N: No Events, Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, Naps, Netflix, News

 

No Events, Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, Naps, Netflix, News

Those first three statements basically summed up the year. In order to slow the spread of Covid, major events had to be cancelled the world over, many for the first time since World War II, some for the first time ever. Near me, we saw the Garlic Festival in Gilroy and the Northern California Renaissance Faire each get cancelled for the first time ever. I've only ever been to either of these once. Flea markets in nearby Moss Landing and San Juan Bautista were also called off. As I have said before, the stage company in my county put on one show, California Suite, in February 2020, and had just cast its next show, Beauty and the Beast, Jr., to be performed in the spring. And the high school was going to be performing Grease in March. I got to see California Suite and was hoping to see the other plays as well. And then it happened. 

And we couldn't go anywhere but the store, the post office and other essential businesses. I was still going to the center for work on the Monday after the pandemic declaration. It wasn't until a day later that we closed down. Two long months of no work and no activities. It really felt like nothing to do. As I have said, I envisioned myself doing more writing or artwork, but only doing a little. Reading was what I did the most. And going online nearly all day long until  just before I decided to go to bed.

As I said yesterday, I still get DVDs from Netflix. Even with more time to watch them, I didn't always do so right away. This was true before Covid, and some habits just don't change. I often become too tired or worry about getting sleepy while watching the movie, and that still held true. And one of the first DVDs I got after lockdown began came from a far-off facility (in Santa Ana, California; most of my DVDs come from the facility in San Jose), meaning it took extra long to arrive. This one I did watch immediately after going the mail as I was bored and needed something to pass the time. It was a two-disc series, and the second one did not arrive until the following Saturday, but I didn't get around to watching that part until the following Monday.  I'm not always in a hurry to watch DVDs I get, but I'm glad to have the option to pass the time.

Ever since my cousin put my mom on her Netflix account, we've been able to watch original series and movies this way. Though Mom does most of the watching this way. No binge watching for me. A habit I just couldn't get into. But I did get to see the Halloween specials "Hubie Halloween" with Adam Sandler, and "A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting." (Side note: I read the book that that last one is based on first, and I did not like how they changed some of the characters).

Whether or not to watch the news was always a decision I had to make each night, and there were times when I did not bother. When Mom had CNN on, I sometimes felt no need to turn on NBC Nightly News or the local 6PM newscast. Endless reports on the virus and on the politics--virtually nothing new that I hadn't already heard. If I did turn on the 6 o'clock news it was just to have something on. And sometimes, I just plain forget to turn the news on at 6, eventually turning it on before Jeopardy! at 7PM. I'm usually in bed before 10PM, so watching the 11PM news is rare, unless there is a time when I can't sleep then. And what am I going to find out then that I didn't already hear at 6? And here are some reasons not to watch the news.

I have been trying not to nap during the day so as to not mess up my sleep patterns at night. But often I will get sleepy during the day while reading or watching a DVD. I have to make sure I have enough energy to watch a movie so as to avoid this happening. One reason I'm not always in a hurry to watch one as soon as it arrives. I may just have to follow this advice.

______________________________________________________________

End of today's post.