Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission: Impossible! music here), is:
(1) Check out Pauleen Cass' blog post, Crazy Month of May 2020 Meme: Pandemic Experiences. We did the first 10 prompts last week.
(2) Let's do the last 11 of the prompts this week.
(3) Tell us about your pandemic experience in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a post on Facebook. Be sure to leave a link to your work as a comment to this post and also on Pauleen's post.
And here we go!
11. What have you found to be the strangest change to your life?
The strangest change has been that for three months when I was driving around, there were almost no other cars on the highways or streets. It was almost like having the roads to myself. (That has changed during the past couple of weeks, however.)
12. Have you found the changes and experience stressful/anxious/worrying?
I don't think that's the right way to describe it. Disconcerting is better. No stress or worry, just having to get used to something different.
13. How have the closures affected your local community?
Most businesses closed during the first three months. I suspect many of them will not be able to reopen. I was a little surprised at some of the businesses classified as "essential."
14. Have in-person meetings been replaced with virtual meetings zia Zoom, Skype, etc.?
Absolutely. I have participated in several Zoom and GoToMeeting events for genealogy, and Zoom and Slack for a few social meetings. I've also been testing closed captioning capabilities on other platforms, such as Google Meet (excellent), Skype (decent but not as good as Google), and Webex (no automatic transcription; you need a live person).
15. Do you enjoy the virtual meeting format?
Not really. I would rather have in-person meetings and presentations. Failing the possibility of that for the time being, however, I can deal with virtual meetings.
16. Are you working from home instead of in your usual place of work?
Like Randy, home is my usual place of work, so no change there.
17. Have your habits changed over the past months?
Not very much. I'm keeping to the same sleep and eating schedule for the most part and watching most of the same TV programs (except for the ones that weren't able to wrap their seasons before lockdowns occurred, so no new episodes or ending their seasons early). I didn't used to eat out a lot before, but that has been almost eliminated. Where the biggest change has occurred is in the social events I used to go to but obviously haven't for the past three months.
18. Have you had to cancel travel plans for pleasure or family?
I didn't have to cancel any personal trips, just four business trips.
19. Do you think you'll be able to travel in 2020?
Probably not, but not necessarily due to the pandemic. It looks as though I will finally be able to schedule my shoulder surgery for late summer, so that will preclude travel for several months while I recover.
20. Have you/others been wearing masks when out and about in your area?
I think maybe about 75% of the customers I see at stores, etc. wear masks. All store personnel wear them, and everyone in health settings does.
21. Will you change your lifestyle after this experience?
Not much. I didn't go out to eat very much to begin with, so that won't change. I still prefer to shop offline, so I will likely return to that once it's possible to do so. I think where I am most likely to change my habits is where I have no choice and the change is made for me, such as a lot of meetings staying in a virtual format.
The post with the first ten questions for this meme can be found here.
I really like “disconcerting” ...it captures the situation perfectly. Eating out seems to be a common denominator for most of us. I am going to a book club get together at a restaurant this week and I am a bit nervous. Yes, that definition of essential seemed to raise mystified eyebrows everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWill you be eating at the restaurant, or just having the meeting? If just the meeting, you can wear your mask!
DeleteI have sometimes wondered if some businesses/industries were classified as essential in under-the-table agremeents. But maybe I'm just cynical.
You must be glad to have the shoulder surgery scheduled. So much of the other "medical" issues have been postponed. I have a video appointment with my doctor--not sure I like that. How can they listen to your heart/lungs through the computer?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even thought about what they do for heartbeat or lungs when you have a video appointment. That is an interesting question.
DeleteMy surgeon's office only reopened this past week, so it's a very recent development. But yes, very glad to have surgery scheduled. Now to get enough caretakers lined up for the first eight weeks to ensure I don't use my arm!
Like Pauleen, I hooked on to "disconcerting" right away. I think that is an excellent description. As for classifying essential businesses, in AZ, nail salons are considered essential! Long lines to get nails done and we had a 50% increase in cases in Tucson since last Sunday. Not good and people seem to be oblivious.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few times my experience as an editor is actually noticeable! I'm glad I chose the right word. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, nail salons have been a huge issue here in Oregon also. Not classified as essential, but it's amazing how many people think that (and getting their gray roots touched up) is such an important thing. You think they would have figured out by now that more critical issues are at hand.