Day 7

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Day 7 – wow! And there continue to be topics to share. I hope you are still with me and agree? Show you are, by sharing your thoughts in the comments. It’s nice to get feedback and most importantly to hear your stories. So it’s Sunday today which means, another crazy work week in my couch office is about to start. I hope my work companion is ready to join me as well. It’s just nicer with company.

Today I am sharing Social Distancing – the pet version. The two guys are clearly keeping their distance and we will cut them a slack, that it’s not exactly 6 feet. They tried, but counting only works with treats (yes, Sam can count and knows, if I stop his good night treats at 3 or 4 instead of the 6 he usually gets) and also, they are just too cute to be upset with them. Ok, there might have also been some kissing.

Sam’s big friend is Kodiak, the brown lab living next door. And since he visited us for the first time, after him and Sam detected, that some of our fencing struts are rather lose and you (as in puppies) can easily squeeze through, he likes to come over to take a dip in the pool. From then on, the two little monsters implemented a “puppy exchange” where Kodiak comes in and Sam jumps out to visit Bill & Erin, our neighbors. Well we are usually getting Sam back and the two are playing – no, not with each other. Remember, Social Distancing! They are both playing, in the same yard and today Sam played with Mommy while Kodiak kept Henning busy. Let’s say, they got us moving and wear off some energy.

And thankfully Kodiak’s parents are practicing Social Distancing as well, so we should be good.

On Covid19 news, the curve is not yet any flatter. But I guess, that’s not really news to you. Just read a post from a Doctor from Munich, Germany, pleading with the people in Munich to please, please stay home. And there the police is actually enforcing the lock down. Unfortunately, they can’t be everywhere at the same time.

Meanwhile in NYC – apparently the riches are trying to “escape” NYC using all available means such as cars and helicopters to flood their vacation and weekend home destinations like The Catskills, The Hamptons or Rhode Island. To a point, where the Governor of Rhode Island basically has her law enforcement teams screen the streets for cars with NY license plate and force them (rather their owners) to self-isolate. And since that came across just a little bit racist against folks from NY, she is now extending this to all other states. What do you think about this? Is she right?

The permanent residents of these locations are growingly frustrated, as at least the richest of the rich seem to swarm the grocery stores and are buying a year worth of supply, leaving nothing for people that can’t affort to invest their money in toilet paper and produce as a replacement for stocks & shares. Sadly, I am not surprised, as unfortunately one thing you really can’t buy with money, is intelligence or kindness. But in all fairness, that does not necessarily make all middle or low income people always smart nor kind.

Thankfully there are a lot of great examples of how the rich and famous use their means to support good causes. A lot of money has been dontated for research, the production of equipment and protective gear for first responders and for the provision of food for people that lost their job or where in a dire situation already before this all started.

While some decided to help, some even big times, others seem to have lost all their sense of community and are pulling some quite antisocial moves. Germany is, as you might imagine, very much by the books when it comes to the current situation. So policies and relief acts have been put in place, to regulate the local measures. One of these relief act is, that for a certain period, landlords can’t sue or evict you based on outstanding rental payments. This is to help people and businesses that face hardship, due to the Social Distancing rules and policies put in place. And the first to announce, they are going to hold all their rental payments for their stores are companies like adidas, Puma, H&M….

Based on their reaction, that is not what German lawmakers intented to achieve. Obviously. Common sense, anyone?

What are your thoughts on that kind of behavior? Would you like to hear their side and reasons / arguments? Or do you think, it does not really matter it’s just purely antisocial? Guilty until proven innocent or the other way around – where do you stand?

I am well aware (and was repeatedly reminded by a friend yesterday – see yesterdays post), that the economy is taking a huge hit. However, I am a fan of controling what I can control. And so we are continuing to spend money (thoughtfully) instead of going into panic saving mode and we are trying to support small businesses in our area. Yes, we are also continuing to support Starbucks and I am happy to report, they redeemed themselves on my coffee today. It helps me keep a routine and routines are a good thing.

Remember, the money you spend, might be someone elses income! Is there anything you are continuing or have started to do, to keep the economy afloat? Do you have any ideas, you would like to share? Please do.

We are likely going to face a couple of more weeks, if not months, in these circumstances. So it’s important to develop a routine, something, that gives your life a sense of “normality”. I have shared our daily routine of long walks, our “standard” breakfast including our Starbucks coffe and the routine of spending our evenings the same way, we did before. At some point, some of the new habits we are forced to exhibit will form a part of this routine. For example me working in my couch office, with Sam by my side. Or us being able to spend time together to jump in the pool in the morning and evening as I am not commuting to work and also not having to “dress up” as much. Today, as I was thinking about these “new” routines, I was wondering, which I would want to preserve beyond this situation and which ones I would like to get rid of as soon as possible.

Some answers are easy – I will happily give up that Henning has to drive to Starbucks to get our coffee, while i am in charge of preparing the entire breakfast. It will be great to have the time in the kitchen together back. And also I do not like washing berries all that much. Others are a little bit more difficult – will I at some point be so used to be working with my new companion, that going into the office will become a necessary evil? I will think about this some more and share in the next days (or weeks?).

What about you? Have you developed new routines or habits, that you actually like? Are you doing something, you did not do before Covid19 and if so, how is it going? I am a curious person, do you mind sharing?

I do think, there is a way to avoid getting bored and help not to develop cabin fever. Try something new! It could be a new recipe (I am thinking of doing a recipe exchange in the next couple of days), change something with your house/ apartment and so on and so forth. And there is something else, that is a great distraction from negativity – positivity!

Do things for people. Not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are!

I would like to propose a little challenge. Think about something nice you could do for someone else. A total stranger, a person you see regularly (from a 6 feet distance), someone you only know virtually. And then go ahead and do it! Once you did, share what you did to who and how it felt below in the comments!

What goes around, comes around! Wouldn’t it be great to see and read a lot of positive acts of kindness instead of a lot of negative outlook for the world? I WOULD LOVE IT! Are you in?

Looking forward to reading your act of kindness story and am hoping, it will bring you the distraction I think it will!

Keep your distance. Stay & healthy, be kind and take care!

Hugs,

Nannette