Day 26: What are we going to do today, Brain? The same thing we do every day, Pinkie.

It’s April 10th, and if things had gone according to plan, the stay-at-home order would be ending tomorrow, but it isn’t. It has been extended through April 30th now. The curve is flattening, so that’s good, but I guess it’s not quite flat enough. It seems like people are being a little safer to say the least! I see people in face masks and gloves everywhere now. Even when I’m at the park on runs, people are walking/running on opposite sides of the trails as to keep a safe six foot distance. It also seems like people are being a lot more patient and polite and the grocery store! Lots and lots of “excuse me’s” and “I’m sorry’s”!

As usual, we are keepin’ it pretty chill around here. We had a Meyer’s breakfast (if you don’t know you don’t know), played beer pong, started watching the Marvel movies in chronological order, I took the lead in House Game Wins with a total of six wins, thanks to an epic game of Settlers of Catan. We’ve updated the basement to be a zen meditation and work out room. I improved my mile time by 10 seconds. We all took a two day cleanse. I’ve been doing a great job of taking photos of the small big moments. Streamed an online music festival. Adam got hooked on White Claw… You know, keepin’ it chill.

I hope everyone is staying positive out there! Times are tough! Things are uncertain and scary, the future may seem bleak, and spirits may get low. Especially if you are living alone or in an unhealthy living arrangement. Please know that if you are reading this, and you are struggling that you can talk to me. My dream in life is that everyone be happy and healthy. If you don’t feel safe, or if you feel you need professional help you can call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to reach the SAMHSA National Hotline. Please know that there are resources out there, and that someone cares! You are loved, you are valuable, you are beautiful! Stay strong. I believe in you!

Day 19: Go Outside and Howl at 8PM

If you are actually following this blog, then you know that I haven’t written in seven days. How could I have possibly been so busy?? Well, I have and I haven’t been. I’m just free. If I want to write, great! If I don’t want to write, no big deal. Plus, if I kept this up each night Day 15, for example, would have reported 5 straight hours of Seinfeld followed by 5 straight hours of It’s Always Sunny… No one needs that.

Except we did, after the fun-filled, loosey-goosey, wet n’ wild, Dirty Thirty Extravaganza Weekend that we had. Adam, unfortunately, had to celebrate his 30th birthday under quarantine, but we didn’t let that hold us back from showing him a good time! He taught us how to play Settlers of Catan, I sent him on a scavenger hunt looking for hand-made coupons, we danced, we sang, we laughed- A LOT. We drank, we ate, we did a painting together. It was fun! We just focused on the positives, and enjoyed each other’s company.

A lot of people are giving up a lot more right now. A lot of people are in much less comfortable positions than we are right now. In the grand scheme of things we really have nothing to complain about. At this point, the most devastating thing that’s happened to anyone in this house is that they’ve gotten last place in Monopoly… twice. Meanwhile, people all over the world are getting sick and dying. According to geneng.com, even though scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have made a breakthrough in developing a vaccine for COVID-19 today, it could still take a year and “probably longer” to complete testing processes in humans. So, that’s scary.

I’ve been feeling a little helpless through all of this. I mean what can I do? In most cases like this, when I care about a cause I am able to donate money or volunteer. Sadly, I am unemployed, haven’t gotten my PIN from the Unemployment Office yet, and have not received the supposed $1,200 relief package the U.S. government says should be arriving within about two weeks… We’ll see. On top of that I am being ordered by the government to stay inside my home except for essential needs. So what can I do? According to the CDC the top 6 things we can be doing are as follows:

  1. Stay home

  2. Wash your hands often

  3. Avoid Close contact with others (aprox. 6 feet)

  4. Clean and disinfect frequently touched services.

  5. Avoid all non-essential air and cruise travel

  6. Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick.

Not so hard. The main take away I’d like to have here is that staying home and being healthy is the BEST thing we can all be doing right now. I know it’s hard, especially if you live alone, but you’re not alone. We’re all in this together. And you can comment on this blog, send me a text, call me, or we can Facetime! Me and Gypsy can be pretty entertaining believe it or not. How about this? Tomorrow night at say, oh, 8PM We all go outside and Howl at the moon like wolves! Sounds good? Great, send me a video!

In the meantime, save your monies! Do these free, fun, stupid activities with me! According to an article on npr.com titled “Show Me the Relief Money - No Promises on When Coronavirus Checks Are Coming”:

“A senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, suspects the IRS’s infrastructure, or lack thereof, will create even more delays for desperate people.
In the past it has taken several months for the government to develop, test and install the kind of software necessary to launch a rebate program. But it is unclear, what if anything, the administration has done behind the scenes so far.”
— Vanessa Romo, npr.com

That being said, just be cautious. I had to stop myself from buying shoes that were discounted 75% off yesterday, because who can resist temptation like that?! But, I did it. It’s pretty crazy how I am getting texts and e-mails left and right from retailers with discount codes and whatnot. Save the money you do have, if you are in the same position as me, nothing is certain right now. This shut down could last even longer than we think. Let’s do our best to try and prevent that, but at the same time be mindful of our actions in the event that it gets extended.

Day 11: The Tiger King Got Me

Today. Was. Awesome! I finally let myself have a hardcore Netflix binge since all this shit went down! I hopped on the bandwagon and started watching Tiger King. Holy Guacamole, this shit is redneck. I wouldn’t let the tiger appeal draw you in so much, though. It’s more of a true crime documentary series than anything, but it is entertaining as hell! I watched five straight hours of Joe Exotic and his many husbands taking the South by storm with their baby tigers, ligers, and more! I could get a lot deeper on this topic, but I haven’t finished the series yet, and don’t want to speak out of turn. Maybe tomorrow.

You know, this COVID-19 stuff is getting really serious, and it seems like people aren't reading the news. I wish so badly that I had gotten a photo of the crowd of people that were HANGING OUT at Vine Street Pub earlier. All I could do was shake my head and walk away from my living room window. There were, at one time, about 9 people clearly waiting out front fo get their To Go food, as well as multiple people on their patio just chillin’ and drinkin’ beer! I’m sorry! But some of us want this to end some time this year.

According to New York Times, the U.S. is now the leader in confirmed COVID-19 cases, making us the epicenter of the pandemic. Oh, America… How foolish can we be? All I’m saying is that I’m in Heaven. I love being at home. I love my life. It’s not so hard. Stay home, cook meals for your loved ones, exercise, relax, do a puzzle, I don’t care. Just stop interacting with others! Please.

If you need ideas, I am full of them. For instance, tonight I made my lil fam bam a vegetarian quinoa chili! Super easy, super cheap, extremely delicious. I also made my very own Bentonite clay face masks. As I previously mentioned, youtube has everything to keep your yoga game strong, as well as general fitness that is actually fun! Ever heard of Bob Ross? Think you could never do that? Think again. Don’t have room mates to play games with? Ever heard of THE INTERNET? Re-arrange your furniture. Books! Books are nice, and take up lots of time! My current recommendation is How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan (if psychedelics interest you). Take a walk. Take five walks. Just stay six feet away from anyone and everyone while doing so.

Day 10: Acceptance

Today we finished prepping the garden as a little family! The four of us took on different tasks from hoeing up weeds, to cutting White Claw cans in half for future potting purposes. There are four flower beds in our shared backyard that look like they haven’t been taken the best care of, so it’s a good thing we moved in! Gardening is one of the things we are most excited about (now that all of our big travel plans are on hold) this year!

It’s such a beautiful day out that we have to let the pets come play outside, even the cats! Tiger, Mali’s baby boy, generally roams the second level of our casa, while Gaia runs the first floor. Luckily we have a balcony upstairs that Tiger can lounge on, even though he quickly figured out that he can scurry across the roof and get on the neighbor’s balconies as well. So we lost him for the first time today. He actually went inside one of our neighbor’s houses. Oops! At least he’s cute?

Gaia, on the other hand, just straight up rolled in dirt all day. So I went from having a glowing, white princess cat to having a splotchy, brown alley cat in an afternoon. I guess it was worth it. This is the first time I’ve been able to let my cat play outside, which I think is really important!

In larger news, The Governor set a mandatory stay at home order for the entire state of Colorado today. So, in my best Kip Dynamite voice, “I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious”. Sadly, according to CNN we went from a total of 326 deaths in America on March 22nd, to a total of 928 today, March 25th due to COVID-19. The spread of the virus has gotten so serious in the U.S. that leaders have made exceptions to normal medical practices and rules so that the people in need can get the medical attention they truly need.

“In Texas, for instance, the state will allow medical facilities that are awaiting their licenses or those that have closed in the past 36 months to come online.
”By waiving these rules, we can quickly bring many of these facilities online to help Texas communities maximize their hospital capacity and provide care to Texans in need,” Gov. Greg Abbott said.”
— Eliott C. McLaughlin, Christina Maxouris and Steve Almasy, CNN

There is still hope. We can still pull in the reigns on this thing. Experts in the U.S. still believe that we can get ahead of the spread of the virus. WHO’s Margaret Harris claims that we have the “best public heath brains in the world” working on this issue. We need people to get tested. We need to identify who has come in contact with those infected. We need to get people treated! Lastly, we need to STFH!! Do the right thing, people. Let’s overcome this! We can’t stay at home forever.

Day 9: Weekly Round Up!

Waking up today proves to be quite difficult. And not for the reason that you may think. It’s not because I am out of work. It’s not because I feel trapped in my house with a bunch of crazy people. It’s not because the future is bleak, and I have no way of planning even a month ahead. No, it is because I am extremely hungover. Why did we get the big bottle of Makers, again? Ouch. But you know what? We had a good night as room mates, and sticking together is what matters most right now- even if it gives you a headache.

Alas, I rise from beneath my lusciously warm, fluffy faux fur comforter, and get a little french press going. It’s freakin sunny outside! Adam and I decide to put some work into our first garden together! We have grown herbs and small plants inside, but this is the first time we have lived in a house with a backyard together, so we are very excited to be able to grow some veggies for once! It’s still pretty early to actually plant anything, but we get a little clean up on the flower beds started as well as start the germination process with our seeds. It’s starting to feel like Spring! The season of new beginnings!

As the sun starts to set, and we make a beautiful Italian style dinner, we decide that in true quarantine fashion we should bust out a game we haven’t played in a while: Cards Against Humanity (with expansion packs of course- we’re not monsters). This strikes up the idea of keeping a tally of who has won the most games in the house, so we designate a white erase board to the cause. This could get ugly. Especially since Mali is notorious for cheating, I say we keep any and all dry erase markers out of her hands.

Since today wasn’t the most photogenic of days, I decided to do a weekly round up of my favorite shots of the week! I think this will be a fun way to cap off each week of quarantine and set a mile marker. Let’s face it, this is a weird time, and at this point I feel like this blog is my job. I really want to track what is relevant in my household, my city, my country, and my world accurately. I may look back on this in 50 years and be like, “Damn, I was strong!” or “Damn, I drank a lot"!” Either way, I’d like to remember it all.

Day 8: It's Official.

We are on lock down, baby! It looks like the struggle has only begun. We were readily anticipating a stay at home order, but didn’t know when it may take place or how long it would last. Now we know. The order is to remain in effect starting March 24th at 5pm and last through April 10th. Eighteen days. This, of course, has me wondering if there is a chance restaurants will be able to open their dining rooms up a little earlier than expected, but I’'ll have to continue waiting patiently for that information.

The situation isn’t as severe as I had thought it would be. Liquor stores and Dispensaries are allowed to stay open as long as extreme social distancing practices are in effect. We are still allowed to go to grocery stores, and we are still allowed to run in the park and go on hikes. I am just hoping that people take the order seriously, so that further action isn’t taken, and so that things can get back to normal ASAP.

“Last week, Hancock was apprehensive to implement a stay at home order unless issued by the state or regionally. But on Monday he said he saw things this weekend that changed his mind, including “loosely organized sporting activities” at parks, like volleyball and basketball, and picnics.”
— Donna Bryson and Ana Campbell, Denverite.com

Upon hearing this information a little wave of anxiety rushes over me. We are in uncharted waters here. It feels like we are living out the plot of a horror movie! I’m starting to wish I hadn’t watched Bird Box right about now… According to The Denverite as of Sunday evening, 591 people in Colorado had tested positive for COVID-19, and six people have died. The Governor of Colorado, Jarid Polis, hasn’t issued a state-wide stay at home order yet, but he did say, “That while the state was not wielding enforcement authority to keep people at home, something else should motivate them: The Grim Reaper.”

On top of all of this madness I am feeling a little extra stress because my grandma isn’t doing very well right now. I talked to her on the phone today after her third dialysis treatment, and it was a little disheartening. I pray that she gets stronger and healthier soon. My heart goes out to everyone that is in the hospital right now since they aren’t allowed to have any visitors. Call your loved ones. What else is more important?

If anyone else is feeling a little stress or anxiety I have a few tips that really helped me! I did a relaxing, heart-opening yoga exercise, followed by a little upper body work out. The yoga practice focused on pranayama (the control of breath), which is super helpful when trying to calm those nerves! I love Yoga with Adrienne on youtube, and I’d highly recommend her videos for yogis of all levels! After a little strengthening of my arms and core I took Gypsy for an hour long walk. Getting outside of my house helped me get out of my head. The best advice I have to offer is to take this thing one step at a time. Like in the hit song, The Next Right Thing, from Frozen II says, “I won’t look too far ahead. It’s too much for me to take. But break it down to this next breath, this next step”.

Day 7: Puppies & Mountains

The one week marker has arrived. One week no jobs. Not just me and my room mates either, a lot of people in other professions and states have been out of work for a week or so by now. It is still a very weird feeling. I have been working since I was sixteen! I also never thought that the restaurant industry would be a shaky one. As long as I’ve been working in restaurants it has been a very reliable source of income, very flexible, and successful. I was able to move across the country on a whim, practically, knowing I would find a job as a bartender or server at the least. And now here I am. Here we all are.

Believe me, I am not complaining about the extra time to spend with my pets and my boyfriend. There’s almost nothing I love more than being at home with them. It’s just the uncertainty of the situation that is unsettling. How do you prepare and plan for your future when the world is on pause? You don’t. You enjoy the now. And you know what today has to offer?

Puppies. That’s what! One of my best friends is a Speech Therapist, and works in the school system, so she is mostly out of work right now as well. She decided this would be the perfect time to adopt a new puppy! This has actually been one super positive outcome of the self-quarantining/lay-offs, a lot of people have decided to adopt pets, and some shelters are almost empty! As the good friend that I am, I fully supported this decision and rode out past Colorado Springs with her to check out the potential cuddle buddies. Golden freakin Doodles. Fourteen freakin weeks old! Kill me now!! They were so fluffy. So cute. So sweet. I wanted to bring one home myself, but alas, found myself lacking an extra thousand dollars… Tough times.

After making a special connection with a little guy named Hobbs, we drove another twenty minutes South to Red Rock Canyon Open Space for a little hike. With a little extra spark than before, knowing that Miss Blyss would have a new little family member in a week’s time, we skipped up the red rocks of Colorado’s country side. This is why I love it here so much! It’s the middle of March, and it’s still in the 50s at 6,400 feet of elevation. I’ve always loved nature and being outdoors, so it is such a blessing to have views like this in what is practically my backyard. I can go to bed with a smile on my face tonight. Things are going to be okay.

Day 5: Still No Toilet Paper Anywhere

Today is another snowy, cold day. But at least I am lucky enough to wake up to a warm breakfast! My man makes the best scrambled eggs on EARTH. I am telling you, they are life-changing eggs! They’re so good, I’ll share his secret with you… hehehe… He adds cream cheese half way through which creates this decadent texture. He then scrambles them a little more and adds some shredded cheese- not too much- and then he tops them with chives. Mmmm! So. Good.

“Why does anyone in the world ever eat anything other than breakfast food?”
— Ron Swanson

After breakfast we dive deep into a game of Phase 10 which, by the way, if you’re looking for ways to kill 100’s of hours, is it. Super tedious. very long, creates enemies, you know that kind of game. We can’t even muster up the strength to finish the game in one sitting! Which is fine with me because despite it being only 25 degrees outside; I really want to go take some pictures! Which I do until my fingers go numb- approximately 23 minutes.


Today just feels kind of hard. It feels like I’m in a haze. I take my photos, I do yoga, I socialize, I clean… But I’m feeling clouded. The fun vacation portion of this eight week shut-down is starting to fade. I want to stay positive, I want to be productive, but there is a lot on my mind. To be completely transparent, I don’t know what my fate will be when this is all over. I had just started a new job, I was three training shifts in! I had put my official two weeks notice in at my current job 8 days prior to the shut-down. Will I have a job at either place?


Will either restaurant be able to stay open through all of this? I wish I had the answers. It’s fun to have play time, and catch up on movies and TV, to be with my pets as much as I have, and to make cookies, and all the stuff we do at home! Of course! But my rent still has to be paid, yet I can’t go outside and make money. I read an article today about a 39 year old woman in the U.K. diagnosed with COVID-19 in the ICU who claims that the feeling is that of having glass in her lungs, and she wished it upon no one. It’s just so sad that the world is on pause, but people still want their money.

“People are idiots, Ron. ”
— Leslie Knope

In lighter news! White Claw has released their new flavors: Tangerine, Lemon, & Watermelon (4th in pack is Mango)! Mali brought some home after visiting her Father and they are delicious! If you can get out, I recommend these for a lil pick-me-up!

Photos to come tomorrow: had some tech difficulties :(

IMG_1495.jpeg

Day 4: Quarantine & Chill

Oh, how you gotta love Denver! I’m wearing a tank top in the park one day, and wearing a hoodie under a blanket the next. Bring on the snow! It really happens that fast. From a high of 65 degrees and sunny on Wednesday to 30 and snowy on Thursday. Glad we soaked it up while we could! But we continue to live in the moment and take the day for what it is! A snow day. We got nowhere to be, nothing to do, and Disney+ on hand, so LFG.

I’m really happy to wake up and have some alone time to do yoga in the living room today. I keep the curtains wide open and watch the snow gently fall to the ground. They are the big bouncy kind of snowflakes that you just know are going to stick. It’s honestly very soothing. It slows me down. I take my deep breaths in and know that this is a time to heal. It’s a time to take life in moment by moment. Not all moments are perfect. Not all moments are pretty. But they are mine to make. And I want to make them as uplifting as possible for me and my room mates today. I am really lucky to be where I am in the world right now- with people and animals that I love dearly.

“You. Are. Blank. ”
— Adam Clute- In a game of Balderdash

My suggestion for today is that we make like the weather and keep it chill. We pour tequila over ice and do the first really cliche quarantine thing that I’ve done so far: watch “The Gang Gets Quarantined”. A must-see episode, in my personal opinion. All the while I have a soft, fluffy, white, purring cat on my belly. I love being at home. I then take some time to work on my blog while Ryan teaches Mali how to play chess, and Adam catches up with his friends back in Indiana via SMITE on Xbox Live. We then take it to the next level of Chill and watch Frozen II, which really should have won an Oscar, but no one asked my opinion. Not to discredit Toy Story 4, which was absolutely heart wrenching, but, well, just watch the movie and decide for yourself! I could start a separate blog for my opinions on animated films… Maybe another day.

“What Now?”
— Mali Gutierrez - In general

There are some other positive things I’m learning about today as well. One being that the United States Bartender’s Guild has an Emergency Assistance Program to which Jameson has donated $500,000. I applied for that, of course, thousands if not millions of others have done the same, so what really is $500,000? Guess I’ll find out in a couple of weeks. Another nice thing that the U.S.B.G is doing is called Colorado Family Meal, which is a free meal plan to Service Industry Employees. It includes two deliveries per week at curb side with minimal interaction. I also found out today that my student loans are being placed on a 3 month Disaster Forbearance program. Whew! That helps! It’s nice to know that people care, and are coming together to make a difference. This is such a wild time to be alive. Thank God for the internet.

Day 3: Not Pictured: The Rest of the Food

Somehow today is even more beautiful than yesterday, and I hope it is indicative of the path we are all headed down. A little warmer, a little brighter, a little more positive, and a little more productive. But who knows? Maybe it’s just the calm before the storm. We still technically have our freedom and aren’t officially quarantined just yet, but we are doing our part to flatten the curve (it really helps that we no longer have jobs). We have only made essential trips to the grocery store since Monday, and haven’t had any guests in over a week. But there is no way we aren’t going to enjoy this early springtime weather while we can. A little Vitamin D and fresh air could be just what the doctor ordered!

After we enjoy the delicious breakfast I prepare for my little family, we pack a picnic and head back to the park! Gypsy cannot believe it. This girl is even more rambunctious today than she was yesterday! She makes friends with a 1 year old majorly fluffy Malamute mix named Mochi. Talk about adorable. Dogs don’t have to practice social distancing, right? Also today we learn that Mali has a pretty fire spiral with a football, and that we really need to pump up the volleyball before we bust her out next time! But all in all it’s a very beautiful relaxing park day. Filled with yoga to ease my extremely sore- and I mean struggling to walk down the stairs sore- thighs, sammys, one badly timed sneeze (when did it become a crime to have allergies?), and hammock hangs.

Today is really turning out great for me. I finally make the commitment to start this here blog. Which, not gonna lie, took a few hours because, well, technology. But I take the time for myself for the first time in a few days to comprehend and decompress. I am pretty proud of myself for taking photos every day so far, and creating an outlet for myself to keep busy in a productive way. I am kind of hoping it will stick. Writing makes me really happy, slows down my mind, and helps me find solutions to problems. It feels like the healthiest thing I could be doing right now.

Of course, people are asking if I have had any luck with filing for unemployment or finding a part time job. The answer is no. The website for the unemployment office has totally crashed due to the flood of people trying to file. Womp. And as far as getting a part time job, I’m not sure I want to. At least not yet. It truly feels like the best thing to do for a couple of weeks is to lay low, and stay the hell home. If I take a job at Amazon or one of the grocery stores that are hiring I’ll be putting myself back at risk of being exposed, which directly affects a number of other people. So as a household we kind of agreed to stay out of the public for a while.

On a lighter note, Ryan, Mali, and I finish our (what feels like) never-ending game of GOT Monopoly, of which I rise victorious! I almost can’t believe it. I beat two Monopoly masters on my first try! You should have seen Mali counting and re-counting every single dollar that went in and out of Ryan’s banker hands. That girl is cut-throat. But Ryan lets it go this time. It’s only Day 3. And he makes us a little treat. Ryan’s famous Alfredo! MmmMmm!! We really know how to eat in this house. I don’t doubt that every meal during quarantine days will be absolutely delicious. And THAT is something to look forward to.

Day 2: Here Comes the Sun

Aaahh… What a beautiful day to wake up on and not have to go to work! The sun is shining, it feels like springtime outside, and none of my friends have jobs. What do you say we head to the park?! Fortunately for us, we can walk there in about 5 minutes. So we pack up some snacks and white claws, the football, and a bluetooth speaker. Gypsy couldn’t be happier. “All four of my parents are taking me on an adventure!” she thinks to herself; tail wagging furiously. The cats, on the other hand, enjoy some much needed alone time…

We are all feeling very alive and free today. We have a little extra fire in our bellies, and find ourselves playing and exercising muscles that haven’t been worked in a while. Well, except for Adam, he exercises every muscle in his body on a daily basis. So I imagine him thinking to himself, “This is child’s play!” as he swings upside down from his aerial straps he’s rigged up from a tree. Meanwhile, my lungs are on fire from that one lap I did around the park with Gypsy- who would have loved to go a lot faster. I guess I’ll make running and exercising a much bigger priority for myself during this time.

When the clouds start rolling in with a chilly breeze we decide to head home. We all shower because even being in the park is scary now. We are doing our best to keep all of the bad germs out! And we settle back into our heated game of GOT Monopoly. I may be a rookie, Ryan may be a hustler, and Mali may be a cheater, but we manage not to kill each other- this time. We play until our fingers bleed! Or more realistically until our stomachs start growling, and we break for dinner.

“Valar Morghulis. Valar Dohaeris.”
— Game of Thrones

The boys made breakfast, so Mali and I take the lead on dinner. I know it’s only been three meals in a row at this point, but I am already starting to feel like I am living on a commune. Which isn’t a bad thing. We all came together, pooled our resources, and have been doing equal parts of cooking and cleaning. It’s actually pretty fun! Why can’t life always be this simple? We dance, we sing, we drink, we eat! It’s only day 2. There’s no reason to be worried about our stock running short just yet! Right? So we cap off the night with some Espolon and Jameson accompanied by a game of Taboo that test our relationships more than the fact that we are rationing toilet paper squares.

Day 1: The Mayor said WHAT?!

I woke up knowing that things were changing, and not for the better. I knew that people were dying all around the world, and that there was currently no known cure. I knew that in other parts of the world people were being quarantined to their homes to help prevent the spread of the virus, or “flatten the curve”. I knew that business was not as usual. In fact it was pretty damn slow, and quite honestly, a little scary. We were washing our hands so much that our skin was breaking out and cracking. We were trying to stay positive and do all the right things, but in the back of our heads, we were paranoid. Do you know how many people us Service Industry folks come into contact with on a daily basis? And I mean literal contact. We touch their plates, cups, silverware, and napkins that they’ve wiped their faces all over. We clean the public restrooms that 100s of people have used each night. We touch credit cards, cash, shake hands, and even hug sometimes. The list could go on… So seeing the following announcement from the Mayor wasn’t necessarily a shock, but it did hit home pretty hard.

“Denver Mayor Michael Hancock ordered the closure of all restaurants and bars except for delivery and carryout service Monday in an attempt to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus, which is surging throughout the world.
The rule will take effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday and remain in place for eight weeks.”
— Conrad Swanson, DenverPost.com

Eight weeks? EIGHT?! No work, no income, no security for two whole months. That is asking a lot. Guess who that directly affects. Every single person I live with. Almost every single person I know. A million questions start racing through our minds. How will we pay bills and rent - obviously. Will we be able to find new jobs with everything that is going on? Will we qualify for unemployment? Will the unemployment office’s website even be up and running? What do we do with ourselves? How many games of Monopoly can four people play? Will we all be able to stand each other at the end of this eight week span of NO WORK? God, I hope so.

So day one. Beyond no longer having jobs, a lot of information is coming our way. Schools are closing. Gyms, bars, and movie theaters have been ordered to close down for eight weeks. Conventions, concerts, and festivals are being cancelled. Multiple cities in the U.S. have been placed under mandatory quarantine. There is, of course, talk of issuing a quarantine in Denver. So we do what everyone else is doing.

“The world is screeching to a halt. ”
— Mali Gutierrez

We stock up. We hit the classic Safeway grocery store and the infamous Argonaut liquor store. We come home with what looks like way too much food, and way too little toilet paper. But it’s sinking in. This could be real. We could really be trapped here. At least I get to hear the most comforting words from my amazing room mates, “There’s no one I’d rather be locked up with than you guys!” And it sparks some positivity among us. We start thinking of all the things we can work on and accomplish, we set goals, we get excited! Life without work! It could actually be pretty great. Hell, how can I complain about a little extra time to work on my dreams and cuddle my dog? So we prepare a feast for Kings, and we start our first round of Game of Thrones Monopoly. Adam loses first. I hope he can stay strong. I hope we all can…