June 17, 2020

the quarantine quarterly report

I just realized I've been in quarantine for three full months now. It's been a quarter of the year since I've gone more than a few steps outside my apartment.

My journal writing has slowed down lately, which I guess is only natural. In March and April, there were a lot of new things to talk about: Working from home. Taking walks on my balcony while listening to the trains pass by. Getting curbside grocery delivery for the first time. Wearing my wolf mask. Cutting my own hair. By now, all of this is just normal. It's a good life, even though I still miss going outside.

I should do more cooking at lunchtime. I've fallen into a routine of basically two lunches: One day I have a meal of junk freezer foods (corn dogs, curly fries), the next day I have a Jemm burger (good old quasi-cooking: saute the onion, give the burger 3m on each side). And I mean, sometimes I legitimately feel like eating those foods, but other times I just can't be bothered to think of something else.

In the interest of variety I made myself peanut udon for lunch today. I'm using store-bought sauce but I should try making my own. Mom says it's super simple: peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and a bit of chili.

I feel like Megawatt would also like the peanut sauce. He posts a daily photo log of his meals and he's a dedicated vegan, so peanut butter is one of his staple foods. I've never seen him eating noodles (maybe they're not vegan?) (EDIT: never mind, I see noodle stir-fry) but peanut sauce also goes great with rice. Reminds me of Mom's gado-gado which I haven't eaten in forever. She made it with spicy peanut sauce over cabbage, potatoes, tofu, and rice.

Dad wanted me to come visit for Father's Day and I declined, which I feel somewhat guilty about, but I'm also concerned he's not taking covid seriously. He restarted his Sunday home Bible study (not sure how many people are coming, but anyone is too many) and he's also written in his weekly emails about visiting friends and hugging them with no masks on.

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No quarterly report would be complete without MEDIA, so here's a character to symbolize every month of quarantine:

March: Zoo (The Last One): Zoo is a contestant on a wilderness survival reality TV show. While she's alone in the woods doing a Solo Challenge, a pandemic strikes and she doesn't know. What follows is a fantastic blend of survival story + apocalypse + self-mindgames, because for a long time she refuses to believe she's seeing anything but a high-budget scenario organized by the show's producers. 100% recommended pandemic reading.

April: Kyon (Haruhi Suzumiya): because Endless Eight lmao. I also considered Zorian for this slot but I didn't learn NEARLY enough

May: Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga): I never personally played the tire fire that is Xenosaga 3, but I fondly remember Semi's playthrough topic where he penned this immortal haiku about Shion:

Wants to destroy time

and space because she's indoors.

I hate you, Shion.

June: Tommy Tester (The Ballad of Black Tom): A fear of cosmic indifference suddenly seemed comical, or downright naive. [...] What was indifference compared to malice? "Indifference would be such a relief," Tommy said.

Written by Achaius

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