# A thread for/about those who are sheltering completely alone, i.e. no other human beings with you **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 6, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185 "2020-04-06T14:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![lawf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@lawf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawf)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/81 "2020-04-30T11:13:55Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > A very uplifting post. I woke up cranky at 4 am this morning, so thanks! šŸ™‚ Thank you for sharing that! šŸ™‚ Really glad my post was of some help to you. Stay safe and well! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/82 "2020-04-30T11:56:36Z")
Seven years ago, I moved into a house here in NC. My rent, and the average utility bills, and all fixed expenses, such as health insurance, laundry, auto insurance, prescriptions, and the long term average of my food costs, and a couple of bottles of my favorite liquor a year, are a bit less than my fixed income. Usually that would include one or two events a week that I did for recreation, and social contact. Other non recurring expenses, such as books, or movies in theaters, and trips to visit those I love in other states were within my average annual income. Each month, I would check my bank accounts, and use a portion of everything over six months of the total money spent on average during the last six months to an exercise in charity. Any significant excess of six months funding for my life I invest in some long term investment or savings. In addition to those resources, I have a Roth IRA which I have never touched. (I always considered it a hedge against eventual inflation, and unforeseen expenses, which have not become a factor.) As of December of last year, my gross income was rather close to the median for Americans. Given my lifestyle, and habits, I have to admit, I am fabulously wealthy. The pandemic has strongly curtailed my indescretionary spending, My income has kept pace with the median before December. The rich get richer, and the poor have to work and expose themselves to pandemic disease, if theyā€™re lucky. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/83 "2020-04-30T15:14:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > That puzzles me. Iā€™d think that people who have lawn and/or garden space and/or dogs would be spending more time out doing those things, not less. I donā€™t have an answer for you. :o I live in a small rural town (population around 11,000) and I see a few people walking their dogs outside - but none in the garden. (I suppose a dog much prefers a proper walk rather than doing circuitsā€¦) Some folk might have a gardener (we have quite a few pensioners living in the town) and they probably donā€™t want any visitors. Social isolation is working here - so far we only have 20 confirmed cases and no deaths. Of course itā€™s much easier to achieve that in a small rural community. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/84 "2020-05-01T02:21:32Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > That puzzles me. Iā€™d think that people who have lawn and/or garden space and/or dogs would be spending more time out doing those things, not less. There are a lot of ticks already and itā€™s been 10-20 degrees colder than average for 2/3rds of the month. I might brave the ticks if it wasnā€™t windy every single day it gets above 40Fā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/85 "2020-05-01T02:46:52Z")
Today is exactly like yesterday and tomorrow will be exactly like today. Next week will be exactly like this week which is exactly like last week. Iā€™m so stupefied into boredom and apathy that I donā€™t know if Iā€™ll be able to function again even in the unlikely event that somewhere, some day, itā€™s allowed. This is an absolutely miserable, worthless existence and I hate every minute of it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/86 "2020-05-01T03:05:09Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > There are a lot of ticks already and itā€™s been 10-20 degrees colder than average for 2/3rds of the month. I might brave the ticks if it wasnā€™t windy every single day it gets above 40Fā€¦ Iā€™m in the UK (Midlands) and itā€™s been quite agreeable weather recently. (I donā€™t think we have many ticks here šŸ˜•) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/87 "2020-05-01T03:21:07Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Iā€™m in the UK (Midlands) and itā€™s been quite agreeable weather recently. (I donā€™t think we have many ticks here šŸ˜•) Oh. Here in **New** England there are many ticks and rampant tick-borne diseases. It used to just be Lyme disease but there are others that are becoming a lot more common too. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/88 "2020-05-01T09:44:13Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Today is exactly like yesterday and tomorrow will be exactly like today. Next week will be exactly like this week which is exactly like last week. Iā€™m so stupefied into boredom and apathy that I donā€™t know if Iā€™ll be able to function again even in the unlikely event that somewhere, some day, itā€™s allowed. This is an absolutely miserable, worthless existence and I hate every minute of it. Thank you so much for posting this. There are plenty of times I feel this way-- right now is one of them, and frankly, I donā€™t see much of a future, except more of the same. I think others feel like this, too, but there is a taboo on expressing oneā€™s [del]negative[/del] starkly realistic thinking. I hope I donā€™t sound presumptuous when I say I absolutely get what youā€™re saying. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/89 "2020-05-01T11:42:35Z")
My management has requested that I and another coworker come into the office at least twice a week and push some paper that cannot be pushed at home. At first I was pissed off about this, having grown accostumed to the comforts of my work office (my dining room table). While Iā€™m still a little salty that Iā€™m having to elevate my risk of catching a serious virus just so some upper manager up the food chain can get a pat on the head, Iā€™ve realized that alternating work locations has been good for my spirit. It breaks up the monotony, for one thing. For another, it has made me appreciate the good things about being in the office. My chair is more comfortable there, as is the room temperature. Yesterday I was able to eat my favorite pizza from my favorite pizza place since itā€™s just across the street from my office. And I love having my dual monitors, which I canā€™t swing from home given the small size of my home workspace. I also like seeing the occasional familiar face. My work office is largely a ghost town, but there are a few people who come in daily because they simply refuse to work from home. One is a new manager who is worried that it will look bad if she doesnā€™t come in. A couple of others have children at home who drive them nuts. So as introverted as I am, I will say hi to everyone on this skeleton crew (maintaining social distancing, of course). Makes me feel more normal. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/90 "2020-05-11T21:47:22Z")
I wanted to give this a bump and see if any of the other live-aloners would like to check in. Tomorrow morning Iā€™m going to my hairdresser-- all safety measures will be in place. Weā€™re close friends but there will be no hugging. Sheā€™ll be masked and have me hold my mask over my mouth. But weā€™ll be able to talk without a phone, human to human. This will be the closest I have been physically to another human being in eight weeks. No touches. No hugs. No handshakes. No one has been in a room with me-- just passing people on the street (on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET) and in the grocery store. I usually get a couple of texts every day and one phone call-- not from the same people. Thatā€™s it, contact-wise, except for here. I will confess thereā€™s no one in particular that Iā€™m anxious to see or be around. When a friend suggested she might come over and sit 10 feet away, my reflexive response was, ā€œNO!ā€ I donā€™t know what conclusions to draw from that. [Rhetorical question] _Can I go on like this for months?_ [/RQ] I guess Iā€™ll have to. How are yā€™all doing? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/91 "2020-05-11T23:58:39Z")
Doing OK here, still working from home until at least June 1. Company wants to bring people back to the office gradually since Indianaā€™s stay at home order expired. Thereā€™s too many of us to bring us all back at once. Kittens are growing like weeds, theyā€™re currently snoozing on the back of the chair behind me. [That can't be comfortable - Album on Imgur](https://imgur.com/a/udorvXh) I went to the eye doctor last week, I was the first patient theyā€™d seen other than emergencies for six weeks. Was interesting trying on frames while wearing a mask. They had me put all the ā€œrejectā€ frames in a box to be cleaned. That was the first place Iā€™d gone other than the grocery store and vetā€™s office since mid-March. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/92 "2020-05-12T00:42:36Z")
> [@dr. Girlfriend](#): > > ā€¦ > Kittens are growing like weeds, theyā€™re currently snoozing on the back of the chair behind me. [https://imgur.com/a/udorvxh](https://imgur.com/a/udorvxh)ā€¦ squeeee! ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/93 "2020-05-12T00:46:45Z")
Iā€™m looking forward to going places as buses are free right now. Itā€™s a ray of hope ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/94 "2020-05-12T01:17:33Z")
I have been tangled up in a farmersā€™ market mess (abrupt decision on the part of the village on whose property we set up to move us to a different location) and have spent enough time on zoom, on the phone, and on email to leave me, personally, feeling stressed from excess interaction with other people. But then Iā€™m far enough on the introvert end of the spectrum to generally be pretty happy alone, as long as I can hug the cats. (Who give me little choice in the matter.) Iā€™ve had several conversations with neighbors outside, standing some distance apart. Thatā€™s also of some help. And oh, cute kitten pic! ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/95 "2020-05-12T01:58:06Z")
Iā€™m doing okay sheltering. I came down ill (a couple weeks of horrid digestive issues which Iā€™m wondering was C-19) so I didnā€™t leave the house for three weeks, which was kind of hard. But social distancing is kind of my superpower, so itā€™s fine. I was speaking with a friend though and she sounds despondent: sheā€™s normally very social and works in a school with younger kids as a psychologist. Now sheā€™s trying to do meetings and kid therapy via zoom seven hours a day and finds that draining as hell, and she lives alone and has nothing social to recharge her and and when we spoke she was practically in tears ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/96 "2020-05-12T02:30:08Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > ā€¦I was speaking with a friend though and she sounds despondent: sheā€™s normally very social and works in a school with younger kids as a psychologist. Now sheā€™s trying to do meetings and kid therapy via zoom seven hours a day and finds that draining as hell, and she lives alone and has nothing social to recharge her and and when we spoke she was practically in tears ā˜¹ Oh God, this sounds really awful. I canā€™t imagine doing Zoom for 7 hours per day. Poor lady. I feel bad for her and I donā€™t even know her. ā˜¹ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/97 "2020-05-12T02:47:55Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Today is exactly like yesterday and tomorrow will be exactly like today. Next week will be exactly like this week which is exactly like last week. Iā€™m so stupefied into boredom and apathy that I donā€™t know if Iā€™ll be able to function again even in the unlikely event that somewhere, some day, itā€™s allowed. This is an absolutely miserable, worthless existence and I hate every minute of it. As much as it sucks, of course it will be allowed someday. This year. It SEEMS like this has been going on for ten years. It hasnā€™t been ten weeks. Time slows down to molasses, day merging with night. It wonā€™t be forever. Might feel pretty close though. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/98 "2020-05-12T07:17:27Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I wanted to give this a bump and see if any of the other live-aloners would like to check in. Iā€™m still hanging in. I talk with my neighbours over the fence from time to time, and on the phone with family and friends. Old friends are sending e-mails and messages on Facebook, and Iā€™m replying. I do try to get out once a day. It may be nothing more than a trip to the supermarket for groceries, or to the corner store for something as simple as treating myself to a Coke and a bag of chips, or even just a walk around the block, but itā€™s important that I get outside for a bit. Always avoiding others, of course. Interestingly, I did get to meet up with some of my buddies not long ago. As I wrote to a distant friend: > [@Me](#): > > As for me ā€¦ I got the chance to meet up with the other regulars from our local sports bar. It was a beautiful spring day, and one of the regulars decided to hold an afternoon meetup with the others, and so, we met in his back yard. No more than six or seven of us, and we were all appropriately spaced at least six feet apart in a rough circle, but we could still trade barbs and BS like we always did, maybe just in a louder voice to carry the distance. No handshakes or high-fives, of course. It was BYOB, and bring your own lawn chair, but it was something I desperately needed. It wasnā€™t a long meetup. Maybe a couple of hours at most. After all, we were drinking beer, and our host understandably did not want anybody using his bathroom (and we didnā€™t want to use it either). But we stayed safely distanced, nobody coughed or sneezed, and I hope that we can do it again sometime. It was great to speak with the guys in person again. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/99 "2020-05-12T12:24:05Z")
Itā€™s 2 months today since I started working at home. The first month or so I did go out of the house once a week for groceries and other supplies, at first without mask and then with when the Maryland gov said we should start wearing them. I havenā€™t been out in the last three weeks though, since I drove to the doctorā€™s to get a swab test. The test was negative, but iā€™m coughing and did have a sort of heaviness in my lower chest, so we (Dr. and I) agreed that itā€™s better if I isolate to be on the safe side. I have everything delivered in and left at the front door. If itā€™s nice out, Iā€™ll go sit on the patio, but I havenā€™t been beyond the front gate to get the mail and leave out/take in the trash can. Itā€™s sort of like being under house arrest, or a posh 6-room solitary confinement with cats and computer. Itā€™s going to feel very weird when I do start to go out again after this is over. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185/100 "2020-05-13T06:22:23Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As much as it sucks, of course it will be allowed someday. This year. I wish I could share your optimism. But, the viral genie isnā€™t going back in the bottle, and what will be different in December from today? One of the advantages of a pessimistic outlook is that all my surprises are pleasant ones. But, Iā€™m not surprised all that often. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thread-for-about-those-who-are-sheltering-completely-alone-i-e-no-other-human-beings-with-you/851185.md?page=6)