Friday This and a Lot of That

     I woke up to a new version of the lovely trolls message. "LOL eating pizza while the rest of society starves and can't eve afford rent. You're going to die choking to death on your own lung fluid. That's what covid19 does, you boomer scum." I'm sorry  we patronized a local business for our families meal, and then dared to eat the leftovers so as not to have any waste. The gruel shop wasn't doing take out on Monday. I guess he has stepped up his game from the prior mass insult comments, claiming boomers are ruining the economy because they are afraid of the flu. Pretty sophisticated troll that his software program can now hunt for specific words like pizza to customize the insults. 

     Let's move on, shall we? Schools in Minnesota officially have been moved to Distance Learning for the remainder of the school year. All spring sports, spring activities such as plays and awards nights, have been cancelled and will be delivered in a different fashion. How graduation will be handled is still unknown-no communication as of yet. DD2 finishes school officially next week, would have regardless, and no graduation ceremony up north either. I haven't heard how graduation will be handled at the university my nephew attends or the one our friend's son attends, both of who should be walking this spring. 

     It looks like I will be working from home the month of May as well. There might be a day here and there that I will go into the office, but as I can do my job for the most part remotely, the general direction is to keep doing so. I'm losing it a bit! I haven't been taking my flex day Fridays probably since January due to work load and travel, and working long days. It wouldn't matter anyway as there is nothing I can really do that I can't do in the evenings or weekend anyway, and losing a day to not stay on top of the calls and e-mails would just create stress for Monday. I have been sleeping poorly, may be the stress, but as I was already planning to be fitted for a mouth guard to help with sleep apnea, this might equally be the issue and perhaps it's getting worse. Even with planning walks, and intentional exercise, I just am not physically active enough during the day. I am mentally exhasuted, but my body is not staying asleep. 

     DD2 is job hunting. She already got a rejection from Aldi for a seasonal job, but I suspect there are lots of folks with retail experience  looking for those jobs. She's applied to a Culver's, which I understand is doing a strong drive through business, and to the local Kwik Trip, a convenience store but with a large grocery component. I have mixed feelings about her taking a job. Obviously there is her health, though as a young person, and if proper  precautions are taken, she is less likely to get the virus and if she does, get ill. She would though be increasing her carrier risk. With my arthritis and DH's high blood pressure, I guess we have some compromised health, so if she works, we'll have to have strict protocol once she is home. DH has been going to his store every day, so I think she is less risk than he already puts us through daily. Once school is done, she won't have that to keep her busy, and she is genuinely worried about her college finances post COVID19. Minimally, I think she could pick up enough babysitting jobs within our extended family as some return to work if the school age child care is limited, to keep her busy, help out family, and earn towards her future expenses. Do any of you have teens and young adults working outside the home? What are they doing for precautions in your home?

     I know she is nervous about our families finance and the high cost of college. She's not a child anymore so we have not hid the fact that her dad's salary is minimal right now, overall probably 25-30% less household income. While not a huge amount, she lost five weeks of work in dining services, money that was being saved to put towards study abroad expenses. On the flip side, she's not spending anything-literally nothing, since she came home on March 16th. It will all work out, but as the need for people still working to step up their donations and community support, working but earning significantly less, there can't help be some mental conflict. 

     Interestingly, it was exactly 10 years ago when DH was laid off, right at the end of DD1's freshmen, and DS's junior year of college. Talk about financial stress! Here we were with two kids in college and a third one at home living off my just my salary for months. We had made decsions based on a two income family, and had to adjust pretty quickly to make life work. DH got his real estate license at that time, but then ended up in his job he has now. The 2008 recession took a couple years to hit our family, and then once it did, about a year to really get back on our feet. Most likely we never really gained back some of what we lost financially. I'm sure DD2 doesn't remember anything about that time, though I'm sure the older kids were aware of the strain. They both worked a lot when they weren't at school and really carried water to help with their college and living expenses, more than we had originally had planned. Overall, we did not shy away from our charitable commitments then, perhaps had to make up a bit later if the funds truly weren't there at a specific time, so I have faith we can do our part now. 

     This is to say on this Friday, times are uncertain. Any family that has been immune to the impact, is fortunate, and I don't say that to imply guilt or ignorance, or that they are undeserving. My family is fortunate. For now, my job seems secure and we are healthy. We can help those that may need more help right now. DD2 can look for a job, and even if she doesn't get one, she knows she is trying to contribute, and can help in other ways. There truly will be no shortage of helpers needed.