After committing to more productive activities on our lighter WFH (work from home) day yesterday, we made great progress unpacking some of the things that we had left since we moved in last year. Most exciting for me, we unboxed (and de-cluttered!) my office so I have a comfortable space for writing while Alex is teaching from home.
I am elated to have my own space now where I can let my mind wander, or pour all the words out onto paper.
After getting a lot of the house unboxed and organized, we took some time to clean (it is important to keep doing this even in the strictest of quarantine, especially during allergy season as other respiratory issues only will exacerbate ongoing issues!). Cleaning helps me feel more in control, and is also a productive use of time. I also had the opportunity to speak with my therapist which is always hugely helpful for my mood and general perspective.
We have decided to utilize the pharmacy delivery service and our wonderful pharmacists help us set up our new account so that medicines can be shipped to our door. We are still working out how I will be getting my insulin (which needs to remain refrigerated, not frozen, and cannot be shipped), but I am confident we will figure out a way forward. We also created our online Kroger delivery service and ordered groceries that we know will be back-ordered, but are purchasing ahead of when we will need them. Buying groceries ahead of time when possible is really helpful on several levels: 1) it boosts the economy, even just a small fraction, to buy something now you are expecting later (this is not limited to groceries) 2) the coronavirus does not live long on cardboard surfaces and having items delivered to your house if much safer than going in person 3) by ordering early, you are likely to actually get the groceries that you want, instead of needing replacement items-although stores are doing the best they can and 4) you get your groceries on time!
After we made breakfast for dinner (yum!) I began organizing a gaming time for my cousins to play D&D with my uncle. I am really excited as it has been awhile since the last time I played and I think that this will help to bolster my community and support system-and it will be just plain FUN!
Today we did more zumba and I have to say...I am not used to that long a cardio class! As some of you know, Alex and I love OrangeTheory Fitness. We have been going for two years now and are loving it-except when we aren't allowed to go to the studio. However, the studio has an out-of-studio heart rate monitor. Here were my stats from an hour of zumba yesterday:
Usually, we aim for about 12-20 minutes in the "orange zone" (heart rate is higher than just fat burn, putting you in calorie burning mode for the next 36 hours, also known as EPOC.). I was really pleased to see that even though this was a "cardio" workout, I burned just as many calories (if not more) and stayed in that after-burn zone for so much of the virtual class.
I am also really happy that OTF will now be offering daily at-home workouts for the duration that gyms are closed. Support your local businesses, guys. Especially the ones supporting you!
I am so fortunate to have a partner who also enjoys exercising and will partner up on these things with me. We had a great time.
Today we have been re-working our academic support services to optimize a virtual platform for both tutoring students (especially students who may need extra support with the fast adjustment to all-online schooling) and mindfulness workshops (again, very impacted by what is happening with the COVID-19 outbreak. If you want more information about tutoring services and our new sliding-scale payment policy to create accessibility for all families, or information about mindfulness meditation programming offered, please feel free to reach out! https://www.thelotusproject.online/
As we gather our resources, we will be giving more details about what we are able to offer. Hang in there, and as Mr. Rogers would say, "Look for the helpers."
Prepare, don't panic.
-Allison
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