How "am" I? | April 2020
How “am” I this month?
So, I started 2020 thinking “I was able to write something almost every week last year so writing something once a month this year should be totally doable” but I found myself unable to finish my February newsletter at the beginning of March because I was so busy with work. We had the first International Film Festival of Ottawa scheduled to happen at the end of March. And then things changed. One day, they were reporting the first case in Ottawa and our event still fell under “low risk.” Two days later, we were issuing an official statement that we had to cancel the event that was two weeks away. I think I went through all the stages of grief that first week. When my coworkers first started talking about “What if we have to cancel” I was very upset and refused to believe it could come to that. This festival just meant too much to me personally and professionally. Then, I was just devastated. I had to delete all my scheduled social media posts. I looked at the website I created, full of 20 feature films and 20 short films, none of which I would be introducing at screenings. I thought of all the guests that had been scheduled to come that I wouldn’t be able to meet. All the work the entire team had put into their parts of the event. So, it was very difficult for a few weeks to move on with work. I’m not the most focused working-from-home worker at the best of times. And I had nothing in me to be creative or imaginative for all these new ideas we had to come up with for the new online-content-only world. The first announcement of shut-down was for three weeks. Then another month. Then another two months. I’m just now regaining some motivation to be able to focus on work and do anything other than lie on the couch watching old tv.
Things I Have Done During Stay-at-Home aka Self-Isolation aka Quarantine aka Social Distancing
Watched all of season 3 of Anne with an E in one day resulting in a headache and dehydration from all the crying.
Barely moved for two weeks then suddenly started exercising with Just Dance games every other day and doing yoga every day and going for walks a few times a week. I’m very sore.
Got a mild sunburn from napping in the sun on my couch.
Moved my plants to a different spot in the living room because they appeared to dislike being beside the balcony door when I kept opening it for fresh (but cold) air. Moved them back when it got warmer.
Three jigsaw puzzles.
Played all my favorite iPad adventure-puzzle games for the second, or third, time.
Ate chocolate chips from the bag. Melted chocolate chips with a bit of soy milk to make a chocolate ganache to eat with a spoon. Made chocolate cookies when I ran out of chocolate chips. Made chocolate chip cookies after a grocery store trip. Ate all the cookies. Ate all the chocolate chips.
Downloaded more movies and series to watch instead of watching what I already have.
Signed up for a free month of several streaming platforms. Canceled the subscriptions before it charged me for the second month.
Followed a fox around the cemetery. Left it alone after it appeared it was not leading me to an Alice in Wonderland opportunity but rather I was getting in the way of its hunt for dinner.
Lots of naps.
Every night I have several vivid dreams, most are about either being trapped or wanting to escape.
Updated my website.
Trimmed my hair.
Seen coworkers every Tuesday for our weekly video meeting and every Friday for Fun Friday video hangout.
Spent 10 minutes waiting for an elevator to get down to the ground floor because we’re not supposed to share elevators, I have to wait for an empty one.
Did laundry late at night to avoid people, both on elevators and in the laundry room.
Created a new balcony game called “No One Stops At This Intersection” in which I watch the intersection to see if any vehicle comes to a complete stop. No winners yet.
Muted every pandemic/covid/corona/quarantine related word on Twitter so I can somewhat live in denial.
Two trips to the grocery store.
Found an old hospital mask in my costume suitcase.
Marvelled at the amount of money my bank account is accumulating because I can’t go shopping or buy lunch at the food court. Wondered when I will be able to go shopping again.
Tried to get a refund on my transit pass that was automatically renewed before I knew the shutdown would last longer than three weeks. No luck. Bastards.
Listened to Fiona Apple’s new album.
Follow me on Instagram for 🦊 The Cemetery Fox Family Show 🦊 in which we watch fox babies play and remember there is joy in the world.
I’m writing Escape-themed watchlists for Rated F. Actually they’re less lists and more suggestions of the genre and why it’s a good escape.
If you need something to watch (who doesn’t?), check out our Alternative IFFO. Some IFFO films are online to stream/buy, and we found some suggestions of alternatives for the ones you can’t see. And we just launched a program of Canadian animation, EyeCANdy (I had nothing to do with that name), that is available with a pay-what-you-can-ticket until May 5. And then May 14-21 will be the EU Short Film Festival.
Yours in isolation,
Tish