Greatest Escapist: pandemic

pandemic

Showing posts with label pandemic. Show all posts

NYC · pandemic · travel

Welcome (or Not) to New York. It's Been Waiting for You.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

I was supposed to go to New York City last weekend for what would've been my first visit since spring 2019. It was the third time in three years that I have canceled a planned trip to the city.

I don't know why, but visiting New York seems incredibly overwhelming to me post-pandemic. Obviously many, many other people live there, and they're managing just fine, but to me, New York seems very much like the before times, like a different version of my life wherein I was a different person who had different abilities that I have now inexplicably lost.

I used to pride myself on how easy it was for me to manage in New York, even as this lifelong Midwesterner who should, for all intents and purposes, have absolutely no idea what to do in a city that damn big. It always felt normal to me, the rushing and the observing and the rude-when-you're-in-a-hurry-but-kind-when-you're-not vibes that New Yorkers have.

holidays · my family · pandemic · travel

A Family Affair — Again, Finally

Monday, November 29, 2021

It's been two years since my family has been together in the same place.

I know that's not unique these days. So many of us haven't seen our loved ones in so long, except from across the miles, through a laptop screen or on FaceTime. I barely remembered what it was like to be in person with them, indoors, together — to wake up to the sound of my aunt's laugh or my uncle's timbre, the way my mom talks to herself when she's cooking, the way we can never all agree on a movie to watch or a game to play.

But this Thanksgiving, we're all vaccinated, so we gathered again in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where my aunt & uncle own a beach rental property.

pandemic · pop culture · weather

Help, I Can't Stop Watching Disaster Movies

Thursday, September 2, 2021

What is it about a global pandemic that makes me want to watch movies about global pandemics? I mean, fine, only two of the movies on the list you're about to read are actually about pandemics, but still, the idea stands. Amid humanity's worst, why do I also feel compelled to watch fiction about humanity's worst?

I don't know the answer, but... well, I'm doing it. Here are some of the movies I've watched recently & how I'd rate them on a very formal scale of one to 10.

mental health · pandemic · self-care

What I'm Struggling with "Post-Pandemic"

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

First things first: I don't like using the phrase "post-pandemic" because we are still very much in the midst of a pandemic, even when it doesn't feel like it. Worldwide, 3.9 million people have died of COVID-19, & the delta variant & others are real & threatening.

For the purposes of this post, though, saying "post-pandemic" really means "post-quarantine." Now that restrictions have lifted & life largely feels safer (for me as a fortunate, vaccinated, science-beliving American human), I'm struggling a little bit. That feels unfair, doesn't it? We've all struggled enough during quarantine; now we have to struggle coming out of it, too?

health · pandemic

Why I Can't Yet Get Vaccinated

Monday, April 26, 2021

Nobody uses the term "FOMO" anymore, but right now, it's the only phrase that seems to fit my situation, Because ugh, I have such bad FOMO.

Now that every adult in the U.S. is eligible for the COVID vaccine, we who believe in the power of science should all be celebrating, right? And I am! Just... not for myself. Not yet.

In mid-March, the day after I turned the corner in terms of a few days of brutal COVID symptoms (including tachycardia, sweating, body aches, & more), I went to a nearby Cleveland Clinic* location to receive a monoclonal antibody infusion, a COVID treatment recommended for elderly & obese individuals who have asthma. My BMI just barely qualified me, but I was thrilled to be able to be shot up with antibody therapies that made me feel better within hours and made it safe for me to return to the world once I tested negative.

Here's the catch: After you've received a monoclonal antibody infusion, you can't get the COVID vaccine for 90 days.

Cleveland restaurants · food · my life in Cleveland · pandemic

Oh, the Places You Won't Go: 12 Places I've Eaten Amid the Pandemic

Monday, April 12, 2021

Things are starting to feel a little bit more normal here, especially after Mike & I both recovered from COVID. With antibodies coursing through our veins like superpowers, we've been feeling more & more comfortable heading out into the world even going so far as to eat inside restaurants a couple of times.

Before we contracted COVID, though, we did our best to keep supporting restaurants new & old, from places we'd long loved to new spots we hoped would succeed. Here are 12 of the best places we've eaten from lately – mostly takeout & delivery – throughout the last few months of this pandemic.

adventure · pandemic

Outdoor Fun, Even During a Pandemic... in the Winter

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Yep, that's me under there, bundled up beneath layers & layers so that as little of my skin as possible is exposed to the very, very cold elements. It's in the 70s as I write this, so this much snow & cold feels fairly distant, thankfully, but even in frigid temps, my friends & I were doing our best to, well, make the best of things, pandemic be damned.

Here are just a few of the outdoorsy events we enjoyed at near- or below-freezing temps before things started to warm up.

food · health · my life in Cleveland · pandemic · pop culture

What Life Looks Like Right Now

Thursday, January 14, 2021

Sometimes when I don't know what the hell to write about or don't have the brain capacity for a "themed" post, I just do these round-up posts that round up... life lately. What have you been up to? Here's where my brain is these days.

adventure · autumn · Cleveland · cooking · Halloween · Lake Erie · my life in Cleveland · out in the sticks · pandemic · wellness

Autumn in Northeast Ohio: Pandemic-Safe Adventures in CLE & Beyond

Monday, November 16, 2020

We're fortunate to be able to experience all four seasons here in Northeast Ohio, but the one I consider to be the best of them – autumn – is also the most fleeting.

This year, it seems 2020 has thrown us a bit of a bone (finally), giving us what feels like slightly more autumn than usual, & I, for one, have been trying to make the most of it before cold(er) weather sets in for good.

Here's what I've been up to as the air gets crisper & the leaves start change color (OK, fine, most of them have fallen by now...) How about you?

birthday · Mike · my life in Cleveland · pandemic

The Time We Rented an Entire Bookstore for Date Night

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Mike is notably difficult to buy gifts for. He doesn't want, need, or care about stuff, & he rarely gives me any semblance of a wishlist. This year, as we prepared to celebrate his 35th birthday amid the pandemic, he wouldn't even tell me what he wanted to do that day, so I was left to my own devices.

Enter Visible Voice Books, an independent bookstore in our neighborhood. It's located on the top floor of a building that also houses Crust, a popular pizza joint, & Proof, a new BBQ spot.

holidays · Jewish stuff · pandemic

How I Observed the Jewish New Year from Home

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Like everything else about 2020, this year's Jewish High Holidays look considerably different than in years past. Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, was observed last Friday/Saturday, & while I would typically have spent the day in synagogue, this year I, like millions of Jews worldwide, had to get a little creative.

My day job working with ReformJudaism.org means I have a lot of easy access to & knowledge of Jewish resources – finding synagogues, figuring out which prayers to recite, identifying tasty recipes. Leaning on some of the content I've recently created or helped promote for work, Mike & I cobbled together a really nice little new year's celebration for ourselves. Here's what it entailed.

Cleveland · do not like · Harness Cycle (spinning) · my life in Cleveland · pandemic · serious stuff

All the Things I Miss

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

I've been trying to stay upbeat during the pandemic in part because... well, what's the use in moping? (God, I sound like my grandmother.) That said, as this thing drags out & drags on, I'm starting to dread the approach of colder weather – because with it comes our return to isolation, without the option of outdoor hangs.

I've been thinking about all the things I miss most, & I'm keeping a little list, just because I find that it makes me feel a little bit better to have it all written down. I thought I'd share it with you here – & if you're inclined to share, I'd love to hear what you're pining for, too.

happiness · pandemic

Finding Joy: 8 More Little Reasons to Smile Amid the Pandemic

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Back in April, when the pandemic was brand new (man, remember those days?), I wrote a post about "eight good things during bad times." Months later, the pandemic is still going strong (despite some people's insistence on returning to regular life), & I'm back with eight more small but happy things.

Lake Erie · pandemic · travel

Our Socially Distanced Getaways to Lake Erie

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

At the beginning of the summer, my mom learned that we would have occasional summer access to a friend's lake house – a small but sweet little spot on the water in Port Clinton, OH, about an hour & 15 minutes west of Cleveland. With no real travel on the horizon – like, for the foreseeable forever – we feel really, really fortunate to be able to escape to this cozy cottage every now & then.

Is there anything more relaxing than this view?

baking · cooking · food · pandemic

What We're Eating: Another Quarantine Cooking Roundup

Monday, July 6, 2020

Heyyyyy, I'm still makin' food over here! Although restaurants have largely reopened, we're still basically not comfortable going anywhere unless it's outdoors and hella-distanced, so it's either homemade or delivery for us.

Here's a little recap of what I've been making lately, with links to recipes where applicable. Got any recommendations for me? I'm hoping to try making some more new-to-me stuff... but here's what we've been up to for now.

baking · cooking · Harness Cycle (spinning) · health · hobbies · Jewish stuff · my life in Cleveland · pandemic · self-care · wellness

I Have Hobbies Now

Monday, June 22, 2020

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, if you'd asked me what my hobbies were, I would've said reading & writing; I would've said that I don't have any other hobbies. But you know what I haven't done much of of under quarantine? Reading or writing.

I've read just five books since this began, but four were reread on audiobook, which doesn't seem to count? My lack of writing speaks for itself, too, evidenced by the minimal posts seen here as of late.

Instead, I've been... you know, trying other stuff. I've been working a lot, & while I feel extremely fortunate to be employed, I've been working so much that I don't want to spend any of my free time in front of a screen if I don't have to.

Here's what I've been up to instead.

Mike · pandemic · social media

Kaput Your Mind to It: Our Hand-Picked Trivia Questions

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Smiling couple stands on a front porch

Photo by Amber Patrick / A Terror Musical

Last weekend, we gathered on Zoom with friends (as friends are wont to do these days) for an evening of trivia. Each couple wrote a round of 10 questions on a pre-determined theme. Mike & I chose a round we dubbed "Kaput Your Mind To It," which was ostensibly a miscellaneous round... comprising topics our friends would expect from the two of us.

We came in third overall, if only because a few of the rounds were basically impossible (lookin' at you, friends who chose the topic of "space"). I thought it'd be fun to share the questions we chose & see how hard you think they are. We thought they were really easy, but... you know, we're probably a little biased.

baking · cooking · pandemic · sponsored post

On a Roll: My Quest to Bake Allll the Carbs While Quarantined

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Hello again, from my surprisingly active adventures in quarantine baking!

These locked-down weekends have been spent whipping up all the carbs & breads I could ever dream of, & more than I could ever consume on my own. Luckily, between putting some in my freezer & participating in exchanges with friends, I've been able to experiment my heart out while making sure none of it goes to waste.

Last month, I received my first box from Love Local CLE, which I first told you about in a recent post. A project of Central Kitchen, they've partnered with local farms to create weekly bundles of fresh produce, meats, & more, originally intended for restaurants - with contact-free pick-up near downtown Cleveland.

"Don't Live It Twice": The Advice That's Getting Me Through the Pandemic

Monday, May 11, 2020

I once had a coworker, a rabbi named Marcus, who gave me some of the best advice I've ever received: When you worry about events you can't control, you live every experience twice: once as you worry about it, & again as it happens.

And isn't that exhausting, he asked? Why force yourself to do so much extra living when you could cut it in half & only live each experience once, as it is?

Marcus died of cancer in 2016, but his advice has always stuck with me - especially now, in the middle of a global pandemic, when I am worried about everything.

holidays · Jewish stuff · pandemic

Passover Under Quarantine: How We Got Creative with Our Seder

Monday, April 20, 2020

I work for a Jewish organization & very much identify with my Judaism, but I am not always what you might call a "practicing Jew." I don't belong to a synagogue, I don't observe all the holidays, I rarely observe Shabbat. I've always eaten bacon, & I rarely fast when it comes time for the holidays that call for it.

But I love Mike's & my annual tradition of holding a small Passover seder at home, just the two of us. I love the seder plate he bought me a few years ago. I love remembering the time we ended up going out for Thai food because I couldn't scrap together a Passover dinner. I love trying.

This year, I felt like I needed Passover more than ever – so even though it was, in fact, more difficult than ever to observe it, I knew I wanted to. I couldn't go out to acquire most of the items the holiday requires... so I knew I had to get creative.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)