A Day in the Life of Coronavirus Chaos

I’m on week 2 of fulltime telework.  My brain is ready to short circuit.  Because work has shut down most normal activities, I’m doing the one thing that my creative brain doesn’t like at all.  It needs to be done, but it’s mind-numbingly boring.

I’m getting through the days with looking at the headlines of ONE print newspaper and ONE glance at an online news site (mostly because of work).  No watching the news on TV.  Heck, when I’m watching TV, I’m muting the commercials.  There’s way too much of “we care.  We’re helping you with Coronavirus.”  Newsflash, media.  If you have to tell us you care, you have a huge marketing problem.

I woke up Saturday to a lot of rain.  We’ve alternated between a few rainy days, and then one sunny and warmer.  The cherry blossoms look like they will pass through without going to peak bloom.  But once the rain pushes out and the sun pops out, pollen’s going to be bad.

Writing with the Writing Nerd

I did some early morning writing on two short stories.  The fantasy looks to be a false start, though I like the idea itself.  Just not sure how to start it, or where.  It uses non-24, where the circadian rhythms get scrambled.

The mystery is historical, set in the same era as Golden Lies in a fictional town of Balboa Bay (Morro Bay in real life, so I don’t’ have to get the town details accurate.  The working title is Banjo, which is the name of a dog who goes for a walk to find a crime.

I’m taking the writing bit by bit.  Even with cutting off the news media, the chaos is still overwhelming for me.  It’s hard not to be when getting out of the house ends up being only grocery shopping.

I also submitted two stories, a mystery called “One Red Shoe” and a science fiction flash fiction called “The Schedule.”  Looking also at getting “Pirate’s Quest” out the door this week, but it needs a bit of fixing in the opening.

Nerd Adventures

After that, I hopped out on the road, literally to get on the freeway and drive out for a bit, then turn around.  My car’s been sitting all week, and it needed a good freeway run to keep the battery charged.  Waze annoyed me when I set it so I could find my way back (having hopped off and randomly drove through streets) with a red warning label: Why are you driving?!

Lunch was a pick up at my favorite restaurant again.  I’m doing my part to keep them in business.  The pickups made me realize it isn’t just good food, but the people at the restaurant that I like, too.  I miss that.

TV watching has included some of the older shows, like Hart to Hart.  Hollywood is very anti-marriage.  When H2H was first created, the network wanted the couple to bicker and not get along.  The producers and actors held firm to what it is, and the show is a joy to watch.

In one of the episodes, Jonathan’s past girlfriend is getting married, but something appears to be wrong with the whole thing.  Jonathan and Jennifer to rescue.  There’s a brief joke from Jennifer about old flames.  Jonathan tells her she’s the only one for him, and you can tell right away that she was only joking.

Absolute trust in each other.

Since I’m looking at the older TV shows, what have you been watching?  What’s your popcorn show for Coronavirus stress?

More Reading

Interview with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers on Hart to Hart.  I didn’t know Cary Grant was the first choice for the show lead.

Since It Takes a Thief was mentioned above….I saw this show when it went into syndication originally.  I remember liking it, but curiously, none of the episodes were memorable.  The show was a product of the spy craze created by James Bond, that then died out abruptly (that’s why Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea went from spies to monsters and aliens).

Coming up on Tuesday: Submitting stories. Thursday is on What form rejections mean.