Around the third week of sheltering in place, I realized that we were going to be in this situation for a lot longer than I originally thought. And after a period of denial and trying to live as normally as possible, I gave myself permission to try some new things, to try doing things in a new way. I want to share what some of those things were and how it’s working out. I’ve given each one a thumbs up or down based on whether I recommend it or not.
Subscribed to Masterclass
Maybe you’ve seen the SNL spoofs of Masterclass which are truly funny. But that’s not why I subscribed (and shared my bonus subscription with Kate)- it felt like the pandemic was a unique time to learn something new. Sounds really admirable, doesn’t it?
Well, I can’t claim to be that noble. Yes, I did watch the series with Chris Voss, the former FBI hostage negotiator, and it was excellent (but please don’t call me if you are trapped in a bank with a robber- I can pretty much guarantee you that I will freak out and be useless.)
But I also watched all the episodes of Bobbi Brown’s makeup tutorial, which is decidedly less “learning is an investment in my future” and more “oh my God, the bags under my eyes really look bad on Zoom.”
Rating: Thumbs up. If I can save a few hundred dollars on my next car purchase negotiation, it will have been a win. And learning while trying new things kills a couple of birds with one stone.
Started wearing pajamas
I know what you are thinking- no I didn’t sleep in the nude pre-pandemic :). But I did wear a sad set of ripped men’s boxers and ratty tee shirt. Something about looking like a slob 24 hours a day for weeks on end seemed just too depressing. So I took Kate’s recommendation and bought a couple of pajama sets from Garnet Hill. I look much cuter while I toss and turn each night worrying about the state of the world.
Rating: Thumbs up. Feels grown-up (at age 51) to be wearing proper PJs.
Taking Peloton core strength classes 5-6 times a week
My abs were something I really have tried to ignore for the past, oh, 20 years. Lots of running, spinning, bicep curls, then 2 min doing some half-hearted crunches. So a 15 min core class taught by Rebecca Kennedy has been truly life-altering. Y’all, I actually feel my abs in there. Like right now, sitting here writing this post. And it feels great! And after 6 weeks of taking these classes, I actually said to myself “wow, that 2 min plank wasn’t so bad.” I must have lost my marbles….
Rating: Thumbs up, thumbs up. I won’t be rocking a bikini any time soon, but at least there’s a glimmer of definition down there.
Writing with a fountain pen and bottled ink
I’m a bit of a pen and paper freak. I LOVE cool pens, notebooks, journals, etc. And I’ve used this Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen for years. But filling the converter with ink from a bottle felt… pretentious? Especially in front of other people. But while working from home- why the hell not? I bought this sampler pack of three colors and gave them a try. So pretty! So fancy! Such a pain to have keep refilling them!
Rating: Thumbs down. The colors are gorgeous, but I can’t be bothered to refill my pen several times a day. Am I doing it wrong??
I hope this recap of some of my new activities has inspired you to try something new. What have you done differently during this pandemic? Do you think you’ll continue doing those things when we finally emerge into the “new normal”?
I keep telling myself to appreciate this time… we will no doubt miss some aspects of it when it’s over. But I’ll still have my pajamas and ability to create the ultimate smokey eye! Trying new things has kept my mind off some of the recent news…
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