How is Everyone Handling Our Current State of Affairs?

[af_1132]

Hey forum friends!

I just wanted to check in on everyone to see how you all are doing amidst all the changes we are having to make to our daily lives.

"Shelter in place" directives
Social distancing
Working from home
Various businesses closed, or even closing for good
The stock market losing 30% from the last peak
No clear sign when any of this will end

I would love to hear from you all. I am a teacher and tutor who now works exclusively from home on both fronts. I miss driving around to work with my clients, but I do enjoy being able to work with them back to back online. It is just not the same connection, unfortunately.

I hope we can avoid this turning into a political sparring match, that is not my intention for the direction of this thread.

[CyborgGT]

I work in grocery.

Yeah...



I could see layoffs for a little while once this blows over and people aren't shopping because they've been selfishly hoarding, but I don't feel like my job's at much risk - I mean, I run the freezer, which is a one-person-a-day department, stocking and ordering, and I've got seniority over all but a couple people at my level. My loads are coming in twice as big as normal, and that's after I take a few hundred cases off the order because the warehouse is limiting how much we're allowed to take. I don't know if it's a bad thing that my biggest annoyance right now is that I was going to get a haircut this weekend because I'm overdue, but our governor just closed places like barbershops today. We're going to have a lot of scruffy looking people walking around if this goes on too long, lol.

In the back of my mind, I'm wondering if this virus is something that can ever truly disappear once it's out there. I'm hearing that people in Japan who got it and recovered are getting it again, just like any other contagious sickness.

I do worry about people who have lost their jobs or will soon. I've been watching this guy a lot lately, and thinking about my own "just in case" plan.




If you want some entertainment in your downtime and care to see what the grocery world is going through, from a cynical associate perspective: https://www.reddit.com/r/kroger/

[thepowderblue]

I feel like I made pretty good money this week. I don't know if this will slow my work down alot if this crashes the economy. I think I will still have some work just idk how much tonl depend on so I am holding off spending money (except for the cb ofcourse)

[owequitit]

I work in grocery.

Yeah...



I could see layoffs for a little while once this blows over and people aren't shopping because they've been selfishly hoarding, but I don't feel like my job's at much risk - I mean, I run the freezer, which is a one-person-a-day department, stocking and ordering, and I've got seniority over all but a couple people at my level. My loads are coming in twice as big as normal, and that's after I take a few hundred cases off the order because the warehouse is limiting how much we're allowed to take. I don't know if it's a bad thing that my biggest annoyance right now is that I was going to get a haircut this weekend because I'm overdue, but our governor just closed places like barbershops today. We're going to have a lot of scruffy looking people walking around if this goes on too long, lol.

In the back of my mind, I'm wondering if this virus is something that can ever truly disappear once it's out there. I'm hearing that people in Japan who got it and recovered are getting it again, just like any other contagious sickness.

I do worry about people who have lost their jobs or will soon. I've been watching this guy a lot lately, and thinking about my own "just in case" plan.




If you want some entertainment in your downtime and care to see what the grocery world is going through, from a cynical associate perspective: https://www.reddit.com/r/kroger/

The hoarding is the part that pisses me off the most because it is largely needless.

I saw a guy with 50lbs of potatoes in his cart at Costco the other day. Newsflash, unless you are feeding at least a platoon, at least 2/3 of those are going to rot in your pantry...

Same with TP and the other stuff. Textbook panic behavior. I told the obviously flustered checker at the grocery last night that it was just ridiculous. 3 weeks ago we had the same number of people to feed and there was more than enough to go around. Now, the loads are equal to bigger and there is nothing in large groups of items...

I'm glad to see places like Costco start to say that they aren't taking it back.

[steelbluesleepR]

I work in TV and just finished up with a season of Live Rescue on A&E, and was working in Sacramento. We were already planning on ending the season, but we stopped a couple of days early and got everyone home. I'm freelance in a very "unnecessary" industry, so basically all of my work has dried up. The only bright options I have at the moment are setting up live streaming services in churches. Other than that, I've been keeping myself under a 2 week quarantine since getting back from California.

Luckily, my wife and I have some savings built up and that we can live very frugally if necessary. We aren't stocking up, but we also don't really need to. we have a fair amount of prepped food in the freezer, a couple of cats to keep us company, and plenty of media of all sorts to entertain us.

[CyborgGT]

Interesting read; a plan to potentially avoid another Great Depression: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...uld-us/608533/

I'm glad to see places like Costco start to say that they aren't taking it back.

Yeah, there are some steps being taken to push back against the stupidity. For instance, I'm pretty sure it's a nationwide thing that all Kroger-owned stores are only allowing seniors in for the first hour that the store is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At mine, we have a cop standing at the door to enforce this. We've also limited purchases of those popular items to one per household, even though there are obvious ways to get around that.

[Straight Success]

The hoarding is the part that pisses me off the most because it is largely needless.

I saw a guy with 50lbs of potatoes in his cart at Costco the other day. Newsflash, unless you are feeding at least a platoon, at least 2/3 of those are going to rot in your pantry...

Same with TP and the other stuff...

Don't assume it's hoarding. Said individual could have been buying extra for elderly nieghbors who couldn't make it to the store, could be buying for a church or community food pantry, etc... You never know. Try to see the good in things, although, sometimes the bad is really what it is.

Nevertheless, I digress.





As for me, I'm wrapping up the sequel to my book and getting ready to drop the digital version of Six Gears for the people. My builds have been put on hold because of the current state of affairs, and when things get back rolling, I'll be moving my business into a new facility.

Besides that, I'm keeping an eye on a few properties in L.A., so when the time comes, I can get a single family home in a neighborhood I'm fond of. They don't come cheap.

And last but certainly not least, continuing to pray for us all - the hidden racist, sexist, and other biased-ist folks included, whoever they are.

Oh, and debating if I should go buy my son and my nephew new dirtbikes to add to the collection. We'll see.

[Raf99]

Well....eastern Canada here. So just enjoying nature and days off. This thing is getting scary though.

[H311RA151N]

I work in hospitality.

Yeah. You read that right.

I'm an assistant chief engineer (glorified assistant manager of the maintenance department).

Fully staffed on Monday. Sending hourly employees home on Tuesday. Laid off all hourly employees / only managers on Wednesday. Thursday I was told I would be laid off Friday evening. My wife who is the housekeeping director (yeah we both work together) was told she would be furloughed Friday evening as well. Thursday evening late however I was blessed tremendously and the GM offered me a full time 3rd shift security position (we didn't have security prior) at a rate only about $2.50/ less an hour. I immediately took it obviously. He then turned to my wife and also offered her the second position available. Massive pay cut for her yet more than unemployment.

After millions in my industry (yes millions) were laid off this week my wife and I both still have jobs for the moment. We are two of four still employed at the property. GM, my boss the Cheif Engineer and my wife and I.

I watched as people were laid off. Not knowing if it was me next. Orders came down the pipe and were carried out.

I watched as the department heads were increasingly emotionally devastated after essentially firing 120+ employees. By the way, the hospitality industry isn't doing a "lay off" like most people would think of it. These people, millions in a 16 million employee industry, are being terminated. VERY few are being furloughed. No benefits. No severance. No guarantees. And the companies are hurting so horribly already. A lot of hotels will very likely never open again. These millions of employees that some will not even be offered their previous jobs again will have to take serious pay cuts if and when things pick up. And this is only one industry.

The worst part at the moment is the guilt I feel. Everyone I work with lost their jobs, insurance (as have I) and lives the way they were. Some have kids and a couple are pregnant. Yet, I'm still employed. I feel so blessed yet so horribly guilty.

Not knowing if in the next 5 minutes I was next, watching my entire team and all hotel staff be terminated, closing down the building, the guilt and the effects I witnessed on my superiors has emotionally drained me this week.

I still don't know if I will be terminated tonight when I go in for my 3rd shift security position. 50/50 chance every day it seems. I have to walk and secure a building where I watched lives be destroyed. And of course... I'm still here. So undeservingly so.

Not good. I only hope my company (which I will not name or give specifics on, like at all) has the ability to bring it back in the next month to 6 weeks. Pandemic permitting of course. May 31st my wife's furlough will be canceled and we will have to make different living arrangements. Until then, I will so graciously enjoy (to the best of my ability) preserving and securing the asset that hopefully one day will provide jobs to so many again. If you are the praying type, I ask that you pray for the hospitality industry included when you pray for the entire world. We are in ruins and it doesn't seem to be known yet.

Thanks for the opportunity to vent. It helps.

[toycar]

Creepy times. I think there is potential for total anarchy and it’s a little unnerving. In Iowa everyday the situation ramps up, and they sneak in nice pieces of information like only having 620 tests in the state.

So wait a minute, how can anyone act like they know anything when they can’t even test enough people to accurate assess the situation?

Prior to all of this the media had the country divided. Now this. I already felt brainwashed and disenchanted from the lack of transparency in reporting and the accuracy of what’s being shown to the public. Now this.

Regardless of feelings of the severity of this issue or politics or whatever, we, the public are being fed a catered message and nobody really knows WTF is going on.

That’s the scary shit to me

Be safe everyone. I wasn’t all that worried when the food store ran out of food and toilet paper. Unsettling a little when the gun store ran out of guns and ammo

[af_1132]

These are some heartbreaking stories I am reading. I am the praying type and will be doing so for those in grocery, hospitality, entertainment, restaurant, and all other industries hit badly by the government closures.

There were rumors of national guard being deployed and martial law, but those were thankfully and publicly refuted. Far too many of us are not going to stand for that. We also won’t stand for essential services like grocery and health services being taken away either. There are limits to how long Americans will put up with this, and how long we can sustain like this.

More and more, it appears as though flattening the curve will not get peak active cases below our healthcare service capacity. I’ve heard reports of other countries practicing hoard immunity approaches for those under 60, and I do wonder if that is a potentially better plan of attack if we cannot increase the number of hospital beds and ICUs to meet the demand.

I didn’t mention this yet, but the worst part for me is that my wife is approaching nine months pregnant, due in late April. All the hospitals in our area do not allow more than one person, the spouse, to accompany the wife. That means no Doula for us, unless we go to a neighboring county, where a Doula is allowed. The birth center we’re looking at is wonderful, it’s just a long drive, about 50 minutes, with a wife in active labor.

[CyborgGT]

So wait a minute, how can anyone act like they know anything when they can’t even test enough people to accurate assess the situation?

It's a tricky situation. It makes no sense to test if you don't have symptoms, because not having it now doesn't mean you can't get it tomorrow, so it'd be a wasted test that could have been used for someone who really needs it while the tests are still limited. And if you do have it, there's currently nothing doctors can do for you anyway; they're still working on a cure. So it's best to just stay away from other people. Which sucks, because since I rarely visit my parents (no bad feelings there, I'm just not a sit-around-and-talk kind of person), I've been seeing them a lot lately... because they're getting a bit up there in age and you never know.

[Straight Success]

These are some heartbreaking stories I am reading. I am the praying type and will be doing so for those in grocery, hospitality, entertainment, restaurant, and all other industries hit badly by the government closures.

There were rumors of national guard being deployed and martial law, but those were thankfully and publicly refuted. Far too many of us are not going to stand for that. We also won’t stand for essential services like grocery and health services being taken away either. There are limits to how long Americans will put up with this, and how long we can sustain like this.

More and more, it appears as though flattening the curve will not get peak active cases below our healthcare service capacity. I’ve heard reports of other countries practicing hoard immunity approaches for those under 60, and I do wonder if that is a potentially better plan of attack if we cannot increase the number of hospital beds and ICUs to meet the demand.

I didn’t mention this yet, but the worst part for me is that my wife is approaching nine months pregnant, due in late April. All the hospitals in our area do not allow more than one person, the spouse, to accompany the wife. That means no Doula for us, unless we go to a neighboring county, where a Doula is allowed. The birth center we’re looking at is wonderful, it’s just a long drive, about 50 minutes, with a wife in active labor.

Man, you and your family are in my prayers just like a lot of folks are.

Have you considered getting a midwife and having your baby at your home?

[af_1132]

We seriously have considered it, when we had our first child. The problem is that we live in the rural Santa Cruz Mountains. While that is great the rest of the time, it’s not close enough to a hospital if something were to go wrong. If we lived closer into town, then we would absolutely go that route.

[deevergote]

I hope all works out for you guys! Medical issues (be it childbirth or general health emergencies) don’t get to be put on pause while this is going on.


I’m working as a manager at a housing authority. Last week, I worked from home one day. Next week, I’m working from home indefinitely. Arranging conference calls with vendors and consultants, working with other management to ensure our staff can work remotely, and doing my best not to contract and spread the virus! Our tenant population is largely elderly and disabled.
Worse yet, my wife works for a post acute care center. Everyone is at risk, as it’s a medical facility. Scary!

Everyone stay safe.