4/29/20

I’m just going to start this by saying that quarantine sucks. I’ve spent most of my time either sleeping, playing video games, and working out. I recently downloaded Skyrim on my PS4 and I’ve been grinding it day and night. It was my favorite childhood game and I was super bored and missed it. I’ve spent over 2000 hours on it when I had it on my Xbox 360. Now I had to completely restart all my progress on my PS4, and the game never gets old.

Skyrim is one of my favorite RPG’s (role playing games) to ever exist. It takes place in medieval times and consists of dragons and other creatures. I prefer to play as a thief in the game because I have the most fun doing. The race I chose and will always prefer is the Khajiit, which is basically a man mixed with a cat. They can see in the dark and are naturally good at sneaking, so that goes well with my play style. You can buy houses, get married, and adopt children in the game.

There is also the warrior play style which has heavy armor and you wield two-handed weapons. You can play as a mage where you use magicka. There are different schools of magic, however I’ve never preferred playing the game as a mage. You’re main objective is to kill the leader of the dragons, and stop the dragons from coming back to life. Although even after you kill the head dragon, other dragons still show up in your game after.

There’s just so much to do in the world of Skyrim and I could talk about it forever. Even though I’ve been bored out of my mind because of quarantine, this is what I’ve spent most of my time doing. I know it’s kinda dorky, but it’s been getting me through quarantine. Even though I just want to get out and see my friends and talk to people in real life, I’m thankful I have Skyrim to pass the time.

5/3/20

So today I went up to Jake’s rocks. I haven’t left my house in about three weeks so it was nice to get out of the house. I haven’t even been out for groceries or anything so it has been kind of crazy. I originally just wanted to go for a drive with my windows down jamming to country music, but there’s only so much gas I am willing to waste. It was an awesome day out and it was literally sunny and 75 degrees out, so you bet your boots the first song I played was “Sunny and 75” by Joe Nichols. I made a specific playlist for my adventure which reminded me of summer, and I hope this summer is quarantine free so I can see my friends. There’s just something about driving alone with my windows that makes me feel free in a sense. Being cooped up in a house sucks especially if it is with your parents. I am so jealous of the people who get to be quarantined with their friends or their girlfriend/boyfriend. I just want to see people who aren’t my parents and just talk with them. I kind of miss human interaction.

I got a little sidetracked but about Jake’s rocks, it was so fun. It is actually a really beautiful place to be and the scenery is amazing. There’s all different types of trails that you can bike, or just walk. It is a really sweet place to just go and think about your problems and relax your mind to make correct decisions. Although, it is also a place where you can forget everything on your mind and just walk with absolutely no worries. Either way it’s a nice way to calm yourself, and for me was nice to get away from my parents. As much as I love them, it can get annoying real fast seeing them all time. Quarantine needs to end soon!

5/5/20

Today I started working at a new job. I work at the Conewango Valley Country Club. It has a decent sized golf course and serves food and drinks to any members. It was super chill and laid back because of the Coronavirus. All I had to do was wash and put away carts which really isn’t that hard at all. Since it was my first day, one if my coworkers who has been there for years showed me around and instructed me on what’d I’d be doing. Usually we would have to wash clubs, but because of the Coronavirus, we aren’t allowed to touch anything that’s theirs. Also people have to take separate carts even if they’re together which makes it so it is double the work. Every cart had to be disinfected after every use which makes washer carts take that much longer. It makes it much harder to get tips because you’re not allowed to actually come in contact with any of the golfers. Lack of contact eliminates hand shaking and high fives or any other common way to greet someone. Shaking someone’s hand is a huge part in getting to know someone and building a connection with them. As I said, it was a pretty slow day, but that was kind of by design because it was training day. Also the weather was not as nice as it has been so if you wanted to golf, you probably would have chosen a nicer day. It was fun there and super laid back so I know I’ll have a great time working there this summer. Maybe if all goes well this summer, I’ll work there next summer too during my summer break. It is nice to meet new people and be around such an amazing sport like golf.

5/6/20

Today I went to the the track. I was feeling kind of down about not being able to finish this track season. I wish the Coronavirus never happened. I wish we didn’t have to miss any school. I wish I got my senior track season. I know how bad I’m feeling about it, but I know tons of other kids around the world are feeling the same way. Part of me regrets all the things I never did when the world was normal. I guess that’s why I went to the track today. I just wanted to experience it one more time because I know I’ll never get that experience again. I miss counting my steps every meet, and feeling the sand after jumping. I did the triple jump and I wanted to go back just one last time and jump my final jump. I miss setting up my blocks before the 100 meter dash. I loved how it made me feel like I was springing forward after every push off. I miss the bus rides there and home jamming to all the classic bops. I’ll never get to listen to the song ”toes” again on the track bus. I miss my friends who I’d run with and everyone on my relay team. I miss messing around at practice even though I knew I shouldn’t be. Although, if I had to choose one thing miss most, it would be the feeling of crossing the finish line. I know it sounds arrogant, but I miss winning. I just want to go back and feel the wind on my face as I’m running for my team. Going to the track today just made me reminisce all the memories I’ve made, and it makes me sad that that was cut short. There’s a last time for everything, and little did I know it was around this time last year.

5/8/20

Today I went down to Penn State to pick up my sister. It’s about a three hour drive there with absolutely no service at all until you get there. I drove down there with my mom and we were listening to music the whole way down. We were obviously listening to country music because even though it is an unpopular opinion, but that is the best genre of music. I poured the whole drive down so that was real fun. It was hard to see and the roads to get there are not exactly straight.

Once we got there, we went to her apartment and saw her for the first time in months. We talked to her and her roommate for a good long while and then decided to go get pizza. The pizza was so delicious and full of grease. After eating, we packed up all her stuff in the car to go home. Her apartment is two stories up so I laughed when she dropped some of her stuff down the stairs. I did not expect her to have so much stuff and even more clothes. We probably only took about one third of her clothes home because we couldn’t fit them all. We are going to have to take another trip back sometime to get the rest of her clothes and her mattress.

On the way back, it was just starting to get dark so the weather decided to snow. My sister fell asleep, but my mother and I went right back to our country playlist and jammed on the way home. I fell asleep almost at soon as I got home. I was very tired. It was an eventful day and I am not looking forward for the trip back to get the rest of her stuff.

5/10/20

First of all I would like to wish all of the moms out there a happy Mother’s Day. Also happy birthday to John. This morning I got up relatively early and made breakfast for my mom with my sister. We made her eggs, sausage, and pancakes. It was delicious and she really appreciated it. Next the whole family went up to Rimrock and went for a hike. It was only about a 4 mile hike so it was short. Downhill was definitely easier than going back up. Next, we got ice cream to finish the day off. I got cotton candy ice cream which is definitely the second best flavor of ice cream next to strawberry. After that we went back home for a family game night. We played trouble multiple times and I won most of the games just like I always do. I love my mama very much and couldn’t ask for a better day than getting to spend it with her and the rest of my family.

Yesterday I went to Dean Johnson’s funeral memorial celebration. He was a great man and I knew him from 4-H. He was an amazing individual and I will always cherish the amazing memories made with him. He was also the best storyteller I have ever known. He knew how to make it interesting and never failed to make you laugh. My condolences to his family. My heart goes out to him family and friends during this time. It’s hard dealing with a death in general, but especially during this Coronavirus pandemic.

Also, on a different note, I’m going to miss you Professor Miller, and the rest of my friends at SBU. I appreciate everything this program have done for me and wish you all the best. Goodbye y’all.

Peace out – Jared Martone

Project for 4/29/20

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D1gkY6-hGLHVGlWRDdZnUMOUaqkSoJnlJXey-fVjC7w/edit?usp=sharing

4/28

So, for the past couple days, I’ve been sick. My whole body has been achy, my throat hurts, I sleep on a great schedule of 1AM-3PM. Although I don’t really get out of bed anytime, so the day is filled with cat naps and lost time. I hit a kind of slump when we went online for schooling. I pushed off assignments for the next day and then the next week until I just didn’t do them. I can feel myself slipping into old habits that I thought I got rid of last year, but I suppose old habits die hard. Basically I’m just acting like an idiot and not doing my work, which I have to do.

So Covid, it’s hit the shops being that we have to wear masks at Walmart and we can only go through drive-throughs. The sheer number of people I see walking through Tim Hortons or McDonalds is really peak comedy to me during this pandemic, cause like… Why would you chose to stand in a long line or cars in a national emergency without even a mask? I don’t really understand it but to each their own.

I watched that video of the people boycotting awhile ago, like when they filled up the streets because they thought the quarantine was bad because people had to work, and like, I get it. To a certain degree. I understand it gets stressful when you cant work and you still have bills and you’re trapped inside with someone you probably regret marrying by now. But at the same time, I don’t care how hard it is to wake up and do the same thing everyday, there’s no reason to block the hospital and stop emergency personnel from getting to their patients. And there’s no reason for them to be in giant crowds with only 30% wearing masks. It’s incredibly irresponsible, also, we’re running out of hamburger meat everywhere I go now. And not to be dramatic or anything but I really want a cheeseburger.

5/3

So I went out to Jakes Rocks for a little hike. Well technically I guess I went to Elijah first because it was nice out. So I went to Elijah, but when I got up there it was super windy, like it wasn’t that windy anywhere else, so I enjoyed the view and then headed back down the road. On my way down I was about to pass Jakes Rocks, so I figured, “Hey! Why not go on a little hike! Enjoy the weather, exercise, and breathe some fresh air.” I pulled in to the site and the first thing I noticed was how I haven’t been up here since I was maybe 7 so I had no clue where I was going or where to park. Eventually I found a little parking lot though so I’m assuming I did what I was supposed to do.

I parked in a spot nearest to the trails, and headed out. Keep in mind I was planning on exploring a little and heading back to the car so I could go back home. I picked the “easiest” trail and trekked along the rocks. As it kept going and winding ways I didn’t expect it to, I realized I had been out there for 2 hours (mostly because I screwed around the whole time). Now normally I would be completely cool with that, I love being outside. But it was already past 4 o’clock and my mom said I had to be back in town by 5, also I had no idea how close I was to the end o the trail. It was supposed to be an easy quick trot in the woods and I’m gonna be honest I cheated. I hit the halfway mark on the trail at around 4:30 and decided to book it along some random road hoping it took me back to my good old Subaru Forester.

The road wound around awhile and I took a turn onto a road that said “Do Not Enter” my bad I guess. 4:45 now and I had just hit the very first road I had to cross on the trail. Luckily I found the parking lot and happily sat in my car eating some pineapple and strawberries my mom had cut up for me. Yes I am a 1st grader, I munched on peanut butter sandwiches and cut up fruit.

As previously stated, I’ve never driven up here before. With that in mind, I must’ve driven right past the road I turned off of to enter the area because I ended up on a dirt backroad for maybe 2 miles, and when I finally hit paved road I was out way past Sheffield and Clarendon, literally had no idea where I was. I do however pride myself on having a general knowledge of what direction most things are in, so I swung a left and drove for awhile, hoping I ended up somewhere near home. For the record, I did get home safely. My intuition was correct and eventually I hit Sheffield and came in by Dairy Delite. 100% worth the entire trip even though I was late and got a little bit yelled at, not my fault though mom blame it on Corona.

5/4

Trauma and terror filled my driveway this morning. True horror, at least as much horror as you can get staying inside everyday only talking to your mother as she practically starts worshipping our cat. Anyway my driveway, basically I just hit a shovel but I’ve never hit anything with my car before! Well okay that’s not true I ran straight into a guard rail once, but I’ve never ran anything over with the tires I guess. So I go to back out of my driveway to go get some essential Tim Hortons, and I hit something with my tire and my thinking is, “if it didn’t make a horrible scraping sound it’ll be fine” so I continued, slowly now, to hit it with my front tire. Basically kicking the poor thing while it was down. I have no remorse. As I back up enough to feel the road on my back two tires, I look up and see the remnants of our metal snow shovel. The handle is twisted around maybe 20 degrees and the arm of the shovel is sticking up at maybe a 30 degree angle, 150 if you’re going from the other side first. It honestly means nothing but quarantine has made my daily life so bland and uneventful that it’s all I have to offer these entries.

Other than that, I have done nothing with my life, OH WAIT okay get this. My mother, Barbara, sent me to Wal-Mart to get some hamburger for dinner. Thrilling I know, stick with me here. So I pull up and into a space, cringing at the noises my car is making because it’s a trash car and needs something new fixed every 2 weeks, currently it’s the brakes and the bearings I believe so she’s loud. As I sit in the space, I open my glovebox to grab my mask so that I’m not classified as a danger to the general public. Nothing. There’s no mask, no nothing to offer the world protection against possible virus strands on my breath. So I call Barb, the conversation goes as follows:

“Hey, where are the masks?”

“What masks?”

“The… The masks?”

“Masks for what?

“Mom I don’t know, so I’m allowed to go outside and survive?”

“Ohhhh, oh no. Yeah they’re all inside I’m looking at them.”

Apparently she had decided to venture out on a walk and had stolen 3 masks from the car to do such an activity. Why 3, why do you need all of them Barb please tell me I’m sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot self conscious of the noises coming out of my car, trying to not be another number on the lives taken by Corona that they probably wouldn’t report because I’d never get tested anyway, and you have STOLEN the one thing we are required to have on us to go outside.

I’m a 17 year old doing my best so what did I do, you might ask. I found a shirt in my car, I took the seatbelt cutter from my glovebox and because crafting a personalized mask so that I would be allowed inside this building. I sat there for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to make this thing work, and I see a buddy who works there walking in so I honk at her and yell out my current situation. She offers an extra mask she has in her car, I accept. I go inside, Barb calls, she doesn’t want the hamburger anymore because she’s already begun eating leftovers. So, to conclude, I now have 4 masks, I ate Tim Hortons for dinner, and I just want to go back to school man it’s been so long. I did find new music however so it’s keeping me sane I suppose. That’s all.

5/5

I got a skateboard today! Pretty much the only exciting thing to happen during this pandemic in my person life, that is. It was a gift since my birthday was a couple weeks ago, and my brother got it for me. I’ve ridden penny board and messed around on my brother’s real board before but I never had one of my own so I’m excited to figure it out I guess? I really haven’t got much else to do other than catch up on school work.

It’s an element board with a ship inside a bottle as the detailing. I think the most interesting part was that I got to assemble the whole board myself! Seeing as I’ve never owned one before, and my brothers aren’t around to show me what to do, it took some trial and error. Putting the bearings in definitely took a little bit of time because I really had no idea what I was doing. I think I spent a good 2 hours putting it together and trying to ride it a little.

The process was pretty cool to be honest. I had to stick the grip tape down to the deck without leaving any air bubbles, and then I scraped around the edge of the board with a paintbrush handle because I was too lazy to get up to find a screwdriver. It did work, but it also tore up the brush and it kind of looks like I just bit a bunch of chunks out of the handle. Anyway, then I cut the extra grip off the sides and used it to sand down the edges to make it super smooth.

Next was the hardware which is basically just 8 screws that you use to hold the trucks on the board. I jammed them in and loosely attached the trucks because, once again, I’m too lazy to find a screwdriver. I used the trucks to push 2 bearings into each wheel and then attached them to the trucks. Then I DID have to get up and find a wrench and a screwdriver to tighten everything up and make it ridable.

I found some tools and tightened the wheels, and the hardware so the trucks wouldn’t wobble. And eventually I tightened up the trucks themselves so that I could make more controlled turns and keep my balance a little bit better. I think I did a pretty good job considering I’d never done it before, and I definitely tore up and hands, arms, and somehow my knees while I was messing with the grip tape… It was all worth it though, at least now I feel like I’ve done something productive in quarantine, at least for this week. I think I’m gonna go out tomorrow and get comfortable riding it before I start to learn any tricks.

Update on the pandemic rules that I learned today, apparently Tim Hortons is requiring you to wear a mask if you go through their drive-through now. I think it’s a bit overkill, but I guess if it keeps people safer overall it’s for the best. I try to go out once a day just to get some air but honestly most days I just stay in bed and sleep all hours of the day, only really waking up at night to do some work for a few hours. I kind of slowed down eating, which I hear a lot of people are doing. It seems like people are either eating to fill their empty days, or not eating very much at all, neither seem very healthy. It’s the same thing during summer though, I suppose. With less plans, I wake up having missed breakfast and lunch already and by the time dinner rolls around I’ve only been awake 2 hours maximum so I’m never hungry, then I tend to fall back asleep or just slump in bed not having the energy to do much of anything. It’s a bummer but I guess it’s the new way of living for awhile.

5/7

I went out skating today. I figured since I knew the owner of some shops down by the water I would use the little space of concrete by their store. I grabbed my board and helmet and drove down. At first I was just figuring out my footing and how to push the board while facing my body weight the right way so I wouldn’t fall off. I think I stayed out there for about 2 hours or so just riding back and forth, I also would put all my weight down on the tail of the board so it would sit up and then all my weight back down just like you would when you drop in on a ramp. Then I practiced tic-taking which is basically where you put some weight on the tail of the board, and push the nose in another direction so that you can make some quick turns.

Overall I think it was a pretty successful day and I’m glad I got out. I’m excited to skate more and get more comfortable with the board. On a side note, it feels really weird that it’s May already. Like we’re almost halfway through 2020 and we’ve all just been inside practically the whole time. That’s wild to me. It’s supposed to snow a little this week and I’m not looking forward to it. I hate cold weather so much especially when it’s May, like be warm, it’s not that hard I don’t think. I just want sunny days or thunderstorms not snow.

5/8

It’s snowing. I hate it. I hate the cold but it is what is I guess. I spent 4 hours out driving around with a friend of mine today, let’s hope I don’t get covid please nobody yell at me for being out. We went up to see a car that he’s working on, she’s gorgeous. She’s an old Buick that’s like a fee cherry red color, ugh she’s so pretty. I wanna learn more about cars so he showed me some things and explained some basic engines and such. I thought it was pretty cool not gonna lie.

Anyway it was a pretty basic day, I’m just glad I got out and was able to hang out with someone for a little bit. I definitely miss seeing the general public at school and such. I picked up my stuff from school awhile ago and it’s weird to me that the seniors were basically handed their cap and gown and sent off. Like I know that they’re doing something online for them I think but it’s a shame that they went through all that schooling just to be handed they’re stuff through a cracked door by their teachers with masks and gloves on and sent away. That must really suck and I’m sorry it turned out that way for them. I hope Covid goes away soon and we can try to get things back to normal for summer.

Quarantine Diaries

            This quarantine is really getting to me. I am slightly upset about how Governor Wolfe is now directing us to wear masks at work, in public, and to stay 6 feet apart. However, during his press conference, he wasn’t wearing a mask, nor were the people who stood shoulder to shoulder behind him. I understand wearing a mask in public, but what about the people still working? The ones who have to work eight-hour shifts, talking on the phone all day long? I think that’s a bit extra. All I know is that if I can’t go to college football games this fall, I will lose my marbles. I never realized how much I hate being alone until I had to start quarantining. I didn’t ever really do a whole lot before this, but now all I want to do is go out. I was doing good health wise, I got sick the beginning of quarantine, but I’m all good now. I also tried self-improving, trying to have a healthier diet, sleep more, exercise…yeah that didn’t work out. I ended up having a ton of mini breakdowns. It’s difficult to keep up with all my schoolwork, try and school my autistic little brother who doesn’t understand what’s going on, keep up with housework and make dinner while both of my parents still work. I am hoping that things return to normal soon, and we can get back on with our lives. We should be able to go outside without having to constantly fear the world around us. It’s crazy to think about how quickly our world has changed. Coming into this year, we all had the mindset that this was going to be the best year yet. Fast forward, and now we all can’t wait to escape this year.

Quarantine Diaries (pt. 2)

You have no idea how bored I am. The amount of Dairy Queen and Tim Horton’s I’ve had in the past couple of weeks is ridiculous. It was pretty nice over the weekend, kinda windy on Saturday but nothing serious. Last night I had a fire with my family. I also washed my car since it was nice. I visited the park, but there was a lot of people, so I left. Then, I went home and started my final paper for Law and Society. He handed back our last paper, I got a 98 on that one! Late last week I had to go pick up my stuff from the high school. I was kind of pissed because they gave me some things that weren’t mine but didn’t give me back my lunch box or my blanket. I had to call the school several times to do paperwork to switch schools. I had enough of Eisenhower, having my credits being screwed up and having the counselor telling me my classes at Bonaventure didn’t count. So, I decided to transfer to Warren for my senior year. I’ve been getting a kick out of social media lately. Everyone has been clowning Debby Ryan on her acting skills, and I honestly think the memes are hilarious. I said what I said. I’ve done some running recently, and I went up to the soccer fields to try and strengthen my hip. Throughout my 4 seasons of track, I’ve messed it up several times. Speaking of track, I’ve been talking to who may be my potential coach in college! Her name is Coach Shaffer, and we’ve talked several times over quarantine. She always checks in on me to see how things are going. I want to run in college, but I also want to go to my dream school. So if I get accepted to run track, and get accepted to Penn State…you better believe all bets are off and I’m going to PSU. I also rediscovered some shows on Disney+. Good Luck, Charlie, Hannah Montana, these shows hit different at 1 am when you’re sleep deprived. I also rewatched High School Musical: The Musical. Watch it if you haven’t. That’s all I really have to say so now I’m going back to bed.

Quarantine Diaries (Pt. 3)

So, I just woke up. I have a paper to write for Law and Society that’s due tomorrow. I don’t think it should be too bad of a paper. I forgot to write an entry yesterday so I’m going to do two today. Yesterday I didn’t do much. I woke up super late. I did my laundry and worked out. The weather wasn’t the warmest, but it was pretty sunny, so that was nice. I facetimed my two best friends, Nate and Catrina. We don’t get to see Catrina often because she moved to South Carolina. I’m glad Warren County is finally in the yellow phase! That means we’re one step closer to being back to normal! Since we’re in this phase, I was allowed to go see one of my friends. He was having some people over. I didn’t really vibe with those people, so I hung out with his brother (who is my best friend). We played GTA, and honestly that was more exciting. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m ready to go back to work. I need the money; funds are running LOW…like REAL low. I’m watching the movie The Sun Is Also A Star. It’s about a girl who’s being deported in a day. She meets a guy named Daniel, who is convinced they met by fate. She doesn’t believe in love, but he tells her he thinks he can get her to fall in love with him, in just one day. It’s a really good movie, but the book is way more detailed and riveting. The chances that I go back to bed after this are pretty high, since I know I’ll be up late working on Dr. Moor’s paper. Not to mention I have to start my final paper for my cooking class. Anyways, there’s really not much else I have to say so, stay safe y’all.

Quarantine Diaries (pt. 4)

I’m back like I never left. So, it is currently close to 2 am. I waited until last minute to do my paper for Law and Society, so that wasn’t very cash money of me. The paper is on this article about Roundup lawsuits? Yeah, don’t ask me. I had a mental breakdown earlier and decided to unnecessarily straighten my hair, heat damage is going to be at an all-time HIGH. Today (well I guess technically yesterday) I ended up being semi productive. I called my friends again because I miss them. I then went to Walmart to pick up party decorations…my little brother turns 12 today!! I got balloons, streamers, party hats, a banner, and some other unnecessary things that I can’t name off the top of my head. I then made dinner for my family. I made crab cakes with rice and salad. Gordon Ramsey who??  I finally also cleaned my room since Mama G guilted me into it. Did you hear about the COVID researcher who got murdered? He worked for a university and was so close to having a breakthrough discovery on COVID. Instead, he got murdered in his apartment. His killer then went down to his car and committed suicide. That’s beyond wild. Whenever I wake up, I have to help do a zoom meeting for my brother for his class. Then whenever that’s done, I have to finish up my paper, then ski-bop to get some food. I have to meet my dad and sister for lunch at his office. The nerve of these two to invite me but make me pay for all of us…it’s just unbelievable. Then I have to set up a zoom meeting for my brother’s birthday, bake him a cake and decorate. I am so sleep deprived it’s not even funny at this point. I’m going to go take a bunch of melatonin and zonk out.

Quarantine Diaries (pt. 5)

Today is my brother’s birthday! I had to wake up at 8:30, not impressed by that at all. I finished working on my paper for Law and Society. I would’ve put it off longer, but I had to go places today. After I turned that in, I had to help Tony get on a zoom meeting with his classmates. He hasn’t seen them in the longest time, and he was so happy! They sung him happy birthday, but it was geekin’ big time so you really couldn’t here anyone. I put one of those signs outside that said “Honk, it’s so-and-so’s birthday”. I live in a neighborhood, so like no one really saw it because APPARENTLY my neighborhood is considered “rich and boujee”. After I did all that I had to buss it down to Warren to go get food. Then I had to drive halfway back to my dad’s office to eat lunch with him and my sister. I was only there for like, half an hour so it didn’t take up too much time. I had to go over to Walmart once I got done there. I lost a balloon in the wind, so I was very sad about that. However, I took a nap when I got home so that was good. After that, I set up for his party and called it a day. In actual news have you heard about Ahmaud Arbery? I am absolutely livid. He was murdered all the way back in February, and his murderers were just now arrested. It’s May. That means they walked free and lived their lives for almost three moths following their crime. It’s so annoying to go on social media and see that people are supporting their actions. They say they did it because Arbery was “throwing punches”. So, you mean to tell me it’s okay to shoot him 3 times in a row because he only had his fists to defend himself? Bullshit.

Quarantine Diaries (pt. 6)

I am so incredibly sleep deprived, it’s not even funny. I’m slightly angry with mother nature right now. It’s said that corona cases will go down with an increase in warm weather. Yeah well, she decided to SNOW all over us and now we’re going to be stuck in quarantine forever. In other words, I started applying for college. I am so excited; you already know I started applying to Penn State!! I’m also applying to Gannon, Edinboro, a college out in Ohio, and Lockhaven. The school in Ohio and Lockhaven are my back-up options. I have to pick my season tickets for Penn State football on Monday. Both of the spots I’m looking at are about 400 dollars. Honestly, that’s not too bad. As I write this, I’m watching Saturday Night Live. Best show to ever exist. Anyways, in a way I’m going to miss my St. Bonaventure classes. I love both of my professors. After they end, I’m not going to have anything to procrastinate. This is my last entry and then I’m in the clear for this class…I think. Right, Cher? All jokes aside I miss Cher and Dr. Moor, they always made my day, even if I was kind of annoying. I finally went to a different state! I went to Jamestown, NY because I missed Wegman’s. It was crazy insane in there; the damn New Yorkers were swarming that bih to get their high-end foods. And people call me boujee. Puh-lease. Anyways, I really have nothing more to say, so I’m going to include my favorite corona meme. I don’t know why, but I laugh every time I think about it. Maybe it’s just the dog. I don’t know, determine for yourself. This is Nat, signing off. It’s been a real one for the boys.

Hello to the world, it is currently 5:33 P.M. Have I started my day? Eh, kind of. However, have I been productive? No, absolutely not. This morning I started my day at a reasonable time, 8 A.M. However, I only woke up that early because I was obligated to be somewhere. Due to my past knee injuries, and a complicated surgery, now I must suffer through PT to make it better. The shitty part about going to Pt is that my surgery was ONE FUCKING YEAR AGO. Actually I take that back, it has been 14 months. Yeah, 14 whole ass months. So this is my second time going through PT and hoping good results will come out of it. Not to mention, have you ever tried working out in a fucking mask? It sucks, and it makes breathing so hard. After therapy I came home and I made some breakfast and took a pill for my stomach. Now on my third Antibiotic for whatever is going on with me. And after breakfast I fell back asleep. When I woke up, my stomach was in so much pain. After that I went back and forth between sleeping and being awake. And here I am now, 5:43P.M. Writing in my diary and about to fall back asleep.

4/25/2020

With corona I find myself in a same daily routine schedule. I usually wake up between 10-12 on a good day. Then I try to get some of my college work finished. After that I usually spend some time outside. Most of my afternoons are spent playing tennis with my family or going for a walk. I will then go to work from 5-9. After work I come home shower and turn on the Walking Dead. The Walking dead; I have got to say takes up a good portion of my time. Most nights I will stay up tell about 3-4 binge watching the show. Within this week I have finished 4 seasons of the walking dead. Yeah this honestly isn’t very health but I enjoy the show.

With working at Walmart I find myself with plenty of time to think. Ever since Corona hit I have notice the customers who come in are very rude and selfish lately. This is one reason why I just want things to go back to normal. I don’t know how long I can deal with all the Karen’s.

Corona has cancelled so many of the fun things that I planned on doing and it honestly sucks so much. Washington is somewhere I go every summer. If you have never been there 10/10 would recommend. I wouldn’t recommend driving because you will absolutely go crazy due to the other drivers. I definitely look forward to going out West once everything blows over. I had also planned on going to visit my grandmother in Florida but that plan didn’t work out either.

Over all, this time off has honestly sucked a lot I miss going to SBU even though we had to wake up at like 7. I miss seeing my friends. I’m just over it.

Corona Diary 

Today is the 22. I am tired and have to work all day today.  I hate this damn virus.  It has flipped. It seems as though my world has been completely flipped upside down. I know I was excited to finally have down time to think, but now, my life is just as chaotic as before.  My parents have been begging me to get a job and now that I one, I am exhausted.  I literally get up every morning to workout. Then I eat, shower and come in to work by 5:30 am.  I usually end up trying to do my school work as I do my job.  Today I am working 13 hours.  I will be home around 6:40. Just in time to eat with my family and make family time.  Then I will go lift and then shower. After that I am exhausted and call my girlfriend before I fall asleep. I know I should be taking this time to reconnect with my faith, but I am drained and finding excuses to pass time by.  I miss playing soccer.  I miss the thought of being able to travel anywhere and be free.  My parents only let me out of the house to go to work and to see my girlfriend once a week.  It is all killing me.  Some of my friends are able to be out and it is driving me crazy to not be with them.  I am practically failing Calculus. I do not understand it.  He does not seem able to help/ teach it in a way that makes sense. My tutor is busy with his high school meetings which are complete bs. I am done with this virus and I just need a break from life.  I need a trip to Bali when this is all over. 

Corona Diary Part 2

Today is the 30.  I am so tired that I slept through my alarm this morning.  It woke up my parents who then had to come in and get me up for work.  I went in from 5-8 am. Then I came back home and got ready for calc class.  We “reviewed” the unit. And by review, I mean he did the problems, did not answer questions, and left us lost.  History was good though because it got canceled.  We got our tests and essays back and I got a 100 on both. Then I worked out, showered and came into work.  My work has been easy because I spend all day screening people to keep the virus out of our building.  In between rushes, I sit here in this comfy rocking chair while doing my homework.  Our high school teachers gave us all this bs busy work that is the most unproductive thing ever.  If we do not get a 100%, then our grades will drop to a 60% for that marking period.  It is pathetic. It does not make sense at all.  I hate our high school.  I hate that I might not have a junior prom. Especially after I went out and already bought everything.  I am exhausted from working so much and still having to do my homework and workouts.   I get to go to Erie Saturday for some Chick-fil-a with my girlfriend.  We are also going to Sarah’s for ice cream.  It is so good!  I get paid tonight and I cannot wait. I need the money to pay my car insurance.  Other than this, my life has been dull and kind of boring.  I cannot wait till this is over.  My trips to Florida and Minnesota this summer still have not been canceled so I am planning on going.  I am excited to get out of Warren.  I am also supposed to see Maroon 5 at Darien Lake in June but I am not going to get my hopes up because I expect that it will get canceled.  

Corona Diary Part 3

Today is May 5. The local Chinese place opened up today after a long break of being closed.  It was so packed that they ran out of food and eventually turned their phones off.  I called many times but I was never able to get through.  After work I went home and waited till about 5:15 because they said they would open up again at 5:30. When I got over there, the line of people waiting to get their food was so long. It was freezing outside but I was going to get my food. After 40 minutes, I was finally able to order. The lady told me that it would be a 20-minute wait.  After another40 minutes, I got my order, 2 general Tso combos and 2 broccoli chicken combos.  It was not all for me.  It was for my family. The food was so good. I am getting hungry again just thinking about it.  It was well worth the wait.  Tomorrow I am planning on going to Bob’s Trading post with my girlfriend for some ice cream.  I have to work from 5-12 then we will be going.  If she is awake yet and done with her work.  My back is absolutely killing me.  I did a running and biking challenge for some free shades.  I know I should not have because my back has been bad for months.  I definitely made it worse by doing the challenge.  Unfortunately, I have to go the therapy Thursday and to go get an x-ray from the doctor.  I am anything but excited.  I just want to be able to run again so that I can feel free. It is the greatest feeling to be able to run for miles. Hopefully all goes well.  

Corona Diary Part 4 

Today is May 6 and it was a great day. I got up at 4:30, ate breakfast, then went into work from 5-12.  After work, I went home, showered, and got ready.  I picked up my girlfriend at 1:30 and we went to Bob’s Trading Post in Kane.  Their food is soooooo good. We got a large pepperoni pizza and fries.  I noticed that our gas was low and that we would not have enough to get us back home.  We asked the lady if there were any gas stations near us and she told us there was one about 8 miles away.  So as our food was being prepared, we drove to the Country Fair and got gas.  After I got gas, I remembered that I had 40 cents off per gallon.  I was bummed that I forgot about it. But it was ok. We got drinks and chips inside, then drove back to get our food.  It was delicious. Absolutely amazing.  We made a bit of a mess eating the food.  After the pizza and fries we got ice cream.  We did not eat all the pizza nor the fries because we needed to save room for ice cream.  I got a medium roadrunner raspberry, which was huge.  She got a small blue moon which also huge. Then after we ate, we drove back jamming to whatever it was she was playing.  We got back to her house and took her dog on a long walk in the woods. Her dog’s name is Coby and he is a wild year-old collie. It was fun. The dog was going crazy running around and barking at everything. I went home around ten so I could get up and get my work done.  It was a great day especially with everything that has been going on. 

Corona Diary Part 5 

Today is May 7, I worked from 5-8 this morning then went home for some sleep.  After I got some sleep, I got up and did some work.  I had therapy at 3. It was OK, the doctor told me that my mobility and strength are great, but I am super tight.  He gave me a bunch of stretches to be doing every day. I hate to stretch I am not flexible at all.  I guess if I want to get back to where I can run and play soccer, I am going to have to stretch a lot and trust the people there. After pt, my family went to Bob’s Trading Post.  I got to go two days in a row so I was happy.  This time my family got the pepperoni meltdown pizza.  It had like double the pepperoni and cheese.  It was probably super unhealthy, but it was delicious.  We got drinks and ice cream.  This time, I got a small strawberry cheesecake flavor.  It was really good. On the way back home, we took a different way.  It brought us into Sheffield and we decided to go see my grandparents who live in Lynch.  It is between Sheffield and Marienville near the Blue Jay creek.  We visited with them for a while, then we went through my great grandfathers old fishing stuff to see if there was anything I could use.  We found a sweet fly-fishing rod that I might get if my uncle lets me take it.  They have no WIFI or cell service up there and it is so peaceful and beautiful.  We went home and I was exhausted so I went home and fell right asleep. It has been a good week, considering the past few weeks.  

Corona Diary Part 6 

Today is May 8, I took off today that way I could get some sleep and do my school work.  We have our calculus final Wednesday and I know that I am going to pass, but I do not know if it will be that good of a grade.  I am freaking out because I need a good grade on this final.  He does not teach the material well and my tutor is never free when I am now and it is making this class very difficult.  The final is going to be so hard.  I am just hoping that my other grades will be good enough to compensate it.  I have been working hard in this class and history so they should be high.  My grade in philosophy should be solid. I cannot wait till this semester is over. I am excited for summer and a break from school. I have lots of plans for this summer so I am hoping everything opens up.  Our soccer coach wants us to play league games this summer.  I do not feel like having to go to Erie two times a week then to Ohio and all these cities every weekend for games.  I got a good run in today because my back was feeling a little better.  I had to go slow but I got eight miles in and it was a nice run.  My knees and legs are going to be super sore tomorrow. It was so nice to be able to get it in. My birthday is in two days and I am going to be seventeen.  My family and girlfriend are coming over tomorrow for pie.  It is going to be great.  Hope all is going well with everyone’s quarantine.  We are almost through it. 

Day 1: 04/28/20

Everyone seems to like the fact that they don’t have to go to school anymore. I, for one, disagree. My grades will indeed drop drastically because I can’t ask a million questions or if I am even doing things correctly. I get confused and then decide to not do assignments because I do not understand them. In one such class, I have neglected to make it further than the first page out of around fifty pages consisting of three chapters we need to understand for the AP test. I just give up honestly. I thought about graduating this year because it’s online so I do not need to see people or interact. As we all know, people and I don’t agree. I am super nice up front, but that is because I’m generally a nice person. I could absolutely hate someone yet be their friend and help them through obstacles.

Okay, enough about that boring stuff so we can cover more boring topics. My general daily routine is to wake up slightly after nine. I get out of bed, throw on a sweatshirt, and go let my dog out to go to the bathroom. Then, I walk down the hallway to go feed her. My baby sister and step-mom are most generally at the table eating, so I smile and say good morning sunshine to the baby. She waits every morning for me to wake up and watches down the hallway for me to come out of my room. While my dog eats, I eat cereal. As of a few days ago, I ran out of cereal. I tried getting some from Walmart, but they don’t have it either. So, now I roam endlessly looking for food I like that I would actually eat for breakfast, which generally ends up being nothing. After this, I end up vacuuming or washing dishes to feel like I’m doing something so I don’t get in trouble for being lazy(lol).

The rest of my day consists of playing on my phone, talking to my boyfriend when he is on break, and waiting for someone to suggest something to do. Later at night, my dad comes home from work, we eat dinner, usually we watch a movie, and then everyone goes to bed and I stay up til the next morning watching Netflix and repeat the entire process again the next day.

Until next time,

Liv

Day 2: 05/01/20

This corona thing has got to be the most uninteresting thing ever. I have chopped off half of my hair and created a mouse cage out of a couple gallon tank. Other than the boring stuff I have typed so far, I have got nothing else…literally. I do nothing most of the time and want to explode. Calculus is awful and I don’t understand it. I really want to go back to work to make bank.

I am tired of being in my house and seriously contemplating graduating just so I can leave earlier. Not to be super weird or gory, but  Corona would be wayyyyy more interesting if it was like the Black Plague and killed everyone and not just old or sick people, so that we actually had something to be worried about and weren’t just stuck in our houses for no apparent reason.

To shake things up a bit, my weekends are slightly busier. I get to be slightly more occupied, which takes my mind off of the never ending boredom I experience every day. This weekend I helped my boyfriend,Eric, put in new LDL speakers. We ripped off all the plastic on each truck door. The old speaker system was unplugged, and the new speaker was screwed into each door. Then, all the plastic was placed back on. We also required a new screen/ display thing that plays movie into his dash and placed the plain back over that too. Aside from that, a back camera was wired from the back to the front of the truck because a new ground wire had to be put in, and a subwoofer and AMP system was wired in to make bass stronger and the music louder. If we’re being honest, I was absolutely bored for part of it and just ate food while holding wires and such. Fixing vehicles is not my thing. In fact, I would rather see a car blow up than fix one.

That’s all for today folks. I’ve got nothing else because, quite honestly, I don’t want to add onto boring with more boring.

Day 3: 05/04/20

As many of my friends know, I love animals. In the last couple of weeks I have been wanting baby animals. To add some insight, last year I had around four baby birds, three baby raccoons, and a baby red squirrel. Well, per my request, in a span of forty eight hours I gained seven baby animals. They were two different species, but all within around a week old. This means I have been waking up every three hours to feed said animals and running back and forth between turning on a heat lamp, switching the heating pad on, and making my room a literal furnace to keep their body heat up. My dog is not so happy with me. She tried to sleep with me, but she gets too hot and is panting so she moves to the much cooler floor. The sad but also beneficial part of this is that five of the babies were able to be relocated to a different home that has a better idea of how to care for them than I do. It also means less bottle feeding and milk all over me and the baby. The moral of this story is to be careful what you wish for, or at least to word your wishes differently. As of right now, I am still waking up at three and six in the morning to keep my tiny kids alive (hopefully). If they die, I am  going to cry. Animals lighten my heart and refill my extremely small  tolerance level for stupid people.

As of late, I am becoming excruciatingly fed up with people’s ability to argue. I believe if something is to be argued upon, real points need to be made. These points must be verifiable and factual. They can not be opinions simply based on judgmental issues. For example, based on true events, you can not say not to go near your baby sister to avoid getting her sick because a person you went hiking with is untrustworthy. That being said, said person works in hospitals and is around sick people and possibly corona patients. What does distrust in someone else have to do with me being around my sister? To tie this up, basically you can’t make arguments based on sarcasm and emotion. Your points must be true, valid points. You also have to know what you are talking about to even make any sense at all. The moral of this story is that stupid people will always fail in an argument whether they lose or the other person gives up trying to make actual sense.

Day 4: 05/07/20

Stress. Purrrrreee absolute stress. That is what I’m feeling. I applied at “necessary” places in order to get a job again to pay for my car. My aunt’s work place, the Warren Manor, called me back. I then went on to tell the guy I did not want the job because I was waiting to see if this veterinary office would call me back. I had emailed them previous to their call asking about an internship because I need animal hours for vet med in college. They then emailed me back and said they’d give me a job instead. The vet’s manager told me once this was all over-I was assuming she meant corona- she would talk to the Dr. and call me for a proper interview. Since this meant I would not have a job for a while, I proceeded to call the Manor back today and tell my aunt and the boss dude that I did in fact want the job again. I went in and gave all my medical papers to a lady, and I even got the first round of TB shots(I almost passed out). Then, I went home to feed my mouse. After about thirty minutes of being home, I get a call from warren that looks a lot like the veterinary office number. I answer and it is the Dr. Asking me when I can come in to work. The words out of my mouth were this,”Uhhhhhhhhhh…*long pause*…let me look.” I gave her a date and everything is supposed to be good, right? No, everything is not alright. I now have two jobs that times overlap and I literally told them both today I would work for them. Literal rip in the chat right there. I don’t know what to do. I forgot to ask what I’m wearing for the job, and I don’t know how either jobs schedule. I am so very deeply hoping it’s monthly so I can work them around each other. Please pray for me.

Yours truly but sadly,

Olivia

Day 5:05/08/20

Welp, my one remaining mouse died today. To say the least, I currently don’t feel anything other than maybe irritation with everyone. I didn’t even shed a tear even though my heart was shattered. I guess my dog, Aspen, is now back to being my main baby again. In all honesty, I get in trouble for “not being stern enough” towards her, because according to my parents, she does not behave. Little do they know she is a perfect angel with me, and the only thing she has ever done to misbehave is chew things. She has some weird mother daughter connection with me. She has been at my heels ever since she was born. I never used a leash when she was little because there was no need. She has extreme overprotection issues to the point where no one can enter my room unannounced. This is due to her keeping all of the other animals away from me. She has gotten into several fights with our other dog all because he walked over to me when she was clearly sitting with me. One such fight left him with his lower eyelid split in half and blood on his chin. Last night, she did not hear my dad walking down the hall way and when he opened my door, she started growling and was right beside the door ready to pounce. Needless to say, this earned her some choice words.

Overall, it has been a rough week. I hide in my room and push everyone that cares about me away, except for my parents because they couldn’t tell shit from chocolate. I mean, I guess I am fine other than being overly angry with things that I normally could hold the sass back from. My boyfriend has endured extreme, uncontrollable, and unprovoked yet  unintentional sass and raging bitch attitude from me. I totally feel bad, but what can you do? Honestly, he hasn’t even cared and always apologizes trying to make me feel better. That is boyfriend of the year award right there.

Day 6: 05/10/20

I am so tired. I want to sleep, but my head hurts and it’s also only seven o’clock. Today was kinda uneventful but not terribly boring. I went hiking with my mom, and then we went to applebees and got takeout. I listened to my mom tell me a lovely story of a lady that died of our dear Rona. Honestly, it was kind of sad but extremely funny. Long story short, she tripped over the cart the body was on, and was like,”Okay Karen(can’t release actual name sooo…) , just trip me.” All of the other nurses burst out laughing. That is kind of gruesome and morbid, but it’s absolutely  hilarious.

I attempted to put confetti in my boyfriend’s graduation card my mom got him, but it was too fat so he noticed there was stuff inside the card and dumped it out. In response to that, I took a handful and threw it on him. His parents got him a long range rifle with a $2500 scope. Holy crappp. That’s expensive, but it lights up the cross hairs and makes them blink when the gun tilts. This is because when shooting long range, the gun has to be almost perfectly straight or the bullet will curve.

Since this is my last post, I just want to say that corona is not going to go away. It will come back until an effective, long term vaccine is created. That being said, there is no way we are starting school up again. I mean, we may be able to go back for a few months, but once we hit fall we are screwed all over again. The only reason corona is going to dissipate slightly is due to the humidity of summer. The particles from the virus bounce of water particles in the air, therefore making it hard for them to transmit to other people. Once fall hits, water droplets decrease rapidly, and the virus particles can disperse  extremely far. So I’ll just say here and now, good luck to everyone. My step mom is the only one in our household that does not have something that makes it life threatening for her to get corona. Yay us!

Yours truly,

Liv

ENG 102 Blog #6

4/19 –

Hello! My name is Michael, I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy. It comes to no surprise to many people when I say this past month has been, in one word, crazy. There was so much planned for my senior year that has been ultimately decimated. I will not be able to attend my classes with the teachers that have guided me since freshman year. I will not enjoy the satisfaction of playing a sport with my two brothers ever again. I will not spend another day laughing with all of my friends in the library. I will not sing with my fellow choir students for the spring concert. I will not dance at my senior prom. Most importantly, I will not be attending a traditional graduation. Instead, I will receive a video recording of me walking on an empty stage and picking up my high school diploma, followed by a photo with my family wearing masks and gloves. I am told that my class will be prioritized and compensated in some way, yet I have little faith in my school district in this happening. Quite frankly, I no longer care. I have moved on from the high school experiences that have been stolen from myself and others like me. I consider myself a high school graduate. I have been looking towards my future, regarding college and career choices and I am no longer searching for some pathetic redemption of my senior year. I have come to terms with the fact that I have had so much fun the last four years and so many memories to carry with me. I am not exactly worried for the well-being of my family and I, since Warren County is nothing close to an urban area. We all do a fairly decent job at keeping our distance from others, anyways. My only concern is this pandemic ending as quickly as possible and my fall semester of university being unaffected. 

4/23 –

Today is my littlest brother’s birthday. Of course, his time must be spent with limited company from others. I am under the impression, however, that he does not particularly mind. He regularly interacts with his friends over Xbox, even without the pandemic. I am happy to see he is not horribly afflicted, given the circumstances. Just yesterday was one of my best friends’ birthdays as well. Her friends, family, and I came up with an idea to celebrate without risk of contamination. We all rode in our cars and paraded her neighborhood, shouting and honking, and left her gifts outside of the vehicles. She said it was one of the most amazing things she’s experienced for her birthday. It brought me a sense of harmony in knowing that joy and appreciation still grows fervidly, even with a dangerous virus ravaging through the nation. However, I was also reminded of my AP Chemistry exam that will take place on May 14th. Regrettably, I disregarded my responsibilities of studying and retaining information for this subject ever since the school closed. Whether this was out of carelessness or hopelessness, I do not know. Nevertheless, my teacher reached out to me and urged me to keep up on my studies. I realized I have lost the majority of my confidence in passing this exam. Before the cancellation, my grades for AP Chemistry averaged 99% and 98%, as well as receiving 100%’s on my tests in class. Yet, I am reminded of the incredible difficulty of this exam frequently. So, my tardiness of reviewing the material has rendered me unfaithful in receiving the desired grade. I have made a commitment, as of now, to force myself to rebuild my confidence by relentlessly reviewing the material. If anyone would care to know, my sleep schedule is terrifyingly ruined. I sometimes stay awake until 4 in the morning and finally sleep until noon. I urge myself and others to repair this as soon as possible.

4/26 –

“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous…uhh…whether it’s ultraviolet or just a very powerful light, and I think you [Bill Bryan, senior of the Department of Homeland Security] said that hasn’t been checked or you’re gonna test it. And then I said supposing you brought the lighting inside the body which you  can do either through the skin or…uhh…in some other way. And I think you said you [Bill] were gonna test that too. And I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute or minutes and is there a way we can do something like that…uhh…by injection inside…uhh…or almost a cleaning…” – Words by the President of the United States of America on April 23rd at a press briefing.

So, that happened. May the odds be ever in our favor. On a brighter note, my boredom led to me purchasing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a game I never knew I needed. I have never played an Animal Crossing game before, so this was my first introduction to the series. The game features home decor, outdoor adventures, and first degree capitalism. Players open to a “paradise island getaway” and experience gameplay in real time. I customized my character and flew to my own deserted island with raccoons who were professional contractors. Almost like real life, I could take out a loan from the island manager, Tom, to purchase my own house. I explored my island to catch bugs, fish, and fossils to ultimately hand them over to an owl, Blathers, for science. Whilst selling the fruits of my excruciating labor for currency to pay off my loans, other animal villagers visited my island to move into houses I built for them and to indulge in a commercial paradise, such as myself. I would highly recommend this game to everyone, truthfully. On another note, I decided to leave my room for the first time in days to try something new. I learned how to shoot a bow! It is something I have always wanted to learn, so my dad bought a recurve bow and some arrows. I surprised myself when I hit close bullseyes from our makeshift shooting range after only a few tries. I am no expert, but I thoroughly enjoy shooting the bow and I hope to hone my skills in the future. Mentally, I am doing alright. There have been days that I just get out of bed in a bad mood, for no obvious reason. However, I occupy myself with quiet, calming activities, such as these, and my nerves quickly settle. I am still wishing with every part of me that this ordeal is resolved quickly. My university has begun preparations for a virtual semester, worst-case scenario. For my well-being, I really hope this does not happen. On the brightside, my family and I are still corona-free! 🙂

5/1-

Today i have officially made my first attempt to interact with the outside world. Cameran and Catrina Edwards, two very close friends of mine, moved down to South Carolina last year. However, they still have family up here in Warren County, so they came up to visit. Of course, their friends and themselves, myself included, planned for a reunion and breakfast, social distancing style. Everyone ordered their meals to-go and parked their cars in a circle in the back parking lot of the restaurant. It was an amazing experience to see them all again, after so long. We sat in our cars eating breakfast for what seemed like hours. It was not any easier saying goodbye to them once we all finished, for they had to leave the next day. While the social interaction was exquisite, it reminded me of how much a yearn for this quarantine to end. I have been talking to someone on practically an hourly basis. A guy named Henry, who i have known for some time, and recently started dating in February. He currently attends the college I am going to for a masters in history and a minor in political science. He has done an excellent job of entertaining me throughout this ordeal. We reminisce on childhood experiences, dream of post-graduate endeavors, and watch Netflix very frequently. Provided the fall semester is on-campus and not virtual, he makes me feel a bit more comfortable for tackling the next chapter in my life. Regarding the coronavirus, I am frankly anxious to see what comes of it. Stay-at-home orders are being lifted all around the northeast, which could potentially cause a second wave of infections. If this were to happen, my opportunity to experience an on-campus college life as a freshman would be squandered. I urge everyone to take extra precaution on the next month or two, as so many people may be exposing themselves to the pathogen. My goals are not entirely selfish, however. There are more important things than living in a dorm room, such as staying healthy and supporting others in their times of need. I hope everyone is doing well, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you all. ❤

5/6-

Today is a wonderful day. My boyfriend has just informed me that Mercyhurst University committed to an on-campus fall semester! These never-ending weeks of worry, anxiety, and frustration has proved completely unnecessary. I no longer have to worry about taking college courses through a computer screen–which undoubtedly would have made me scream till spring semester. It feels as though my passion and drive towards productivity and school in general has been reignited. I finished my entire Anatomy and Physiology packet given to me for my fourth marking period grade in a single day (seven hours to be exact). I also took an AP test demo and some sample questions from last year’s test to help prepare for the actual exam. My confidence has risen slightly, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t still a little nervous. As additional good news, my boss texted my brother and I that we should be able to work again very soon. Since my place of work was accepted for a grant, I will also be working on salary pay. I can hear my bank account crying tears of joy even now. My only wish is to readjust my sleep schedule to normal. I can’t help just stay awake till two in the morning and wake around noon. Hopefully a work schedule will fix this. Some other peculiar changes occurred since the quarantine began. My music taste has evolved to very diverse genres– excluding country— always excluding country music—– I cannot and will not stand for such profanity. Fleetwood Mac has stolen my heart. I could get down to Little Lies and Gypsy every once in a while, but never cared for any of their other songs. Now, much to my mom’s surprise and enjoyment, I’m dancing like a fool to Tusk and Save Me. Grimes, Poppy, Post Malone, and CHVRCHES have also nestled themselves into my Spotify playlist, all of which I highly recommend. 

5/8 –

For my last corona diary entry, I wanted to do something a little special. As an outlet for my creativity that has been locked away such as myself during this quarantine, I whipped out the paint and canvas for an art project. It has been quite sometime since I have painted something, and I am not very good to begin with, but I wanted to find a calming and stimulating activity to do. I thought of this painting myself when my boyfriend jokingly wanted me to paint him something. He is very sporty by nature, so I got to work. This is what I came up with:

I got to a point where I just didn’t want to touch it anymore, so this is the finished product. It is subject to change in the future. Honestly, I cannot wait for him to take this away so i don’t have to look at it anymore. For the final part of my entry, I wrote a poem expressing my emotions during this pandemic. Criticize it as much as you like, it has never been my strong suit either. 

Hoodie

By Michael Abadie

The routine grows monotonous and arbitrary

I push open my bedroom door

Outside carries a vengeful frost

But the snow here is expected past February

Yearning cannot begin to fully comprehend

The simple act of sitting down when eating out

Or holding one another

Eager for it to come to an end

Mother pushes open the door,

“You need to get rid of some of these hoodies”

A few fall to the floor

I pick out one I think he will like

Boxed, taped, awaiting for arrival

Days pass with no word

It is soon received with overwhelming joy

The comfort of one’s home was certain

Hidden from the maniacal freeze

Accompanied by those you adore

Slew of dreams hung like curtain

But home holds it’s meaning no more

Transformed to a malicious beast

Hellbent on forever locking you in it’s cage

I push open the door, hoodies fall to the floor

Thank you so much! Have a great day, stay safe!

Hello Corona Diary, today is a great day. The sun is out and my ass is sitting inside. To be fair I could go outside and do something, but there is only so much I can do outside. I have been going on bike rides almost everyday, and walks. Currently I am going through something with my stomach and we aren’t quite sure what is going on. With all the doctors offices and hospitals not being safe I didn’t know what to do. After being in pain for 2 days straight my mom called the doctors and we had a virtual visit with them. That was a week ago, and with two phone visits and two different prescriptions we decided to just go in so she could see what was going on. This is my third prescription and so far it really hasn’t done anything. Until next Tuesday I have to try this and see if it will start to work. If this does not work, then I will have to go into the hospital to see a doctor and get an ultrasound to see if I have a Hiatal Hernia. The fear of just going into a hospital just to get help really sucks. All I want is to get better, but with everything going on my problems seem non existent. This all is very scary, and I cant wait for it to be over so our lives can go back to as “normal” as they can. But who knows what the new normal will be.