#my callback is tomorrow and there are twelve other people called back

[slozhnos]

callbacks otherwise known as one of the most stressful times in life

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Days 296-298

January 2-4 It is the night of the first day back to school and I have made the discovery that Husband can somehow hear my computer at 10% volume in another room through a closed door, so that is not wonderful. I am not feeling gracious about it, but I try to not be too much of an asshole when people are trying to sleep, so no more video or audio for me tonight, alas. But it does mean that I'm updating this journal, so I guess that is something? We have gotten out to do some shopping this past couple of days, because we were good for weeks based on the promise that we would do a little careful shopping after New Year. MIL and I went to William Sonoma and Soma and Talbot's because they were all next to each other in a great little upscale strip mall. They were almost empty, so that was nice. We got some new sweaters and a giant thing of peppermint bark, and arranged for knife sharpening, and I got a new bra. Well, ordered a new bra, because Soma did not have my size in the style I wanted. It turns out that Soma (a women's intimates store that is very unlike Victoria's Secret style stores in that it sells stuff you would actually want to wear) is using a touchless measuring system now. Instead of wrapping the tape measure around your boobs and abdomen and dividing by some arcane formula to get cup and size, now they give you an iddy-widdy sports bra with a battery pack on the back and sensors run through it and tell you to put it on over your bra. She handed me that thing and I, who am a sizable woman with an at-least proportionate kitten holding shelf, gave her a look that said I thought she was being way too optimistic. The lady insisted though, and by nearly dislocating both arms and discomfiting myself greatly, I did stuff myself into the thing. It got my correct measurements, as far as I can tell, but afterwards I didn't really feel like trying on bras. I just ordered a new copy of the one I already had. Anyway, we did that and then today we really took a wade into deep water and went to Target. Kiddo was desperately in need of pants that fit, and he is too old for the Oshkosh store. Plus the outlet mall would probably be even worse, because it is always crowded and the place is open air, which almost certainly means a bunch of plague rats not wearing masks "outside." At least in Target, we only saw one unmasked adult. Target's fitting rooms are still closed, so kiddo got three new pairs of pants in slightly different sizes, and my sister will help me get a hookup on whatever size works best for additional pants. He also got swim trunks, a new raincoat, a jacket-sweater, and a few new shirts, so he is very set! Nana is very good to him, and is where nearly all his new-new clothes come from. Luckily he is a guy comfortable with thrift store finds as well. On the way out, we even stopped by the Starbucks for frappucinos to drink in the car. We debated stopping by our favorite kitchen store, practically next door, but decided we'd pushed our luck enough. Shopping! So those were our big expeditions. Otherwise we have been staying pretty close to home for our last week here. trying to get things set up for MIL. I've looked up roofing companies for her and I'm trying to help straighten out the last financial stuff from summer. I tried to call an investment company today, first business day of the new year, which was a huge mistake. They are supposed to call me back first thing in the morning, after about an hour in total on hold. (And this was _after_ I did the whole callback number thing!) I am still trying to convince her to get a Life Alert style medical alert system, but it's not going well. She thinks her Apple Watch is enough, even though last time she fell, she wasn't even wearing the damn thing. I have even told her the story about my grandfather, who fell in his basement and fucking lay there for a whole night and didn't make it, a story I can barely stand to think about, much less tell, and it's not getting through. I just don't understand. Anyway, I have been keeping myself entertained here by watching Twitch streams and re-reading old stories from the gaming group I've belonged to for the past twelve years now. It's kind of funny because I realized that my first character for the site, who was a high schooler when I started playing her, will be thirty next year. (The game moves in real time, more or less.) I don't play her much anymore, but it's still pretty remarkable. It makes me want to start playing more than I have been lately, but the problem is that I need to come up with ideas for the characters I have now, not just revisit the ones I had then. I have also learned this past couple months that Twitch has a lot more on it than just gaming streams, so I've been listening to live music shows, watching comedy streams, and yes, even taking in some gaming. It's pretty cool. Tomorrow is grocery day and we are still not braving Walmart, so it's another pickup order! I came very, very close to forgetting to submit the big actual grocery list to supplement the tiny list I used to secure our time slot, and that would've been very bad. As it is, tomorrow afternoon is food day! It's the most wonderful time of the week.