emergency. (In my area, that would be an extreme thunderstorm or tornado).

    4. I’m trying to keep a two-week-ish supply of stuff untouched and eat just what’s in my usual cupboard, shopping a few times a week for a few things at a time (little mini grocery store 250 yards from my front door). With the supermarkets being emptied I’m using more of what’s in my usual cupboards than I would like, so it’s difficult – ultimately I may trying not to fret too much, I have a few local friends who I could ask to drop stuff off on my mat – and if I were really unwell it would just be cereal and milk or frozen pizza anyway.

      1. The grocery stores are only being emptied of a few select things. There is plenty of food! The big question for me is whether I was to keep leaving my house to shop.

    5. I am saving freezer food for days when I contract the virus. I don’t think I will be able to cook when I am sick and going out is out of question anyways at that time. As of now, I have fresh produce and bread to last for one more week. I will do weekly grocery shopping as long as I can.

      1. I also try to keep enough on hand to serve me if I should get sick. I also try to meal plan ahead more and shop generously (without hoarding), just to stretch the time between going out as much as possible. I don’t think I can do bimonthly grocery shopping, but if I can stretch it from weekly to every 10 days, that’s another half week where I am not spreading/not exposing myself. Every bit counts.

    6. Can you cycle through some of it? Defrost a container of stew to eat tonight, but make soup tomorrow and freeze a container or two?

  5. My colleague was to get married in May, bachelorette party in NYC, honeymoon in Italy. Needless to say, all of these plans are either up in the air or downright canceled. We are all WFH right now. I was thinking of sending her something from Sephora since we like to talk skin care. Is this weird? We have hung out outside of work a few times, and are certainly more friendly than I am with most coworkers. I just wouldn’t want her to think it was odd.

    3. It sounds thoughtful to me. If I were her I’d love to get a Sephora gift. She’s probably stressed and disappointed.

    4. “When in doubt, do the positive thing.” – Jeanne Marie Laskas. I think this sounds like a very nice idea.

    5. I think she may find a pair of yoga pants or 6 rolls of toilet paper more useful at this point. Beauty items she probably already has, and really doesn’t need more if she is just WFH. Morover, she’s lucky! Since she already has hooked a fiancee, there’s no real need for her to waste a lot of time beautifying for him or anyone else.

    6. That sounds lovely! I would be so thrilled to receive a little ‘thinking of you’ gift. I’d do some sort of balm or facial treatment.

  6. What do grocery stores look like where you live? The meat, bread and TP aisles are completely empty. Before all this craziness, I got a new Costco membership and bought some packs of ground beef and ground turkey. I have some chicken breast in the freezer too. But I’m not sure if I should use those for cooking because I don’t know if anything will be available when I go back to the store. I think this might be the push I need to find more vegetarian recipes.

    2. I’ve been putting off a shopping trip because I’m afraid of what I’m gonna see, but I ran out of eggs this morning, so I should rip off the bandaid soon . . .

      1. It may be better than you think and remember to shop the places that others forget about. That odd grocery store that isn’t up to date, the dollar stores, the drug stores. It may take a few trips and some creative menu items. Also, check the ethnic grocery stores. Our Asian grocery stores have been well-stocked. I’m making chickpea and farro soup from twopeasandtheirpod website. I found vegtable stock at the store. Weird what people buy and not buy during these crazy days. And most importantly, I found wine and chocolate chips for my chocolate fix. Hang in there everyone.

        1. There’s an ethnic grocery store near the Whole Foods in my neighborhood, so they’re the first alternative. CVS might have eggs too, I got a $4 half dozen there over the weekend that tided me over until today.

        2. This. Our safeway had a run on it and our small neighborhood yuppie grocery store was basically fully stocked (no non-natural spray cleaners but that’s it).

      2. I admit that I found the bare shelves rather unsettling. I’m pretty well stocked with food and don’t plan on going shopping for a while. I already have cat food on autoship via Chewy. There delivery times are a bit longer, but thankful they are still up and running.

      3. The chickens have not stopped laying so the issue is that other people have dozens and dozens in their fridges. Supply will catch up because they’ll keep laying.

    3. What you would expect is empty-cleaning supplies, toilet paper (still not sure why on that one), but then also some totally random items–eggs (I guess quiche freezes well?) and shredded cheese, of all things. Things that you probably would want if you have a flu-like virus but are still plentiful: cold & flu OTC medicine, gatorade/powerade, and cans of chicken noodle soup.

      1. Eggs are a hot commodity around here too, including a fight in the parking lot of one store last week where one person had a cart full of eggs and somebody else pushed it over. Police were called. Small town living.

        Our locally owned store is run by a hero and they’re doing a great job right now. Updates on the Facebook page of what’s coming in soon. They were completely out of whole milk yesterday, but posted they were supposed to get more in today and formula/diapers/wipes tomorrow. I was able to grab cheese and chicken base there and we should be fine now for a couple weeks, so I don’t plan to go back to the store unless it’s absolutely necessary.

        The weirdest thing I’ve seen so far (stop me if I’ve told this story here already) was last week – one woman’s cart was piled so high with paper towels she couldn’t see over it, and stuffed in every nook and cranny were…crab legs. Like the big ones you get on ice at the seafood counter. ???

        1. Trader Joe’s in my area is limiting shoppers to two of each item. If I were you, I would call your store and ask them to do the same to prevent the egg hoarder from fucking over everybody else.

          2. That’s good. I honestly feel like I might get violent with those people if I see them. Probably should send my husband to the store instead.

          3. Yep, there are a lot of signs at my stores that certain items are limited to specific quantities. Thankfully fresh produce was still relatively well stocked.

        2. It is interesting to see what people will and won’t buy. All the smoked sausage and kielbasa was gone, except for multiple packages of cracked pepper kielbasa. And strangely there was a good bit of bacon left. I thought for sure that would be gone,

        3. I know the situation in general is not funny, but the image of one lady stocking up on eggs, and someone pushing the cart over, is hilarious.

          1. I will also admit to snickering a bit. You can’t break somebody’s toilet paper but you can break their eggs, dammit! ;)

          2. Karma’s a b*tch. The image is only hilarious since there is no actual supply shortage. The egg woman can go back tomorrow and restock with an appropriate amount. Until then, I’m chortling in my office.

    4. I just walked to Aldi – no butter, white sugar (so no stress baking), no chicken and very little meat, rolls but no loaves of bread. And no nappies – guess we’re going gung ho with this potty training once nursery closes tomorrow.

    5. I’ve been wondering if the lockdown in the Bay Area means that stores are able to restock. Has anyone gone out grocery shopping there?

      1. They have been restocking but everything is getting swept clean every day. It’s insane and I don’t know why it’s still happening. I get why a couple of surges could happen on certain days but how is it so consistent.

        1. I was wondering the same thing. I would think people have multiples of what they need and would just be sitting at home with their TP. Some stores in my area have special hours for seniors to shop when the stores first open..

      2. The Orders were specifically written in a way to prevent supply chain disruption so businesses that supply the grocery stores can continue working.

        1. Yeah, I was more thinking that at some point, a lot of people probably have their pantry stocked and cease panic buying, so the shelves can be restocked. Even though, maybe I am naive to assume that irrational people would just stop acting irrationally. Also, I am aware that the first set of emptied-out shelves triggered a new wave of panic buying, because empty shelves are taken as a bad omen. But, at some point, surely everybody has enough goods, right?

      3. I’m in the Bay Area and my husband is still working in an office (for a hospital, an enraging topic.) He wanders over to a grocery store near his office building every few days. He came home with some meat yesterday. He just bought 5 packs of whatever they had, which was pretty hit or miss, and now I have to figure out what to do with a pork loin (not tenderloin, I’m thinking tacos, except we don’t have tortillas.)

        There were no eggs and very little produce. I asked for mixed salad greens if possible and he procured a head of iceberg.

        It feels like Soviet Russia in a way. Let’s see what’s available in the stores today. I feel like we are one week sort of bribing the delivery guy to let us have first dibs at the loading dock.

        1. Right on, tovarisch. But pork loin is a great meat. I like to cut it into medallions and do a slow simmer with onion and any kind of beer (yes, I boil my meat because I’m Russian, but it CAN be good!).

          1. Made something like this last weekend! Very traditional all the way between Germany and Hungary as well!

    6. Another tip – small green grocers and small specialty shops are often very well stocked. Our Chinese supermarket was low on rice but had everything else, including some fun sauces to make for some more creative cooking.

      1. From what I understand, the independent grocery stores were still pretty well stocked. I found meat, produce, eggs, and toilet paper on Saturday at Dorignac’s, my fave independent. When I went to the Robert’s in my neighborhood on Tuesday night, they were out of eggs, but had most everything else.

    7. I live in the Boston area. Empty shelves for paper products, bleach/lysol type cleaning supplies, canned tomatoes/soup/beans, frozen meals and veggies, certain brands of pasta, and chicken. Plenty of other meats, but chicken is cleaned out! Most other things are stocked up just fine, and I am happy enough to try out some new brands or alternative items in the meantime. It’s funny to see which brands are cleared out, and which ones no one seems to want. Fingers crossed this is the worst it gets, but we shall see.

      1. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that Bostonians love poultry. I don’t eat red meat so we’ve been mostly vegetarian, but my husband found all kinds of chicken at a specialty meat store (Roxie’s in Quincy) so we’re feeling a little better now.

      2. It’s because chicken is the cheapest meat, so it’s going to go first, especially with people worried about jobs.

        1. “A chicken in every pot” used to be a campaign promise of untold riches in the future. How times have changed.

        2. Yeah I went to Sprout’s over the weekend and they were reasonably well stocked. Meat was cleaned out except for the expensive cuts of beef.

    8. If you can, try your local farmers. There are numerous small farms in the towns just about 20-30 minutes from us and they have lots of milk/eggs/frozen meat (all humanely raised and local to boot!). That’s my planned ‘fun’ trip this weekend – go support the farmer and say hi to the local chickens.

      1. This! Farmbags, CSA shares, local farmers markets are all feeling the pinch. This a great way to shop small and avoid supply chain disruptions.

    9. I went to a local grocery store yesterday. Plenty of milk, eggs and produce, but the bread aisle was empty. So was the sugar, strangely. I didn’t go to the meat section as we have plenty in our freezer thanks to Costco runs. Honestly I expected it to be way worse.

      1. I’ve been making bread. It’s been kind of fun, actually. I mean, what else am I going to do home all day. All the time is in the rising, not the mixing.

        1. Me, too. If I’d known how easy it was to make bread I’d have been doing it all along. Never going back to buying it!

    10. Go to a smaller, non-chain, or “ethnic” (hate using that word) grocery store. They’re well stocked.

    11. Eggs, milk, shredded and sliced cheese, all forms of bread, flour, sugar, meats, frozen veg, butter, pasta, canned beans, pasta sauce, toilet paper, rubbing alcohol, paper towels, tissues, Clorox wipes, and cleaning sprays are totally sold out almost everywhere. Stores that do have stock are severely limiting quantities. On-line inventory systems are not accurate, so trying to figure out which store has what in stock is useless. It’s frustrating because I am trying to minimize the number of times I go out and the number of stores I shop at. We are already rationing milk at home because there is no way we are going to be able to get the 3 gallons or so per week we usually consume.

    12. I went to the nearby Costco Business Center today. It’s usually a ghost town there. Today it was much busier than usual but still less busy than a regular Costco on a regular day. They don’t have the selection a regular Costco does but still a lot of staple items to be had. No TP though.

    13. The way people have been talking about it I expected it to be much much worse. I couldn’t get everything I wanted, but I could get plenty of fresh meat and fish (not chicken) and produce to make reasonable meals. I grew up in the Soviet Union so I expected it to be like that – basically no food, and it just wasn’t. The large grocery store is still getting shipments in 3 times a day – they say stuff just flies off the shelves, so people are just hoarding. Smaller stores do seem to be better stocked, as some have said – I managed to get bananas and onions at one a few days ago (hot items here). I figure people have to stop hoarding eventually because their houses will be full? So as long as stuff keeps coming we should be totally good.
      But it would be nice to get some alcohol-based products – nowhere near me has that stuff and they are not getting that stuff in. By the time I thought to buy it, the hand sanitizer and wipes were gone. And now I am almost out of rubbing alcohol, and considering buying Everclear (60% or greater alcohol content) soon.
      I think I am also not as affected by it because I have a tendency to be very well-stocked at home – a combination of not liking to make lots of shopping trips and also likely tied to living through extreme shortages of food and supplies. We still have a bunch of TP for example, and haven’t bought any since the virus.

  7. What are folks doing about summer vacations? I was just starting to plan a trip to Austria and Switzerland in mid-July. I hadn’t booked plane tickets yet; everything else (hotels) is refundable. Should I change course here and plan to go somewhere else? Or wait and see? How has everyone else handled this so far?

    1. I personally would wait. We are supposed to get to Copenhagen the first week of June and our family friend told us probably not to come – it seems like they are saying that things are shut until at least June 1.

    2. We booked tickets to Portugal for June several months back and are basically letting the airline decide for us . My parents have bought a little house there so no worries about hotels. The education secretary says that we shouldn’t expect schools and nurseries to resume before the summer holidays so facing potential closure to August. If we can get there, I might just stay on with my son until nurseries open. I’d rather be someplace with a bit more room to run around / better weather.

    3. My plan is Glacier National Park in August, and I am going to tentatively select lodging/plan what we’re going to do, but I’m waiting a bit to book anything, mainly because while I think things will be roughly back to normal by then (I hope), I also think all my Spring trials that are getting postponed are going to get moved to Fall and I’m going to be totally slammed at work come August/September.

    4. Most plane tickets right now can be changed with no fees, even basic economy. We booked airfare to Italy in August on March 4, which in hindsight feels a bit optimistic, but we can always change the flights to next year if necessary.

    5. I’m thinking about a drive from NYC area. Just a few days on my own to relax. Maybe I’m the fall. But I’m definitely not planning on anything. I don’t know if my trip to the Adirondacks will be canceled in July.

    6. I would not book anything that is not refundable. Strong probability we or other countries will be in lockdown through June (but maybe August).

    7. I have Austria planned for June – bought the train tickets early March before everything hotted up and the hotels don’t need paying for for a while. As there aren’t any flights involved I’m just going to wait and see what things are like in the weeks before I would have to pay for the first hotel – I’ve agreed with my mum (who I’m travelling with) that if things still feel dodgy we’re just going to shift all the bookings out a year in the future, if possible. If we can’t do that with the train tickets, all we’ve lost is £300 each, which is a real chunk of cash but not life changing or anything for us.

    8. We have plane tickets and non-refundable hotels for a trip to the UK at the end of June. I assume we won’t be going but I’m going to wait to seek refunds until it gets closer.

    9. I personally wouldn’t plan for anything international, but I’d make tentative plans for US vacations. The biggest risk to me would be buying airline tickets and not being able to use them with no change fee in 12 months. So I’d just have to see how much they are to make that decision. It’ll be personal to everyone.

    10. Our usual summer vacation is a cabin rental a 2 hour drive away within our state (sonoma county) the last week of July / first week of August. That feels pretty safe now, yes?

    11. We have a trip to Hawaii booked, but everything (flight, hotel, car) is refundable. Likely be cancelling, but waiting to see how it plays out a little longer.

  8. Do any other biglaw associates worry about their job security and the pending downturn? I was not in work force for the 08 crisis so this is the first major downturn for me as a professional. Work is already slowing down. We have a billable target that I was on track meeting (exceeded yesterday) but now not quite sure. I know I have it better than a lot of people – I can WFH easily and still get paid. But hearing all the horror stories about 08-09, it just freaks me out… I am not sure what I am looking for, perhaps 08-09 positive stories?

    1. Yes, and I feel like I *just* recovered from the 08 crisis (I graduated in ’10 and it was… not good for a while). Ugh. I mean, I did turn out fine after ’08, it just took a while.

    3. I’m a 2010 grad and I don’t think I ever got over a low-level fear that my job could disappear at any moment. Despite that, I feel reasonably optimistic (KNOCK ON ALL THE WOOD). I’ve been busy all year and I haven’t seen any ramp down yet. I imagine bankruptcy will get busy – if your firm has a bankruptcy practice then maybe you can volunteer to help?

    4. Not big law, but I feel the same way. I also wasn’t around for 08 (still in college), but DH and I did some math on whether his (lower paying but much more secure) job could cover all of our expenses. We’re about $500/month short, but that includes a $500/month debt to my parents that there’s no way they would accept so I guess we just about make it. And I have 7 months of savings so there’s a cushion there. But jeez it’s so scary.

    5. You might find it reassuring to figure out approximately how much revenue you’ve netted the firm versus your cost to the firm over your time there — attorneys pay for themselves pretty quickly. And coming from the wife of a BigLaw partner, talented and reliable associates are actually not that easy to find and hire. You have reason to think you’re fine for awhile.

      1. I agree with this. I think low key fear is reasonable but my practice area still hasn’t fully recovered from a staffing/resources perspective from 08. Basically, everyone underhired for years so there are very few people of my vintage around so the lateral market post recovery has always been extremely hot. Shockingly I’m still getting a decent number of recruiter emails for firms hiring right now. I think a lot of firms as of a month ago were still feeling the pain of laying off too many associates/underhiring in 08 so are probably less likely to repeat that mistake even if it cuts into profits in the short term just because they know it could take years to build the practice back up.

        That said, I do think it’s a good idea to proactively reach out/make it known that you are open/willing to work on assignments for other groups that may be busier. Not only will it protect your billables but if layoffs come they’re less likely to layoff the team player who works hard. At my firm at least the whispers among the partners so far is that if layoffs come they won’t be so much of layoffs but more rather clearing out “dead weight” that they previously didn’t get rid of because they desperately needed bodies.

    6. I think it’s too early to understand the full extent – a lot of big companies need a lot of guidance right now, and they are the bread and butter of biglaw. My litigation cases are still very active; everyone is just taking things remote.

      I graduated in 09 and saw so many people get deferred and laid off. For most, it was a huge stumbling block in lots of ways, not the least of which was financial, and it set us back many years in terms of paying off loans, saving for retirement, etc. It also derailed a lot of careers – and some for the better. I know several people who took severance packages from their firms and used that bit of time and money to change careers and are ultimately much happier today.

      The recession also instilled a fear in a lot of us that I don’t see reflected in today’s junior associates who graduated in better times. We know firsthand that our salaries are not guaranteed another day. For me, that has translated to building up a robust emergency fund and living below my means. If you are concerned about possible layoffs in the future, my top suggestion is to tighten your budget and build up your savings.

    7. I’m sending work to outside counsel like there’s no tomorrow, FWIW – so many urgent needs and we don’t have staffing internally to handle them.

    8. Yeah, I’m worried. I recently lateraled, so I was still figuring things out, and don’t see how I will meet my target this year unless things really pick up. I’m in M&A and things have slowed way down, although we expect to see some insolvency related M&A soon (which I realize isn’t great from a societal point of view, but I need work). I’m a fifth year so I’m expensive to keep around doing nothing and I’m guessing I’ll be the first one out if there are cuts to be made. It’s hard because they actively recruited me on the assumption that things would be really busy, and now I’m bored and worried about work.

    9. I am an engineer in high tech company. My company announced a hiring freeze last week. So no more hiring. I think my company is in holding position till they can gauge the full impact of the pandemic. If they start laying off people now, it will lead to very bad press. I have no doubt that there will be project cuts and head count reduction once this calms down a bit. I am hoping that they cut salaries for the year, but keep the people till economy recovers.

    10. The impact of this will vary by practice area. Talk to someone in your practice area and get suggestions. And if you slow down, stay engaged. Get your CLE done, meet your pro bono commitment if you have one, and volunteer to help on both billable and non billable projects of any size.

  9. PSA: if you are able, please consider donating blood or plasma. Most blood drives are being canceled due to the pandemic and we are now facing a critical shortage in many hospitals. You can go online or call the Red Cross to schedule an appointment to help reduce your risk of exposure to others and you will really be helping countless patients this year and next.

    1. I wonder how this works with potential exposure. I don’t know that I’ve been exposed and have no symptoms, but I’ve also been taking public transportation in NYC through Monday — WFH started on Tuesday for me.

      1. The NYC blood bank is desperate and texting me daily. I’m borderline anemic and my doctor asked me not to donate again until she can be assured my iron level is fine, otherwise I would seriously consider going. They are undoubtedly taking precautions.

    3. Done! Scheduled an appt with my local blood bank for tomorrow. The good news is they were already booked up today, with extended hours, and the rep I talked to said they have had a great response from the community.

      1. That almost brings tears to my eyes (OP). I rely on plasma donations to treat a medical condition and I’m scared for the supply for others as well. Thank you for going and thank you for the update – just turned my day around.

        1. Now you’re going to make me tear up! I have been really struggling with no in-person human interaction (I live alone), but I am dedicated to reducing exposure. This seemed like a good compromise for me – I will be able to see and speak with a nurse while doing something that benefits others with limited exposure.

          6 foot hugs!

      2. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow, too!

        Because I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve essentially been quarantined since before the outbreak hit America.

    4. I am going next week when it will be 56 days since my prior donation. P*ssed I missed the St. Patrick’s Day shirts for donors (I may ask b/c perhaps they were undersubscribed for those).

      A- WTF next week!

    5. Just scheduled an appointment for next week. I’ve never actually donated blood before!

      1. Kudos to you! Quick tip – they do a finger-stick at the start to see if your iron levels are high enough to donate. If you tend to be low on iron and/or just had a period, some red meat (if you can find it), leafy greens, or an iron supplement the day before can help.

    6. I did last week and my husband just did, too! He hasn’t given blood since college.

    8. Didn’t know that, thanks for sharing. I’ll call to schedule an appt.

  10. Tips for talking to relatives who aren’t taking this seriously? My mom is 75 and healthy and her partner has a ton of health problems. My mom keeps pressing me (especially with Easter coming up) to visit her, let her visit me, meet at a restaurant (they’re all closed, mom!). She is offended and hurt that I have continued to say no because I may have been exposed and I need to protect them. I know a lot of my friends are struggling with the same thing. Advice or commiseration?

    1. Is yelling at her to stop being an ignorant, selfish ass an option? That’s where I’m at with those people today.

      1. You still have choices. Being kind is a choice. Praying for g-d or whatever deity to give wisdom to others is another choice.

        We get judged by what we do when it is hard vs easy.

          2. I didn’t take this as condescending at all. Anyone can be a pleasant human being when things are going well. It’s how you are when things are rough that shows your true colors. And sometimes you’ve just got to fake it a bit because your true self in that moment is not a good thing to inflict on others.

          3. OK great, so I’m a bad person because I’m angry that people are putting me and people I love at risk. Got it. I should always strive to be a serene caretaker who puts others first and who never raises her voice – it’s very unseemly in women, you know. Policing women’s anger is a bad look too – what does it say about your “true colors?”

          4. I don’t think this was condescending, just reminding people you can still choose to be kind.

            FWIW I also think being kind/gentle with people generally yields better results than telling people they are being jerks, especially with folks of my parents/grandparents generation who tend to dig in when you tell them they “can’t” do something. Obviously speaking only from personal experience, but I think kindness is the more likely path to get the results you want here.

        2. Anon @ 10:33 – Thank you for this. The level of vitriol out there right now is going to get us nowhere.

          1. You don’t consider it vitriolic to imply that people who are stressed and angry in a very tense situation are fundamentally bad people? How is that helpful or kind to make it a personal judgment of character rather than extending a compassionate word yourself?

          2. Gentle reader: no one said that you were bad people. I find, too, that extending kindness tends to result in kindness. A smile can diffuse tensions. Think of how road rage escalates. We don’t want that now.

            ::: Serenity now :::

          3. Everyone said “you’ll be judged for this” and “these are your true colors.” Maybe you don’t find that vitriolic and hurtful, but I do. I’d never, ever say that to a close friend or family member going through a hard time – I personally prefer to assume that they’re nice people and also to discount the opinions of people who start posts with the faux-kind but actually aggressive “oh, sweetie.” We all have our own preferences, obviously. I hope that your family members and friends grant you the understanding that you might find yourself needing one day.

    2. I don’t really know how to fix it, but she could also be in denial because the truth is too scary. My in-laws are leaning into conspiracy theories, but I know for sure that they would implode emotionally if they faced reality.

      1. Alternatively, maybe she is *hoping* it will be over by Easter. People like to have something to look forward to. Maybe that is how to frame it — what shall we do when this has passed? Shall you loop TP over a tree? Like a roll on fire? Touch your face?

    3. Commiseration. I live in a hot spot. My father in law (local) is a physician, in a pediatric specialty that is unrelated to the coronavirus. Yesterday, he informed us that he has had cold symptoms for the past 3-4 days, although no fever. During that time, he continued to see patients and came over to our house twice. (Yesterday, he stayed home.) He has also recommended that DH and my son go visit his sister, who lives about an 8-hour drive away, is over 60 and has a terrible chronic disease (which will ultimately be fatal, but she hopefully has years left).

      My parents are being ridiculous. They live in another state, which has cases but isn’t a hot spot. They are both over 65, and my mom has asthma. They were going to go on a cruise at the end of this month until the cruise line canceled last week. My mom flew to see her sister last week and flew back this week–her sister and niece needed her help, but nobody is dying. They were supposed to attend a wine dinner last night, and that was canceled, so they had 2 older couples over to their condo for dinner last night.

      Both of my bosses are over 60. Both prefer to be in the office and want us associates to be in the office for at least half a day (other teams in the firm are work from home, which at least reduces the number of people we’re exposed to). They’re just now coming around to the idea that this might be serious, but they spent weeks in denial.

      1. I wonder what is going on with all these older people who are the ones at the highest risk of death and who are not taking this seriously. Do they all watch Fox News, and could not make the hard pivot to treating this as an actual pandemic when Fox did same 2-3 days ago? I’m not trying to be a smarta$$, I’m really wondering.

    4. I don’t know and I am right there with you. My late 60’s parents are in total denial, still watching my nephews (!!) and going out in their big city. They won’t listen to sense/yelling/guilt. I gave up and am just denying them access to our family until this is over.

    5. Commiseration… My mom is in her 70s and works at a health club until it finally closed yesterday. She had a lingering cough and went to the dr last week, who gave her a couple meds. BUT – she offered to help watch my kids if necessary. Uh….?? That’s gonna be a no. Especially because DH has an underlying condition. And my boss (woman in her 50s) is not taking this seriously at all. She was also still going to the gym, letting her 21 year old daughter go out to the bars, hosted a retirement party at a restaurant last weekend with 80+ people, and expects us to work at the office even though our job is easily done from home. She’s concerned about our productivity from home. And she made comments this week such as “there’s so much info out there, you don’t know what to believe” (to which a coworker responded, “then you listen to the CDC”), and “well then I guess we all just get colds.” UGH. She’s also someone who doesn’t pay attention to the news at all, so I doubt she understands how bad it is across the country and the world.

      1. I would not-so passive-aggressively send her a bunch of studies that show working from home is actually more productive than in the office (admittedly probably not now when kids are home and everyone’s worried about coronavirus, but…)

    7. My dad is the same. I asked him why and he said life is short anyway at his age he is not going to waste it hiding in the house. Plus he fought in Korea and has seen worse stuff.

      1. For a veteran I’d appeal to his sense of duty to country/others. Remind him that he may be ok with dying but if he takes up an ICU bed for a month before he eventually dies he may have cost several other people their lives

    8. This may be a delayed reply, but I saw yesterday Ramit Sethi’s video on how to convince your parents COVID-19 was real, and I thought it was really helpful. It is on his youtube channel.

  11. My town was given Shelter In Place orders last night, closing everything down (including schools) through at least April 3 (I fully expect it’ll be extended, though.)

    My kid’s 3rd Grade e-learning schoolwork is an absolute joke (though it’s also opened my eyes as to how un-challenging his classwork is… not sure how I’m going to deal with this knowledge moving forward.) But yesterday I made up a more formal schedule for him and printed out a ton of more challenging work for him to complete. And since he’s working in persuasive writing in school, I let him know that if he wants to play video games during break times, he’ll need to write me a persuasive essay on the topic– 3-4 paragraphs, 3-5 sentences each, etc. Trying to make the best of if, but I worry about his mental health since he’s an only child.

    On Monday I figured we were going to likely need some groceries by the end of the week, so pulled up Instacart to find that the first available delivery slot was Friday (!!) So I took it, and have been adding throughout the week. Hopefully our SIP orders don’t interfere with Instacart deliveries, because I really don’t want to go to the grocery store (though also I’d love to go? Just to go somewhere?)

    Last night I felt so defeated. This is hard. It’s going to get harder. My cat is loving it, however.

    1. FaceTime play dates with friends have really helped my kid. Not the same of course, but at least it’s something.

      2. Agreed. Everyone’s home life is so different and it is not fair for kid’s education to depend on whether their parents can teach them right now.

        Another alternative I have heard is to have everyone repeat a year. Not sure how parents will feel about 13 years of the kids in school rather than 12.

    3. +1 – FaceTime is helping (virtually trading Pokemon cards at the moment downstairs) and we’ve set up a virtual lunch date tomorrow for his class – my work is allowing everyone to use Skype for more ‘personal’ reasons (within reason) so using that.
      We’re also (thankfully) on a street with neighbors, so we’re allowing the kids to talk to each other in their respective yards/from front porches which is helping a bit. They’ve also taken to playing ‘shadow’ in the yard – one does a silly dance move/movement and then the one in the other driveway/across the street has to copy them.

    4. I would not assume the remote learning is the same as what he would be doing at school–my husband is a teacher and is currently trying to throw a curriculum together, and it is a shit show. I would also take this opportunity to lower standards. In the grand scheme of his life, how much will it matter if he learns nothing in the next three months?

      1. Yeah, I would try to have a little more understanding for teachers who have to figure this out on the fly.

        2. +1 Yeah, sorry the teachers don’t have the most perfect curriculum prepared and ready to go right at the start of a global pandemic. WTF lady, relax a little.

          And also, studies have shown that kids need lower level assignments to reinforce knowledge and build fluency. Just stop to think for one second that you aren’t the expert here.

      2. Yes my husband is a teacher and he is working through the night to set up assignment through the technology and dealing with 6 thousand questions from students and teachers

    5. I went to the grocery store late – about 40 mins before closing at it was blissful. I went to an over-priced yuppie one — no the huge kind people make runs on and was able to fully social distance the whole time. You might just venture to a grocery store after the kids’ bedtime and if its crowded leave but if its not enjoy the outside world.

    6. Are you sure you have appropriate expectations for his school? I don’t think I started writing essays until much later in school.

    7. TLDR: For academics, please don’t stress too much. Understandably HS and MS might be more stressful, but in elementary your kids will be fine.

      Anecdata if it makes you feel any better: I lived in Asia as a kid and went to a local elementary school that taught practically nothing except basic spelling (in the local language) and math in grades 1-5 (seriously, kids were playing hopscotch and drawing cartoons all morning because there were 60+ kids per teacher in my district and there was no standardized testing until you got to grade 7).

      I turned out fine academically, graduated near the top of my high school and had 3.9+ GPA throughout a Tier 1 college and law school, mostly thanks to my mom who:

      (1) kept a bunch of educational cartoon books in the house that I would read in my free time (Loved ALL the cartoons by Larry Gonick and Horrible Science /History etc series, as well as the Word Smart / Writing Smart / Study Smart for Juniors etc series) and

      (2) had me create study plans to self-study 20 – 40 minutes of math workbooks depending on my grade (Singapore Math — their involvement stopped at buying me the workbooks of varying levels of difficulty. I had to finish each semester’s worth of workbooks three times — easiest, moderate, and challenging versions — before they would let me progress to the next semester) and 30 minutes of spelling / looking up vocabulary from the readings every day after school.

      Admittedly, school was only 3 hours each day for grades 1-2 because there were not enough classrooms (the school ran classes on 3 shifts — morning, afternoon, and evening).

      Doubled that time for vacations when I didn’t have school. The rest of the time, I played outside with neighborhood kids and read the random (educational) comic books and kid’s classics lying around the house.

      I feel like in today’s times they would have set me up with a Khan Academy account, told me I’m on my own, and left me to my devices to study for 2-3 hours each day. That would have been much more formal education than I ever got throughout elementary school.

      1. I grew up under martial law for a year and basically just read a lot. Like to the point of reading a dictionary, all of my mom’s cookbooks, and the manual for our Hi-Luxe. I was 7. BigLaw equity partner now.

    8. I’d def relax expectations on the academics side. I could give you tons of anecdotal examples of friends and family (or myself in the case of missing a month of kindergarten) who missed large chunks of school due to various reasons. And they all turned out just fine. And that was when all of their peers continued to be in school. Yes, there will be a setback from the school shutdowns, but it’s really not the end of the world. Also the curriculum schools are putting out is not necessarily an indication of what the regular curriculum is. My teacher friends are trying their best to think of things parents can do but it’s not like they can just take their lesson plans and email them to parents.

      I’d lean on facetime for virtual playdates if you can for socializing.

      You’re doing the best you can. We all are. Be kind to yourself and others. Lower expectations. It’s going to be a rough journey for all of us and we’re all in this together. You are a great mom.

    9. Any chance there are Oak Parkers on here? We are in the same boat and trying to figure out our plans for next couple weeks. We have a neighbor who comes over and takes the kids out in the backyard to play for 90 min a day and I can offset my hours so my husband and I are switching off. I’ve also purchased 10 Magic Tree House books and my kid gets one every day after he does his e-learning. Not totally sustainable but effective so far…

      1. I’m an Oak Parker! Grew up in the school system here, but no kids in it now.

        But a neighbor with a child just sent this email to our block that World Books (remember the old encyclopedias) is offering all their online resources for free until April 30th. There’s a place to signup on their website. Here is a link to their digital resources/ideas for learning during the shutdown.

        https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/distance-learning/distance-learning.htm

  12. Have any of you changed your view of your employers during this?

    My firm is purely litigation, and all our trials/hearings are cancelled and postponed. My firm’s official policy is that everyone must be in the office full time. Staff can use up their sick days if they become ill. Attorneys can work from home IF they are exposed to COVID-19. My jaw dropped when I read it. My co-workers are so scared.

    Before this, my goal for this years to kill it and make partner. Now?I am working from home in violation of the policy and the partners are angry. I don’t care about this firm at all. I will continue to log in and do high-quality work each day, because every day I work is another day they have to pay me.

    2. Argh, that’s awful! I’m in academia and there seems to be variation across the sector and within individual schools and departments. Our school head is a sociologist with a focus on gender and labour and the messaging so far has been dire, speaking about ‘flexible’ schedules but not acknowledging that there is no way that all this work can be done if we’re all doing childcare. People are acting like deadlines will be met, but if half of us get ill and the other half are caring for their children, that’s not realistic.

      1. Isn’t it interesting how the academic experts on labor issues and power dynamics are totally blind to both as applied to their own staffs?

    3. Good for you. Keep at it and job search when you’re off – I know that women in law put up with a lot of BS, but this is too important and you’re setting a positive example for others. Please keep us posted.

    4. My org is, to their credit, trying. They’re just not very effective. We had fairly stringent WFH policies before (pretty much only as a reasonable accommodation) so they weren’t at all prepared to shift to WFH. At first they told us all repeatedly that we were not a virtual law firm, that we aren’t set up for it, etc. They weren’t sending enough information as they moved towards full WFH and were just generally floundering. They still haven’t encouraged WFH, but anyone who wants to can and 80% of the office is doing so. I’ve been at home for 2+ weeks since I’m high risk. It isn’t a problem for anyone to WFH but sine in the office aren’t taking it seriously enough according to people who are there. And some people don’t know how they can work from home so they aren’t; the people whose jobs aren’t typically WFH haven’t been given guidance about things they could do at home.

      Our CEO also keeps holding “response” calls that cause a lot more stress than they reassure.

    5. I am so sorry. I am also a litigator and am using this time to try and get caught up on the million reports that I never have time for… but our firm is always set up to WFH for lawyers and clerks and they are setting up the assistants and working on a skeleton in office staff on a rotating schedule. We are a paperless shop, and have been for 10 years, so this is easier for us but someone still has to come in and deal with the mail/faxes/scanning.

      1. Oh, my firm is already COMPLETELY set up for remote work. All the files are paperless, we’ve had the remote programs for years and use them while traveling and off-hours, our phone lines are internet-based and can be programmed to ring literally any other phone we want simultaneously. Our fax number is an efax that sends the document via email. The firm did not have to change a single thing for me to WFH full time.

        Can you tell I’m frustrated?

        1. Oh for feck’s sake. That makes it even more ridiculous. Rage fist raised in solidarity.

      2. Yup, exactly the same with my (small) firm. There are max 3 staff in the office, attorneys are only allowed to come in to get stuff to WFH, and we are transitioning to have all staff including reception work from home by the end of the week.

    6. On the other end of the spectrum, my company (not a law firm) has been amazing and has really solidified my motivation to work long term for them. I think these kind of “crisis” situations really help you see what type of company and people you work for.

    7. I already liked my firm, but they’ve honestly been great about this. We are almost all working remotely and the firm’s message was that we know some of you are dealing with childcare/home schooling and may need to adjust your workday or work outside normal hours; that’s fine and just coordinate with your team.

    8. Actually, this makes me very grateful for my company, which is a large financial company (publicly listed but not organized in the US, which I think plays a role). A limited number of people are critical support staff and they are continuing to come into the office (where there are rigorous cleaning schedules and temperature screens); some people are going to a disaster recovery site. But working remotely was allowed early for those that had concerns and now we’re essentially all remote but for the aforementioned. There have been announcements about paid childcare leave being available and we have a generous sick time policy, and everyone is giving each other grace about the difficulties of home life intersecting with work. We’re also unfortunately extremely busy and working all hours – so no time to get concerned about whether or not someone is “slacking”.

    10. Despite being worried for my job as noted above, I’m pleased with how proactive my firm has been. We went all remote on Monday, including staff except for a skeleton of “essential” services (document processing, accounting, etc). They have been really good at communicating, sending messages about doing our best in these trying times, and making sure we have the tools to work remotely. My friends at my previous firm are still going to work every day, which seems insane to me and goes against government recommendations where I am.

    11. I was already impressed with the general culture at my organisation – when I lost my grandad two years ago my manager said ‘take as long as you need, we can cope without you’ and in a combination of holiday that was already booked and compassionate leave it was nearly two weeks before I was back at work.

      I have a new boss this year (since January) and she’s been excellent – really understanding about how difficult it is to be productive with all this going on. She’s two levels above me but my actual manager has been unwell (unrelated to the pandemic) since mid Feb so it’s been just us.

    12. It’s unfortunate that times of crisis usually show true colors. Your firm is being horrible and irresponsible, and I don’t blame you for not wanting to work there long term. Hang in there.

    13. My company’s bigwigs have specifically stated that they don’t want people to work from home, because they will then expect it to continue after corona is over. This is a STEM company run by old white men, claiming to be cutting-edge and innovative while running a “butts in seats” operation behind the scenes.

      I am drastically underpaid (one of my comparably-experienced colleagues just got an outside offer for nearly twice what I make) but I’ve stayed because my direct boss is a saint. She gave me amazing flexibility during my struggle with a parent with dementia, despite having to hide that flexibility from her own boss.

      Unfortunately, this pandemic has brought my undercurrent of resentment to the surface. I am starting to realize that one awesome boss doesn’t mean a damn if the entire org tree above her is rotten.

    14. My company provides critical infrastructure, and we are all at work, even if technically some of us could work at home. But, I understand the challenge of having 90% of the company in jobs that can only be done in person, frequently interacting with customers. We need to be here to support the people in the field.

      It’s not easy, but I’m in incredibly proud to be part of an organization that is putting 110% towards keeping vital services running during huge demand, uncertainty, and stress. If you see a telephone, internet, or cable person working, beep or wave. They are all working long hours every day to make sure our telecommunications systems operate.

    15. Are you in California or New York? Commercial or IP lit? We have reqs open and our management is executing on all of the recommendations from our local departments of public health.

    16. Ridiculous, Anonnnn. I manage litigation and assign a lot of work. Our courts are shut down, too. If I hear that one of the firms I use is forcing everyone to be in the office that will affect my opinion of the firm and its managers. May I suggest that you casually mention to your clients that you are all expected to be in the office? That’s all I’d need, and I’d run with it. The relationship partner would hear from me immediately.

      1. Please keep sharing this. My firm was the first in the area to go full work from home during this crisis. We have been trying to appeal to other firms to do the same. The one thing people seem to be taking seriously is when I tell them I follow industry blogs and that in house counsel only want to assign work to firms that are protecting their staff.

    17. My employer is VERY SLOW TO REACT. Finally getting it together a bit this week but sheesh. I was out on sick leave the whole first week of March while this thing was starting to build up and I came back and was shocked to see that NOTHING NOT ONE SINGLE THING had been done. No emails about the virus, nothing.

      My husband is still going to the office but he’s sent his staff home so I guess if he’s there by himself it’s not much worse than him working at home by himself. I made him swear not to share the elevator with anybody, and to wash hands immediately upon arrival and before leaving.

  13. It’s the first day of spring! I saw crocuses and snowdrops and a robin on my morning walk today, and the daffodils and tulips are starting to poke out of the ground. The local beaver is out of hibernation. Not all is bad :)

    1. The hedges in front of my house are coming out with that delicate spring green and my tulips are really trying.

    2. My tulips are in full bloom and I’ve bought loads of gardening supplies so I can get my garden into prime shape while we’re on lockdown. It’s a tiny little patch but it’s my patch and I’m going to make it beautiful.

    4. My tulips and cherry tree and most of the hyacinths are in full bloom and it honestly makes me so happy right now.

    5. My tulips and daffodils are up, but not yet flowering except for precisely 3 daffodils (out of maybe 60 planted). I just have a bunch of greenery poking up in random patches and it’s looking a little odd. I hope they bloom soon! We had an unseasonably warm winter and I’m worried that messed them up.

    6. My windows face west-south-west and the late afternoon sunshine has been gorgeous this week. Looking forward to a walk later.

    7. There’s a little furze of green coming up, there are buds at the tips of my lilacs, and my nose and eyes are furiously itchy. It’s spring all right!

    8. Everything here in So Cal is blooming — Chinese magnolia is especially gorgeous (fun aside: this morning an instagram account I follow posted a photo of Chinese magnolia in Washington DC and said it was cherry blossoms!). Also I saw both a bunny and a coyote this morning — not sure they will both live through the day!

  14. I read yesterday’s morning thread late last night and saw my fellow ‘retts in and near IL-03! Would anyone else be interested in a local meetup once COVID retreats?

    3. That would be nice. I’d like to make new friends (assuming I don’t know you already or see you on the BNSF). Eventually The Elm will open with a nice rooftop deck…

  15. I know the economy in general is in really bad shape, but is anyone realizing any immediate cost savings from the impact of social distancing that they would like to share? I just went ahead and cancelled my clothing subscription service, since it appears I’ll be WFH for at least the next three weeks. Also obviously saving significant $ not going to Starbucks or out to lunches. Saving $ on gas not driving to and from the office/school. I guess it helps me feel better to find these minor “silver linings.”

    1. Yes, so so true. No £5 here and there at Pret and I’m basically just wearing athleisure for the next 4 months so no need to buy clothes.

    2. Saving $10/day on my commute and $150 a week on horseback riding. The former is great and the latter is something I really miss. My husband is also spending a lot less on coffee. I have been tracking all of our expenses manually this month and I expect to see a significant drop-off for the latter half with the exception of groceries.

    3. I’m a bit of an overbuyer and our grocery bill is going to drop dramatically as I force myself to work through some backlog. I am looking forward to it.

    4. Yesterday I ordered sweatpants (because leggings are too uncomfortable lol), candles, and a bunch of random stuff on Amazon to make working from home more comfortable, so I’ll probably start seeing the savings next week.

      All those sale emails are going straight to trash and I find myself a bit sad as I bought a spring blazer from J.Crew a two weeks ago and haven’t even worn it yet! Not spending money on public transit or Uber, lunches, Starbucks, or post work happy hours either.

      1. “Yesterday I ordered sweatpants (because leggings are too uncomfortable lol).”

        Ha!

    5. I’m smiling at the picture of clear water in Venice. If the lack of carbon emissions from commuters helps the climate, that’s definitely a silver lining.

      It’s a horrible situation, but it definitely makes me appreciate what I have. I’m incredibly privileged and I am so fortunate to have a company that tells me to work from home, to own my own home (that I share with my sweet lab and have my own room for my office), and to have money, food, and supplies.

    6. Agreed. No $$ spent on the ‘extras’ that come up when traveling for work (magazines for the flight, ebooks to decompress, etc.), no train tickets, no lunches out, no coffee/bagels in the AM, and gas is waaay down. We are spending more on groceries since I’m now cooking 3x/day nearly from scratch and making more ‘fun’ recipes like cookies/cakes to cheer myself and our household up.

    7. Froze my gym membership ($180/month). Probably spending more on groceries than usual. But, expensing fewer things since tax law means you can’t expense meals when working late from home instead of the office.

      1. Oooh, pausing/freezing memberships like this is something I hadn’t thought of. Going to go look through my credit card statement to see if there are any I can do.

        1. If your gym is already closed they hopefully already froze all the memberships. Orange Theory did this.

    8. I saved $50 from not commuting the end of March. I’m also saving money by wearing glasses rather than contacts. I’m probably spending more on food, takeout, and workout classes to help the small businesses in my town.

    9. I thought about this the other day too. Our in-home daycare closed, so no daycare costs!! We’re not eating out which will be quite a bit of savings. And yes to the savings on gas and all the extras I normally pick up when stopping at a store for milk, diapers, etc. that I’m not doing now.

    10. I wasn’t a big clothes shopper to begin with, but I’m saving on lunches out and travel. Daycare is closed but we’re still paying tuition, so unfortunately the biggest line item in my budget is very much unchanged :(

    11. Yes. I am saving significantly on parking at work — it’s one of my few splurges and I’m thankful the company let me freeze my account until I’m going back into the office. Waiting to hear whether daycare will pause tuition billing if this extends for a month straight (but I still want the teachers to be paid, so maybe not). We did spend our entire monthly food budget in two days, so everything is a little off right now.

    12. Saving mainly on dinners, but I put that money into a food bank donation the other day. Others need it much more than I!

    13. Setting aside the amount I’ve spent on groceries this month, I am spending more on supporting small businesses. My commute doesn’t cost me anything so the only money I’m really saving is on coffee and occasional lunch at work – maybe £25 a week. The much bigger saving is on midweek evening socialising and I suppose also my gym membership which I have managed to freeze for three months – some of that will be going into a digital membership for a local boutique barre studio whose classes I can’t usually make it to so easily.

    14. Saving money on takeout and eating out but spending money to try and throw some cash to local businesses. Just ordered some local cured meats; last night it was a couple of local bookstores.

      1. I’m going to order takeout from local places a couple times a week. And I’m probably going to stress-buy a bunch of stuff on TJMaxx online, so it’ll be a wash.

    15. We’re saving on not going out to restaurants. Our grocery bill may go up, but we’re working on eating leftovers and finding creative ways to minimize food waste. We’re also minimizing trips to the grocery store and pharmacy, so we’ll have fewer impulse purchases.

      I’m avoiding online purchases (to avoid my own tendency to stress-shop), and I’m not out running errands, so I’m not spending money on random items. We’re also not getting hair cuts, etc.

      I’m still going into the office, but the costs there are minimal because I have a short commute and free parking.

    16. Anything I’m saving I feel like I’m spending on groceries. Between shopping smaller stores and no sales on anything, making two to three meals a day for four people at home, it’s $200-$300 if I so much as think about groceries.

    17. I canceled my clothing subscription ($170/mo), my son’s gym subscription ($85/mo., which we planned to cancel anyway), daycare is letting us freeze our enrollment ($195/week), no coffee stops ($10-$15 week, although I plan to swing by and drop a $20 in their tip jar this week, so that’s a wash), minimal gas ($25/week), no going out to eat/drinks/excursions on the weekend ($25-$150 week), I’ve quit shopping online to avoid disrupting essential shipping needs ($10-$100/week), and we are down to grocery shopping every 2 weeks which will likely reduce our grocery bill.

    18. I have a lot more $ than I usually do because I’m not eating lunch out every day, I’m not going to the grocery store, and I’m generally not shopping online (or in store). I’m getting coffee 1-2x a day at the coffee shop a half block from my apartment, and buying books on Kindle. Also, I finally had time to deal with the reimbursements I’ve been meaning to do so I have $450 coming soon.

      I have spent about $30 on office stuff- a USB hub, $10 for Duet (I’m yesterday’s poster about it- still recommend after a full day’s use!), and will probably need toner here soon.

    19. I ordered a $40 standing desk and wireless keyboard for my laptop to replicate my in-office set up. My office is very close to my home and I ride my bike to the office a lot. My DH rides his bike to the office normally but we are now both work from home so not spending much at all on gasoline but we don’t normally anyway. Not buying clothes. No eating out, but we don’t do much of that anyway. But we’re making gourmet meals in. And lots of alcohol.

    20. Not immediately. I spent a gazillion dollars on groceries and household supplies over the past few weeks. We have limited storage and don’t ordinarily keep a backup supply of anything, so I just bought an extra 4-week supply of everything from dog food to laundry detergent to coffee. I intend to keep that backstock on hand from now on, so unless we go on lockdown and I don’t go out to replenish, we aren’t going to get that money back by not buying anything for a month. In addition, I’ve done all the household errands that would ordinarily be spread out over the next few months–car maintenance, vet visit, etc.

      I have spent a fair amount on shorts for my teenager who outgrew all of her clothes, a headset and weight set for working from home and working out at home, and stress-buying athleisure clothes. I can’t pause my YMCA membership, and so far we are still being charged $$$ for the kid’s gymnastics tuition even though the gym is closed. And I’m looking at spending $1,000 on on-line coursework if school is canceled for the rest of the year.

    21. Well, I am saving a bundle not going to Italy and Spain as I had planned for spring break. I will save some with my college kids being home, but that is offset by the almost $3000 I had to pay to get my daughter home. I am cooking more. However, I am currently extremely susceptible to ads. I can’t stop clicking.

    22. I am committing myself to using up all my skincare “disliked purchases” and free samples instead of ordering my HG products over and over. I expect my complexion to protest a bit, but I want to declutter, and no one will see my breakouts right now.

      1. I’d rather throw away the products and go without than use something that would make me break out.

    23. Yep. No commuting and no clothes shopping. Also no ballet, which makes me sad – I might donate the amount I’d spend on classes to the studio, to help keep it going (they shut down entirely).

      My gym is not charging the monthly fee for the time they are closed. I’m not sure about my group training class, which is a separate fee. Honestly, I can afford for them to keep my money even if classes aren’t in session and I’d rather they take it so they can keep the trainers on and re-open when this is over.

    24. No, instead I have spent so much money anticipating needing a home office (printer cartridges, keyboard, mouse, paper, monitor) and a home gym, stocking up on food and booze, and I am in weight loss mode and about to shrink out of all my clothes. I have clothes I bought for vacation and now can’t return to the store. And I spent a bunch on work travel plane tickets that I can’t get reimbursed by the client/firm and will just have to hold indefinitely in credit. Plus I am still in the office unless government mandates closure.

  16. Anyone have recommendations for house shoes for warm weather? I feel more put together if I am wearing a shoe while WFH, and it is getting too warm here to wear my winter slippers.

    2. Birkenstock’s EVA are lightweight and so comfortable. I like them better than the cork because they’re narrower and lighter.

    3. I wear my Birkenstocks or Allbirds all summer when wfh which is the norm for me before all this. We have hardwoods and being shoe-less in the house is a quick trip to foot pain town for me.

    5. TOMS. I know it’s super college-kid-in-2010, but I have a pair of chambray Avalon slip ons that I’ve worn out. I also have their rose gold Avalon slip ons and the coating immediately cracked, so would not recommend. But the fabric versions are fantastic. I’ve also had their flats before (comfortable) and their Cordones are also good. But I like the slip on versions the most.

      1. Also, Skechers have some comfortable stuff that isn’t the Skechers of the mid-2000s.

  17. I am in NYC, single and live alone. I’ve been WFH for about 2 weeks and not going out at all so think I am past the major danger of already being infected right now. But I’m pent up in my apartment and haven’t even been going for walks, plus worried about shortages, lockdowns, etc.

    My friend from upstate NY offered to pick me up in her car and have me stay at her house with her…but she cannot WFH in her job and already has some second degree exposures (ie other people at her work are sick with something and being tested).

    I can’t decide if I should go for the companionship and possible increased physical safety, while knowing that I have a higher risk of being infected if I go. Would love some advice. We’re both in our late 30s and healthy but I’ve also read some younger people are getting pretty sick.

      1. I found out yesterday my best friends boyfriend is very sick, in his late 30s, no underlying health conditions, but has been told to not go to the hospital to get tested unless he cannot breathe on his own anymore. He is in a NYC borough. I would not be risking it at this point.

      3. I feel like I need to weigh the risk of the virus against risk of things turning really bad in the city…which I don’t have a way to gauge honestly (and I don’t mean to inflame fear by my comment). The companionship would be a definite bonus.

        1. Easy. Done.

          Risk of virus: real, present now, based on credible advice.

          Risk of stuff “getting really bad in the city”: made up, does not exist, based on paranoia.

          1. Thank you. I’m really emotionally shaken right now and I need advice like this.

          2. I fully get it! I have a lot of dread too. We all need to help each other stay grounded. It’s going to be a warm beautiful day tmrw, pls make plans to go outside for a walk.

    2. Don’t go but also there is no reason why you shouldn’t be going for walks every day.

    5. I’d worry about ventilator capacity at the hospital up there in the worst case scenario. Just in case, I’d stay in NYC where the healthcare might be better.

    6. Stay home and start going for walks. Make phone and video chat dates with friends, have them “over” for meals or coffee. I’m sure they are lonely too!

  18. What is your experience with Lexapro? My partner just got a prescription for it, and I want to know if there are any unusual side effects to watch out for, especially in this turbulent time. He has a history of general anxiety and depression that has gone untreated for several years after a previous diagnosis and not great response to another prescription (it was not helpful in his opinion). I know it can cause drowsiness, so he plans to take it in the evening. I’m also aware of the general symptoms that come along with most SSRIs.
    I know I’ve seen a thread about this previously on here, but I can’t find it.

    1. I think there is always the potential for weird side effects but I found lexapro very easy to tolerate. I was a little queasy for the first week and for a few days after increasing my dose but that was it. My psychiatrist says she generally starts with it because most people react well.

    2. When I started on it, I only took 5mg (also at night). Eventually I upped the dose to 10mg…during this period had no side obvious side effects. However, when I tried going to 20mg, it messed with my sleep – I’d wake up and not be able to fall back asleep – so I went back down to 10mg, and so far it has been fine. I think easing in to the recommended dose per my doctor’s guidance was helpful, as well as being vocal with my doctor when I has issues. I know for all friends I know on SSRIs its a process to find your best drug/dose. Best of luck to your partner! I know I feel much better emotionally since I’ve been on it.

    3. I’ve been taking it for a few months with no weird side effects. Started at 10mg, now doing 15mg. I also take it in the evening. Some stomach issues when I first started, which faded quickly (and I was told were normal). It’s helped a lot with the anxiety (which expressed itself for me in near-constant feelings of rage).

    4. I had no side effects, but eased up to a 10 mg dose after a few weeks at 5 mg. Honestly…Lexapro changed my life. I’m not on it now because I’m newly pregnant…and, given the current state of things…..I miss the edge it took off my anxiety.

    5. I started 5mg of genetic lexapro last month and was very worried about side effects. So far, I’m tolerating it really well – no side effects I can point to. I have mild depression and anxiety, FWIW. I take it at night right before bed.

    6. Thanks all! He’s dealt with this for a long time, but the fog has been really heavy the past few months in our household. I’m happy to hear it’s a helpful med for others, and I’m really hoping this pulls him out of it.
      I know its a long road of finding the right medicine/counseling combo, but working meds is a big first step!

      1. One warning…. if anxiety is the dominant symptom for him, some people find that their anxiety gets worse initially when they start Lexapro. Did the doctor warn him of that? It is temporary. Sometimes it is severe enough that you call the doctor and they give you a short term medicine to take as needed to help take the edge off if it gets very bad. Alternatively, keep other anxiety reducing strategies going during the ramp up time, as the side effects fade: exercise, walks outside in the sun shine mid day, cut down on caffeine, download the headspace App and start learning mindfulness techniques.

        Good luck!

    7. It killed my s*x drive. But I think it saved my life. It was like a miracle when it pulled me out of severe depression.

  19. For academics, please don’t stress too much. Understandably HS and MS might be more stressful, but in elementary your kids will be fine.

    Anecdata if it makes you feel any better: I lived in Asia as a kid and went to a local elementary school that taught practically nothing except basic spelling (in the local language) and math in grades 1-5 (seriously, kids were playing hopscotch and drawing cartoons all morning because there were 60+ kids per teacher in my district and there was no standardized testing until you got to grade 7). I turned out fine academically, graduated near the top of my high school and had 3.9+ GPA throughout a Tier 1 college and law school, thanks to my mom who:

    (1) kept a bunch of educational cartoon books in the house that I would read in my free time (Loved ALL the cartoons by Larry Gonick and Horrible Science /History etc series, as well as the Word Smart / Writing Smart / Study Smart for Juniors etc series) and

    (2) had me create study plans to self-study 20 – 60 minutes of math workbooks depending on my grade (Singapore Math — their involvement stopped at buying me the workbooks of varying levels of difficulty. I had to finish each semester’s worth of workbooks three times — easiest, moderate, and challenging versions — before they would let me progress to the next semester) and 30 minutes of spelling / looking up vocabulary from the readings every day after school. Admittedly, school was only 3 hours each day for grades 1-2 because there were not enough classrooms (the school ran classes on 3 shifts — morning, afternoon, and evening).

    Doubled the time for vacations when I didn’t have school. The rest of the time, I played outside with neighborhood kids and read the random (educational) comic books and kid’s classics lying around the house.

    I feel like in today’s times they would have set me up with a Khan Academy account, told me I’m on my own, and left me to my devices to study for 4 hours each day. That would have been much more formal studying than I have ever done throughout elementary school.

    2. So true. My elementary school was a revolving door for teachers, so for the first few years, my curriculum was very scattered. One year, math classes consisted of coloring and listening to the teacher reading us fairy tales. When we moved and I joined a new school, I got D’s because I was so behind. But I made it up soon enough. Fast forward, and I had no trouble finishing high school, even got a PhD eventually. Not saying that my life is the epitome of success, but missing a few months schooling, if they live in a general pro-education household, may not have major impacts in the long run. Especially since this is not one kid struggling due to private issues and therefore having to rely on schools and teachers being understanding and making accommodations, but since everyone is in the same boat, so accommodations will be normal.

    3. THANKS for the recommendations on the educational comic books. I know that wasn’t the main intention of your post, but I think my boys will love these!

  20. I live in Houston. My company is “encouraging” everyone to work from home, but has no work from home infrastructure in place. Everyone in my department is working from home, except my team, because the other people on my team have responsibilities that literally cannot be done offsite. I don’t have the same responsibilities as those team members that keep me here. My boss told me I could work from home, but wanted to figure out how many of the other people she could get offsite without causing issues with the work that absolutely has to be done on-site before dealing with my situation. Tomorrow marks a week since the office said it was encouraging working from home. On one hand, I have a private office that I don’t leave once I get to the office and can hand-sanitize after getting through public spaces. On the other hand, now they’re saying that 17% of people are asymptomatic. What would you do? I am thinking about pushing harder to work from home, but on the other hand, I feel like coming to the office keeps me from being up at 4 am anxiety-checking the news. That being said, I woke up twice last night with panic attacks over everything.

  21. Just a little vent. I’m really grateful these are the only ways I’m impacted by the whole situation (mine and my SO’s income are unaffected, our work only marginally changes), but I’m still kind of bummed.
    My uni announced they’d be switching to online classes for the remainder of the semester which is a prudent choice I’m pleased they took but it completely changes how I expected the next few months to go and I guess I’m not handling the change of plans well since I just got smacked in the face with more depression and apathy than I expected. I had classes five days a week, from 9-5 on most days. I work from home. I had just moved closer to campus to have a shorter drive, now that won’t be an issue until this fall (there were other benefits to the move though so it’s not all bad). I’m guess I’m just not looking forward to five days a week of teleconferencing for my classes which still expect to meet at the same time, and hermit-ing it up for the rest of the time.

    1. Hey, I’m sending you virtual hugs! It’s all a bit much right now and it’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed. I can’t promise you that this is going away soon, but you will get used to this state of things and it will already feel a little less scary tomorrow. And the day after that it will be less scary. Some of this will just happen on its own, as you get used to these changes.
      This is going to take a while, so put your own oxygen mask on first. Going back to the basics is good enough for now. Getting dressed? Fantastic! Eating something good? Moving a little bit and getting some daylight? You’re kicking ass! Taking care of yourself is how you will make it through this. Asking for help can also help others, by making them feel helpful! If you call up a friend to get some human interaction, that helps both of you.

  22. Is anyone in the data analytics or data science field? What are your thoughts on it and getting into it? Is it a female friendly field? Is the market saturated with these types of graduates? Do you recommend online courses like you can get with Data Camp just to learn the very basics before paying for more “real schooling?”. Do you have any other advice? Thanks.

    1. I am! I’ve found it to be more female friendly than most of computer science, and a lot of tech companies are more open to WFH, flexible hours etc. However, some of them are also very bro-y startups so you have to watch out. I think it’s opened up a lot of opportunities for me in different industries, and I’ve appreciated have more defined technical skills. I did a Masters program but you have to be careful about 1) making sure the Masters is paid for and 2) its a strong program with good networking opportunities. The datacamps work too, but the field is definitely getting more saturated there.

      2. Do you mean that I should try to get a job where my employer will pay for the Master’s program?

    2. I work as a data analyst and love it. You can find a job in almost any industry, so it’s not hard to avoid companies that don’t fit your culture needs. My colleagues are mostly female, male management, in a male dominated industry but YMMV a lot. There’s such a huge range from entry level business analysts, to big data scientists, to database developers. It just depends on what you want to do within the data field because it is huge. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to lateral while you try to find your interest.
      I would take classes, online or in person, in some of the programming languages you see frequently listed in job postings. Also try to learn some BI platforms like Tableau or PowerBI which are useful in many roles. Good luck!

      1. Where are the best places to take classes at first? Should I start right at my local university or go community college or data camp…

        1. So IMO, for programming languages, you either get it or you don’t. Spending a ton of money at a university vs a community college isn’t going to make a difference. There are a lot of top notch graduate programs out there but they are extremely expensive (based on my budget) and aren’t going to help you a ton starting out.
          If e-learning works for you, and in this environment it might have to, there are a lot of data science courses you can find online for cheap (coursera and udemy come to mind). Similarly if you are trying to learn a new software like the BI platforms, you don’t need to throw a bunch of money at it.Play around with it and watch the tutorials.
          I believe there is some IBM or Microsoft data certificate course you can do as well, but I haven’t really looked into it. Maybe start with a cheap online course to see if it works out and then go from there.

    3. Oh…also…Do you have any comments in regard to data analytics vs data science? Thanks!

      1. They’re often very similar. I’d look at the courses involved more than the title of the program.

        My master’s is in Predictive Analytics. It is not the most mathematical program (it was at Northwestern’s night school) but it served me very well at work and paid for itself the first year. It included:
        Statistics (standard p-value based stuff)
        Linear regression + variants (done in SAS. Useless so far in my life to know that program.)
        Logistic regression + variants
        Time series analysis (done in R, which was great)
        Database structure and SQL
        Web analytics (scraping, text mining, etc.) (Done in Python, which was great)
        Basic machine learning (supervised vs unsupervised, basic algorithms)
        Project Management

        Topics missing in that list that are super useful for data science:
        Advanced SQL
        Optimization (and the math behind it — lots of derivative calculus + linear algebra, important for understanding how e.g. regressions work and the internals of neural networks)
        Bayesian probability + statistics
        Experimentation (power calculations, etc.)
        Actual model building and tuning (setting up a data pipeline, splitting into test and training sets, figuring out how good your model is, tuning the model parameters or changing the way you clean the data to make the model more successful, and then making that into a repeatable flow)
        Data munging (cleaning stuff up!)

        I’d recommend thinking about your background and interests, looking at the courses, and making sure you get some stats, some programming, and some basic math. If you get all three, you can call yourself a data scientist, regardless of the program name :)

      2. There is no consensus on the definitions of data science v. data analytics. To some people, “data science” is collecting, cleaning, and managing large data sets, and “data analytics” is analysis of those data (econometrics, machine learning, etc.). To others, “data science” is all of the above.

        If you want to do analysis, you really ought to have a Ph.D. or at least a master’s in a quantitative field, which includes the quantitative social sciences. Really solid analysis requires a thorough understanding of the math and the assumptions underlying the various models, and that doesn’t often come from a training course unless it’s a really high-quality one aimed at people who already have the academic background to understand it. If you want to do the collecting/cleaning/managing part, you can often do that without a degree if you have good programming and data management skills.

  23. Something lighter and first world – I started having my legs waxed only two months ago. I was so happy to find a way to avoid the itchy bumps of shaving finally! Now that the professionals are closed, suggestions for the best DIY method?

    1. I haven’t shaved in days! I am in the process of getting laser hair removal and kept having to push off my appointment. I’ll just be hairy for the time being! No one is seeing me anyway.

    3. An epilator! I got one and never went back to waxing because it was so easy to do from home. I have a ~$40 Braun one.

  24. Question for those who work at universities. My daughter’s U has been canceled other than sparse online learning for the rest of the year. Residence halls are open but students are encouraged to stay home.

    Do you suppose they’ll do anything about housing fees? Right now I owe a $900 upgrade rent for her housing (she moved into a single less than a week before being sent home) that I’m wondering if I’m really going to owe if she can’t use her housing.

    Also wondering about her unlimited food plan that she’s obviously not going to be able to use.

    1. I’m in Ohio and I think OSU is refunding people for food and housing charges for this semester.

    2. I have the feeling that it’s all been moving so fast no one really knows. If you can, I’d hang tight right now while they figure it out- and, if you have the ability to, let them figure out the crisis issues first (like, for example, our local campus is figuring out how to make sure students who don’t have a place to go will be housed and get food).

    3. It’s all happening university-by-university. We are doing a prorated refund of housing fees. Food plans, I’m not sure, because that’s an outside vendor. Our students have a thing where they have money that they can use to buy food on campus. We were all incredibly touched when they wiped out the campus convenience store last week and donated the food to the campus food pantry.

    4. My alma mater (large private U in the SEUS) is refunding housing charges, activity fees, and food plans on a pro rata basis.

    5. You will likely get a refund but do not bug the university about it now. I’m on a large college campus in Big Ten country, and trust me, everything is happening on the fly. I can promise that people are trying to figure out this stuff.

  25. Any fun book recommendations during this? I’ve been reading a LOT, but having a hard time focusing on more serious books.

    In the last few weeks, I’ve enjoyed:
    – The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (romance)
    – The Flatshare by Beath O’Leary (romance)
    – Hour of the Assassin by Matthew Quirk (spy-suspense)
    – Daisy Jones and the Six (historical fiction about a fictional band)
    – Books I liked when I was younger. I read The Borrowers (cute, liked it as much as I used to), Mad Scientist’s Club (…there were no women in that book, which I didn’t realize when I was 12), and one of the Dear America books about a girl on the Mayflower (also still liked). I’m going to read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH next.
    – Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (nonfiction but fairly light, about a therapist and her therapy)
    – Dark Matter (sci-fi, sort of?) Never would have read this if Modern Mrs Darcy hadn’t recommended it but I read it in one sitting. I’m also now reading his next book, Recursion.
    – The River (adventure/suspense)
    – The Mother in Law (suspense, sort of?)
    – The Giver of Stars (historical fiction) I LOVED this one.
    – The Right Swipe (romance)

    I’ve also been really enjoying rewatching The West Wing and also Madame Secretary. Government! That! Functions! And! Cares! About! Citizens!

    1. so randomly i started following ashley spivey, a former bachelor contestant (haha) but she has GREAT book recommendations! she puts them all on her instagram and frequently posts and ive been having a great time with her recs. im currently reading hte dinner list by rebecca serle which i am enjoying (relationship/tragedy but in a lighter absurdist framework)

    3. Here is the list of my favorites (not sorted according to genre):
      The end of the affair -Graham Greene
      My Dear Hamilton
      Boys in the Boat
      The Nightingale
      The Sympathizer
      The Lilac Girls
      The Alice Network
      Happiness Project and Better than Before
      The Power of the Dog, The Cartel and The Force – Don Winslow
      Monuments Men
      Say Nothing
      Devil in the Grove
      Red Sparrow
      A Gentleman in Moscow
      Rules of Civility
      The Big Short
      Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
      Angela’s Ashes

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