ByElizabeth Hours Updated
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Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Long-Sleeve Crewneck T-Shirt

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

Hello, Friday! We made it. I’ve been working from home for the last few days, and I would feel like a liar if I pretended that I did hair, makeup, and a full outfit every day. For the last few days, I’ve been wearing some version of this t-shirt from Target with leggings. I’m pretty picky about tees and have been so pleased with them. They’re a good length, super soft, and not paper thin. I like the stripes on this one — if you throw on jeans and some cute flats, you’ve got something vaguely resembling an outfit. Congratulations to you! 

The pictured top is on sale for $5 (!) and available in sizes XS–XXL. It also comes in a wide range of colors, sleeve lengths, and necklines for $5 and up. Long-Sleeve Crewneck T-Shirt

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337 Comments

  1. Check in: how are you doing? What are you reading? What are you eating that is tasty?

    Take a couple of deep breaths. Say to yourself, “I am a badass.” You are! You and through you all your ancestors have gotten to this point, you made it this far. You’re awesome! Keep doing what you’re doing, don’t worry about getting everything exactly right, just keep going.

    Here is the Rijksmuseum online https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio/artists/jozef-israels (link goes to an artist I was unfamiliar with but there are also Vermeers etc)

    I won’t be at my desk this weekend but I’ll be back on Monday! Stay the course. You got this.

    1. hello! I am watching Belgravia. I posted about it yesterday but I found it very relaxing in these times – it’s by the same guy who made Downton Abbey, and has that same pace and feel to it. It’s only one episode a week so I find it something to look forward to.

      On eating, I’ve started my sourdough starter, day 1, and yesterday made a sort of quarantine version of san chow bow – pork mince, carrot, onion, garlic, ginger and some sauces – oyster, kepis manis and some seasame oil – on lettuce cups. Was delicious and healthy!

        1. Through ITV, which is British, but I understand you can watch it through Amazon for our friends across the way.

    2. I’ve really struggled to motivate myself to do anything useful this week. This morning, I ran a mile on the treadmill, showered, put on somewhat normal clothes (tunic and leggings), and put on mascara and lipstick. It’s made a difference in my mood for sure.

      I’m reading a lot of government orders because I am still working and am on our business unit’s COVID-19 response team.

      Yesterday, I made beans and rice with a barbacoa spice mix which I am putting in tortillas with avocado mash and hot sauce!

      1. Same! I’m really struggling with work and it’s a new job. I’m so grateful to have a job where I can work from home but I just end up on social media, reading emails and looking at news updates. I’m struggling to focus on anything work related and anything other than the obvious.

        1. I’ve been volunteering myself for anything and everything at work because I am someone who works more efficiently if I am really busy. It helps that my boss is pulling me in on the urgent stuff because there is so much going on.

        2. I am right with Anon at 9:15. I am accustomed to working from home but cannot stop reading the news and social media. I have tons of work to do but nothing feels urgent right now with the courts closed.

      2. Same for me. Dad and I do think it is wonderful that so many of us professional women now have time to do alot of the things that our grandmother’s took for granted back in the 1950’s, like cooking, watching TV, exchangeing recipees and all. To bad the onley thing we can’t do is mingle with each other the way the wives did on Mad Men while the men were at work. However, I would take issue with allowing the men to go around haveing s-x with the office staff, the way they did back then. Today, even tho men continue to have s-x with women in the workplace, the #MeTOO movement has kind of clamped down on men who Grandma Leyeh says “want to lead with their weenies”. She is so right. Back in her day, she says men were less blatent about that stuff, but it still DID go on, and b/c there was no Pill, women had to go away for a while (either to have the baby or to get a bortion, which was NOT legal). So it is better now in some ways, since we DO have birth control, but we MUST always be very careful about trusting men for misleading us on into haveing s-x when they really do not care about anything else. FOOEY on men, but Dad says it has been this way ever since Adam and Eve had s-x in the garden of Eden, and they then had to wear fig leafs to stop their s-xueal temtations.

    3. Not worried about whether I’m handling day to day responsibilities appropriately. I’m showered. I’m relatively healthily fed. I have a good WFH setup and no kids to worry about. Our extended families are treating the virus seriously.

      Selfishly, the thing I’m struggling with is what to look forward to. My (& husband’s) normal treats and rewards are trying new restaurants and traveling. It’s hard to think that even a trip scheduled for 2 months from now will happen. While I know there would be Good Society Reasons for travel to still be a bad-to-impossible idea by late May… feels like I am just staring down a long, dark tunnel of Groundhog Day that is not at all likely to go back to the “old normal” in weeks vs. months.

      1. Maybe you could drive somewhere and stay in a remote house or cabin with a beautiful view or a lake. YOu could have the house cleaned before and after your leave, bring groceries, games, etc. It is good to have something to look forward to…I am feeling the same way…

        1. We had somewhat this plan (it was actually just a modification of a vacation we had planned all along), until we were put under shelter in place Tuesday and are no longer able to do even this. It’s almost worse to plan something and be excited and have it taken away, so I think from here on out we’ll wait before planning anything else…

          Just to put that out there in case you think shelter in place is coming for ya’.

        2. We were planning a cabin weekend in the woods in a few weeks, and our Airbnb host cancelled on us because their cleaning crew is cancelling indefinitely. I totally get it, but it was a big bummer. We aren’t even in a shelter in place area!
          Dreaming of being in the woods away from people…

      2. This is us too – we travel a lot, eat out a lot, I’m much more introverted than my husband so staying home isn’t so bad, but I totally get the looking forward to part. Normally we have some trip or other in the pipeline (now all cancelled) and it’s not easy.

      5. Me too… I’m in shelter in place and missing my daily joys in life: grabbing a treat at starbucks, wearing nice clothes and driving out in my car to work, catching up with a friend, stopping by a neighbor’s house to chat, walking my kids to school in the morning, enjoying a meal at an outdoor restaurant, going to my yoga class and other hobby activity group, etc.
        Ive been cranky, crying for no reason, and crotchety to my husband. Keeping it barely together for work, cooking meals and entertaining (occasionally educating) my kids.

    4. Thank you for this post! It helps to see something like this as I log into work.

      Currently reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Interesting stuff, but I don’t recommend reading it just before you yourself try to go to sleep.

      In quarantine-world, I seem to be making breakfast my big meal of the day. Spinach frittata earlier in the week, omelette with peppers and onions this morning.

      1. Ha, that book put me to sleep almost instantly! I have insomnia and it was the best cure. Not because I found it boring at all, it was interesting. I think I’m just a very suggestible person, so reading about how I should be sleeping put me to sleep. But I’ve seriously never slept better than I did in the two weeks I was reading that book.

        1. That’s great! With me, reading about all the very bad things that stem from lack of sleep sent me into a minor anxiety spiral when I normally have zero problem falling asleep.

    5. Doing ok – I WFH weekly anyway and personally I quite like not being around people all the time. Socially it’s more a pain and not being able to travel or go to restaurants. Planning a video call with some friends today over a glass of wine, though!

      Eating (healthily at least) is a challenge because OH MAN are people selfish when it comes to shopping – here in London the shelves are pretty empty with people pointlessly stockpiling anything they can get their hands on. We haven’t got storage space (tiny fridge/no proper freezer) so we can only shop every couple of days, let alone old people/disabled/nurses on 48 hour shifts.

    6. Looking forward to checking out some of these recommendations!

      I want to re-read a few of the books on my shelf that I read years ago, but have forgotten the details of.

      On a similar theme, yesterday I did a big pantry clean-out/inventory, and I’m looking forward to making recipes with ingredients I forgot I had. Big jar of fish sauce + angel hair pasta + veggies = Vietnamese bun inspired dinner.

    7. I went on a neighborhood walk with my daughter this morning and it was a really, really good way to start the day. Felling grateful for these small moments of peace

    8. Good morning! Thank you for these posts – they make me smile every morning. We are still trying to adjust to 2 adults and 3 kids stuck in the house together. It’s become clear that I need to make myself a daily schedule for work, just to have some structure, and then a loose schedule for the evenings to make sure we get some cleaning done, have family time, then still get some down time as adults despite the fact that the kids don’t NEED to go to bed as early.

      I haven’t really been reading this week, which I didn’t realize until I read this, and it’s probably part of why I’ve been feeling anxious. So I’m going to fix that going forward! I’ve added several recommendations from recent threads to my list, so I’m going to download a book later and make sure I read a little every day.

      Mostly watching Big Bang Theory but I’m going to check out Belgravia. I wish we weren’t all caught up on the Great British Baking Show because I find that incredibly calming!

      Hang in there everyone, and stay healthy!

      1. Have you seen Big Dreams Small Spaces? On Netflix has strong GBBO vibes but about gardening. Might also like Design Masters.

      2. I’m blanking on the name, but the crafting competition show with Amy Poehler and Nick (we’ll just pretend I wrote his last name here) is truly the American version of GBBO because it captures the spirit and fun even though it isn’t about baking. It’s on Hulu and is pure happiness and stress relief.

          1. Yes! Making It! Wonderful show, makes me want to wear overalls 100% of the time.

      3. we subscribed to britbox just to have gardeners world! it’s made a difference in my daily mood for sure. very calming

    9. I had a lovely bath last night. My husband and I have been watching old Star Trek and really enjoying it (I didn’t think he was into it, he didn’t think I was into it, it’s been a pleasant surprise that it’s something we can share!). I haven’t felt able to focus on reading this week but I’m going to try again tonight – I have The Little Way of Ruthie Leming and The Secrets We Kept waiting for me in Libby.

      1. My husband and I watched the old Star Trek series last year. If you’re into TNG, the new series Picard is good. Different vibe than the original series, but we are enjoying it.

        1. Yes, we are actually watching TNG! We don’t have whichever account you need to watch Picard yet, but I am very interested.

    10. Thank you for the bright posts! I’ve struggled a bit this week. It’s hard to focus (even with a fairly good WFH setup and no kiddos or partner to be mindful of). I’m hoping that I can be more productive next week. We were officially notified that we will be WFH until at least April 17. Schitt’s Creek has been my saving grace.

    11. I’m really grateful for my husband. We’ve been around each other 24/7 and it’s been completely fine. He helps me think of good ways to relax and gets me calmed down when my anxiety spirals. Better yet, he does his share and then some to keep our household running. Looking forward to the weekend with him – we’ll make it through shelter in place ok.

      1. Amen. We are fortunate to have these husbands. I’m really grateful for my hubs who is a great cook and runs out for supplies, keeps us stocked up on important things and is keeping up on housework and yard work. He has also been running errands for retired people – picking up groceries and prescriptions.

    12. For some reason 4-7ish pm is my worst time of day. I think before that I can lose myself in work and there is some novelty in WFH although I prefer the office I now know; and after that me and the hubs drink wine and watch TV like normal (we have little kids so we’re home normally more than not). But that 4-7 pm time frame really hits me for some reason, maybe the complete lack of commute, social engagement with teachers during pick up etc.

      I also have come to appreciate the saying about how trying to mentally help yourself is like asking your broken leg to walk you to the hospital. I know things like doing a work out etc during that time would probably help (and I am usually SO good about being motivated to work out!) but in the funk it is realllyyyy hard to motivate to help yourself.

      Good luck all.

    13. I am finally working from home starting today – my boss is super old school and was really opposed to the concept, but I think is gradually accepting reality (and yesterday I (a) got the last piece to set up my laptop dock and (b) discovered that someone upstairs in my office building was confirmed positive – that was the precise moment I noped out). Planning to go for a short (and socially distant) run along the waterfront around lunchtime, since it’s super warm here today, and maybe do some yoga or pilates (or maybe the bosu I ordered will actually be delivered and I can use that) this evening. Usually I go to the climbing gym 3-4x a week, so this has already been a tough week. Trying to decide what to do re my horses this weekend – I think I should at least go up and groom/check on them one day, but I’m feeling guilty about leaving my apartment, especially because I went to work for most of the week…

      Currently reading Laurus, which won a bunch of awards in Russia a few years ago. And watching season 4 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. :)

    14. Golden Child by Claire Adam. Making things into pesto: soup with celery leaf pesto, and pasta with frozen pea pesto.

      1. Oh a pea pesto! I have some peas in my fridge that I need to use up and some spaghetti squash to eat – something new! Thank you for the suggestion!

    15. I resisted getting a dog for ages, and we adopted a little rescue back in February who’s just been a light during this and a great excuse to get outside for sanity walks. Just a plug that if you’ve been thinking of adopting a pup, it’s a great time now – it’s really nice to be hone with them initially. Of course depends on where you are, but just a suggestion if it’s still an option where you are

      1. And if you’re working from home and can foster but not adopt, that will go a long way as well. Many shelters are not adopting out as fast as they normally would or are shutting down except for essential staff to keep the pups alive and aren’t taking any new ones in, so fostering goes a long way to help with the glut of animals over the next few weeks. I’d foster but I already have several at home.

    17. I got out of the house last night for my volunteer shift. I was able to practice proper social distancing from humans and got to pet some kitties. It was good to get out of the house, but also a little strange seeing how empty everything is.

      Gas prices are the lowest I’ve seen in a while, but I’m hardly driving anywhere now.

      I just saw a recipe on Pinch of Yum for Deep Dish Cookie Bowls for two. I think I will try those for dessert tonight.

      Recently finished reading Open Book from Jessica Simpson and The Other Mrs from Marky Kubica. Definitely recommend both.

    18. I finished reading ‘Grownups’ by Marian Keyes— I love her writing as it’s a combination of hilarious laugh out load descriptions at times, but does contain some really deep insights too. I recommend all her novels in fact. I love her vlogs on YouTube as well. Now currently rereading Pride and prejudice as I also crave a dose of the classics too, intertwining books helps me. Husband and I are able to go for walks, or drive for a hike still, (there were way more cars parked at the base of the park) but I feel so much safer sticking close to home. Husband went to outdoor archery range where very few people are at, and has always had social distancing ,more so now. We are making all our meals together and just freezing things we can’t finish so we won’t throw it away.

    19. Good morning! At the office but able to keep a good distance for the most part, washing my hands like mad. Worried about my son, who is still doing group therapy in a mental health facility. Also worried about my husband for different reasons — we’re under a shutdown order and I worry this may be the end of his 2-attorney law firm if it goes on too long.

      Just finished reading Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and liked it a lot. Watching Picard and The Good Fight on TV. As I posted yesterday, we watched Brittany Runs a Marathon the other night and loved it.

      Eating lots of delicious homemade bread now that I know how easy baking it is! Made shepherd’s pie for St. Pat’s and that was delish.

    20. I’m WFH and luckily my sister is available to hang out with the baby and the toddler while I work.

      But my husband is a nurse and just texted me that he had his first patient who is being tested for COVID-19. He has asthma and always hangs on to coughs forever. I’m worried for him and also, trying to plan how we should get him in and out of the house going forward.

      He bikes to work. My thoughts are Lysol wipes and garbage bags and flip flops in the garage. He can strip down, put on flip flops, run straight to the shower. Put dirty scrubs in plastic bag in garage to be washed separately later….

      He wants to use the excuse to invest in a camp shower. If we could find anywhere to buy one.

      1. My ex husband was an ICU nurse. When he treated patients with Very Bad, Very Contagious illnesses, he would come in the back door (straight into the room where our washing machine was), put all clothing in the washer immediately with HOT water and shower before anything else. Then he’d go back and wipe his shoes down before putting them in the closet. My concern about the plastic bag in your situation is that, at least here, trash bags are sold out in most places! If you have a washable shopping bag or anything else, that could also work, and just throw the bag in the wash with the scrubs.

        It’s a hard time to be married to someone doing that job. Good wishes coming to your family from this corner of the internet!

    21. I’m making the Jo Cooks no-knead bread! I was inspired by everyone posting about it yesterday. It’s my first venture into bread besides challah and I’m very excited!

  2. Wow, Elizabeth, a long-sleeve top like this for $5! It sounds like a great deal, and they say it is made out of a lightweight fabric with added spandex for all-day, comfy wear! Great Pick, Elizabeth, and this is great for us just sitting around the house if we are Skypeing or doing Face Time. I learned NOT to use any video service wearing my PJs or my college T shirts, as Dad said they look unprofessional.

    The Judge has told us he will ONLY do teleconferences for the time being, as his family wants to keep him at home. Also, the Judge told me that Justice Margaret McGowan of the NY State Supreme Court in Queens NY tested positive for Corona virus. I found the article today on Law 360. Ugh. I am providing the hypolink to the entire HIVE as a service.
    https://www.law360.com/articles/1255143?scroll=1&related=1

    We must ALL hunker down to keep the Virus at bay, Dad says. So I am doing that and NOT going out except for essential’s. I encourage the HIVE to do the same, and stay safe.

  3. We made it through the week! How are you planning to occupy your weekend?
    I’m hoping to sneak up to the hardware store right when it opens and buy some flowers to plant so I can spend some time in the yard. I’m pretty much done with spring cleaning the inside of the house already. Maybe I’ll make some fresh bread, though flour, sugar, and butter seem to be in short supply right now. There’s only so much TV and reading one can do.

    1. Yes to yard work. It will be fairly nice here, so I am going to clean up the flower beds and do any needed pruning. We are starting some flowers from seed inside the house this year too, but it will be a while before its warm enough to plant those.

    2. It’s too cold/snowy for proper yardwork where I live, but some things I want to get to include:
      -A nice yoga session
      -Finish painting the cabinets
      -Clean off the stove
      -Scrub the fridge
      -Play the piano
      -Tidy and sort in our storage room
      -See if I can convince my husband to embark on some of the half-finished projects we have sitting around the house (plumb the new bathtub, hook up the chest freezer, hang the closet shelves) depending on what we have the materials for

    3. Cleaning the windows, and then cleaning out the flower beds. Saturday AM is also cleaning the inside of the house, PM will do the windows while my husband vacuums (yes, I’d rather clean windows than vacuum).
      Also trying to till a plot of soil for pumpkin planting!

          1. Good tips – thank you! They’re the mini variety and we have a 30 x 4 ft spot behind the garage in full sun staked off – is that enough?!? I have so far only succeeded at growing herbs, pepper, and peas in planters, not in proper soil….

          2. As long as you water them a lot, pumpkins are easy. I’ve grown them by accident by leaving an old decorative pumpkin near the compost bin.

            I’m not anywhere near a good Gardner. If it needs more than water and sun, it doesn’t make it around here.

          3. Agree on the water. We had four plants last summer and our water bill went way up. If you aren’t copiously watering them, they wilt – visibly, it’s really obvious.

            We got a handful of little pumpkins but the squirrels got them before they were fully ripe. Total waste of effort and water for us.

    4. Brief pause for a moment so I can happy dance and share my over-the-top enthusiasm for something little, but still joy-inducing: I heard the peepers last night!!!!!! (for those of you asking WTF? The peepers are the little frogs that come out in early spring and make that cute little peep-peep noise in early evening/nighttime. They’re a sure sign of springtime.)

      You may now resume normal programming.

      My plans for this weekend are to do my usual cleaning/laundry and cook something good. I’ve been promising my sister lasagna since August. It was what I was going to make for her the weekend I was in a car accident. Nope. No lasagna that weekend, and it didn’t happen afterwards, either. So lasagna sounds good to me. I saw Hallmark is doing a Christmas movie marathon this weekend, so I’ll probably watch a couple of the better ones. I saw an article that people are putting their Christmas lights up as a symbol of hope through all this craziness. Don’t think I’m not tempted. We could be eating Easter dinner with the Christmas tree up, and I do have ingredients on hand to bake some Christmas cookies this weekend. Laugh all you want, ladies, and call me crazy, but whatever it takes to keep me sane and the anxiety from setting in!

      1. We lived in the country when I was little and I have vivid memories of being TERRIFIED of the peeper noise, it seemed to come from everywhere and although my mom kept explaining that they were tiny creatures it didn’t help! I’m glad it makes you happy and I am here for signs of spring!

        (Was also terrified of the deer huff noise.)

      2. I like the peepers for the first night only. After that the constant noise drives me crazy.

      4. I have no clue what peepers are.. I’m in the SEUS and we have cicadas, though they aren’t out yet. I’m imagining a similar almost constant buzzing noise (which I find very soothing and reminds me of summers as a kid)

      5. I don’t know what exactly it is, but I too heard noisy bugs last night that indicate spring and was happy.

    5. I was planning to take the family hiking, but the weather is now predicted to be off and on thunderstorms all weekend. Hopefully the thunderstorms will be intermittent, and we can still get outside for some yard work. A cold front is coming through, so at least it won’t be hot and muggy.

      Other than that, DH and I will probably trade off child care so we can each have some alone time, which has been in short supply for both of us. I might make some cookies with my son.

    6. We are going to fire up the band saw and cut all those wine corks in half, and if we can find some masonite in the garage we will commence the wine-cork trivet project!

      1. Oh, and also redo the budget to see how we will manage with Hubby missing paychecks (so he can pay his staff as long as possible) and possibly tenants not paying rent. Gah…

        1. I don’t know if you have a mortgage, but our bank is allowing deferred mortgages for 3-4 months. We have 3 great tenants, but one is a masseuse, one works for the New Orleans Convention Center, and one half of a couple works in a restaurant. I’m not sure any of the three will make rent next month. We have some cash reserves, but we will probably ask for the deferral and keep the cash in case there’s a major repair needed or something else comes up.

          1. Yes I am reading about mortgage deferrals. I will call my bank and ask.

            My tenant is great but he’s an auctioneer so I imagine no money will be coming in.

    7. Long run, long hike, long bike ride, long walk. Cooking. And trying to find eggs to do baking projects.

  4. I’m in the office. Still. My company is fighting the PA governor’s order to shut down, insisting that we are a “lifesaving” business. We are most certainly not. Every day this place is digging a bigger hole and showing its a$$ during this crisis. So disgusted and angry.

    1. In PA too…..WFH for a few weeks, but I work for a very large global company headquartered in another state. Who is your employer? I’m sorry you have to go through this.

    2. What industry are you in? It sounds nuts that you’re still having to go into the office!! If it helps at all, I’m at home this week and I wish I was at the office because it’s hard to work on my laptop and not have what I need easily accessible, and I do better with a structured routine. Hang in there!

    3. Our business in PA is staying open because we supply to the DoD and have received notices that we are part of the critical infrastrucure per DHS. I feel terribly for our employees who have to work in the manufacturing plants here and in CA, as a result, because the rest of us can work from home.

    4. Is it not cut and dry? I mean, the hospital is clearly life-saving (unless you get a hospital-acquired infection there). A restaurant? No. Hospital cafeteria? Probably yes (workers have to be fed). Car dealership? No, but I need a car to get to doctor appointments for a chronic condition. I could cab or figure out the bus system (and pray for no rain), but my car just has my germs in it. Power company? Yes. People who put up power poles? Yes. People who audit financials so you can get the loan to keep the light on and not let your employees go (employees who rely on job-based health insurance for family medical conditions that can be grave)? Where do you draw the line? The world won’t end tomorrow if I’m not at work, but it will work better tomorrow if I am. Mechanics who work on ambulances can’t work remotely.

      1. PA issued a spreadsheet showing what is considered “life saving” and no, it is not necessarily intuitive. It extends to a lot of infrastructure, including consumer goods, not just medical needs.

        1. PA has weird ideas about what is life saving. Beer distributors, for example, are considered life saving because they also sell water.

    5. Another PA person, too, and also in the office. We’re construction, but getting around the gov’s orders by saying we’re “equipment rental” because we do that, too. My company has shown very little direction other than sending out one reminder (with a GLARING error — that COVID-19 is HARD to catch. Um, how about NO?) about washing your hands/not touching your face/social distancing last week. Nobody is working from home even though quite a few of us could very easily do 90% or more of our jobs remotely. It’s frustrating AF, especially when all construction has been shut down.

    6. I had to put my foot down and insist that I be allowed to switch to WFH after having to attend a large family funeral. My boss is still insisting that everyone should be reporting to the office as normal. We’ve closed the lobby but that’s it.

      In IL where the rumor is Pritzker will be ordering a lockdown or similar today, but until that actually happens, we’re expect to be at our desks. Boss is generally a very kind and thoughtful and compassionate person but I’m pretty frustrated with his response to all this so far.

  5. This is very inspirational! I am eating some Cherios cereal, but do NOT have any fresh fruit today. I really need to get some Strawberries and Bananas, and Myrna says she has an extra box she bought on the street she will get to me. The Street fruit guys are just as good as the supermarket, and they should be patronized, Dad says, but the street guy I normally buy from on Lex was not there for 3 days. I hope he is OK. Does anyone here know anything more about him?

  6. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/how-republicans-and-democrats-think-about-coronavirus/608395/

    As a Republican close to a metropolitan area, the sentiment in this article rings true. But I also know many fellow Republicans taking this seriously. Haven’t left my home since last Friday and I miss people!

    Side conversation I’ve been having with my politically diverse circle of friends: one thing we miraculously all agree on is our personal vacillation between a desire to be socially responsible and perhaps a greater fear that this is how we quickly slip into an authoritarian state. In unprecedented times, you can convince a populace that unprecedented measures need to be taken. And that leads you down a very slippery slope. I also find it highly suspect and convenient that China accelerated their recovery while the rest of the developed world is declining.

    IDK, I’m usually not a conspiracy theorist type, but this is where my head goes when it’s just me, a bag of chips, and non-stop Curb Your Enthusiasm. Back to my chips.

    1. The thing that scares me is not shelter-in-place orders, it’s the government’s lies and withholding of information. The administration just asked governors not to release unemployment statistics.

      1. Yes, to me it seems that authoritarianism is part of the history of what’s gone wrong here.

        1. I don’t disagree with you. But I’m also wondering if withholding those statistics is a ploy/effort to buoy spirits and keep the market from tanking further in response? Not saying it’s right, just a thought.

          1. Even if you’re correct, that strategy will backfire because it will further erode the already weak trust in our obviously untrustworthy government.

          2. Last week’s episode of NPR’s Planet Money, they asked three different economists, that all proposed different ways to help the economy _eventually_, but they all agreed that the lack in public health response is what’s causing the markets to tank, and you need to address that first before you do anything else.
            Withholding information/Saying everything is great has been tried for two weeks. It hasn’t worked so far, why assume it will work going forward? Not really surprised to read about stock selling from several members of Congress this morning. Am a little surprised they would make it so obvious.

          3. I don’t understand why nobody gets this. Everyone is saying that we have to choose between the economy and public health, when what is obviously happening is that the economy is tanking because it’s obvious that there is a serious danger that the government is not adequately addressing. The markets tanked when/because governments at all levels were still sticking their heads in the sand.

          4. Because the stock market is not the economy. The economy is businesses operating, people having jobs and people spending money. All of that is collapsing.

      2. The bad info started in China, months ago. No free press. Political prisoners (that they harvest organs from). Wighurs. Not a good place.

        I at least trust South Korea’s info.

      3. I agree. Without giving details that would out me, the judges issued a clearly unconstitutional order that affected all cases criminal and civil. The constitution has not been and should not be suspended. The prosecution agreed that it was unconstitutional. But the courts haven’t done anything to reverse course. It’s horrifying.

        1. I’m a prosecutor and I entirely agree that jury trials should not be suspended, I don’t see how we can hold them right now. I’m in a hot spot. I dread having to explain to my sex assault and domestic violence victims that their cases have been dismissed, and they lost orders of protection, because we could not hold a trial in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t know what the right answer is. This is all terrible.

          1. Judges everywhere are still handling emergency matters either in the courthouse or remotely, including protective orders. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that serious criminal cases are being dismissed at this point.

    2. You sound looney toons. I’m in a shelter in place zone. We still get to vote. We can leave our houses if we want. No one is checking my id to be outside. I’m not worried about too much government activity at the moment. My concern is too little. Where are the field hospitals?

      1. I bet you were one of the people who also told everyone to go about their lives, and that thinking the current situation could happen was people being paranoid. EX: should I cancel my travel? Horde: No! You’re overreacting! You’re crazy.

        Where did all those people go?

        1. Nope not at all. I’ve been overly anxious and started stocking up weeks ago and cancelled all my travel and advised others to do the same.

        2. Yes, I am curious what all the folks who shouted people down when they expressed anxiety or concerns are doing right now. The responses were really over-the-top and I feel like apologies are in order, to those of us who got bullied for asking simple questions. One more reason why I wish Kat required registration to comment.

          1. You have a very valid point.

            I don’t think that as individuals, there was much more we should have been doing when those posts were going up. Washing hands. As someone with a family member with medical problems, I always kept 1-2 months of extra supplies and more of medicines. That was because of the more common problems with backorders and poor supplies of generic meds these days. But other than that, there wasn’t much more for us to do to I’m afraid.

            It is our government that has been failing, that should have been doing more. Not just Trumps’ denial, then slow/evasive/inadequate response now, but his cutbacks that affected readiness in 2018 as well as cutbacks both Democrats and Republicans have been making for years. We are not good at planning for the future these days. And Trump’s horrible relations with China and continued offensive and racists use of the “Chinese virus” phrase will guarantee that while China is now starting to help deliver supplies to countries in need (Italy, African countries) they sure as hell will not be rushing to help the US.

            Now, Trump should be mobilizing to build temporary hospitals/spaces/ships for patient care, getting manufacturing to build more ventilators and innovate to use the ones we have with more people, getting as many tests as possible and stop saying misleading statements about the number of tests we have/where to get them and stop misleading on the effectiveness of drugs we have and the speed of vaccines that we are trying……and instead doing everything in his power to get supplies to the neediest locations. Mobilize. Lead. For him to stand up there and say the federal government isn’t a “supply clerk” and that the states should be fending for themselves in this regard is ……. you don’t even want to know what I would call this…. revenge?

          2. We got more information and our opinions shifted. You shouldn’t shame people for admitting that.

        3. I’m here. I still think we are over reacting. This driven by a lack of data, always on sensational news, political posturing, and people refusing to do what they are asked, leading to states issuing increasingly draconian orders.

          I do what the various government entities ask us to do because I’m a law abiding citizen. I’m not scared, I am not anxious, and I don’t owe anyone an apology.

          2. Ditto. And I haven’t needed to fight my way through a grocery store because I am adequately prepared, as I was before this became a thing. Panicking doesn’t do anything. Work the problems in front of you that you can control. Let the rest go.

    3. China is recovering and the US is just starting. I’m sure China was not doing well a month or two ago. It’s not some secret conspiracy that China is improving. Thousands of people in China already died.

    4. I thought South Korea responded effectively (they have a good number of positive cases, but some of these were from one religious cult). Their methods I suspect would be considered government overreach here (they used cell phone location history to track where infected patients had been and identify close contacts). We only let private companies have that data about us in the US.

      Korea also had enough personal protective equipment on hand for their doctors and nurses. It’s heartbreaking what’s been happening in Italy without that protection. I think Singapore has been successful with containment as well.

      1. I was just reading about the Italian doctor who had to treat patients without gloves…absolutely heartbreaking. If anyone thinks of a way that communities can help provide basics like gloves and masks, please let me know!

        Agreed on SK’s response – but as you alluded to, there are far too many cultural and ideological differences to facilitate something similar here, for better or for worse.

        1. I’m worried that we have the worst of both worlds, since government entities do access a lot of private data here (thanks to anti-terrorism measures, etc.), but they can’t draw attention to this by using it to help us in a situation like this.

        2. I’m in MA and there are reports of mask and eye protection shortages.

          Dentists have been donating/providing their eye protection as most are closed. There are community groups sewing masks with direction from hospitals. Some schools have lab equipment they are providing.

          It sounds insane that we are already at shortages, but I assume it is because everyone is now wearing protection all the time- and not necessarily because of all the confirmed cases.

          1. Someone in MN just sent me a video by a hospital there showing how to sew masks to donate. This feels like WWII when everyone was knitting socks for the soldiers. Too bad we can’t build ventilators at home.

    5. Yeah, it has been interesting to see that both my conservative and liberal family members are spooked about things like delays in elections (I have tried to provide some comfort that there are many more limits that prevent delays in the general election vs. the primaries, which are much more loosey goosey), bad information coming out of the government, and the possibility of intrusive surveillance being used in the disease response.

      Another unifying factor: concern that government is not doing enough to help the working poor (my conservative relatives generally fall into this category although that’s not how they previously thought of themselves) and worry that the social institutions we all collectively rely on to make up the gap, like churches, are largely shuttered and unable to provide the support they previously did (both my conservative and liberal relatives are very religious).

      In some ways this experience is building social solidarity due to a shared sense that we have to work together, but it’s also hampering our traditional ways of showing that social solidarity (like through volunteering, religious institutions, etc.) and that is hard across the board. Here in GA we have multiple disease clusters tied to church services. We tend to be a religious people and while we know that stopping in-person worship is necessary, it’s gutting for many of us.

    6. Trying to slip into an authoritarian state with something like a virus that the whole world is working on and will eventually (in the shorter rather than longer term) be resolved rather than a war shows just how incompetent this administration is.

  7. Not good. Home for about 3 weeks with a 2 day break for when we thought the corona was “just a scare”
    Work is very very calm because my entire division was laid off a couple of months ago and we are basically wrapping things up. This means I am primary parent+ homeschool teacher to toddler, cleaner, cook, grocery shopper while interviewing and having companies shut down hiring processes abruptly due to corona. D(????)H has decided to take this time to make a serious dent in work-stufff he didn’t have time to do when he was in the office and is generally being worse than useless at home. His contribution is limited to reading about corona, freaking out and being so sad about the death toll going up while. being totally oblivious to his housemates burning out while trying to be supportive of his needs. Asking for help leads to him complaining about being exhausted from all the meetings (his coworkers otoh are magically managing to cook for themselves, clean up after themselves and generally behave like full adults and therefore working at “less than 100%”productivity ” which makes him want to work even more to prove that he is a superhero :/)

    1. Nope nope nope. You gotta stop this over the weekend. He needs to contribute as well. Specific daily tasks. Like zero reason he can’t be in charge of prepping lunches the night before, or laundry, or doing a morning tidy. He can make a meal plan and prepare something this weekend and watch Frozen 2 with your toddler while mommy takes a long bath.

      Ladies, if your husbands refuse to do anything to support you in a pandemic, divorce them. What is the point?

      1. Totally agree. I’ve always been in the “just because I love you doesn’t mean I won’t leave you if being with you makes my life significantly worse.” We can be divorced and fwb if that’s how you want life to play out.

      2. Oh, man, no kidding. Your husband is supposed to make your life better, not worse!

    2. What? He gets a 9-5 schedule. He takes kids for lunch while you get a breaks. Evenings/weekends split per normal schedule. He contacts online therapist for help if he cannot cope. You cannot carry your family for the next two months.

    4. Agreed, 100% not cool. I am usually the primary parent for snow days but we’re having a serious scheduling talk this weekend – I can NOT work, set the schedule for homeschooling, cook, clean, and get some exercise all by myself while he just works. Nope, nada, not happening. I’m assigning chores to all and sundry this weekend and then divvying up cooking responsibilities for next week. DH is on all weekend cooking while i clean the house with kiddo (cleaner is not coming for at least 2 weeks, yes we’re paying them anyway).

      1. Don’t forget to count the emotional labor of assigning chores and divvying up responsibilities in your chore list. It counts.

        1. Agreed – it does count, but as an introvert the ‘alone time’ to write the list out and sort out who does what is easier work for me than him entertaining the kiddo.

    5. Nope nope nope. I am the person in my family working, and my husband is home with our son. (I’m still going to the office for unfathomable reasons, but it is 2 minutes from my house.) I am working a 9-5 schedule, with an hour for lunch. I am doing most of the childcare before 9 and after 5, plus helping out around the house at lunch, doing the dishes every night, and doing some light chores. Our son is almost 5, so it’s not like an infant where you have to constantly meet daily needs or a toddler where you have to supervise at all times, but he has an intense personality and some special needs, so his full-time childcare is exhausting.

  8. 2 things for me today:

    1. Was able to get a pack of TP after going to multiple stores every day for a week and nothing. Went to the store 2 hrs early to wait in a line down the block to get in, got in and got one of the only packs on the shelf!

    2. One of us has been talking about how she was writing her first book. It seems the book is finished and announced so I just wanted to shout that out! It’s called “The Educator’s Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion” and, though I know this can be a politicized topic, I thought I’d lift that up too since so many of us need to know when any one of us gets a win!

    1. Ground beef! Found yesterday! Almost kissed the man at the meat counter (didn’t). All other grocery stores in my city turned vegan when they closed the schools — no more TP, bread, meat, or hand sanitizer. Whole Paycheck for the win!

    2. Honestly? I got up. I’m doing work. We’re safe and healthy. I remembered to put dinner in the crock pot.

      Today is 2-year anniversary of FIL’s sudden and devastating passing and yesterday we got some really, really tough personal news. Quarantine plus toddler plus two jobs that get incrementally nuttier as the financial markets are incrementally nuttier…that’s really all I got right now.

    4. Congrats to the author!

      I got a loaf of bouji bread and an orange and ricotta doughnut when I ventured out this morning – and a tin of baked beans in the tiny supermarket. Life is good!

      I’ve started an insta account just to feature all the small businesses in my city who are doing innovative things to stay afloat in this time. Feels good to do what I can. (Productivity in my day job… not what it could be, but improving).

    5. I like this! DH and I have been listing 3 things each evening that we were grateful for during the day. He’s still working (doctor) and I’m home all day and not working bc I was going to start the new job Monday.
      1. My dog is so tired! She is usually bouncing off the walls, will never slow down energizer bunny but because of no gym, she is getting 30 miles of running in each week and a daily walk/all day pets.
      2. I decided to paint my nails all my less professional colors to take advantage of not going into an office so right now they’re a light blue/green shade and they spark hella joy
      3. My parents got home safely yesterday from their 2 week trip abroad (terrible timing). They are resting, I stocked their fridge before they got home, and will avoid contact because DH is 95% sure we both will get the virus eventually because of his job.

      Negatives: went through our budget and I spent all of April’s grocery budget and all of April/May’s alcohol budget to stock up…whoops!

      2. I never paint my nails because boring colors aren’t really worth the effort … but I am also rocking the blue and am very happy about that.

      3. My dog is exhausted too. My toddler, who is obsessed with her, is now home 24-7 and the poor dog can’t get a break.

    6. Flour! Delivered to the house along with some other stuff we needed! Yay!!

      Also very happy to be married to the best person I know. (He never touches his face — amazing!) Makes the end of the world as we know it a lot easier to take.

    7. I… got a promotion! I work for a government agency, so it had been in progress for a while, but I got the email confirming that it’s official on my second day of teleworking. I celebrated with a living room happy hour with my husband.

  9. Probably just a rant but maybe something others can commiserate on:

    I work in a field as subject matter expert. (Saying what subject would out me but the subject is the name plus the word expert.) To have this title, I earned multiple degrees and have more than 20 years of experience. Others in this work have double or triple the years of experience and such. There aren’t tons of us who are truly trained (either through decades of activism or activism plus many degrees). We are educators, speakers, and authors on the subject and many of us earn our full living promoting our expertise. We also often have to convince the public not only that there is a need for us but that we are truly qualified not just people who are using a buzzword subject to claim expertise.

    I just found out that a man I was recently connected with in the field is doing a patreon in which, if someone pays $50 or more, one of the items on the list of what he has said they get is that they can call themselves a subject matter expert. In the past month or so since we met, we’ve had a phone call and that led us to email maybe 5-10 times. Last night, he reached out to tell me about his patreon and sent the link. I think he hoped I’d give him money or share it.

    I responded asking if he truly meant that anyone who pays can call themselves an expert in our field, in case it was just poorly worded. He then told me that nope, no miscommunication, this is what he is giving. I said that this is terrifying as the subject matter focuses on specific marginalized communities, so people who don’t have the expertise could actually do harm, not to mention that it undermines the work and training of those who have that title. I encouraged him to use a title tied to his website for branding and to move away from this. In an attempt to argue with me, he revealed his background, which is shockingly sparse.

    I shared my perspective, experience, and concerns and tried to be encouraging to him but also steer him in a better direction in a kind way but I doubt anything will change and I don’t even want to check as I will just get more frustrated if I see no change.

    There’s no actual title protection here so it’s not a legal or licensing type of issue. I am just SO upset by someone not only claiming a title I now know they don’t know nearly enough about and are taking work (and money) from actual experts, he is also undermining our credibility and harming people by releasing untrained people to do work that requires very precise specific training.

    ARG, RAWR, and all FOOEY.

    1. I’m sorry you have encountered this character. In any domain or industry, there will always be someone who wants to make a buck, or take the easy route to make $$, or claim expertise that they have not earned. He is trying to build a brand for himself and make $$ easily when others like you have earned their credibility, experience and title. Know that you are the real deal, he is a fraud and you should distance yourself from this individual. Sounds like you have a very strong professional brand, are well respected in your field. You have nothing to worry about – know that smart people will see through this fraud.

    2. Sorry. That sounds frustrating.

      Maybe it is like movie producer credits or songwriting credits. Someone does the work and should get recognized / paid accordingly. Then the rest is like a sausage factory.

    4. Is there a governing body in your industry you could report him to? Or like, the BBB?

    5. 1. Patreon seems to take a really high cut.

      2. Is there an opportunity for you here? Maybe you can give people a label not that they are an expert but that they are funding an expert who is not a credential mill? But phrased nicer than that.

    6. FWIW, one of my clients (a second-tier association) has created a new certification as a direct scheme to earn money and build their brand. Everyone in our industry knows what the real certifications are – the ones that you earn through study and testing, not merely attending a couple webinars. People in my field (and I’m sure any field!) aren’t impressed at all by online purchased certifications – real experience is what matters. Still, best wishes for your affected field.

  10. In my large SEUS city, someone opened fire inside of an ambulance earlier this week and killed a patient. That is just pure craziness. Of all that public servants and healthcare workers are dealing with right now, some how the true bad guys are not social distancing or remotely letting up. And schools are shut down so if you are police or medics or ER staff, they are really stretched thin.

  11. Since the shortness of breath potential symptom is the one that scares me the most, I’ve been looking up lung exercises, here’s a link (pdf) https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/patient-education:-p-t/ways-to-control-your-breathing—resp-rehab-pdf

    bonus the same exercises are good for anxiety https://www.phillyvoice.com/breathing-exercises-coronavirus-anxiety-covid-19-pandemic/

    DIY masks made out of tshirt material actually catch about 50% of the guck in the air, here’s how to make one https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3373043/

    1. I’m assuming a t-shirt mask can’t actually protect you from coronavirus, but are we supposed to be afraid of other particulate matter too?

      1. Did you actually read the article? If you can’t make helpful or supportive comments, then don’t make any useless and erroneous assumptions. I’m not going to try to educate you on how there are at least a dozen studies out there showing coronavirus can be airborne in enclosed environment for 30min. Masks do help period. Please go educate yourself first before putting down others’ effort to help.

      1. +1

        Thank you OP!

        I’m a physician and I found this resource very interesting and useful.

  12. So why do my sheets decide to shred now???

    Best sheets for a Q bed, need 4 pillow cases. I don’t like microfiber at all. Cotton or cotton / poly that actually feels good.

    LL Bean? Anything on Insta (I give them all the side eye) that is actually good? Someplace like Macy’s? Lands End?

      1. Wirecutter’s recommendations on sheets are crappy. I like them for other stuff but I Gabe tried nearly all of their reasonably priced sheet recommendations, and they are all horrible. Listen to someone else here.

    2. I bought a set from Walmart, 100% cotton flannel. I like it & it’s thick but now it’s getting warm. I also recently bought this https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/3064700 because it’s cotton/rayon/linen. The review says it’s thin but I’m hoping it’s actually okay.

      Can’t help with the four pillowcases though, you might have to buy a la carte instead of a set.

      1. +1 to Ralph Lauren, you can also often find them on sale at discount stores like Homegoods.

    4. The Company Store; I believe that they actually have a promo right now with a discount and free shipping. Very happy with the percale products and lots of nice colors.

    5. I have Target and Amazon Pinzon sheets that I’m happy about. My pinzon set is cotton flannel so maybe you don’t want those now that we’re in spring but I’m sure they make regular cotton ones.

    6. I got the Target Threshold 400 Thread Count Printed Performance Sheet Set at this site’s recommendation and have been happy with them. You can buy extra pillowcases.

      As a note: if you/your partner is oily or sweaty or otherwise tends to discolor white sheets, I have found the ‘beachcomber” pattern to be VERY helpful.

    7. I like Wamsutta brand from Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as The Company Store (pricier but seem to be longer lasting)

    8. I’m happy with my Costco sheets. I have Kirkland and Charisma and like both brands. I think the Kirkland comes with four pillowcases.

    9. If you are looking for a cheap convenient set, I have been majorly impressed with our Mellanni Bed Sheet Set – Brushed Microfiber 1800 Bedding from Amazon. We’ve had one set over a year now and they have held up beautifully and just a little grungy from use. Super soft and feel like they sleep pretty cool compared to other sheets.

  13. We’ve been taking long walks in an effort to get out of the house, and I got to check out one of my favorite buildings in the city (the Scottish Freemason Temple on 16th) during the day. Like every other time I’ve seen it on the weekend or at night, it was still beautiful but completely silent–not a person in sight. This prompted a long Wikipedia hunt to learn what Freemasons actually are and what this temple is for, and after more than time I care to admit Nancy Drew’ing this, I still don’t understand. Does anyone get it? I understand that it’s not religious, and I kind of understand the historical evolution, but the organization’s role (and wealth!) in the 20th and 21st centuries mystifies me.

    1. My (limited) understanding is it’s mostly a social networking club, with dress-up and secrecy to add to the sense of exclusivity and group loyalty. Depending on how much you believe Dan Brown books and illuminati conspiracies, there may also be a semi-spiritual component, but I figure that’s like most other spiritual groups- some people and some groups take it seriously, but many don’t.

      1. I think of them as similar to the Shriners (maybe without the hats and little cars).

      2. Yes, think Rotary, but with more mysticism and secrets. My grandad was a Freemason (and also a vicar…) and when he passed away there were some offers of financial assistance from the organisation to his family.

        1. My grandma was a lady Mason (Order of the Eastern Star) purely because they ran a retirement home for widows so she’d have somewhere to go if she were unable to live alone late in life.

      3. I think the Freemasons are just the oldest and most secretive of the genre of things like Shriners, Elks, Lions, Rotary, American Legion, etc. Isn’t there a Freemason component to the plot of National Treasure?

    2. Thanks for sharing this! I used to live at 17th and S (a million years ago when I was in grad school). I used to meet up there with friends and went on a “tour” of the public areas once as well. Warm memories now that I’m sheltering in place in cold, rainy Chicago.

    3. Is that the one up by Columbia near Columbia Heights or the one further down? The one up near Columbia Heights used to super creep me out when I lived there. It was always so empty.

  14. Anyone else specifically bummed about not being able to do your usual outdoor activities? I was never big on crowded events like games or concerts, but I’m finding myself really surprised and disappointed that I can’t go skiing or camping. Those were not only so fun, but great times for me to “get away from it all” and it’s like that last mental health lifeline is gone. I’ll be fine but I’m finding that specific part of all of this more impactful than I thought. Like someone else mentioned earlier, it’s also challenging to lose the ability to anticipate a fun trip because none of us can plan them right now.

    I also lost quite a bit of money, but it’s OK…I’m glad to be healthy.

    2. Skiing, I get, but camping? In my state, state park campgrounds are closed, but you could easily primitive camp at any of the state and national forests around. Seems like the epitome of social distancing to me.
      I’m enjoying less traffic on my runs and rides.

      2. Our state closed a lot of the beaches/lakes because people were having big family gathering regardless of orders not too and the state troopers/police are needed elsewhere instead of telling morons to stay home.

      3. If people go camping by themselves and get sick or lost other people will have to rescue them and bring them back. So the rescuers endanger themselves having to get close to someone who should have stayed home to begin with. Normally this would not be a consideration; now it is. Also, medical personnel are needed elsewhere.

    3. Meeeee!!! I’m already so missing my rock climbing gym and skiing (this was a terrible way to end a not-great season), and while I recognize it’s like, the ultimate first world problem, I’m pretty devastated that my climbing trip to Red Rock in April and heliskiing trip to Iceland in May are unlikely to happen. Also, I think trail riding/showing/taking my horses anywhere fun is out, even if I can still go to the barn for the time being. I don’t live for my vacations, but I definitely live for my evenings and weekends, and those are basically gone until this blows over.

      But, my job can be done 100% remotely for the time being, and is definitely not going anywhere despite everything that’s going on, so I’m trying to focus on the fact that I’m much luckier than most. And that Red Rock and Iceland will be waiting on the other side.

      1. OP here and we have a lot of similarities – I’m not climbing at the moment, but yeah, I missed out on the four days of skiing I was REALLLLLYYYYY looking forward to with a great friend I haven’t seen since last year. I’m glad I got a few good days before that, but only a few, and my pass I bought is a total wash. I haven’t been able to get to the barn either. First world problems? Totally. Still disappointing.

        1. Yeah, I was supposed to be meeting a rock climbing friend for some skiing in Vermont this weekend – we’ve been talking about skiing together for two years, and I was excited for it to finally happen. Also, I spent like $600 on a season pass for my home mountain, and got a grand total of seven days in. :(

          1. Ugh, that sucks. Glad you at least got 7 – I got five days total, none of which were at mountains covered by my $500 pass that I was going to use in March and April…

            You into backcountry skiing? That’s the only way I could see still getting out there and practicing safe social distancing.

          2. I was actually planning to get a proper skinning set up this month – I’ve gone a few times on rental gear and was finally ready to pull the trigger. Literally just texted my brother saying I should have gotten everything three weeks ago when I was up there last. He got everything at the beginning of the season – he and his girlfriend are going this weekend (she lives in VT so I assume he’s staying with her). Unfortunately, all the ski shops are now closed, so no way for me to acquire one now.

        2. Same. I was supposed to be going on vacation out west with some great friends later this week… not anymore. I know it’s the only right/reasonable thing to do, but I’m so bummed. I haven’t had a fun trip in well over a year.

    4. Group rides with my cycling friends/team were one of my major social activities, so I get it. Some people are still group riding and claiming they just stay 6 feet apart the whole time, but given the amount of sweat and spit that flies around in a paceline, I’m not doing it and am discouraging others from doing it.

      1. I have no problem staying 6 feet back…. I’ve been getting dropped since before social distancing was cool :-)
        Seriously, I get it. It’s been solo rides for me lately.

        1. Hahaha!! Once I went on a “no drop” group ride that turned out to be “no drop unless you’re Senior Attorney” ride!

    5. Yes. I love skiing. I’m so glad I decided to go both Saturday and Sunday last weekend because it snowed. I didn’t know it would be my last chance this season. Sad, but necessary. I can go hiking in my state, but I’m not sure I’ll plan to this weekend.

    6. My college aged daughter went on a 6+ foot spaced hike with two of her friends yesterday. We are under shelter in place orders, but the orders specifically say taking a walk is ok. She and her friends saw other people on the trail, but she said everyone was respectful of space and gave other hikers a wide berth.

      I know my 100% absolute best practice would be to demand she stays at home all the time, but I also have to consider her mental health, and it was looking a lot like she was re-entering depression earlier this week.

    7. Why can’t you go camping? You can definitely stay 6-10 feet away from people when you’re camping.

          1. I am going outside. However, I’m not driving for non-essential trips like camping. I believe that would be against the intent of shelter in place, which is more than just social distancing; it’s also to avoid unnecessary risks and burden on first responders. It would be irresponsible to get in a car crash or sprain my ankle while hiking on my camping trip far from home. It would also be irresponsible to interact with gas station attendants, the park ranger, and other campers in the shared bathroom. We all need to do what we can during these unprecedented times and avoiding camping is not too much to ask.

          2. Okay sure, if you want to be a martyr about it. Pretty sure the health benefits of going outside, both physical and mental, offset those risks and from everything I’ve read it looks like public health officials agree.

    8. My block (suburbs) is having a regular happy hour/block walk. At a certain time, everyone sits on their porch or stoop, drinking their drink of choice, and folks take turns walking around the block, stopping to chat when they feel like it or just waving as they go by. Everyone is 6 feet or much more apart. Kids are delighted. Parents are drinking and relaxed.

  15. Thank you to the person who posted the link the The Nanny on roku yesterday. It’s dreary, freezing cold, and I’m hunkered inside waiting for the weather to warm up enough to at least go for a walk. Work is closed for the foreseeable future, and I’m getting bored. This really helps! Thank you!

  16. If anyone is looking for new swimwear, the new Draper James + Lands End collection is cuuuute. I’m just bummed that the one-piece options aren’t available in long torso sizing. Looks like most styles are available in both regular and plus sizes, though.

    1. I have found Draper James just too short through the torso in general and I am only 5’6″. Disappointing becase so much of it is very cute.

  17. We talked about supporting house cleaners, dog walkers, etc.
    What about hair stylists? Mine sent a text yesterday that she was available for the day, before the governor shuts downs salons. Do y’all send them some money in lieu of a visit?

    1. No. I’m sorry but no I do not. I am but one woman worried about losing her job and I cannot single handedly spend enough time keep the economy afloat. I am paying my house cleaner because she works on a regular schedule normally. I’m not going out of my way to give money to other people because I cannot afford it.

      1. +1. Paying the house cleaner, not paying for my canceled electrolysis appointment. I am not sure how long I can pay the house cleaner (probably as long as I am getting paid).

      2. I feel like my hair dresser makes about $200k (so more than me). I am not planning on paying her for work that she can’t do right now.

    2. I’ve been thinking about this. We love our hairstylist and my girls and I all have appointments in early April. I’m assuming we’ll still be in the midst of this COVID stuff by that time. I was going to cancel but pay her for the appointments anyway (no tip). I would wait to reschedule until it’s safer to be out, so she would be out the regular income from our cuts moving forward but at least wouldn’t miss out on something already scheduled.

      I’m also torn in this, somewhat, because I have lots of small businesses I want to help but we also try to be thoughtful in not spending tons of money, eating out a lot, etc. It’s a balance.

      1. This is my plan too. I get quarterly cuts and the next one is due at the end of April. I’m planning to cancel but see if they have a way for me to pay anyway, and then hopefully ‘reclaim’ that cut at a time that they’re busier.

      2. Good for you, but I’m sorry I just will not pay someone for a luxury service that they will not provide me. I’m all for paying on schedule for a service you can’t do now so she can pay her rent and feed herself through this crisis, then making up those services at a later date. But I wouldn’t pay a hair stylist $250 without providing anything ever (granted I go to extremely expensive hair stylist who makes well into the six figures and has for years so if she doesn’t have an emergency fun then that is poor planning on her part – I have a lot more sympathy for lower wage workers who haven’t had the opportunity to prepare for emergencies).

    3. So my (relatively) new stylist is a true artist and can wax on about the exact shades and tones that lead to gorgeous layered color and how it will grow in. It sort of reminds me of a landscape architect the way she thinks about how your hair will grow out and fade and evolve. She’s a millennial and super active on instagram. I’m wondering if it would be weird to approach her for a virtual consultation? Like, pay her for her time and thoughts and make a long-term great hair plan? I may be losing it though. Does that sound crazy?

    5. My salon offered a discount to anyone who prepays for their next visit. Maybe you could ask about something like that?

    6. I’ve always prepaid for services at my salon. I am not willing to go gray behind this so my plan is to have my colorist deliver my color to my front door (she lives near me and we’ve discussed it as an option already) and have her charge me the regular fee for that.

    7. The same person has cut my hair for 10 years. As I have a pixie, I’m a regular. He rents a chair in a salon that has closed. I texted him yesterday and asked if sending a check in the amount of my next three haircuts (in exchange for future cuts) would help him with cash flow. He was incredibly appreciative because he has no income right now and he accepted the offer. I consider it pre-paying or the equivalent of buying a gift card.
      Could he just walk off with my money and not honor our deal? Sure. Do I think that will happen? No. And is he someone who is going to struggle to pay bills right now while I stay fully employed? Yes. And I’m happy to help him out. Now I’m left to wonder if I’ll have a bob instead of a pixie pretty soon.

  19. What are your tips to combat healthy anxiety and paranoia in these times?

    Hang in there everyone. I appreciate you all.

    1. I was watching a live broadcast from a psychologist last night that suggested two things:
      1) When you find yourself spiraling into anxiety and bad thoughts, abruptly stop yourself by counting backwards from 5 to 1. That will get you brain out of the loop (counting forwards does not really help)
      2) Get something you can look forward to, even if it is far out (preferably a few things in case something does not pan out) and think about that thing you are looking forward to as soon as you finish the countdown. It can be a trip you want to take in say November or December, receiving the food for and cooking a very fancy meal, or skype dates
      3) Keep yourself busy and social by scheduling video meetings with friends and family, particularly as you have a meal and have some wine or something similar (fancy virgin cocktails!) a few times a week
      4) Write out a daily schedule for yourself if entertainment built in if you are social distancing.
      5) Get outside everyday, even for a walk.

    1. Thanks for this – I have sent this same info to some friends and family who will really be able to use it.

  21. Help. I’ve been leading the COVID-19 efforts for my organization for the past few weeks and now that we’re all at home (husband and three kids), I’m finally facing up to what this is going to look like for my family for the foreseeable future. I know we are SO lucky — both adults can WFH, and the kids’ school is super well-prepared in terms of pushing out curriculum, we have food, are healthy, etc. But I just cannot stop sobbing about this! Yesterday was a pretty good day, but Wednesday and today I can’t seem to get a grip. Videos of my kids’ teachers’ voices set me off, thinking about all the rituals they’ll miss out on sets me off, thinking about how long this is going to take sets me off.

    I’m usually super even-keel, the person others look to to lead in a crisis, and I am a grade-A mess. Definitely holding it together for my work team, who have all been amazing. But I’m a disaster. Trying to work out and/or be outdoors every day but I need other ideas. Could this be depression and/or should I consult my GP?

    1. If it helps at all, this sounds like an utterly normal and human reaction to several weeks of intense overwork where you have to lead and keep it together, layered onto a cascade of changes to your family life and routine. Even a human “rock” has emotions. Let out all the tears. Recognize that you’re probably very tired and have been holding in lots of anxiety for quite a while. Go ahead and fall apart over the weekend. THEN, if it all continues, continue asking questions about depression. It could be depression, but you also might just need rest, a lot of really good cries, some long hot showers, good food, some laughter, a hug, and a bit of space.

      Hugs.

    2. That was me Wednesday. And Thursday morning. But I got up Thursday, did a little tidying, and decided to go to the grocery store (we are not under a lockdown and I went at a low traffic time and wore a mask). That made me feel a little better. Oh, and I found Kleenex which was great, because when you cry all day you go through a lot of Kleenex!

      I also impulse shopped some pretzels and hummus and had myself a little happy hour yesterday. I feel better than Wednesday, although not great, and I am pretty sure I will have more days of crying all day. I just have to remember that on Thursday I did not feel as bad as I did on Wednesday, and today I feel a tiny bit better. Even if I crash again, I will try to remember that I will feel better, even if only a little bit.

    3. Hi, I had this happen Wed., after pushing through a really busy work schedule plus prepping for the shutdown plus the stress of trying to make good decisions about our health. I was exhausted, and a pile of tears. Just be kind to yourself and try to get enough rest and spend a few days in as low gear as possible. I am feeling better today and by Monday will be ready for another round.

  22. Good morning:

    Regular poster. Not sure if my post went into mod or completely disappeared, but audible is offering free stores for kids, teens, and classics for adults! A google search will get you there if the link I posted never appears! I know we have a lot of readers on this site who are looking for more books to enjoy during this time. :)

  23. Good Morning, ‘rettes. Some of you may recall my stress last week about getting my daughter out of Madrid and then her classmates testing positive. We got my daughter’s test results back late yesterday afternoon. It took four days to get results. She tested positive. We were instructed to quarantine (as we have been) until March 29, when she will be retested. So far that’s 4 of the 19 kids in her school’s Spain program. Her roommate tested positive yesterday, too. None of the four kids is more than mildly ill, and nobody in my family is feeling under the weather. I’d say my daughter is on the upswing and her only remaining symptom is the loss of taste and smell. She has been complaining about that since she got home and I just read a couple of days ago that this is a symptom. Hoping we all stay healthy and grateful for friends and family and Uber Eats, which just left my fussy latte on my doorstep. I tipped very generously!

    1. Sorry to hear your daughter has it, but I’m glad she was actually able to get tested and that she’s doing okay. Thanks for staying in and taking it seriously.

    4. I posted yesterday wondering if you had heard…sorry it was not better news. Wishing your daughter a speedy recovery and hopefully the rest of your family remains healthy.

    5. Wishing your daughter a very speedy recovery, and that your whole family stays healthy. Obviously we’re all anxious about hearing people testing positive, and I for one LOVE to hear the recovery stories. I am also really interested by the potential of those who recover early to be part of some super strong subset of society that hopefully (unclear yet but hopefully!) has some immunity to this at least for the next year or so and can be vitally important in the months ahead, whether that’s to their families, neighbors, colleagues, or other, no matter how big or small.

    7. I was just thinking about you and your daughter today. I’m glad you have an answer, at least, and am sending virtual hugs and good thoughts for you and the reset of the family.

    8. A positive post despite a positive test! Thank you and best wishes too all of you to stay safe and healthy!

  24. Hoping for Hive insight (esp those in Europe). I am extremely overdue sending a nice thank you present to some acquaintances in Germany. I have the nice present, thank you notes, etc all ready to go.
    So — in the current environment my nice present (something for the house) looks pretty dumb. I’m in the US — and ideas for a few other things I can add to the box to be helpful? Foodstuffs or supplies that are not available? We are not close enough that I can send, say, tampons, but any other customs-approved items I would love to include.

    1. I actually think that would be a wonderful bright spot in their day to receive such a nice gift.

  25. Anyone else sick and refused a test? I got a fever and dry cough which lead to chest pain and pain with breathing. I also had a tad bit of a gastro issue. I called my doc twice and he said as long as my fever was down, I could go out, even though I was coughing up a lung. He treated me like garbage. I am very upset about this.

    2. Your doctor is an idiot. Can you call urgent care and make an appointment there (calling first to make sure they can be ready to meet you)? If you’re having chest pain and pain with breathing, that requires medical attention. I’m not a doctor and I can tell you that.

      1. The chest pain had luckily resolved after the weekend, but the cough took a turn for the worse. My lungs still feel like there is something going on with them, though. I do need to find a new doc. I have no idea who to go to, because they all seem to be part of those networks or local hospitals which I am not sure is good.

    4. I would assume you have it. They are letting drs in my state diagnose COVID-19 without a test based on symptoms alone, especially because there is no treatment for it. The real drawback to this is you can’t definitively notify anyone with whom you’ve had contact, but you can at least tell them your assumption. I would self-quarantine and treat your symptoms until they subside. Hope you feel better soon!

      1. I forgot to add some commiseration for your feelings about the whole ordeal. It’s incredibly frustrating to be sick but unable to get a test to diagnose your illness. I’m sorry this is happening to you.

      2. This is what I have been doing. But convincing my late 60s parents to stay away from the public and elderly is impossible. However, I suspect they were the asymptomatic carriers. I really don’t know.

      3. Physician spouse says the same thing — unfortunately, in a sense the actual test doesn’t matter, since it doesn’t change management. (Believe me he’s as frustrated as the rest of us that he can’t get tests.)

    5. None of the people I know who have been sick and tried to get a test have been able to. Everyone’s being told that unless they have contact with somebody who tested positive or recently returned from somewhere overseas with a lot of cases, they can’t have a test. And since it’s impossible to get a test, nobody’s had contact with somebody who tested positive. I don’t understand why the US is so much worse on testing than so many other countries.

      1. I am from NY state. We are shut down now. I wasn’t able to get a test last week or this. Makes me feel good that I am not alone, because the news is making it look like everyone who wanted a test before now got one and it angers me greatly. To say the least.

    6. Yes I was sick with flu like symptoms last week but since I wasn’t sick enough to go to the ER, and because I hadn’t traveled to China, Italy, Korea, or japan, or had direct contact with a diagnosed COVID patient, I was deemed ineligible for the test. I’m still coughing.

      My understanding from a coworker is that tests are even tighter this week. His family member showed all three symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath) but isn’t over 60 so no test.

      We are in the Bay Area.

    7. Yep! My husband had a fever and a cough for over a week and the cough still continues. It sounds exactly like asthma to me. Also, our 3-month-old with a heart condition spent a day in ER because he was struggling to breath but no test! We traveled three weeks before the symptoms started and also had visitors from Europe staying with us after that but nope, couldn’t get tested.

      1. It is actually, but let’s see old red buddy get prosecuted (and even if so, dip off to an island via tip from the crooked judges his also crooked POTUS appointed)

      2. There was an act of congress passed to ban it. At least one of the currently accused members of congress voted against it. I am surprised they didn’t try to hide it more.

    2. Please, someone, assure me this is illegal and subject to some form of insider trading that is indisputable regardless of political party…!?!

    4. OMG total garbage human beings. The worst is the one who sold a bunch and then bought stock in teleconferencing companies.

      1. Yes, Loeffler brings the count of human garbage serving as U.S. Senators from Georgia to two.

  27. I’m an emergency manager on my 12th straight 12 hour shift. I’m going to be off but on call this weekend. The last time I had a day off life was totally normal. This weekend should be interesting.

    3. Thank you for all that you’re doing. I hope you’re able to get some rest this weekend.

    4. Post a burner email and let me send you a starbucks giftcard? I’m losing my mind not being able to do anything.

  28. So the key to my sanity appears to be daily long walks listening to a good audiobook. I just finished Daisy Jones and the Six, which I loved. Please tell me what to download next for this afternoon’s walk? Fiction only, with good audio production.

    2. Nothing to See Here had great audio production. I also loved listening to Kitchens of the Great Midwest.

      If you’re up for nonfiction, I loved Ali Wong’s Dear Girls.
      I’m really enjoying listening to Jessica Simpson’s memoir on audible- she reads in herself and it’s delightfully dishy. I had to speed her up to 1.5 speed though- she speaks really slowly!

    3. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts (ignore the cutesy title)

      The Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware

      Nine PerfectStrangers, Liane Moriarty

      Queenie

      The Friend

      The Alilce Network

      An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

      Eligible

      The Woman in the Wondow

  29. Quick question about iPhones – I’m trying to unplug more and not have my phone glued to my hand, but we don’t have a landline or any other way for people to reach us in case of emergency. If I turn volume on on the phone, but then put it into Do Not Disturb, that will silence all texts and alerts, but still allow calls from favorites or repeated calls from same number, right?

    1. Yes – you can go to your settings and customize which calls come through, which includes allowing calls from the same number twice w/in 3 minutes

    2. It depends on your settings for do not disturb. It’s pretty easy to figure out the options when you look at them, but you have to choose the one that lets your favorites or contacts go through.

      Silencing is a different function. Do not disturb will silence all calls except as laid out in the rules you set. If the volume is off, that won’t be overridden by do not disturb though. So if your volume is on, do not disturb will silence incoming calls, but I think if your volume is off and you allow a call from
      a favorite caller with do not disturb on, it still won’t ring. Does that make sense?

  30. My sister is a widow with a 2 year old, 13 year old, and 15 year old. When I told her today that the state is likely to go shelter-in-place this weekend, she started to cry at the thought of no break from her toddler for months on end. She loves him very much, but he is draining Any suggestions on how I can help from afar?

    1. The 13 year old and 15 year old should give her a break sometimes. They need to pull together as a family. They are capable of handling a toddler for two 1-hour windows a day, which should give your sister some time to unwind. It may not be “fair” to the teenagers, but it won’t be fair to them either if their mom has a breakdown.

      2. Yes, each teen should absolutely take a shift of 2-3 hours with the toddler during the day. Each can also be given some morning and evening responsibilities–e.g., 13-year-old gets him up and dressed in the morning, 15-year-old does bathtime and toothbrushing in the evening.

        With the teens even more than with the toddler, she needs to begin as she means to go on. That means establishing a schedule and standards on Day 1. If the teens want to lounge around in their PJs all day, they need to save that for the weekends.

    3. Agree about the older siblings. I was babysitting all day at that age. Maybe what you can do is talk to them and get them on the same page if your sister is having a hard time asking.

    4. Can you offer to FaceTime with the toddler? My 4-year-old has an intense personality and can be exhausting. He FaceTimed with DH’s great aunt, who loves to talk, yesterday, and the two of them entertained each other for a long time. A toddler won’t have the same attention span, but it might help your sister do something simple like unload the dishwasher.

      It depends on how your sister feels about this (different families approach this differently), but you could offer to pay one or both of the teenagers to watch the toddler for a few hours. They’re capable, and they should be home.

      Could you send a care package? I loved the Crayola “color wonder” markers and books when my kid was a toddler because the markers only work on the special paper. Toddlers also love stickers. Ask how she feels about play doh if you don’t already know. If it’s warm where she lives and she has a back yard, you could also send some stuff for outside play, like a water table or one of those beach ball sprinklers.

      If money is an issue, you could pay for a monthly subscription to PBS Kids, which is the only way to get all the episodes of Daniel Tiger.

      1. The teenagers should not get paid to watch their own brother during a time of emergency. That is just part of being a family and helping to keep the household running smoothly. Maybe if times were normal and they were babysitting him all day for the whole summer or something, but definitely not now.

        1. I agree, but (a) it seemed like the teenagers aren’t already doing that, and (b) I know people who pay their teenagers to babysit. As an aunt, she doesn’t have much power to change the family dynamic, even if she disagrees with it.

      2. Aw, the idea of your little one and his great aunt chatting for hours on end is actually super cute.

    5. Nap time should give her a two hour break in the afternoon. Older kids can each take toddler for a walk outside once a day – even if only around their garden. You can read books or play puppets with toddler over FaceTime. Toddler can watch Dora and Daniel Tiger episodes

    6. In her case I’d recommend finding another family to self-quarantine with. She needs physical and emotional help. What if she gets sick, or one of the kiddos gets sick? Not trying to scare, but this is when even a very small social safety net is vital, and the risk of exposure is offset by her very real need.

      1. +1. Does she have any friends in her neighborhood who she knows are also observing the social distancing / shelter in place rules?

    7. Agree that the teenagers need to chip in. If the toddler’s attention can be held by a videochat, that would be a great way to help. My kids have been having daily 45-minute reading times with their grandfather, but they are older.

    8. This is about the age that I started babysitting (13) and cooking entire dinners for the family (15). I’d have her assign EACH kid a shift with the toddler and tell the older one to plan and cook dinner (and the other one to clean up!) at least one night a week. Trust me, this is good for them. I have too many friends/connections only now realizing that knowing how to cook, menu plan, and improvise with what you have on hand is a necessary life lesson!

    9. Good god no the teenagers should not be forced to help. That is how you create someone who is staunchly child free and never talks to mom again once they move out. The teenagers are innocent victims in this they didn’t choose to have a child.

      1. What? Seriously? It’s their younger sibling, not forced labor. I have several younger siblings that I grew up babysitting and it was in no way traumatic. I am child-free and very close with my siblings. I agree with others’ advice that mom should have the teenagers pitch in. That kind of responsibility is a very good thing for that age.

        1. +1. The teenagers didn’t choose to have a younger sibling, but they are part of the family unit and need to help keep it functioning. My teenager didn’t choose the house we live in, but she lives here so she gets to help clean it. Those are the breaks.

          If the teenagers don’t want to have kids when they grow up, they don’t have to. If they do have kids, they will be better prepared to care for them. Do you have any idea how frightening it is to take home a brand new baby when you have basically never interacted with a child below the age of 5 in your entire life?

    10. So she probably knows the older kids could/should help, so that advice might stress her out more. Does she have the space for a bouncy house, they have smallish ones that can even go indoors, that might occupy the toddler long enough for a break, or to get some stuff done. Also maybe set a time to call her daily, you could even just leave the call on while you guys go about your day.

  31. Are folks still letting their house cleaners come by? I’m torn between wanting my house to get cleaner than I can get it myself vs not wanting an extra person or two in my house. I don’t have contact with any vulnerable people. Wwyd?

    3. We canceled this week. We have a biweekly schedule and our plan is to pay for every other session we miss. DH thinks we should resume in 2 weeks and ask for our normal 3-person team to drop to 1 or 2 people just to lower risks, but I’m not sure if I’m there yet.

    4. We only have monthly cleaners, but have canceled March and will likely cancel future visits. We’re not paying. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have a job for, and simply can’t afford to be paying for luxury services I’m not receiving at this point.

    5. I cancelled and paid my self-employed cleaner. DH is in a high risk group. I also know that she needs the money and since we’re still being paid I decided so should she.

    7. I cancelled mine and am still paying her for this week. She has been an absolute lifesaver and kept our house running for the last five years, it’s the least I can do, but I don’t want any unnecessary exposure in our house.

    8. I canceled mine and offered to pay her anyway. She comes every two weeks. I’m not worried about her and her crew bringing the virus into our house; I reckon I’ve had the illness (in mild form) already, so. I don’t know how worried she is about getting it from us or our many surfaces, though, and I don’t want to put her through that.
      I’ll continue to offer to pay her as long as I can. Hoping my DH is allowed to go back to work in 2 weeks rather than 4 or 6 — that would change my calculus.

    10. Mine came yesterday. I’ve been on public transit twice this week (necessary function at a necessary job), so I left it up to her whether to come. I’ll do the same next time. Either way I will keep paying her — my government job is safe so I’m no more worried about money than usual.

    11. We cancelled for at least 2 weeks, will possibly extend to 3 but will pay the full amount.

  32. I had my diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound today. All came back clear.

    I went in with a mask and asked the technician and doctor to wear one because I have asthma (risk condition). They made me feel bad about making them wear masks because they reserve those for sick patients (I understand but how f***d up given symptomless transmission is a thing and they can’t protect their staff.)
    I didn’t touch anything and washed my hands in the examination room. Let’s hope this will have been it.

    Also, I cried in my car after the appointment and couldn’t touch my face, lol.

    1. Congratulations! I had the same thing last year and it was nerve wracking (actually in my case I had a probably-clear and had to go back in 6 months for the all-clear.)

      I went to the bank yesterday and made my banker wear a mask – he had one and was reusing it anyway. He had hand sanitizer and we passed it back and forth as we handled papers. (I’m in a shelter in place area but banking is essential, and what I had to do yesterday was essential for being able to take contract work as I have lost my job.)

  33. Any IL/ Chicago-land people think we’re heading towards shelter in place? With Oak Park starting today I feel like it’s coming for the burbs and maybe city soon? I know the mayor said it was mandatory for those who are ill yesterday…

    2. In Chicago, definitely think it’s coming. That being said, 95% of my neighborhood is already abiding by the rules in place in SF/CA, so I don’t foresee it making a huge difference except to clear more of a path for essential workers to do their work, which I am all in favor of.

    3. Yep, my friends who work at Lurie and in governments have heard from around the hospital that if Lightfoot didnt make that announcement last night, it’s likely that Pritzker will soon.

    4. But did you read the details of the Oak Park one? It’s basically just “do what we’re already doing” as pretty much every type of business is still open to operate (incl. dry cleaners which…doesn’t seem essential to me?).

      From the Trib article:
      The order allows “essential services” to continue, such as health care operations, grocery stores, food banks, convenience stores and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, pet supply, fresh meats, fish and poultry, and any other household consumer products. Others allowed to operate include gas stations, auto supply and auto repair businesses, banks, financial institutions, hardware stores, restaurants that serve food only for delivery and carry-out, home-based care for seniors, adults and children, laundromats, dry cleaners, businesses providing mailing and shipping services, and more.

      1. But that is essentially what other states are doing. Those are still considered essential services.

  34. We have almost 300 cases in our state and our preschool remains open. They’ve said tht they’ll be open until the dept forces them to close and that there will be an influx of more kids soon and that they thank us for continuing to support them through tuition.

    The term ends in mid May. I can’t picture feeling comfortable to send my kid there before mid-May, especially with a 3-month-old who has a heart condition at home.

    What’s everyone’s opinion? Should we pull her out or continue paying the tuition? She only started there four weeks ago and we’re paying $1000 a month. I would rather donate the money than pay it to a relatively big business (they’ve got about 600 kids across their centres and it looks like emergency personnel’s kids will soon start going there temporarily too)… My concern is that my kid had been separately registered for their summer programme (and we paid a registration fee) and I’m just wondering if they’ll get annoyed for “not supporting them” and she won’t be able to go.

    1. Ugh so badly worded, had a rough night. Long story short, is it ok to pull out of preschool for the remainder of the academic year but still go to their summer programme?

      1. I don’t understand why it wouldn’t be “OK”? Is there a complicated relationship with this preschool for some reason? Is this a business where you’re a customer with the option to pick and choose the services you need, or is this some kind of non-profit situation where you’re a personal supporter or donor in some way?

      2. You’ve already secured the place for the summer session. I can’t see why they would suddenly tell you that you’re out just because you made the totally understandable decision to distance your family.

    2. Wow! We don’t have community transmission yet and they’ve already closed all childcare.

    3. Our daycare is still open as well, but we stopped sending kids about two weeks ago. We’re continuing to pay ~4k per month to hold our spaces. I’m not super excited at the prospect of continuing to pay for months on end, but I do want to ensure our teachers are being part. I’m not sure what the right answer is here.

    4. Wow, I’m really surprised they’re still open. Things are so changing so quickly, it could be closed next week for all you know. I absolutely would not send her.

      1. Apparently the state urges them to stay open so that health care workers have options for their kids. This is, of course, extremely important but not to close centres for kids who don’t HAVE to go, is so inconsistent with all the other measures that have been taken! Colorado justifies it by saying that the risk of transmission is much higher in schools because they’re bigger… yeah, little kids have always been so good at covering their mouths and social distancing…

  35. What’s everyone cooking?

    My husband managed to get some meat cuts that we don’t usually buy (no chicken thighs to be found) so last night we had a pot roast (chuck roast) braised with my last onion + celery + baby carrots + bay leaf in 2c chicken stock I made from my last roast chicken carcass. Also mashed potatoes with my last 4 potatoes and an iceberg lettuce salad with homemade ranch dressing, because no bagged salad greens available.

    I made gravy with the strained, separated pot roast juices and that was the best part of the meal.

    1. I’m working through a batch of Serious Eats’ Peanut, Sweet Potato & Ground Nut soup, which uses stuff I generally have on hand.
      This weekend will probably be gallo pinto and an egg or two and/or some sort of veggie korma.
      I’ll feed up my starter this weekend and make bread for lunches next week.

    2. What is with the lack of chicken?? My grocery store hasn’t had chicken in weeks. They finally put up signs saying 2 packages per person.

    3. I made red pumpkin curry with carrots instead of pumpkin. It was actually really good!

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