COVID19 – Groningen Rain

March 28, 2020

Dutch Lock Down Day Thirteen

Whether it was because I hit a ‘bottom’ or that the funeral is passed or because it’s such a gorgeous sunny day out, I managed to get out of bed, shower, get dressed, and do a little work.

But first, the news:

A GISH friend reached out the other day and asked, “So, you all have been locked down much longer than the US (because we HAVEN’T been locked down AT ALL [stupid])…what have been your biggest struggles?”

Psychological!

I’m used to working from home ALONE.

The kids went into daycare and school and my partner went into his work. I went into the local cafes and the gym every single day.

Now I’ve got no introvert time and kids and partner here all the time.

I’m slowly figuring out how to cope.

Writing it out helps.

I figured out this morning that fresh baked bread makes me SO HAPPY.

I still have a lot more to figure out.

On the other hand, the twins and the oldest are having a BLAST. There’s a lot of confusion, sure, but they get to see us ALL THE TIME and SO MUCH SCREEN ACTION.

March 27, 2020

Dutch Lock Down Day Twelve

Today I SUPER crashed and by super crashed I mean instead of taking a shower or doing yin yoga or studying languages, I laid down in the bed and didn’t get up again until 1830 local.

But first, the news:

I found out last night that I got the date for my grandma’s funeral wrong.

It was today.

Not Saturday.

Today at 1000 UTC+4.

1500 local time.

Apparently that was too much for the depression and stress and such and I just laid back down and fell right the fuck asleep.

March 26, 2020

Dutch Lock Down Day Eleven

The sunny ‘warm’ weather continues to wreak havoc on the STOP HANGING OUT ‘request’ from the Dutch government.

It would be so much easier if the weather would be normal – rainy grey, cold and miserable.

#DamnIt

But, first, the news:

I live in a ‘village’, not a city, way up north near Groningen and yesterday I walked over to the pharmacy to drop off my prescription.

When we go out for a walk, we don’t wear anything special, but when we go to the grocery store, we wear rubber gloves.

I also wear a face mask.

Also when we go grocery shopping, we go as early as possible to avoid crowds / people / contact / COVID19.

This time I went at 12:30 local.

While the streets were still relatively empty compared to a normal lunch hour on a sunny day, there were still couples walking closely to one another.

Which makes sense if they live together.

But, for example, there were three painters walking right next to one another on their lunch break.

I crossed the street.

Also people are not wearing any kind of protective gear – no gloves, no masks – and HAVE NO IDEA how react when they see someone walking around with both.

Mostly staring.

No hate, though.

Some immune compromised friends wearing gloves and masks in America have reported scoffs, fake coughs, and sneering comments.

Now?

REALLY?

March 24, 2020

Dutch Lock Down Day Nine

I’m gonna lose count eventually but today is not that day!

#LIES

I TOTALLY had to pull up the last post to see what today’s title is cause that’s where we are now. I’m only surprised it took nine days and not, say, three.

Narrator: it totally just took three days.

#FocusLeander

Today I did only two things.

I went grocery shopping.
I finished a jungle gym swing set thing.
I managed expectations at work.

Nothing else matters.

The local grocery store has a hand washing station set up outside the front doors. Which you are required to use before entering the store.

Which I did not use because I got there so early and the store employees weren’t actually ready to welcome people into the store.

AND / OR

I didn’t have to use because the one store employee who saw me took one look at my mask and gloves and mohawk hat and didn’t want none.

March 22, 2020

Dutch Lock Down Day Seven

We’ve been doing this a whole week, Warriors.

One week ago today the Dutch government decided to close down almost everything – schools, daycares, cafes, restaurants, sex clubs, cannabis cafes, saunas and sports clubs.

I wrote about the latest nineteen in the Netherlands.

It didn’t really seem real.

We survived working with two partners and three kids at home for a whole day. And then another day. And a third.

It still didn’t seem real.

On day four, I lost my goddamned mind.