Strange Days

Losing it in Illinois

Who’s teetering on the edge with me?

Okay. I think I’m officially f*cked-up. (Notice how I used the asterisk so as not to hurt my chances of curation?)

I realize I’m not being very helpful here, but I’m going through a bit of a “thing,” and I hope my wonderful Medium friends can give me an assist, mainly by letting me know that I’m not the only one who is feeling shaky.

Yesterday, I was in “We can do this” mode. Today, I feel my brain spinning out of control. I wanted to take this one day at a time, but, the thought of our having to deal with the Cornovirus and its horrific fallout for months, is kicking my ass, emotionally and mentally.

Of course, the most impactful thing we can do is to stay home and stay well, but that is not without its own set of challenges. (Addendum: I just found out that we may be FORCED to stay home. They’re already doing this in San Francisco and the mayor of New York is “considering it.”)

As I wrote in my most recent story, this is a powerful community and given that, I know we can help one another through the storm. I’m going to need that help and, if you do, too, I implore you to speak up.

Admittedly, as I suffer from OCD and anxiety, I have to work harder to maintain my sanity. That’s not high drama, merely the truth. And I know many of you get this.

In a little while, I will get my ass out of this seat and exercise. And then, I will start cleaning our basement, a task that I committed to, yet haven’t started, weeks ago. Now’s my chance, right?

I’ve started a newsletter on Substack. Why? Who the hell knows. Just one more place to share my thoughts on a myriad of topics. When I figure out how to use the platform, I will link to my stories here in the unlikely event that someone will want to subscribe.

This latest endeavor might turn out to be a total bust, but it’s just one more distraction to keep me busy and engaged. And relatively sane. And hell knows, I have the time.

An aside: Who the hell is Ira Bowman and why do I keep getting Twitter alerts that he’s “live?” Am I supposed to give a damn?

So. “Strange Days,” indeed.

Oddly, I can’t say why I’m having such a tough time today, as opposed to yesterday. Perhaps it’s due to “information overload.”

That, or I’m definitely overdue for an orgasm.

Because I want to walk the walk and not wimp out on you people, I’m going to take a break here to see what I can do to calm myself down. I’ll come back and report what I think is working the best.

Musical interlude, here.

Whew! That’s better. I just busted out twenty miles on the stationary bike and 600 jumps on my ropeless jump rope. (Yeah. It’s a thing. See below.)

So I just confirmed what I already knew: Exercise is key in managing stress. Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to help yourself from sliding into a full-blown anxiety attack.

And now that so many of us will be spending more time at home, we’re going to be moving our bodies a lot less. If that seems to be just one more challenge to overcome, fear not: It’s an easy one.

There are tons of free workout videos available on TV, as well as on YouTube. Take advantage of them. I plan to and will report back on those that I think are worth your time.

If you have workout equipment at home, all the better. If not, start with an inexpensive set of hand weights. For cardio, try simple jumping-jacks.

Alternate between resistance work and cardio and you can’t go wrong.

Alright. Now I’m going to start on the aforementioned cleaning.

Yet another musical interlude, here.

You know what? Cleaning up around here feels pretty damn good! I’ve barely made a dent, but it’s a start. And our three cats are helping! (You do know cats love to help, right?)

Thus far, I’ve surmised that exercise and cleaning are going to help keep me from strangling my husband. Just kidding. I don’t know how the guy puts up with me. Then again, that’s a two-way street.

That leads me to ask, for those of you with partners, are you getting on each other’s nerves yet? If so, how do you plan to cope?

I’m guessing that “one day at a time” is how we’ll need to deal. Looking too far ahead is like staring into the abyss and that’s the last thing we need.

Speaking of which, someone needs to throw Trump into the abyss, never to be heard from again. Now there’s a happy thought.

As I’m feeling a bit better, and somewhat refreshed, I’m going to continue scouring our home in between washing my hands. And later, I’ll reward myself with wine and gummies.

One does what one has to do.

How are YOU doing? Please. Let us know.

Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and numerous other publications. Sherry’s manager is currently pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.

And please check out the other great stories in my pub, Rogues’ Gallery, conveniently located right here!

I’d also love for you to check out the pub that I co-edit with Stephen Sovie, The Militant.

Also, if you’re seeking further distractions during this tough time, please consider subscribing to my new newsletter, where I’ll do my damndest to keep you entertained. For now, anyway.