Shining Moments April 5th – 11th, 2020

We’ve gotten through another week in 2020 and it’s Easter weekend! March took forrrever, but apparently April is ready to be over haha. Here’s this week’s Shining Moments…

 

 

Shining Moments

– Still working (considered an essential) at the hotel

– Still working UberEats – I did good on Sunday & Wednesday and surprisingly well on Monday. Saturday was very slow, but people were very generous, so I made out well enough to pay a bill

– Got to see more cute animals

– The weather at night has been comfortable

– The other day I was heading to do some grocery shipping and there was 20 (TWENTY!) cars (including mine) and were ALL WHITE OR SILVER (mine is silver). Soooooo freaky!

– Did cooking this week, win of the week = chicken quesadillas.

– Forgot how good some “simple” food is – grilled cheese sandwichs, quesadillas, cheeseburger macaroni hamburger helper, rice krispies cereal, rice krispies treats, lima beans

– The 6th and 7th Jim Gaffagin comedy specials are free on Amazon Prime

– While shopping, I found 1 liter Dr. Pepper bottles for 99 cents each. So yes, I picked up 3 haha

– New blog theme was published and I’m loving the space and colors so much more (tell me how you’re liking the changes!)

– With many people stuck at home, universities, colleges and businesses are offering free/reduced classes and programs. I signed up for a few myself! If I have the time, why not?!

– My cousin celebrated another birthday, might have been a much quieter year, but I’m happy to have her around the sun again

– The paycheck I got was actually better than I had expected

– Easter weekend is here! Woot!

– Made Easter baskets (while there was still stuff to make baskets!) for the boys – it’s getting harder to make baskets for a 10 and an 8 year old! I get to be the Easter bunny this year, so I’m pretty stoked about it. These kids made out and it only cost me $30 to make 2 baskets FILLED with stuff – various candies, soccer easter eggs (they both play soccer), glow sticks, glow stick frisbees, glow balls, and a kite each. Candy win = Fruit Loop flavored Peeps on a stick!

– Of course, I got myself some Easter candy too.

 

 

Progress on 32 Things
*For the full list, check out my birthday post 32 Birthdays and 32 Things*

Nothing to update this week

 

 

Reflection

In times like this, it’s becoming more aware of the lives we’ve been living – what we do, how we “normally” spend our time, what we consume (food, movies, sports, etc), who we spend time with (or don’t spend time with), what we spend our money on, and so much more. This isn’t also isolated to just 1 country or 1 part of the world – this is global.

Many people I know unfortunately have been the business is temporarily closed or have been laid off, laid-off furlough. My city and my state have done stay at home orders which makes driving around doing UberEats very eeriy. There are some who are taking this time as a breather, a forced vacation if you will. There are others who are going absolutely insane. Also, there are others that are being to crack (myself included). I mean who can blame anybody for beginning to break down some. Seriously, it has been a month plus now…

This week was about enjoyable basics – grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna fish sandwiches with potato chips, and macaroni and cheese. While doing shopping (beyond what is left on the shelves at a given time), I’m being more mindful about what I’m buying and why. Am I buying it because I need it or because something is better than nothing? Am I buying it because it will be/might be useful later if things keep getting tighter or because I’m bored/because I can? I think these are valid questions to ask about everything that we’re doing right now just to keep ourselves from going completely insane and just buying in a mindless and panicking stupor. Also, these questions will help us make further decisions once things are getting back to normal.

Are we going to go back to our “normal” selves and “pre-chaotic” lives or has there been some kind of awareness or receptiveness to consider change? How many of us are realizing that we were already living in chaos, but being forced into stillness brought us clarity (if only moments of it)? The tension in the air while in public is overwhelming – all the feelings, the confusion, seeing ALL the masks now, food and supplies still questionable about if and when it will be stocked (BUT it is getting much better – thank you truck delivery drivers, grocery stockers and cashiers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I can’t say that my life would change that much – for good or bad, I’m still trying to determine. I’m still working (at half capacity, but grateful nonetheless) at the hotel, I’m still doing UberEats roughly as normal, and I’m still mostly by myself in the apartment. It’s mostly the people around me (coworkers, neighborhood, strangers, fellow American citizens, globally) that seem to be affecting me more.  However chaotic, in my mind or around me, I keep trying to smile towards others, keep some form of laughter and relatability and looking towards the future vs. being stuck in the now.

 

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter weekend. If you don’t celebrate, then I wish you many spring blessings.

Lets all shine bright together…