So my parents have succumbed to ultimate cabin fever and have found a pretty cheap trip to Budapest and Prague in September. They've invited my sister's family and I to come along.
Happily, the package comes with pretty cheap travel insurance that lets you reschedule the trip for up to a year out for no good reason, so I'm not super worried about getting hosed if it doesn't seem safe to travel by then.
What is the hivemind's thought on this? Does it seem likely that vaccinated Americans will be allowed into the EU by September?
It seems like there's a decent chance that could work out! September is still a good ways off so it's kind of hard to say what craziness could happen between now and then though.
Yea, and with the Travel Insurance it seems like a good bet. My friends went to Prague last year and just couldn't praise the trip enough. They had a fantastic time.
Mass is currently saying frontline workers get the vax the 11th and general public by April. The first seems terribly slow and the latter I don't believe at all.
I work in grocery so I'm hoping they can meet the timeline they set out that would have me getting it sometime Febuary to March.
Also, my covid test came back negative!
Yay negative test, and absolutely hope they meet or best the timeline, I just lack faith.
Anyway, so far my family has had a few cases (mostly among deniers, fancy that) and now my cousin is in the Hospital with covid and pneumonia. My family is largely 50+ and rotund on a generous scale so, yeah. That's a thing. I can't even feel much about it any more. Like, he was high risk, declared masks and isolation an "agree to disagree" thing and kept taking trips and going to church. This is...I mean you roll the dice enough times eventually your number comes up. I don't wish him any harm! Quite the opposite! I hope he fully recovers, he has a wonderful wife, kids and grandkids. Wouldn't hate if he came out a little less of a shit about it but I'm not holding my breath.
I honestly think the best national park in the country is Canyonlands. And Arches is like, right there, too. The Grand Canyon is cool but it's so touristy now and I just have a hard time being anything but anxious around that many people.
I signed up for a time on Wednesday to get the vaccine. Now, I'm not sure if I'm actually allowed to get one. They're opening up to group 1b starting tomorrow, which includes "education". I work at a University and go in several times a week for help in the research lab. No one has actually confirmed if higher education is included... Teachers, daycare workers and school staff are for sure. I figure that they will say yes or no before Wednesday, and I can cancel if they say higher ed is going to be in the next grouping.
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Meanwhile I’ve heard nothing about when we teachers are going to start to get our shots here in the high school.
Meanwhile I’ve heard nothing about when we teachers are going to start to get our shots here in the high school.
A teacher I am close with told me that the current plan for our area is:
-- Teachers 50 and older will be getting shots in February
-- Teachers younger than 50 will be getting shots in April
Will that apply to substitute teachers?!?!
Ahahahaha
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OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
I have nothing but the rough estimate of July through September as of now
One prominent CBC newscaster said in an interview today that some provincial officials said it's possible for vaccines in Canada to wrap by June but I'd be fairly surprised, honestly
I'm getting by in my hermitage at home and am not in a rush to get back to the office, though, so I'm not gonna bust down the gates demanding mine until my phase is up
I checked the SCDHEC site and out current road map for me at least Early Spring 2021. Thats assuming I'm still an essential worker. Barring that late spring to fall. My mom is scheduled to get her first dose Monday I think.
I can apply for a vaccine and probably get one in a month or two, since I'm technically working for a hospital, but I'm not front-line with patients so I'd rather those people get theirs first. It's a psych hospital so the risk isn't nearly as great as a regular one, but they're still in direct contact with patients on a regular basis.
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I'm currently due to be vaccinated somewhere between March and July of 2022 if it makes any of you feel better about your times.
They're literally throwing away doses here because they can't get to enough people in the 1a group some days. I think getting it out to anybody is better than that.
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Apparently we have three employees (of 15) out at the store I work at with Covid... Ugh
Also, just as well Covid put pays to my travel plans because apparently my passport expired last January and not in December, oops. Anyway, last time I looked the British embassy is not renewing passports for non-emergency purposes
Anyway, as of... today, exactly, I’m also eligible to renew my green card. Green cards cannot be renewed more than 6 months before expiry but they’re also taking 5-12 months to process renewals
So quite likely there’ll be a few months this year when I have no current documents proving legal residency of any country and I definitely won’t be able to leave which has me mildly on edge
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Blake TDo you have enemies then?Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered Userregular
I mean not to talk down your anxiety because it does sound very stressful, but I would imagine that your green card renewal would be an emergency situation.
Also a lot of immigration services got slowed down or stopped due to Trump fuckery. Things might improve on that front once the administration changes.
Some of you might be experiencing brain fog for the first time, ie, difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly, forgetfulness, feelings of detachment or fatigue, poor task attention / focus, and a general impression of fuzziness in the brain. Hi, welcome to ADHD! Or depression, or anxiety, or thyroid issues; brain fog can come about from a number of medical conditions, nutritional deficiencies, or medication mismatches, it's a pretty known symptom. Anyway, be nice to yourself, your brain is working really hard!
While not technically a medical condition, stress --particularly chronic stress-- is also an excellent trigger for brain fog... it has to do with neurotransmitters, really fascinating stuff, yadda yadda. I'm gonna assert that 2020 was extra stressful across the board.
Now, me and brain fog, we're well acquainted, and there are some useful habits for countering it -- if you're curious, there's research and pop science to that effect. If you just want actionable tips tricks and procedures you can try without seeing a professional, look for articles also referencing executive functions or compensating for ADHD.
But suffice to say, it's pretty commonsense stuff:
- get adequate and renewing sleep (sleep is so important y'all SERIOUSLY)
- manage stress
- engage in fun
- avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine
- exercise physically and mentally
- eat sufficient protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies
Simple, yes? General good advice?
Fucking useless, right?
Objectively survive&thrive -oriented, but who has the energy?
So, something not specified on that list (which actually falls into managing stress and exercising mentally, and --depending on your leanings-- fun) is journaling. It's useful from an empirical stance, making a log of events, mood, diet, etc -- that's data that can be analyzed. But there's also research pointing to emotional and mental benefits from the act of journaling itself. Better still if it's a regular habit.
I know this, and right now I'm at about once a month for paper journal entry. My microjournal app (Daylio, I actually paid for the upgrade, and I never buy apps +++), well, even that is somehow too much to maintain.
Which brings me to what I am doing to journal, pretty much daily.
Tarot.
It's light and quick because I don't have to dredge through my day/week, try to remember, and get sad or stressed that my brain is overwhelmed. I lay out some cards, decide if and how that symbolism applies to me that day, and write down what led me to make those connections. So it acts as a gentle memory prompt and tool for self-reflection and intention.
And I got a cute notebook to log my spreads and responses, and some pretty metallic gel pens, and it just makes my day a little better and more mindful. It's small, but it helps, and some is better than none. Which is also why my daily out of bed routine of: sun salutation, changing the day on my whiteboard and a quick doodle all "counts" as self care. Small steps, respecting your limitations and improving where you can.
Just wanted to give a shoutout to adapting a given tool or method to meet your needs. Whether that's just using an emote for a given day, or writing poetry, making a collage, or carving a really bitching stick figure. ...I'm not that creative on journaling possibilities, but find what works for you.
+11
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Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I like those suggestions, Pooka! I think I may need to start journaling. I’ve always felt that I don’t have enough to write to keep one, but I think tracking of daily things is doable
I’m also an expert on brain fog. Personally I’ve always got a lot of mileage out of post-it notes, but that mainly only works for an office desk situation and not home life
My mom felt a panic attack coming on the other day as we were sitting down for dinner.
We postponed the movie we were going to watch while eating and watched Queer Eye instead. It worked, as much as highly uplifting though brief distractions can.
I like those suggestions, Pooka! I think I may need to start journaling. I’ve always felt that I don’t have enough to write to keep one, but I think tracking of daily things is doable
a single sentence is still journaling! gotta start somewhere.
I’m also an expert on brain fog. Personally I’ve always got a lot of mileage out of post-it notes, but that mainly only works for an office desk situation and not home life
i
love
stationery (including post-its)
i was inspired by this photo, got myself a bigass NeuYear calendar and a rainbow of sticky notes
for planning / goal setting, (but fewer events because anxiety/depression) it was really easy to just slap something up there, even if it was just an idea or very loose timeline. others get similar effect by putting it behind glass and using colored dry-erase markers.
(I'd feel guilty about using sticky notes, but they can result from and or go into recycling)
but then as events passed, the idea was I'd take the note off and draw some pertinent art doodles as inspired, but i anxietied myself out of commemorating stuff bc i don't draw good. but i think it would be a really neat record of a year to fully commit on that, as a planner or journal. the entire year, weekly chunk format was useful regardless.
I'd probably use sticky notes for other stuff, but speaking from experience, it's too easy for me to have a million little notes & lists everywhere and forget, so i'd had more success putting up dry erase boards in various locations: one next to the fridge for groceries (and occasionally packing lists), in the hall where I'd walk past multiple times a day for any kind of quick planning / brain dump, one i could carry around for projects, be it crafting, school or housework...
Also following on from rearranging/organizing the garage, rearranging our whole downstairs (twice), and rearranging two bedrooms... I finally tackled the closet and bathroom
I still have to go through all the boxes in the closet (I only went through a couple) but everything is accessible now and we threw out three bags of old clothes, hung up every top, and basically grouped everything together.
(I might go ahead and make labels for the boxes once I finish going through them)
+7
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I don't know if I have brain fog exactly but I do feel like my brain is only operating at about 15%. Everything except playing videogames or crochet/knitting while watching other people play videogames feels too difficult so that's basically all I've been doing since Christmas. Can't even read my book. I blame winter, mainly, though not being able to leave the house doesn't help.
I don't know if I have brain fog exactly but I do feel like my brain is only operating at about 15%. Everything except playing videogames or crochet/knitting while watching other people play videogames feels too difficult so that's basically all I've been doing since Christmas. Can't even read my book. I blame winter, mainly, though not being able to leave the house doesn't help.
I just stare at my Steam installed/unplayed list for half an hour and then give up and watch old episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on youtube.
I don't know if I have brain fog exactly but I do feel like my brain is only operating at about 15%. Everything except playing videogames or crochet/knitting while watching other people play videogames feels too difficult so that's basically all I've been doing since Christmas. Can't even read my book. I blame winter, mainly, though not being able to leave the house doesn't help.
I just stare at my Steam installed/unplayed list for half an hour and then give up and watch old episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on youtube.
I know that feeling. I have a bunch of new, unplayed games I should be excited to play but they all feel like too much of a commitment at the moment. I've just been spending all my time in RDR2. There's no plague there and I can just enjoy the scenery and my horse and if I meet racists I can blow them up with dynamite without consequences.
German hair dressers association just wrote an open letter to the Bundesliga complaining about the football players obviously having freshly and professionally cut and styled hair. Saying that considering hairdressers have been shut down since the middle of December these guys clearly got illegal haircuts and are a bad example.
+17
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mightyjongyoSour CrrmEast Bay, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
I don't know if I have brain fog exactly but I do feel like my brain is only operating at about 15%. Everything except playing videogames or crochet/knitting while watching other people play videogames feels too difficult so that's basically all I've been doing since Christmas. Can't even read my book. I blame winter, mainly, though not being able to leave the house doesn't help.
I just stare at my Steam installed/unplayed list for half an hour and then give up and watch old episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on youtube.
I know that feeling. I have a bunch of new, unplayed games I should be excited to play but they all feel like too much of a commitment at the moment. I've just been spending all my time in RDR2. There's no plague there and I can just enjoy the scenery and my horse and if I meet racists I can blow them up with dynamite without consequences.
big same, i got a few games gifted to me and i just stared at them before somewhat guiltily starting up Stardew Valley because it's familiar and I don't need to invest anything into it.
Game Pass is brutal for that, there's always something new to play and I keep going back to the same things. Like I know as soon as I get into Control that I'll love it but it's daunting!
Posts
Yea, and with the Travel Insurance it seems like a good bet. My friends went to Prague last year and just couldn't praise the trip enough. They had a fantastic time.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
I'd go to Prague tho. and I want to go to Madrid and see Guernica. I'd go to Vienna if I was guaranteed a Linklater experience
I love that fucking painting.
Yay negative test, and absolutely hope they meet or best the timeline, I just lack faith.
Anyway, so far my family has had a few cases (mostly among deniers, fancy that) and now my cousin is in the Hospital with covid and pneumonia. My family is largely 50+ and rotund on a generous scale so, yeah. That's a thing. I can't even feel much about it any more. Like, he was high risk, declared masks and isolation an "agree to disagree" thing and kept taking trips and going to church. This is...I mean you roll the dice enough times eventually your number comes up. I don't wish him any harm! Quite the opposite! I hope he fully recovers, he has a wonderful wife, kids and grandkids. Wouldn't hate if he came out a little less of a shit about it but I'm not holding my breath.
A teacher I am close with told me that the current plan for our area is:
-- Teachers 50 and older will be getting shots in February
-- Teachers younger than 50 will be getting shots in April
Will that apply to substitute teachers?!?!
Ahahahaha
One prominent CBC newscaster said in an interview today that some provincial officials said it's possible for vaccines in Canada to wrap by June but I'd be fairly surprised, honestly
I'm getting by in my hermitage at home and am not in a rush to get back to the office, though, so I'm not gonna bust down the gates demanding mine until my phase is up
3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
you have used up your euphemism allowance for the week. please refrain from same for the next seven (7) days
I don't need it so I'd rather somebody else get it
Also, just as well Covid put pays to my travel plans because apparently my passport expired last January and not in December, oops. Anyway, last time I looked the British embassy is not renewing passports for non-emergency purposes
Anyway, as of... today, exactly, I’m also eligible to renew my green card. Green cards cannot be renewed more than 6 months before expiry but they’re also taking 5-12 months to process renewals
So quite likely there’ll be a few months this year when I have no current documents proving legal residency of any country and I definitely won’t be able to leave which has me mildly on edge
Satans..... hints.....
Hopefully I don't get a strike for the music?
While not technically a medical condition, stress --particularly chronic stress-- is also an excellent trigger for brain fog... it has to do with neurotransmitters, really fascinating stuff, yadda yadda. I'm gonna assert that 2020 was extra stressful across the board.
Now, me and brain fog, we're well acquainted, and there are some useful habits for countering it -- if you're curious, there's research and pop science to that effect. If you just want actionable tips tricks and procedures you can try without seeing a professional, look for articles also referencing executive functions or compensating for ADHD.
But suffice to say, it's pretty commonsense stuff:
- get adequate and renewing sleep (sleep is so important y'all SERIOUSLY)
- manage stress
- engage in fun
- avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine
- exercise physically and mentally
- eat sufficient protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies
Simple, yes? General good advice?
Fucking useless, right?
Objectively survive&thrive -oriented, but who has the energy?
So, something not specified on that list (which actually falls into managing stress and exercising mentally, and --depending on your leanings-- fun) is journaling. It's useful from an empirical stance, making a log of events, mood, diet, etc -- that's data that can be analyzed. But there's also research pointing to emotional and mental benefits from the act of journaling itself. Better still if it's a regular habit.
I know this, and right now I'm at about once a month for paper journal entry. My microjournal app (Daylio, I actually paid for the upgrade, and I never buy apps +++), well, even that is somehow too much to maintain.
Which brings me to what I am doing to journal, pretty much daily.
Tarot.
It's light and quick because I don't have to dredge through my day/week, try to remember, and get sad or stressed that my brain is overwhelmed. I lay out some cards, decide if and how that symbolism applies to me that day, and write down what led me to make those connections. So it acts as a gentle memory prompt and tool for self-reflection and intention.
And I got a cute notebook to log my spreads and responses, and some pretty metallic gel pens, and it just makes my day a little better and more mindful. It's small, but it helps, and some is better than none. Which is also why my daily out of bed routine of: sun salutation, changing the day on my whiteboard and a quick doodle all "counts" as self care. Small steps, respecting your limitations and improving where you can.
It’s far more likely that you just get automatically muted audio than a strike for that.
I’m also an expert on brain fog. Personally I’ve always got a lot of mileage out of post-it notes, but that mainly only works for an office desk situation and not home life
We postponed the movie we were going to watch while eating and watched Queer Eye instead. It worked, as much as highly uplifting though brief distractions can.
love
stationery (including post-its)
i was inspired by this photo, got myself a bigass NeuYear calendar and a rainbow of sticky notes
(I'd feel guilty about using sticky notes, but they can result from and or go into recycling)
but then as events passed, the idea was I'd take the note off and draw some pertinent art doodles as inspired, but i anxietied myself out of commemorating stuff bc i don't draw good. but i think it would be a really neat record of a year to fully commit on that, as a planner or journal. the entire year, weekly chunk format was useful regardless.
I'd probably use sticky notes for other stuff, but speaking from experience, it's too easy for me to have a million little notes & lists everywhere and forget, so i'd had more success putting up dry erase boards in various locations: one next to the fridge for groceries (and occasionally packing lists), in the hall where I'd walk past multiple times a day for any kind of quick planning / brain dump, one i could carry around for projects, be it crafting, school or housework...
I still have to go through all the boxes in the closet (I only went through a couple) but everything is accessible now and we threw out three bags of old clothes, hung up every top, and basically grouped everything together.
(I might go ahead and make labels for the boxes once I finish going through them)
I just stare at my Steam installed/unplayed list for half an hour and then give up and watch old episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on youtube.
I know that feeling. I have a bunch of new, unplayed games I should be excited to play but they all feel like too much of a commitment at the moment. I've just been spending all my time in RDR2. There's no plague there and I can just enjoy the scenery and my horse and if I meet racists I can blow them up with dynamite without consequences.
big same, i got a few games gifted to me and i just stared at them before somewhat guiltily starting up Stardew Valley because it's familiar and I don't need to invest anything into it.