Check-In with Jack Forinash
Where are you quarantining? And who are you with?
I'm in the beautiful and vast Cuyama Valley, California. And I'm alone, thanks.
Cooking / baking right now
It's been rough as of late, so I asked a coworker to bring me a dozen Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. Those help. Otherwise, I'd say I'm doing pretty good for not having been to the grocery store in 13 weeks. Hoarders and pseudo-preppers never get respect, until - apparently - there's a pandemic. I'm just now getting to some interesting substitutions.
Shows you’re watching right now
"West Wing" eases me to sleep. President Bartlett is consistently found near the top of any "favorite presidents" list. Certainly escapism.
Movie you watched last
"Consequences" on Amazon. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but when does it. And I find myself wondering if "Moulin Rouge" has a Spanish-language version, because I know all the words to that movie so maybe if it was in Spanish I could learn a language. But idk, I'm 35 so maybe it's too late.
Movies on your list
I always keep a list.
Any good books?
Nah.
Podcast to share
I mostly have given up on podcasts. I wasn't great at them in the first place. There's one about cults... ah, called Zealot (just looked it up). Don't know if she's making any more, but that stuff is great, you know, communal living and looking for comets. Now that no one is recording in the same studio, it's been disappointing. There's no natural flow of conversation anymore. "This American Life" didn't depend on that flow so they've still been killin' it.
Rituals or routines keeping you sane
"The View" and "PBS NewsHour" most weekday afternoons (free on YouTube!) and then also I just think a lot about how we're inhabiting outer space on parallel lines, if it's true that we are living simultaneously together and apart. Just putting pings out there to see if anything reflects back, hoping for pings and pinging for hope... at least that's what the scrap pieces of notes around my desk are telling me.
Anything new you’ve done with your newfound time?
I've been mailing more things, letters and packages. Not new though, just more. God Bless the USPS.
Quarantine motto
Try not to be so hard on yourself. There's too much "self-improvement" talk out there, too many reminders of that I guess we're supposed to be improving ourselves. It's a bit incessant; doesn't seem like anyone wins that game (they're lying probably, and no matter what, still feeling just as much like "they're not doing it" as the rest of us). Oh, and drink one glass of water a day (this has been tough).
When this is over, what’s the first thing you’re doing?
Swim in a real pool and have everyone over for a pizza competition. If you lightly cook the pizza as you normally would but then roll it up on itself, you can make "pizza sushi" rolls, which is fun. Cut them like a sushi roll and then arrange on a plate so it's always a surprise what's in it! Mix savory and sweet recipes. Hand out ballots for everyone to vote.
When this is over, who’s the first person you’re seeing?
Hopefully I can maintain some of these Tindr matches that long so I can see if there's anyone I want to kiss. But not likely, probably, so definitely Mary up in Palouse.
What are you never going to take for granted again?
I don't take much for granted I don't think (ugh I sound gross), having made my life in rural places for so long. All the things people are missing seem few-and-far-between for me even pre-Q... I guess I'll take it back to the pool. I look forward to it being open in summers, and now I'm worried it won't open. I bought an inflatable porch pool but it's not the same; too many bugs. Any body of fresh water sounds great. Oh, and having a boyfriend. It's a big claim to say I won't take that for granted again, but I'm really going to remember this lonesome time without a cute guy to cook and snuggle with and to remind me to shower and do hygiene and to go outside sometimes.
