Editors share experiences during unprecedented school closure

March 18, 2020

I really just chilled at home most of the day. I’m home alone every day this week so I started out listening to music at full volume and I ate cereal for breakfast. My mom called me and I offered to go to the store for her to pick up things she needed since she won’t have time to go herself. I honestly put on this face mask as a joke and I just kept thinking about how stupid I looked wearing it until I saw other people wearing face masks and I was like, “ok, twin.” I did get a lot of stares and there were some Fry’s employees who laughed at me LOL. Then I went to Sprout’s to pick up some more groceries and I checked to see if there were any paper towels at Walmart but there were none. I went back home and changed clothes so I could go to a few restaurants and try to get a job. I just quit my job two weeks ago and I’m just now realizing I picked the worst time to be unemployed. The two places I asked if they were hiring both said they were not at the moment but perhaps in a few weeks. Then I decided to go get a haircut with a new barber and I think it was the best decision of my life. He seems really interesting and the haircut turned out really good. (Picture of haircut not included)

Day “2” March 19, 2020

Yep, still alive down here. I woke up this morning and my day was almost immediately ruined when I tripped over my couch in the dark and landed face first on the floor. You can almost hear the laugh track playing. I’ve found that writing down my thoughts actually makes me more sporadic instead of focused and calm. Probably not good to be thinking so much right now, but oh well. The boredom is certainly an issue for me here. Cardistry is fun, but mostly just mindless and can be done without much thought. I’ve turned to music today, it seems like a good alternative to cards, although my hands probably won’t like it very much. My inspiration for bass is my ability to play very mediocre guitar in comparison to the other people I see. Relative pitch is cool and all, not having to look stuff up every time I want to play a song, but there’s just something about shaking the entire house with a single note that is very satisfying. I haven’t really payed much attention to the news the past few days; it’s too depressing. Even leaving my room to go downstairs is too much sometimes, just hearing the TV on. Not being able to see anyone has only exasperated the problem for me. The only person I’ve seen that isn’t my parents is my girlfriend, and even then not for more than a couple hours. Even then I rarely see my parents, both have suppressed immune systems, so they’re also limiting any outside contact. I think I can sort of understand why solitary confinement is considered the worst kind of punishment now. It sucks.

March 20, 2020

Hey everyone! My quarantine experience so far has been interesting. I feel like this whole “the public is closed” idea has led me to spend so much more time outside. After being locked up in the house all day, a hike sounds pretty amazing. Since self isolation, started I have spent many days hiking, going on picnics and just spending time outside in general. And let me just say its been good for my soul. I have been getting the rest I have needed for so long, and I have enjoyed the quiet and slowed down type of lifestyle. Ive been reading books I have wanted to read for years, sleeping in, cleaning parts of my room I have needed to clean, watching plenty of Netflix reality shows, and spending lots of time face-timing friends. Being in quarantine has also made me realize how much I take for granted and how much I have to be thankful for. Never again will I take for granted being able to hug a friend, going to a church service in person, going over to a friends house, or going on a Dutch or Chick-fil-a run. We live such a good life, but we often forget to slow down and take in the good. We forget to be thankful for everything we get to do, and this whole time has really opened my eyes to all of that.

March 21, 2020

Wow things fell off today. It finally hit me today that the world we live in now is one of fear and panic. And that doesn’t seem like it’s going to change anytime soon. Online classes are set to start in a little over a week and frankly, I could not be any more excited. At least it’s SOMETHING to do, other than twiddle my thumbs and play with cards all day. Speaking of which, new ones, again. Yes I do have a problem. The blue are Seers Aspectu, no longer available, although there is a kickstarter campaign currently for the V2. Red cherry casino cards, because my others are kind of dead at this point. 2017 Fall/Winter Virtuoso’s, because I aspire to be a Virt, even though I’m not Filipino. And Harmonics, which are literally made for cardistry. So, that was my entire day. Can you see a pattern yet?

March 22, 2020

Sort of a bad day. I woke up today, already a bad idea. The most painful migraine of my life, and it is still here as I write this at 5 PM. My day consisted of Tylenol, ibuprofen, and a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I didn’t even pick up a deck today. That alone should be a sign that I am really not vibing right now. Somehow I have gotten to the point of watching all of “House of Anubis” which, by the way, was shot in 2011. And yet it somehow appears to have the budget and production quality of a 90s sitcom like Full House in its first season. The only difference being, this is the ENTIRE show, not just its premier season. So yes, a bad day indeed. Clearly the world skipped ahead and thought it was Monday