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Updated: Apr 14, 2021 152 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Standing Desk Converter

Coffee Break

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Many moons ago, we featured a cardboard standing desk that was about $25, and I thought it was an interesting option if you're pondering getting a standing desk setup but don't want to fully commit to a proper standing desk and buy a monitor riser, etc.

This one, which is $37 at Amazon, also looks good — it supposedly takes less than two seconds to set up and take down, it only weighs two pounds, and it folds to only 2″ thick. It seems like something good to try at home if you don't have an ergonomic setup and you need a break from sitting on the couch with your laptop, etc.

Do note that there are instructions online for a DIY version, in case you're feeling crafty. Standing Desk Converter

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Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
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  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
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  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

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Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Reposting from morning thread: Hi Wise Hive – I may repost in afternoon thread as I’m posting late for the morning, but wanted to get some weight loss advice in the circumstances. I went through a depressive episode for about a year and a half and completely stopped exercising for that time and also pretty much lived off of pizza and various carbs, so I have gained weight on my whole body but most noticeably my stomach and back. Now that I am medicated and doing better, one of my resolutions for 2020 was “get old body back”…but I did not realize what a sh*tshow 2020 was about to be! But for all of the closures, I would have bought personal training sessions on the pilates reformers at my gym. That is obviously not an option and I am not really seeing much progress from my home workouts. I enjoy yoga, pilates and barre but realize that these aren’t really high-impact for weight loss and are better for toning etc. I’ve been trying to do some HIIT workouts at home but am not sure how long/how many a week to do to see effects. Do I need to just suck it up and start forcing myself to go on runs outside? TIA!

    • CHL

      I get good results from hiit workouts that involve weights (Jillian Michaels, Beachbody 21 Day Fix or P90x3) 3 or 4 times a week. To me the weights plus cardio bursts is important.

    • Anon

      Not a professional, but my suggestion is 4 days of HIIT or running, 2 days of barre/yoga, one rest day, every week. Since you haven’t exercised much in the last year, wait about two months to start seeing discernible results. (If you’ve been in shape more recently, your body does a better job of moving energy to your muscles instead of storing it.)

      Try tracking nutrition with MyFitnessPal. I hate “counting calories,” but was surprised to find out that some meals had a lot more calories than other, more filling, meals.

      Do the exercise that you enjoy. If you hate running, do HIIT videos.

    • Anonymous

      Weight loss really is nearly all about what you eat. Definitely work out because it is good for your body and makes you feel good! But if your focus is losing weight that comes through watching what you eat, and for that I recommend Weight Watchers.

      • Anonymous

        +1 to WW. I don’t buy any of their branded food but their system encourages you to eat fruit/vegetables/protein without depriving you of carbs or treats. Lots of suggestions in the app for how to avoid stress eating.

      • Anon

        This is not true for everyone. My diet can be absurdly good and I will put on weight if I am inactive.

      • Anonymous

        Yeah, my doctor told me it’s like 90 percent what you eat and 10 activity. The old adage “You can’t outrun a bad diet.”

        • Katie

          Same, I’m doing Noom right now, and I’ve had some success during quarantine even without being able to get to the gym right now. Really try to focus on diet, which is something you CAN control.

        • CostAccountant

          Yup, weight loss is 90 percent what you eat and 10 percent activity. I’d recommend tracking your food intake on an app like My Fitness Pal to make sure you have a calorie deficient most/all days. And then yes, continue to workout.

    • Anonymous

      I love my Peloton digital subscription and highly recommend. I use it on my (non-Peloton, much cheaper) treadmill mostly, but also take advantage of their strength classes, too. They also have new non-machine cardio classes, as well as outdoor running and walking.

    • Anonymous

      After years of cardio and low calories (followed by inevitable overeating every weekend) for weight loss I’m seeing subtle but real progress by upping protein and focusing on strength training.

      It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love pwr at home on the sweat app. Its only about half an hour thee- four times a week. Also,I’ve adopted the idea that progress is slow. Really slow. I’ve listened to podcasts from people with strength training backgrounds who reinforce this idea. It’s hard to wrap your brain around but consistency is golden in the fat loss game. Good luck!

    • Anonymous

      I had good results with BodyBoss. Start slow if you aren’t used to HIIT workouts–they’re hard (also the “finish this cycle in 7 minutes” is laughable. I can’t finish most of them in under 10)–it’s 3 days of workouts, 2 days of cardio. You can get just a digital version, but I have the actual book that I would (back when I could go to the gym) take to the gym. They’re easy enough to do at home unless you are in a very small apartment. Sub table or chair for gym bench for inclined pushups/tricep dips/etc.

    • Ellen

      I was in your shoes when I got rid of my ex. Without him around left me with more time by myself, and I found myself eating and eating and eating. So naturally, all those carbs landed on my tuchus and tummy, and it was not pretty. So that is when Dad told me to wear the fitbit and do 10,000 steps a day. I am not sure this will work for you, and in NYC, they don’t want us walking, but if you can walk, it is easy, so you should try it. I lost 15 pounds, mostly in my legs and tuchus, and I hope this will work for you. We all feel better when we are svelte, so you should try it. Good luck!

    • ceej

      Really good workout for weight/fat loss are actually sustained state lower effort workouts. It would be better (for weight loss) to walk for 1 hour than do 30 minutes of higher impact. HIIT is great for heart and lung training, but it can make you hungry, which makes weight loss harder. This may sound INSANE to you, but if you could walk for 45 minutes twice a day, plus control your eating, that would be an excellent weight loss work out. If you could walk for 1 hour once a day (or 30 minutes 2x) Plus about 15 minutes of body-weight strength training (knee pushups, squats, planks, sit-ups, or bands if you have them) you’d make a difference. I realize some people have TONS of time, while others have no time right now, some people are in places where fitness walks are A-OK, while others are in much harsher lock down. So, this may be wildly unrealistic, or “just the thing.”

      For me, getting ready and hyped up to work out hard is really challenging right now. But a 45 minute walk (just in the neighborhood) listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or music sounds really enjoyable. Because of that, the 45 minute walk happens, while the 30 minute 5k run just does not. And consistency is key.

  2. Anon - new job in the age of coronavirus?

    posted late in the morning thread, thanks for the replies so far but trying again this afternoon:

    I’m in-house and am interviewing for a different in-house job. Two months ago I would have been thrilled to take the new job, but now it’s so hard to figure out what is risky and what is not…how do you think about this?

    Current job – high growth newly public company, I am a deal lawyer and deal with the public SEC documents. I like 80% of my job but do not like my boss and do not like the company culture. My compensation is above market for NYC in house at my level. My company’s business hasn’t been impacted much due to Covid, so I do not worry about the company in the next 6 months, but our business is highly capital intensive so an inability to raise debt may impact us long-term.

    New job – much larger public company, recognizable brand name, business has been hit by Covid but variable costs are probably much lower. Their stock price is down more than 50% since January. Company has a lot of cash to ride out the crisis (probably). I would be doing basically the same thing at this company for a different product in terms of deals, and would not do the public filings (which I’m good with). Company known for better culture, will speak with the hiring manager tomorrow. Comp would be brought back down to market level (acceptable).

      • OP

        Thanks – I definitely understand that. It was helpful this morning to hear that folks think the boss thing is a big deal (I agree) but also that other folks are putting job searches on hold.

        Appreciate your thoughts too.

    • Ellen

      It sounds to me like the other (bigger) company may be more accomodating, so I would think about where you want to be in a few years. If you are going to get married and have kids, then that is a plus. On the other hand, it sounds like you would do better financially by staying where you are. At this point in time, do you really want to move? I wouldn’t b/c you would only be another person to get work dumped on. That is what happens to me every time I am the newest employee.

    • MJ

      I would stay at #1 until the post-COVID recession is clearer. Just because a company has cash, that does not mean, particularly if it’s a public company, that it won’t make strong signaling measures regarding cost-cutting to the market, and that includes cutting payroll/layoffs. I definitely understand not liking your boss or your company’s culture, and those are “wants” not “needs” re a job right now. I’d stay somewhere where your institutional knowledge/memory re SEC filings is valued. I would not want to be a new hire right now for LIFO reasons, unless I had to leave my job because it was very toxic. Only you can know what you’re running away from, versus what you perceive you’re running toward. Best of luck.

  3. Hollis

    Decided I should use this free time to learn how to use my Instant Pot. Can anyone point me to some suggestions on how to figure out this machine and what to do / what not to do? I’m a long time slow cooker user. FWIW, we eat everything and I have a huge one that I received as a gift maybe 2 years ago (but has never been used). Thanks.

    • BB

      Go to seriouseats.com and search for their pressure cooker recipes. There is also a blog that I think Instant Pot paid for as part of their marketing a while ago called “Pressure Cook Recipes” which as some pretty good ideas.

      • Anon

        +1 to serious eats. Their risotto was decadent but sooo good. If you eat beef, smitten kitchen has a really good Korean short rib taco.

    • anon

      I use my Instant Pot almost every single day. My suggestion is that whenever you want to cook literally anything, just google “Instant Pot + name” and try it out. That way you get a feel for how long you need to cook things, how much liquid to use, etc. I hardly ever touch my slow cooker anymore, especially because I can sear/saute in the instant pot without dirtying a separate pot.

      • Anon

        I just bought one four months ago and this is exactly how I learned to use it. I can’t believe how much easier it’s made my life.

      • DLC

        +1 we have her coolbook and everything we’ve made from that book has been awesome.

      • Anon

        One more ups for two sleevers.

        Here’s what I actually make in my ip:

        Any kind of dried beans. I make home cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans from dry to produce a really, really delicious hummus.

        I make lots of other bean recipes like chili beans, lentil soup, and all kinds of Indian dal. (See two sleevers ip book, totally worth it.)

        Always cook pot-in-pot rice using a trivet above the dal or curry cooking below.

        Chicken stock from bones and or a whole chicken + aromatics.

        Pot roast or any kind of braised roast. I would never go back to slow cooking these things.

        Any rice that takes 45 min on the stovetop, like brown or wild rice.

        Also check out Pinch of Yum freezer meals someone posted here. A bunch of them are for the IP and are very popular at my house.

    • Anon

      My petty beef with Instant Pot recipes are that they usually say “Cooks in 20 minutes!!!!” when they really means “Cooks at pressure in 20 minutes!” You might have to brown some meat or other ingredients (not accounted for in the cooking time), then the pot has to come to pressure, which can take a while, depending on what you’re cooking, and then there’s some sort of pressure release. If you do manual, the release doesn’t take any extra time, but if the recipe calls for natural pressure release, that will add more time on. I will generally double the time a recipe claims to account for chopping everything, pre-browning if required, and coming to pressure/releasing.

      Having said that, I do love my IP and use it all the time. I was just surprised at how long everything took at first when people would say that a certain recipe just takes a very short amount of time, so be aware.

      • Anonymous

        My additional beef is that you have to take the whole thing apart and wash it. I would marry it if I could throw all of the parts in the dishwasher. Ugh with the handwashing. And some gunk always gets on the pot part that you can’t immerse, so there is detailed cleaning of that, too. I feel like with my crockpot, all but the heater thing can go in the dishwasher, there are fewer parts, and cleaning the heater thing is easy (but no texture / browning). I feel like my crockpot and instapot need to have a mutt that has their best features.

      • BB

        +1 Not petty at all! I’d say pretty much everything I’ve ever made in there are really 1 hour recipes when you count in the prep and any pre-cooking + coming up to pressure + cook time + releasing the pressure. The 1 hour is worth it for stews/beans etc. where the normal time is upwards of 2 hours. But not worth it for others. I never make ground meat chili in it, for example because it’s a 45 minute stove top thing for me with canned beans.

    • Housecounsel

      I keep Williams-Sonoma brand Instant Pot starter sauces around for when I feel really lazy. You can saute chicken or short ribs right in the pot, dump in the sauce and push a button and that’s it. Very true that the time is often understated because it doesn’t include the time to come to pressure or release. I also like to make chickpeas. I throw them in the pot with some broth, hit the “beans” setting and forget about them. I use them for salads and grain bowls.

    • mascot

      The manual should give you the basics. Other common questions you see on IP pages. Yes, it is normal for it to steam while coming to pressure. Don’t put it on the stove top to ensure that you don’t turn on a burner by accident and melt the bottom of the thing. It’s worth using different sealing gaskets for sweet and savory foods because they do tend to trap odors (you can order extra rings online). The wire thing with handles is the trivet. You need a cup of liquid or more when cooking to avoid a burn notice. Recipes only account for time under pressure, not time it takes to get the pot to pressure so plan accordingly (think of coming to pressure like pre-heating an oven timewise). You can cook frozen meat but it takes longer to bring the pot to pressure. Not everything needs to be cooked in an IP. There are things that cook better/faster/tastier with another method. But, most things that you can do in slow cooker will adapt well. Skinnytaste and Twosleevers have a bunch of recipes, same with NomNomPaleo.

    • PINK

      I love sustainablecooks.com’s recipes. She has stovetop/instantpot and slow cooker options for most.
      smittenkitchen’s instantpot use is also great.

      I just made barbacoa last night in the IP and loved it. i seared the meat, dumped in the spices, some water, set it at high for 45 min and then went for a long walk.

  4. Horse Crazy

    What are your favorite games to play for two adults? My SO and I have no children and are looking for some fun games to play during quarantine. We have Jenga, but that’s the only game we have that is two-person – all of the other games I own are for 3+ people (Cards Against Humanity, Password, Clue. etc.). Any suggestions?

    • Vicky Austin

      Scrabble! We also do regular old card games and have braved Risk before.

    • LittleBigLaw

      We like the card game Crazy Eights. It’s fun but kind of mindless, so it’s great for happy hour and conversation.

    • DCR

      My new guy and I have also started playing board games together. It’s something we have both enjoyed with friends in the past, but this is the first time we are playing together and with only two people. What type of game do you like? Short/long? Strategy? Deck-builder? etc. That may impact the recommendations.

      Below are some of the ones we have been enjoying:
      – Azul
      – 7 wonders duel
      – Uno
      – Ticket to Ride
      – Raiders of the North Sea: Hall of Heroes
      – Castles of Burgundy
      – Clans of Caledonia
      – Sushi Go
      – Hey, that’s my fish

      • Abby

        +1000 to Ticket to Ride. We have played the OG, Europe, and Asia versions (all slightly different, I’d start with the original) and it’s my favorite go-to board game. Also purged some games from my parents basement and we have actually used 2 during quarantine: othello and backgammon. We really liked othello and hadn’t heard of it before.

      • Carmen Sandiego

        +1 to Ticket to Ride, Azul, and Clans of Caledonia.

        Some other easy but fun games:
        – Suburbia
        – Pandemic
        – Vadoren Gardens
        – Wingspan (plus it’s really pretty)
        – Agricola

        If you want more complicated board games:
        – Terraforming Mars
        – Great Western Trails
        – Brass Birmingham
        – Western Legends

        • Anokha

          I thought Pandemic was great, but it also freaked me out in the context of coronavirus!

          Rummy is a great two player game.

      • Duckles

        +1 to 7 wonders duel and Castles of Burgundy, both are very fun. Ticket to ride is ok with 2 people but not my fave.

      • Ellen

        What about Twister? If you are already very close with a guy, and are not worried about social distanceing, then you can safely play Twister with him. When I was in college, we played Strip Twister, which was an icebreaker, where if you were not able to keep your position after they spinned, you were obligated to take off one article of clotheing. After about 10-15 minutes, we were down to bra and panties, and the game ended there. Since you are alone with him, you can continue and then once you’ve completed the game, you can go horizontal with him if you want to, and he is clean. Unfortunately, that is not me, as I have no SO or boyfreind I am able to do this with now. FOOEY!

      • anon

        Following up to place my vote against Ticket to Ride and 7 Wonders. Both seem to be all about matching cards in your hand, which is slow IMO. Splendor & carcassonne let you do that, or you can grab it quick and move on to the next challenge, which I prefer.

    • Housecounsel

      Trivial Pursuit is a great old standby, but there are different packs of cards you can get if you’ve been through all the original ones.

    • Anon

      If you can buy (with the related delays), 7 wonders duel, jaipur, and chronicles of crime are all in heavy rotation in our house.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      Splendor! Easy to learn, hard to master. Also agree with Ticket to Ride.

    • knope2020

      We’ve been playing and enjoying 7 Wonders: Duel. It takes a bit to get the hang of it but then it’s really fun!

    • ceej

      I’ve played Catchphrase (I like pictures version) with two, even though the box says 4. They also have a two-person version (“Duet”). Quick game, but enjoyable, and also helps you get on the same “mental wavelength” as your partner.

      I have a version of Cranium called “Hoopla” that is a cooperative race against the clock game. Also quick. It is too easy as written for adults in my opinion, so we decrease the time or increase the number of cards we need to get.

      My “two-player” partner is unfortunately not a words/language person. But, he likes Qwirkle, which is like Scrabble, without the vocabulary element. Might be good alternative for engineers.

      These aren’t “Kill an afternoon” games. But, they are “have some fun while waiting for something in the oven and think about something else for a while” games.

  5. Anonymous

    Is anyone considering a move after this is over? It can be anything whether it’s buying a house and getting out of apartment life or whether it’s city to suburb or whether you feel now is the time to leave your primary area altogether and get that beach house in Florida?

    • Anonymous

      You go first . . .what prompted you to start thinking about this and asking this?

      • Anonymous

        Op here — I meant to respond. So I’ve just been thinking about how I want to live and up until now it’s all been about the best jobs for my resume etc. Those have taken me to NYC and DC. My heart has never been in it though. I mean DC is fine but part of me thinks I’ve lived long enough for my resume, why not try for a job in West Palm Beach? So I guess I started thinking about this because I have a lot of time on my hands?

        • Small Law Partner

          This is why I live in LA, even though I would have more and better opportunities elsewhere. Next up is Hawaii once life in LA is too tough.

    • Anon

      I thought I enjoyed my office because I like my coworkers, but it’s become clear that I’m consistently happier, healthier, and more productive working from home. So now I want a home office, and I’ve been looking at some of the nicer places available in some of the smaller cities nearby.

    • Pure Imagination

      We were planning to move prior to this, but that’s on hold for the time being. We’ll pick back up once things settle down. While I’m pleased with how CA has responded to coronavirus, we plan to relocate to a less expensive and crowded state.

      • Anon

        I was also planning to move prior to this, and will still be moving once things settled down. Have never loved my southern state and the pandemic has only highlighted how incompetent the government is at state level. Cannot wait to jet the heck out of here.

    • Anonymous

      I moved out of NYC 5 years ago after a decade there as the lifestyle just wasn’t for me. In Arlington now with a commute to DC and I really don’t like DC. In my heart of hearts I’ve always wanted to live in a small city (think Richmond or Raleigh though even Raleigh is getting too big for me) and more importantly have a commute to a suburban office park. Yet I have always kept that to myself because in my 30s crowd it’s supremely uncool to aspire to suburb life. At this point though yeah I’ll be looking to move; realistically it’ll be NJ because of family, (NOT for a NYC job – must be a suburban job), Tyson’s, or Richmond — with some wild thoughts of Florida mixed in. Not immediate because it could take 1-3 years for the economy to settle. But I think this is showing me — why live unhappy with the NYC or DC life you’re “supposed to” live.

      • Anonymous

        The Tysons traffic wouldn’t make you stabby? And if you live west of Tysons, the sun is in your eyes both ways :(

        • Anon

          After 10 years in NYC and 5 on Metro commuting on Orange line, IDK I LOVE to drive. Even if that is sitting in traffic. It still beats public transit IMO. And I felt this way before the pandemic.

      • Anonymous

        I left NYC (with some brief stints in DC) for Raleigh about 6 years ago and it was honestly the best decision of my life. Do it!

      • Anonymous

        Let me tell ya, life in Florida is not all that. The hurricane seasons are not going to get better, housing is low quality, house insurance is astronomical, schools are not great, and while most people are nice, the average human capital level is pretty low. And don’t let me get started on the heat and humidity or the bugs. I’d move north if we could, but our jobs make that unlikely.

    • Anonymous

      I have fantasies of leaving Long Island for some warm southern place where I can have a big McMansion house and short commute and buy wine in a giant clean grocery store and lay by the pool in March and pay like three dollars in property taxes. But I don’t think they’re taking applications from New Yorkers in places like that and, anyway, my whole family has been here for generations and I don’t think I could live without them.

      Also ..i predict the whole world wants to buy a house with a home office and walk in pantry right now.

      • Anonymous

        Yes but the only ones who’ll be able to buy are those with secure jobs who feel confident of at least their medium term security. Recessions are good buying opportunities but it’s hard to actually pull the trigger.

        • Anonymous

          True. We’re actually in a position to buy, locally, soon. And you can bet those two things were recently added to my list.

        • Anon

          If I move to the south, I can buy one free and clear with the equity I have in my current place because the cost of living is so much cheaper.

        • Anonymous

          I live in Charlotte and this is exactly what I was thinking!!!!! I mean, you couldn’t pay me enough to live there and commute to my job in uptown, but if you never had to leave? Sure, it’s great – I have been into those offices in the office park and they are really nice.

      • BeenThatGuy

        I laughed out loud at ” pay like three dollars in property taxes”. Preach!

          • Anonymous

            I like schools too. But the parking meter attendant in my town gets paid more than I make as a lawyer, plus a pension, and that’s the tip of the iceberg. I think everyone deserves a living wage but the nepotism and corruption is enough to make even a civic minded person feel like their taxes are out of control.

        • Anonymous

          Thanks! You may also laugh at the fact that my Italian American husband yells “egg noodles and ketchup,” (in reference to the miserable Henry hill trying to get pasta after leaving New York at the end of the movie good fellas) every time I verbalize this fantasy. But seriously we could hire a nonna to cook for us with the difference in property taxes.

    • Smug Suburbanite

      Not planning to move, but am wondering whether the value of my large-ish suburban house with a nice yard and access to many supermarkets will be increased by this crisis. I suspect many folks who have now spent weeks cooped up in tiny condos in hip neighborhoods where all the bars and restaurants (and parks) have had to close may be reconsidering the benefits of unfashionable suburban living, especially the younger ones who are contemplating eventually adding kids to the mix.

      • Anon

        Eh? Maybe? The problem is that an economic crisis makes people reluctant to purchase large houses.

        • anon

          Yeah, I live in the city and this has definitely fueled a fantasy of a big house but I suspect that will wear off by the time we are actually ready to buy.

      • Anonymous

        Anecdotally, my buddy in trendy-ish sunnyside queens with two kids in a two bedroom apartment that costs more than my house has never sounded more miserable. But who knows what that means long term?

    • Northwest Islander

      I am thinking about quitting my career, finding any sort of remote job, and relocating to a rural setting where I am not surrounded by families, couples, and friend groups. This quarantine has been really hard on me because it is thrown in my face on the regular that everybody except me has “their people” to ride this out with. Neighbors, colleagues, everybody else gets to spend time with their loved ones while I am just…alone and unwanted.

      It is devastating to know that I am nobody’s partner or favorite. I just want to exit into my own little world where I won’t be reminded of how “special” I am by my non-specialness to any other humans.

      • Anon

        Me too. But it has also given me the “confidence” that I can do it alone. Not saying it feels good but I’m adopting a bit of a — fine if they don’t need me, I don’t need them — attitude too. Not one of my “friends” or coworkers has checked in because as you say, they have their people and for some reason they assume I went to stay with my elderly parents. Uh thanks for caring guys.

        • Anon

          It’s depression if someone notices that everyone else is engaged with their family and no one is calling them? Come on. It’s a normal human response to notice that while you’re sitting home staring at your walls, other people are hanging out with their boyfriend or husband or kid.

          • Anonymous

            It’s depression if you conclude you’re worthless and want to become a hermit!

        • Anon

          Wow. I am quarantined with my husband, newborn, and cat, but do not have my head lodged so far up my rear end that I cannot understand how this is HARD on other people. People are not obligated to emote like I emote, especially under different circumstances.

          Aside from checking in and offering phone calls or Zooms with my friends who are quarantined alone, is there anything else to do for our single, quarantined alone friends?

          • Anon

            I’m the one above who is saying about my “friends” – if they don’t need me, I don’t need them. Just check in and don’t make it seem like a check in; really just initiate a call or a text chain for once if you really care. If you don’t, then don’t but realize your single friends will stop reaching out to you too because they don’t want to feel that they’re pushing themselves onto a family that does not care/is too busy.

          • Anonymous

            Oh dear. Let me tell you. I was busy with my kids and my job before, but I literally can.not.add. another thing to my plate. It’s not that I don’t love you, my single friends. It’s that I am hanging on by a very frayed thread right now.

      • LaurenB

        If it makes you feel any better, my twenty-something children are each by themselves, in apartments 30 minutes from one another, but the only transportation available is public transportation and that ain’t happening. I get the sense a lot of their friends are in similar circumstances – quarantining by themselves.

      • Duckles

        @anonymous at 5:28– it’s not that I don’t understand that, but I’ve been pretty happily single because I have a great network of friends the past couple of years, but this has highlighted that friends aren’t family and you can’t count on them the same way— my coupled friends have withdrawn into their families and my single friends with family driving distance have gone to stay with them. I obviously don’t fault Them for these choices at all, but it’s a wake up call that if you’re single you really are, when push comes to shove, alone. (And I have really appreciated the friends who have called to check and see how I’m doing!)

    • Anonforthis

      Working from home the last month has made me realize that I could handle working from home full time, when I previously thought I couldn’t work well from home. This opens up the possibility of being able to leave my HCOL city and keep my job but work remotely from a smaller city. I made the mistake of browsing Redfin for houses in the medium-sized city where I went to college, and am now getting daily emails with beautiful, affordable houses that cost less than my tiny condo. I showed a few listings to my partner and he’s open to the idea, so this may be something we actually pursue.

      • Anon

        Where do you live and where would you go if you don’t mind saying? I do this all the time — browsing listings in other places.

        • Anonymous

          Just remember if plenty of people make this decision and move, all the sudden your affordable place isn’t as affordable anymore (hello, Nashville).

          • Anon

            I mean Nashville isn’t affordable relative to what Nashville used to be but it isn’t NYC either. I think NYC money coming into places generally lifts prices anyway because you go in thinking — 300k or 500k for a whole house, wow that buys one room in Manhattan.

          • Anonymous

            True. But unless you’re still working remotely for your NYC employer, 9 times out of 10, you’re taking a paycut in Nashville.

    • Anonymous

      I am actually enjoying working from home (save the children being here) and am happy with where we are located, but I think we are going to buy a bigger house after this experience. We only have one child when we bought our current place and I know and respect that my house would seem huge to people living in an apartment in a big city like NYC, but comparatively speaking, we’re on top of each other during this time. And I really, really want a dedicated office space and a dedicated place for my workout equipment.

    • PINK

      I needed to move out of my apartment with my soon to be ex anyway and figured I’d look for a place on the UWS but now, i’m almost considering moving to the midwest to be with my lover. but everything is on hold. going with the flow for now.

    • Duckles

      I am. I’ve wanted to buy a house for a while but can’t afford to in my city, and I also am just not a fan of this city (hate the traffic and weather). I haven’t left because I have such a strong network here and there’s such a good cultural/social scene, but with that gone I don’t feel like I have a compelling reason to stay.

    • Anonymous

      A lot depends on what happens when the dust settles. My husband is in the performing arts field and there’s real uncertainty right now about when, and potentially even if, he will be able to resume his job. It’s pretty certain that the organization will survive for the near future and reopen once restrictions are lifted, but if audiences don’t end up coming back, it could be very bad. Anyway, I’m in government so my job is about as secure as anything can be right now, so I’m not planning to leave. BUT if it turns out in 2-3 years that DH’s career doesn’t require us to live in our current area anymore, I will likely push hard for a move back across the country, nearer to our families and old friends. It’s hard to be 3,000 miles and 3 hours different than them all right now, knowing that even when it’s okay to start spending time with others again, the only way to see them is to get on a plane. Obviously, if DH’s job is still okay, we won’t make any big moves, but it’s truly the only reason we live here.

    • Anonymous

      Yes, definitely. I live in a small condo, which for many years was perfectly ok with me. It is a nice condo, and i have updated it over the years, so it now almost perfectly suits my style. however, all of a sudden, it is far to small for me. i keep thinking that if we have to stay at home again in the fall, i definitely do not want to be here. i have been lucky that one of my neighbors has been gone, as she was traveling and decided to shelter in place at her vacation location. i don’t know when she will come back, but the minute she does, this will be pure misery. so, yes, i wish i felt comfortable starting the process of buying now, but it seems better to wait.

    • Anonymous

      I’ll be the lone dissenting voice from NYC and say that I am very happy in my nyc apartment, and it’s confirmed for my husband and I that we don’t want to leave the city (kid is 4, so she doesn’t yet get a vote). We have a park across from us that is always empty, where my kid can run around without coming within even 40 feet of anyone (and no playground, so no shared surfaces), my grocery store is fully stocked (even TP!) and empty if you go when they open at 8 am, and one of the best hospitals in the nation is a few blocks from me and has been handling the crisis very well (according to doctor friends who are currently working there, so people I trust). And oddly, looking out my window and seeing people walking to and from the grocery (6 ft apart) is good for my mental health, because it reassures me that life is continuing and we are not marooned on an isolated island alone.

      This is not to minimize the very real consequences of the pandemic on NYC or the casualties, every one of which is a tragedy and which should have been much fewer. It’s just to say that, all things considered, my family has not regretted being in NYC during these difficult times.

  6. Dance Workouts

    I’ve been doing online kickboxing workouts with my normal gym, but want to change things up a little. Does anyone have recommendations for online dance workout classes?

    • Obe enthusiast

      yes! Obé. streaming + there’s an app… you should be able to get a week free, or a month if you poke around for a code on instagram. a lot of cardio dance, choreography, different styles. it’s really fun!

    • anon8

      I have seen some dance workouts on the Popsugar Fitness channel on YouTube.

  7. SF

    Now that my communication with my dad is only via iphone/facetime, it’s become clear something is wrong with his speaker (or the way he uses his phone). I’d like to buy him a pair of headphones. He doesn’t like airpod type, it’ll have to be bulkier. Any recommendations on what to buy that he could figure out?

    • Davis

      Is your comment about “that he could figure out” meaning that he’s not very technically capable? My initial thought would be something Bluetooth like the LG Tone Pro, but do you think pairing would be too hard? If so, just a simple pair of cheap earphones like you get on the plane might help.

  8. Date ideas

    My new boyfriend and I decided to quarantine together. Overall, it’s been going great but I feel like we’re struggling to come up with ideas of things to do in the evenings. So far, our main activities have been going for walks, playing games, cooking together, watching movies or tv shows, and just kind of hanging out together doing our own things (reading, wasting time online). We are normally people who like trying new things, so it’s been a big switch for us. I’m struggling to come up with any other ideas, and figured I would throw this out to the group.

    Has anybody found creative date things to do at home?

    • Anonymous

      We like watching documentaries about things we want to try – think rock climbing in Patagonia or hiking the Grand Canyon or sea kayaking in Iceland.

    • Anon

      Local businesses in your area might have some fun online stuff happening. There’s a shop in my city that had a couple of Bingo nights on FB live, and some of the restaurants are doing wine dinners where you buy a kit for curbside pick up that includes everything you need for a fancy wine dinner, then they have a Zoom or FB live event to talk about the food and wine while you eat.

    • Anonymous

      One of our favorite musicians is doing a live stream “concert” every Tuesday night. It was kind of fun to tune in and listen to him.

    • Anonymous

      My husband and I have always been introverted together and things we like to do in the evenings are puzzles. word searches, crossword puzzles, listening to music (sometimes we make a whole theme night out of it–pick a country and find music we like, food to cook, wine to drink, sometimes we look up art from that country, and even do a google earth or youtube walking tour). We also like to bake dessert together and/or come up with interesting cocktails to surprise each other with.

  9. MagicUnicorn

    Just venting. My boss (a lifelong lover of creating red tape and leaving everyone around her to deal with it) has decided that since we are working from home, all our calls should now be documented through meticulous minutes that she requires someone else to take for her and then makes all of us provide input in, so she can then nitpick and edit the snot out of them. These are not formal meetings where we would normally take minutes. These are just team check-in calls where we shoot the breeze and give general status updates. I am ready to scream.

    • Anon

      Doesn’t she have a job to do? Or does she foist all of the work onto you and just ‘manage’ how it is done?

      I suggest pushing back as a group or eliminating the calls in favour of email updates.

      • MagicUnicorn

        Yeah, one would think she has higher priorities than inflicting her shitty grammatical preferences on all of her employees. She loves to be a martyr to her self-inflicted busyness, though.

          • MagicUnicorn

            She gets a kick out of bragging about how she works so late into the evening (duh, that’s what happens when you don’t start your day until 10am!) or that she put in X hours on Saturday (because she is too disorganized and inefficient to do her job during the regular workday, instead spending hours on the phone with her cousin or volunteering at her kid’s school). It’s like she thinks we are all proud of her for this, when in reality we are hamstrung because we can’t get answers from her since she is generally MIA during the week.

    • Anonymous

      Ugh. Sympathy. Your boss and mine should get together and go bowling after this. They want detailed timesheet of my day. We’re in house. We’ve never billed. It’s a weird control thing.

      • Pure Imagination

        Can my boss join that bowling date? We have to bill already (consulting), but she also started requiring us to clock in and out and to send summaries of our daily activities to our supervisors. Luckily my supervisor agreed that no one has time for that nonsense.

      • MagicUnicorn

        Oh yes, we have long been required to keep time sheets even though we don’t bill out because she likes to know we could give a detailed response if some mysterious someone, someday, were to ask what we each did on the second Thursday of March in 2017, for instance.

        Definitely need to send these folks out bowling together. Sorry to hear you are subject to the insanity, too.

    • Anon

      If you work at ICF, I know who you work for. Initials RC. You have my sympathies.

      • MagicUnicorn

        I don’t, but you have all my sympathies since it sounds like she has a doppelgänger there.

    • meeting minutes

      You might try recording your calls if the software you use has a transcript option. We use Zoom and if you record, it will provide you with a transcript of the meeting within 15 minutes or so, including who’s speaking and timestamps. Then your boss can gleefully edit all the typos that Zoom mis-hears! Your team won’t need to give input because it’s all right there, but trust me, there will be plenty for her to nitpick, given that auto-transcripts tend to have typos and odd spellings and whatnot. I know that’s not the point of this rant, but it might be a useful suggestion to deal with such stupidity.

      • Pure Imagination

        Oh god, I’d never bring that up or my boss would voluntell me to edit the Zoom transcripts.

      • MagicUnicorn

        I wish! We tried a similar solution in the past for documenting her thoughts after meetings and it created more work for the rest of us, because she also is incompetent in her use of mics (and phones). Her recorded speech is too muffled to make out without the rest of the context. Turns out the solution to that was to have the meeting attendees listen to her dictated after-notes and translate them to paper.

        Reason #173 why I am interviewing elsewhere, while also incredibly grateful that my niche industry is not affected by this crisis.

  10. First trimester

    I’m pregnant. Baby #2. Daycares are closed, so I am WFH and FT caregiver (spouse is also WFH but is on-calls whereas I have work I can spread over more of the day; next week that will flip a bit as my work ramps up). I’d have announced the baby, but we are WFH and the org chart is murky. My immediate boss will be happy for me and has dealt with my leave the first time (working mom, also, with working spouse).

    Here is the chess game I’m worried about: we may have layoffs. We may not. Layoffs may affect the person who’d cover for me during leave. I doubt we’d lay off someone who is known to be pregnant (but that makes it bad for someone else, possibly). I’m not known to be pregnant. Announce now (about to enter 2nd trimester anyway and we’ve told friends/family, some of whom I work with but are peers)? I’ll be obviously pregnant soon, but no one may see that. So far we haven’t cancelled the summer program or told first years not to come (or not to come until 2021).

    Advice?

    • Anon

      Chess game? You are overthinking this. It is not your job to solve your firm’s potential staffing problems after layoffs, nor to fix any problems they may have in doing large layoffs. The people who do this are literally paid to make hard decisions and execute them well.

      Announce your pregnancy and let the chips fall where they may.

  11. Rental and moving now

    In my city, you often move into a highrise (elevator, many doors to the outside) with garage parking. Now that I’m here and my lease is up (month-to-month), I know that there are older townhouse-type units with one door to the outside and street parking. Am I crazy to consider moving now (allowed under my city’s ordinance)? I figure that I’d share fewer walls with people and have no one above or below me. And I’d just be touching MY door handle in the short run (and long run; who knows how long this will last?), so I could get outside and not worry so much re germs / elevator sharing, etc. The cost would be similar, but could have a tiny patio outside that isn’t shared or possibly a roof deck (not shared).

    WWYD?

    • Anon

      Makes total sense to share space with fewer people. I’m in a high rise and going out as little as possible because I view it all as exposure — whether it’s shared hallways or elevators or garages. Whereas in a house where you breeze out your own front door, you can come and go as much as you want. I would however consider the logistics of moving NOW. Would you have movers? People touching your stuff and then walking all over your new home to put that stuff in? Even if you packed your own goods into boxes then just outside of boxes would be touched — what about furniture?

    • Anonymous

      I think you should move because I would prefer fewer shared walls and more outdoor space (Covid or no Covid) unless you are concerned about job and financial security, in which case you might want to have the flexibility of having a month-to-month lease.

    • BB

      I love my giant high rise and will probably always live in a high-rise, but I totally agree that it’s an issue right now. We don’t go outside more than once a week mainly because we don’t want to risk contamination from just the act of going out of the building. We have 100s of units, so lots of people, elevators, hallways, doors. I am so jealous of my friends in the burbs (well, temporarily :)) who can just open their door and go outside.

    • Anonymous

      I love my giant high rise and will probably always live in a high-rise, but I totally agree that it’s an issue right now. We don’t go outside more than once a week mainly because we don’t want to risk contamination from just the act of going out of the building. We have 100s of units, so lots of people, elevators, hallways, doors. I am so jealous of my friends in the burbs (well, temporarily :)) who can just open their door and go outside.

  12. Anonymous

    Any advice for taking over management of a program or large project that is a nightmare? I was recently named program lead for a program in my department that is just a mess. The data-collection and budget tracking mechanisms were set up incorrectly and so getting to the data we need to provide on how well the program worked is proving to be nearly impossible. We’re trying to make some changes so that things are clearer moving forward, but in the meantime, as “program lead” I am responsible for reporting on data and budget numbers from the last program year that I have no faith in. The administration and data collection were so piecemeal and poorly done I am not sure if any of the numbers I am looking at are valid. I’ve dealt with challenging projects before but this is new to me – none of the traditional conventions for tracking budget numbers or participant data were followed. Any advice?

    • Walnut

      This seems like an opportunity to dig into the raw data, get enough confidence to be directional and then lay out the change roadmap needed to be able to report out confidently.

  13. Anon

    Did anyone get the stimulus payment yet? I have direct deposit set up with the IRS but nothing has hit my bank acct yet.

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