Day 6

Day 6 of the COVID 19 mandatory self-quarantine A.K.A. "supreme torture" in Colorado. Being Asthmatic, I'm considered "high risk" so I really have to stay home. Alas, I'm starting to feel like Shiloh in Repo! The Genetic Opera             🎵🎵"Oh, I want to go outside..." 🎵🎵
(Anyone who hasn't experienced Repo! is soooo missing out on life!)

My mouth still hurts from the tooth I broke two days ago. I was able to find a dentist 3 towns over who would see me, but not until Wednesday. My brother knows a dentist through his church and texted me his cell number, and I was hoping to get it fixed before then, but no such luck. In the meantime, I'm becoming very good friends with the bottle of Hennessey I bought in lieu of Oragel the other day. (Hennessey was cheaper!)

Today's Tips:

• Wash those grubby mitts with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds. If you've read my previous posts, you know that I pick a song chorus to replace the CDC's recommendation of singing "Happy Birthday". If you haven't read the previous posts, you have some serious catching up to do! (Gives you the "Disappointed Mom Look" - complete with finger shake!) Today's recommendation is "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift. For me, the whole revenge and hate-soaked song applies to the nasty little virus! Sing it loud and proud while you scrub the murdering bastards off of your hands! Look what you made me do! Look what you made me do! Look what you just made me do.....
• Pay three people a compliment. Call someone and tell them one nice thing. Be genuine. This isn't Beetlejuice in the model cemetery; no sarcasm!
• Love yourself. Natural hair color and grays are going to be prevalent in the coming weeks as are uni-brows and Sasquatch lips. The salons are closed. It can't be helped. Manis and Pedis can be done at home, but color and wax are a little trickier. (Don't ask me how I know this) Look in the mirror and get to know the REAL you again! When this is all said and done, you can treat yourself to a magnificent makeover, should you decide you want to go back to the way you looked before the quarantine.

Above all else, stay healthy, my friends!

Until tomorrow, 

March 31, 2020

Day 5

Today is Day 5 of the mandatory shelter-in-place order here in Colorado. I want to take this opportunity to say COVID 19 SUCKS! One of my favorite country music artists passed away yesterday as a result of this virus. R.I.P. Joe Diffie. Billy Bob is forever loving Charlene in John Deere green!! 💔

On a lighter note, I read an article in Paper City Magazine that talked about how Generation X has been preparing for this pandemic our entire lives. The more I read, the more I gasped in amazement - it's TRUE! As a proud member of Gen X, I can honestly say that the years spent in my room recording top 40 songs from the radio to a cassette tape, not texting or emailing, no selfies, and reading Mad Magazine and Teen Beat were the ideal preparation for this forced introversion. I'll include the link to the article at the bottom of this post so you can see for yourself. My fellow Gen X-ers out there will undoubtedly agree.

I know I mentioned my cat, Bubba Lou, the other day and how I can now understand why he tries to pull a Houdini whenever I open the door. I'm not sure if it's evolution or a side effect of self-quarantine, but he and I have been arguing a lot lately, and I'm pretty sure I'm losing. He's always been mouthy, but he's starting to make me feel guilty for scolding him when he tries to drink from the aquarium. Also, I'm convinced he's plotting my death. If I suddenly stop posting on here, please call 911 for me and the local Chinese restaurant for him! (Seriously; if he's killed me, it's my final request!)

Today's Self-Care Tips:

• Scrub those paws for at least 30 seconds with soap and hot water. It's recommended that you sing while you're scrubbing, so today's music recommendation is the chorus to "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox" by Mr. Joe Diffie himself! 🎵🎵
• Adopt a mantra. So many people are experiencing depression and anxiety as a result of this fiasco. A mantra can help eliminate some of the negative self-talk. Can't think of one? Look in the mirror and try this one from SNL's Stuart Smalley (Gen X-ers know where I'm going with this): "I'm good enough; I'm smart enough; and doggone it, people like me!"
• Make a list of things you want to do when this is over. Personally, I want to go to Arizona and hike Yarnell Hill to honor the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Being an out-of-shape Asthmatic, that's going to require some training. I'm going to start preparing here at home - trusty rescue inhaler at my side - so that this time next year I'll be able to make the hike without needing oxygen. 

With all of this talk about Generation X, I had to really work hard to resist the urge to tease my hair like I did in the 90's!

Stay healthy friends!

March 30, 2020

https://www.papercitymag.com/culture/generation-x-earns-respect-conronavirus-pandemic-stay-home/?city=dallas&fbclid=IwAR0PscYUawcrTCxM0Ex1IttRQwyJg32QvPQOuh0E3fau550OCeNN3blB4h8

Day 4

Today is the fourth day of the COVID 19 mandatory shelter in place A.K.A. lock down in Colorado. I was doing pretty good, until I broke a tooth eating a piece of bacon. Seriously - BACON! Given that dentists are limiting non-essential procedures to conserve protective gear and to keep that nasty little Coronavirus from spreading, I may have to wait to have it pulled. Luckily, it's not in the front, so I'm not rockin' the hillbilly look. *Sigh of Relief* I'll be putting the broken piece under my pillow tonight and I had better get my quarter! Needless to say, I had to leave the house to get some pain reliever, which was rather refreshing. I discovered that cognac is WAY cheaper than topical oral pain reliever, so you can guess what I'll be doing tonight. 🍸


Today's Tips:

• Sing for at least 30 seconds while washing your hands with soap and hot water. Today's song choice, in honor of my broken tooth, is "Can't Smile Without You" by Barry Manilow.
• Don't touch your face. I know the nose-pickers out there are freaking out, but please exercise restraint. 
•  Explore education options. Several universities are offering free online classes. I am learning to speak Gaelic on the free Duolingo app. Come out of this smarter than going in!

Stay healthy, my friend! 

March 29, 2020

Day 3

Today is the third day of the mandatory shelter in place for Colorado. I've noticed that I already don't care if my gray Denver Bronco's T-shirt goes with my purple cosmos-print yoga pants. Ordinarily I would have no problem staying indoors for days at a time. Now that I can't, I want to more than ever. Thinking about it, maybe the government should have tried reverse psychology to get people to stay home. (President Trump, Governor Polis, are you getting this?)

***NEWS BRIEF***
Colorado has just declared that everyone MUST go outside for one hour every day in order to keep people from getting sick! High-five everyone! Flood the stores! Hoard the toilet paper! Every Man, woman, and child for themselves!
↑↑↑That's me being silly, not an actual news release↑↑↑

The sun came out for a while this afternoon, so I was able to sit on the back step and soak up some badly-needed Vitamin D. I can totally understand why the cat tries to run out of the house when I open the door. Either that, or he's REALLY tired of me being here. It's hard to tell - we aren't communicating well lately.

Today's Tips:

• Wash your hands with soap and hot water. Sing while you scrub. Yesterday, I recommended a song by Megadeath. Today's selection is "Pray for You" by Jaron and the Long Road to Love. Imagine you're singing to the little germy bastards under your nails...or your ex-spouse. It's universally appropriate. 
• Eat healthy. The last thing you need is a stomach issue from Top Ramen and Cheetos overload. 
• Read a book. Yes, READ! You know, that thing you were forced to do when you were a kid. Think of something you're passionate about - I can guarantee there is a book about it! Don't believe me, check out "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig! Trust me, your interest is out there in print!

Most importantly, stay healthy my friend!

Until tomorrow...

March 28, 2020

Day 2

I'm surprised by how quickly this has inspired people! I've had so many comments and people reaching out - mostly wishing they had thought of it. I don't mind sharing though, so if you want to do the challenge, do it! People tend to like a good challenge and the "dare" to get out of your bathrobe (or not) and take a photo for all the world to see is enabling people to exercise some self care, which is a good thing right now!

There is a lot of gossip and fear-mongering going on. I admit, I'm concerned. Not so much about getting sick myself, but more the level of stupidity. People are already panicked (toilet paper hoarding - hello) and now that the government is restricting activities, the level of impending stupid is exponential. Panic + fear mongering + ignorance = stupidity of epic proportions.

Here are a few tips:

• Wash your hands with soap and hot water. Some recommend singing "Happy Birthday", I recommend a chorus of "Sweating Bullets" by Megadeath. Kinda gives you the mental image of violently killing any germs on your hands. 
• Try to get fresh air every day - even if it's just opening the windows for a few minutes. It's been snowing here, so my only fresh air was my walk to the mail box. ❆
• Change your bed sheets. I don't know about you, but fresh sheets feel amazing and allow for a great night's sleep!
• Do as you're told. If local, state, or national government tells you to stay home - stay the hell home! Despite the conspiracy theorists, there really IS a reason for all of this. Yes it sucks donkey balls, but it is what it is. 

March 27, 2020

Introduction and Day 1 of Lockdown

My name is Clarissa. I'm 42 and live in Colorado. When we were given the order for mandatory shelter in place due to the COVID 19 virus, my friend, Mary Lou inadvertently inspired me to start this journey. Because so many people are trying to combat depression and anxiety through this unprecedented situation, I wanted to find a way to show support and encourage self care at the same time. It's sort of using the "sin" of vanity for good. With so many social media challenges out there, I figured one more couldn't hurt. I had no idea how popular my own selfie journal would be, so after a suggestion from my friend Tom, I decided to do it right and blog it.

This project started on March 26, 2020. I'll add my own daily selfie to this blog, along with a few words about how I'm doing, what I'm doing, and the impact this mess is having on me and my community.

If you're reading this and want to adopt the challenge, here's the basic text I used:

Day #1 of the Coronavirus Lockdown Challenge. Let's encourage self-care and encourage each other by posting a selfie every day for the next 14 days. Show everyone how we're not letting this beat us! Be honest - no filters! I was nominated by _________________. Today, I nominate ______________________.

(You can say you were nominated by me if you like!) The important part is to take care of yourself and encourage others to do the same. Even if you're not leaving the house, do your hair; put on makeup; guys - shave; change your clothes. You might be surprised by how good you feel after just those few things. 

So, without further ado, here is my Day 1 photo. 

.March 26, 2020