I hope you have someone at home with you in case of seizure! This is an awful anxious time with no end in sight.

Oooof yes I can see how dealing with bored, anxious, hangry shelter-in-placers is a customer service nightmare, even without the constantly shifting regulations. I think a big source of anxiety for everyone is how fast things seem to change - a month ago masks were pointless for healthy people, now they’re essential.…

It’s a rough time. I also hadn’t told him yet (we’re in counseling) and now don’t know if I should pretend everything is fine in case this is extended indefinitely, or come clean and risk months of turmoil. I feel like a dick because he’s actually enjoying sheltering in place together whereas I still feel unheard,…

I alternate between something semi-useful (the cats now have a deluxe litter box set up, my house is very clean, i made a big dinner) and just anxious buzzing, obsessing over the news, pacing, intermittently crying. Unfortunately none of those things is work either. 

That’s how this whole pandemic has been - use bandanas and face masks and gloves! Okay, but...who actually has those things just lying around, especially if you live in a smaller place with less storage? I’m lucky enough to be in a medical profession, so I had a couple masks, but even I felt woefully unprepared. Very…

It’s so hard, having a partner who can’t handle any negative emotions. I understand that it comes from a place of wanting me to be happy, but it ends up feeling more about not disturbing his mood than my actual feelings.

Probably also all the weird samples I keep smearing on my face out of stress too. Maybe 100 random skin care samples in a row is not actually selfcare. 

Yeah I think something that’s been missing from the discourse about grocery delivery is that most of the services around here are booked out a week+. Not super helpful if you need groceries now...

Yeah fuck that noise. I objectively have it not-that-bad, and I’m having a hell of a time getting anything done and an even harder time not beating myself up over it. All of these people who are happily baking and having Zoom wine-and-boardgame nights are lying through their teeth or superhuman. 

Ooof that’s so hard re: Mom and Dad! I would be frantic as well. Luckily my parents are together, but due to my mom’s mental illness I’m not very confident in her ability to social distance well enough to protect my (elderly, frail) father.

Tonight I made a roast chicken rubbed with lemongrass and chili butter, cooked over coconut rice. And pears caramelized in cream! Also started a biga for focaccia tomorrow. I’ve been out for a week with presumed covid and am finally feeling better, so I’m cooking up a storm. 

who’s had a solid pandemic-related meltdown recently!? wanna have a meltdown thread or share handy tips and tricks for waking up tomorrow and gritting our teeth through 1-3 more months of this?

Methadone can be prescribed for pain relief by a physician and dispensed through a pharmacy, and you definitely do see that as a last resort for patients with severe chronic pain. However, to use it explicitly as MAT it must be dispensed from a methadone clinic, and prescribing it for pain tends to raise some eyebrows…

anyone want to have a heartbreak thread? comfort in lonesome solidarity, or something like that?

GAH i just got the short sleeve jumpsuit in black and i LOVE IT. the quality is superb and it’s worth every penny. i’m an all-black everything kind of girl and now i’m eyeing every other color...

I’m making a chickpea garlic stew! Simple but good. Soaking beans from scratch is completely worth it. Other hits lately have been a pineapple-vanilla pie (so good! three sticks of butter!), kimchi-taleggio quesadillas, and a slow-cooker chicken curry that I added some squash to. 

ummm recipe please! that looks amazing. 

Agreed. People look good naked. Few people look good in garments designed to hide a natural shape.

That is a good saying, it sums up the feeling of being completely ganged up on by life pretty well. I’m honestly almost fine right now - the biggest issue we’re facing is that my partner is still pretty depressed, so he has a lot of trouble seeing past his own misery to understand the sheer magnitude of how hard this…

I like Paula’s choice for evidence-based skin care. I have super sensitive skin and use CeraVe AM and PM for moisturizer, alternating between a chemical exfoliant and the antioxidant serum every other night.