Just want to check in with my DCIB folks, give us a space to share and support each other and say “oh, you do that too? Then I’m not crazy!”
Who here has:
Dreamed you were somewhere crowded and suddenly realized no one was wearing a mask and panicked?
I did! I dreamed I was on a train to Cleveland! And then you say, “why Cleveland?” and I say “I don’t know”. I guess it was just somewhere I felt like people taking the train would not wear masks?
Gotten into an argument about something with one of your co-quarantine folks and cared deeply about it and then woke up the next day going “wait, why did I think that mattered?”
You would not BELIEVE how many heated discussions I had with my parents about whether or not I needed to wear a coat when walking the dog. I felt strongly (for some reason) that wearing a coat would be a sign of weakness and childishness and I must hold firm to my determination to freeze. My parents felt equally strongly that it was 30 degrees outside and their daughter was going to die of hypothermia. The end result was, I still refused to have an official coat, but I did agree to borrow my Dad’s coat. And then the weather dipped below 30 and even I had to give in. But I still don’t wear a hat! Because I am an ADULT and my parents don’t control me!
Cleared out your house and then realized there was no way to donate/get rid of the stuff you cleared out.
I did this! I have 5 biggish pieces of furniture that I am done with and ready to donate. And they are all sitting in a very crowded closet waiting for the day when donation places do pick up again.
Intended to read a big serious book you always meant to read, and instead read children’s literature.
I was definitely absolutely going to read A Suitable Boy before the miniseries released. And instead, at one point I was reading my nephew’s board books. Lots of good stuff about trucks.
Lost the ability to work without mindless TV playing in the background to keep you company
I notice this particularly when I am working out of my parents’ instead of my house. Because they make comments like “aren’t you supposed to be at work? You’re watching TV!” But it’s really hard to sit alone with a computer all day! I need the background business.
dontcallitbollywood 
We are all brothers under the skin,or in this case, under Covid.
I’m having my “Lost” dream a lot lately, roaming a vaguely familiar place trying and failing to find my way home. Estranged from a good friend over politics. She called people on my side “dumb idiots”, believes that the pandemic is a hoax, and refuses to wear a mask. And my TV is on all the time, even when I write which may be why my NOP still isn’t finished.
As to clearing out the house, I don’t.
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I had a kind of “lost” dream mixed with a “mask” dream. I dreamed that I was at one of the movie theaters I used to go to for Indian films, with my weekly Indian film friend, and no one was wearing a mask, and we kept getting turned around trying to find a manager to complain and/or get out of the theater. Anyway, the fun bit was, next time I talked to my friend I learned she had had a mask dream about the same theater! We used to go to 4 different theaters, but somehow both our subconscious minds thought of that one as where people wouldn’t wear masks.
Luckily, you just moved! So I can’t imagine you have much to clean out, even if you wanted to.
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 10:57 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I had a “mask dream” too.
And New Year’s Eve used to be my favorite holiday, but this time I was discouraged and sad. I spent the last hour of 2020 lying in bed, but I didn’t sleep. I saw the fireworks through the window, but I couldn’t make a wish.
I’m hopeless, and I have a feeling that as long as I don’t get the vaccine, 2020 will never end.
I also can’t read books. I just can’t concentrate. I take months to finish.
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Sounds like you are having a special tough time. It’s funny, in theory everyone in the world is going through the same thing equally, but depending on your personal situation and just your own personality, the challenge is very different. I am blessed in that I am in a good place, close to family, close to long term friends, with a stable work situation that supports me financially and mentally, and able to get on mild anxiety meds when I felt like I needed them. I hope you crawl up to a better place soon! And DCIB is always here to cheer you up.
Personally, I always have a bit of a hard time concentrating on books. I need the slight external stimulation somehow, if I am alone in a totally quiet room my mind starts to wander. I used to read the most while at the gym, while on the bus, or at coffee shops. No hope for that now!!!! But I have been able to lose myself off and on over the past few months, just not in anything that requires a lot of thought.
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 12:43 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Thank you for your kind words
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I did the clearing out and then realising I couldn’t do anything with the furniture I need to donate.
I also just dreamt the other day that I was going to a really cool shop with some other people, and then when we got there I realised I had forgotten my mask and had to go home.
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Yep! I had this long term plan to sort my books and get rid of bookshelves I no longer needed. Finally had the time and energy to do it, and then no way to get rid of the bookshelves! Which led to clearing out a large storage closet so I could put the bookshelves there, and then finding a goodwill donation spot that (thank goodness) was still accepting clothes and stuff to give the closet stuff away. I’m on the third floor, I just can’t carry these down alone, and no one is doing pick up right now, so I’m stuck with them.
Oh how disappointing that you couldn’t go to the cool dream shop!
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 12:59 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh, you’ve given me the perfect excuse for my next quarrel with my wife. It’s not about being partners or co-parents of an increasingly opinionated toddler, it’s just because we’re co-quarantining.
In our part of the world, the first lockdown in spring saw a big increase in boxes labeled “free to take away” in front of houses. Furniture-wise, we only replace what is broken, and the trash dump stays open.
Don’t read A Suitable Boy. It’s super boring. The only thing I remembered about it was a character wearing fancy shoes. Though I have to admit I’m not good with the Indian literary classics anyways. I prefer “Q & A” any day.
I prefer to think of it as having gained the ability to watch mindless TV while working. I used to think way too much along the lines of “wait, but I’m at work”. But when every mouse click takes a second to produce an effect, you need something to keep you sane in the meantime.
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It’s true, as I understand it before quarantine, parents of toddlers never fought about anything. Also, toddlers were always happy and easy and predictable.
I’m assuming everyone is like me, it’s not that they suddenly hate their stuff, it’s that they finally have time to do a long planned clear out, and now nothing to do with the stuff they clear. I would have done all of this years ago if I’d had the time! And now I do, and nowhere to put it all. Sigh.
Thank goodness, I will continue to ignore A Suitable Boy. I was thinking of watching the miniseries for Tabu, but I can just watch Andhadhun again instead.
I like this theory of TV success! I always watched TV while blogging for that extra stimulation. But now I do it for work too. It’s just so DULL to go through long lists of numbers and write long emails and stuff without any external stimulation. At least in the office, I would have people popping in to ask me questions or just chat fairly regularly.
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 1:07 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I started the miniseries before the holidays, as it’s boring enough not to distract me once I actually get to DO something for work. But really, if there’s something you prefer to watch, do that instead.
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Your new header photos are causing me to emit loud cackles. Oh, that man with the cat, it is much funnier blown up than on the little boxes I saw before. And Salman, naked Salman advertising clothes right!? My now continuous laughter is probably a symptom of isolation.
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Yes! Thank you for appreciating. Man with Cat and Salman Shirtless On Horse are some of my favorites as well. Plus, just general Pet Photos, those are also good.
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 1:51 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have the books thing – I now have an access to online libraries, and there are so many great books, but I’m not able to focus and read them. I can lend 2 books a month, and I have tried many different genres but abandoned them all after few pages: Charlote Bronte biography, a serious book about feminism, a funny book about school, even absolutely silly book about a duke in XV century who has sex with his new wife for 12 nights (I abandoned the book even before they were married 😉 ). The only books I finished were kids stories and Warrior Cats (we finished 4th volume today).
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So glad it’s not just me! I just got an alert that one of my favorite old-fashioned novelists (Clarence Buddington Kelland) has a ton of books available on kindle now. It’s light potboiler dumb stuff, and yet I just can’t concentrate enough to read even that. I’m stuck on comic books and picture books and online message threads.
On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 2:22 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ooofff I tried to get into Crime & Punishment in 2020 and I don’t think I even made it past the first 25 pages. I’m having more luck with Georgette Heyer, though, and I just picked up my first Agatha Christie, so hopefully I have better reading success in 2021!
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Yaaaaay, another Agatha christie try-er! Eva I think just said the same thing. Which gives me an idea.
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Ugh I’m having mostly a gross feeling of being completely out of sync with reality. There’s no schedule, time has lost all meaning. I will attribute it to the fact that it’s Jan 4 and WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH THIS CRAP. Just kinda down. I actually had a nice NY eve with our bubble family (Rishi and company) but it’s gone downhill ever since. Maybe it will help for the boy to start (online) school tomorrow after so many weeks off. Nothing feels right, even the things I enjoy. Classic depression. Yay for therapy and other help.
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Sonnet 29! You and Shakespeare are the same, “with what i most enjoy, contented least”.
Oh, and also, i sent you an Xmas card which should arrive at some point, so that’s good to look forward to also.
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I had meant to email you a thank you. I really really appreciate the cards both were awesome.
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Yaaaaaaaaay, they arrived! I sent some others to family that were delayed like 3 weeks, so I sincerely thought you wouldn’t get them until mid-January.
On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 6:50 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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On a good note I did clear out my guestroom and organize the entire closet in there. Those were the last boxes left from my move 14 months ago. I felt really good about it in the moment but now I’m like whatever who cares
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My Dad was like that a few nights ago, and then we threw a dog at him. I don’t know if it cheered him up, but at least it distracted him. Get your kid to throw a dog at you!
On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 6:51 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I’m going to attempt to watch the second half of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety
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Do it!!!! It’s so gay!!!! And you get that awesome love song at the end!
On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 6:52 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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OMG so so gay! Loved that.
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Oooh, Teddi!
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Just spotted him in the header? Yeah, I added all our dogs to the rotation, Teddi and Theo and Albie.
On Wed, Jan 6, 2021 at 9:29 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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The only thing I can contribute is that recently, I had multiple sexy dreams in a row. One about one of my favorite American actors, and then a few days later, one with Varun Dhawan. Both were very nice. Strange, considering the still dark state of the world, but welcome nonetheless.
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But, most importantly, were you both wearing masks during the dream?
On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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No! Lots of heavy petting and lip to lip stuff. But I didn’t mind.
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That’s so stressful! No masks! Madness.
On Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 4:35 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Pretend it’s Before Times, and it’s fine. It’s a dream, logic doesn’t matter.
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