Getting longer…
We began our shelter in place behavior one week before the state formally declared the shutdown. So we’ve been home for a month. In no specific order, here are some of the changes made, some of which could last longer than the than this first shelter in place order. I’m pretty sure a lot of us are going through the same shared experience alone together.
Restaurant meals zero. No lunch out on Saturdays. No pizza nights. No fast food bean burritos. Nada. During the past month we have not even ordered take out curbside or delivery. No restaurant food period. The silver lining? I’ve lost 10 pounds. My jeans fit a hell of lot better than they did just a month ago. I’m cooking more and eating less. Frugality has extended to our home cooked meals. I know lots of people who waste too much food. They refuse to eat leftovers, they toss them away. We’ve been eating more leftovers, sometimes planning our daily menu with specific dishes from the freezer. We are spending less money on food, eating healthier, all while reducing the quantity of UFO’s (unidentified frozen objects).
Online ordering and curbside pick up or delivery are probably here to stay.
I can’t recall exactly when I curtailed my beer consumption. It was probably around the time I came down with a nasty gut bug when most foods were not appealing and I stopped drinking alcohol. The malaise lasted a week and I lost five pounds which I immediately realized weren’t truly lost just hidden somewhere when I started drinking beer again. Correlation is not causation but since the weight gain was immediate I concluded there was causation. So I pretty much stopped drinking beer. I drink whiskey now instead of beer. For longevity, of course.
Online ordering and curbside pick up or delivery are probably here to stay.
The 90+ Study
Major findings
Researchers from The 90+ Study have published many scientific papers in premier journals. Some of the major findings are:
People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.
People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.
Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men.
About half of people with dementia over age 90 do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.
People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer’s dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.
I borrowed clippers from my oldest son and buzzed my head three weeks ago. I don’t think I’ll do that again. I miss my barber. So I’m letting my hair grow out until he’s allowed to reopen. This could get ugly. But for some of us (like my younger son) not going to the barber or stylist doesn’t matter much at all.
I haven’t been to the gym and to be brutally honest I don’t miss the lack of exercise. I have some weights at the house and I’ve managed to go for a walk or two. But what I really miss are the social aspects of being in the gym with all of the others going through their routines. Besides, I still need to maintain a BMI > 25 and <29.9 (see point #3 in the 90+ Study findings above).
Happy Sunday everyone – you may have lost track of the days of the week, but in any case we hope you have had a peaceful weekend… we have been keeping up our daily routine, filling the hours with walks, naps, book-reading, occasional outbursts of yelling at the tv, face-timing, zooming, cooking and day dreaming.
Mary Chapin Carpenter
I find myself reading more, writing more and as Mary says day dreaming more. With movements restricted we all have more time to day dream and think long and hard about what we want the world to look like when we all start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Shelter in place orders does not mean all will comply. Easing restrictions for businesses and gatherings does not mean everything returns to “normal”. There are structural behavioral changes that all of us are have made. Nothing will return to “normal” and the best we can hope for is to make the right choices for us all.
“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Spock in The Wrath of Khan
I’ve never liked cruises and you won’t find me on a floating petri dish anytime soon. Flying has lost its appeal as well. We’re already talking about driving instead of flying for our next trip to Colorado.
Enough meandering. Time to think about that longevity drink and what UFO to have for dinner. Stay safe, stay well, stay home.
Stay home for these folks. Please.
lifeunderwriter.net 
Your hair actually looks good at this length. It will be interesting to watch as it grows out. I have been eating healthier also. But I’ll have to admit I have been thinking about ordering a pizza delivered. I’m kind of longing for one. How I miss my single malt scotch. I used to drink Glenn Fiddich. But had to stop since it triggers my atrial fibrillation. I’ll enjoy it vicariously through your description. I also miss the socialization at the gym. And I miss my volunteer work and seeing colleagues every week. I don’t seem to have gotten anything more done at home since staying in, it seems as though I spend a lot more time cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of the house, yard and pool. I haven’t tried the online ordering yet. I am so stuck in my ways and like to pick things out. Plus a lot of the specialty items I get at the deli aren’t in the general menu. But I may have to relent and order through Instacart or SHIPT. My grocery trip this morning was about an hour, and I wore a mask.
I don’t mean to rub it in but the last single malt I finished was Glenfiddish 12, one of my favorites. I am now enjoying Glenmorangie 14 Port Cask finished. I too have not done any online grocery shopping since I like to pick things out myself.
I have never had the Glenmorangie. It certainly sounds good. I’ll just have to enjoy it vicariously.
Oh I thought you were doing curbside for your groceries. So you’re still going in person? That’s what I plan on doing as long as I can just once a week. Actually last week I did go a second time just to pick up a few quick perishables. Otherwise I’m a good mushroom.
Today I shall venture out to CVS where the aisles are wide, the customers are older mask wearers, and you can actually find walnuts.
If gyms and fitness centers were opened next week, would you go? I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I never really liked going to the gym, but now I miss it. I’m not getting in any strength exercise. I have some dumbbells at home, but I’m not motivated. The gym I go to is small, but it is a 24 hour facility, and early in the morning when I go there are usually no more than 4-5 other people.
My strength training also has dropped to near zero. If my Y opens next week I probably won’t go opening week. I would check the crowd situation, and determine what steps have been taken to protect members. Has the cleaning/disinfectant routine improved? Has the equipment been moved and spaced further apart? I know this sounds weird but I would go when there are fewer customers and wear both a mask and gloves.