Manatees Roar into the 20s! CLOSED (Page 53)

Ack! Sorry about that. It should be fixed.

Thanks!  I added that to the Resources tab as well.

Hopefully we Choo 70.3 peeps won't be in this situation for long:

Your event has not been rescheduled or cancelled (yet).

In many ways, this is the worst-case scenario.

I wish i liked to cook, but I really, really do not! Shortly before the lock down I started using a meal delivery service - fully cooked dinners. I planned on using them every other week. Since the lock down and the empty grocery shelves I've used them each week! Before i bring the cooler into my house i sanitize it and then i sanitize each of the containers. In addition to saving me the aggravation of shopping and cooking I feel like i'm helping to keep a local business alive.

PA is in the next step of lockdown mode, has been since Friday morning - all non-life-sustaining businesses must close or will face fines, criminal penalties and possibly jail time.  This means my husband can no longer work (self-employed contractor).  This will be a challenging 2 weeks (hopefully not longer but I'm not counting on it) and finances could also get interesting.  At least I'm getting paid.

Yesterday I popped out to the grocery store to pick up some items for us (I really needed fresh veggies!) and my friend going through cancer treatment.  I went full out sanitizing the cart, myself, and all her items.  I had the total heebie jeebies until I was able to get home and change my clothes and shower.  I don't think I'll be going to the store again for a while unless she really needs something again.  

I later found out that Wegman's (a farther drive for me but I LOVE the store) was going all out on proper cleanliness procedures and distancing.  If I do need to make another store run, it will be 20 minutes to that store instead of 5 minutes to either of the stores here in my town.  Wegman's: barrier tape and red lines at checkout. Disinfected between each customer, then told people when they could approach.  Weis (where I went instead of Giant since they see less traffic generally): the cart boy outside disinfecting each cart.  Some clerks wore gloves.  That's it.

I've been making some yummy meals, though.  Homemade empanadas Thursday.  Rosemary risotto Friday.  Jerk chicken, Jamaican red beans and coconut rice, steamed cabbage slaw Saturday.  Tomorrow will be 'perfect beans', as my mom and dad used to call them:  ham hocks and soy beans in the crock pot (with a little onion and celery, of course).

There were a few 'oh crap' moments when I realized I was missing a few ingredients for this or that but I was able to find/make creative substitutions.

Hi All,

Hope you're doing well this Monday morning. 

I have definitely been on a roller coaster of emotions BUT I have been doing all my run and bike workouts and added strength training. I am not going to do cords or anything. I found last work week really tough. I had trouble logging in (i already WFH several days a week so this shouldn't be an issue) and then trading time with my DH - but he was busy and any momentum i had on work just dwindled down to a trickle. And we had Logan to look after. At least he's a consistent napper. So, i felt like i was being a bad employee, a bad mom, all the guilt. Not making the right decisions, etc. 

Though, i did decide to take him out in the jogger one day last week figuring we could both use the time outside but he fell asleep and ruined his nap time ... 

I am going to just keep going with the training plan until i hear any differently.

Lisa, i also love to cook, too. I made a sesame chicken from Budget Bytes that turned out great last night. The sauce was stuff i already have in the pantry.  Lots of people have been raving about the NYT Cooking app but i haven't pulled the trigger. I already have quite a few sources and books I love. :D This week i am planning some butternut squash mac and cheese, some baked tacos, roast chicken, and chicken meatball soup i love! We will eat well but i probably will have to plan for some takeout. Our dishwasher already did hard work and is now run mostly twice a day! 

Has anyone cooked their way through a cookbook? I think that would be a good project.

We have a fruit and veggie delivery - i've been doing that for more than a year mostly because i missed going to the farmer's market and this gave me lots of local options. They are doing contactless delivery which it kind of was before. I put out my bin, they leave the fresh one on the doorstep.  I did have to do a way larger than usual shop because we are all home for all the meals ... Logan's daycare is fully catered so we don't usually have to do his lunch, Felicity has hot lunch at school once a week, etc. 

My favorite Tab on here is the Resource tab with all the information on land based swim training.  I have really struggled with swim training for the past year and a half since we lost two of the other four engineers in my office.  Swimming at lunch just doesn't gel with my current work load and I don't have a pool at home so once I leave town at to rush home for family dinner Swimming isn't going to happy.  Home Swim stuff that I can doing from home in the mornings could be just what I need.

It's all so strange but i do worry about actual social isolation which is bad for us too. Mental health is health too - so even though some older folks seem to be acting like teenagers its perfectly normal to cling to routines. It's such a tough balance because the danger to our physical health is real. 

I know my mom struggles with depression so any way that we can help while still being physically distant but not actually socially can be helpful. My mom, sisters and i have a group chat which we are checking in on every day and just sending random photos. I hope it helps. 

My mom's quilt group is meeting via Zoom today.  Her book club is meeting via Zoom tomorrow.  They seem to be figuring it out.

Oh, and the quilters are doing the face masks.

that's excellent! 

Ann-Marie, they apparently closed the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Too many visitors.

"All access to the park, including trails and roads, will temporarily close,” park officials said in the email.