By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
As the pandemic lingers, people are resorting to activities they never thought possible – binge-watching “Tiger King,” cleaning closets, finally trying that 5,000-piece puzzle, and dusting off board games that haven’t seen the light of day for decades.
When the stay-at-home order was first issued, many welcomed a few days at home. Even “essential workers” found themselves with more free time, since there was no place to go after work. No gym, no church, no family gatherings.
First came the appreciation for some days off at home. Then came the guilt and desire to make good use of the time off.
But now, more than three weeks into this, many have hit the “What the heck am I supposed to do now?” stage.
Beth Genson didn’t have to find a hobby – she already has one. When she’s not in Zoom meetings for work, Genson is taking advantage of the time to paint and preparing her art for upcoming shows – whenever that may be.
But she confessed that she did binge the bizarre series on the “Tiger King” Joe Exotic. Genson watched the show with a special interest, since she managed the Woodland Mall when the traveling zoo stopped by for a show.
“We had them here at the mall,” she said, recalling that Joe Exotic was walking around with a monkey on his shoulder.
Genson is spending some of her new-found time in the kitchen. “I’ve perfected my method of cooking seafood,” she said.
And she is dedicating a part of every day to cleaning.
“I try to do one thing a day – even if it’s just a drawer. At least then I feel I’m doing something,” Genson said.
Elsewhere in the city on Monday, Dean King was trying to be productive.
“Right now, I’m cleaning kitchen cabinets,” he said.
Two days a week, King helps prepare and deliver meals to Bowling Green City School students.
“The rest of the time, I’m going nuts,” he said.
King said listening to the national news is driving him crazy, so he frequently turns on the Hallmark Channel, just to have some background noise.
“I refuse to watch the negative news,” he said.
King is also trying to get exercise – though he can no longer workout at the Bowling Green Community Center.
“I got the weights out of the basement,” he said. “And I’m walking at least five miles a day.”
Alan Carsey has tried to keep busy with yard work and cooking.
“I’ve been cooking more than I normally do,” he said. Carsey has doubled up on his shopping duties, since he delivers groceries to his parents, who were both in the hospital in February.
Carsey and his wife, Sandi, have binged their way through “Tiger King” and “McMillions,” and resurrected some old games.
“We have played a couple board games,” he said.
Geoff Howes didn’t have to pick up poetry during the pandemic – since he already pens haiku. But for him, his hobby of music is on hold since he can no longer get together with his bandmates of the ukulele group, the “GRUBS.”
“So I’ve actually lost a hobby,” he said.
And Howes finds that he is really missing Kiwanis meetings.
But Howes and his wife, Christen Giblin, have gained time with their son, who is home from Chicago and is able to work from Bowling Green.
“It’s been nice to have him home,” Howes said.
Emily Dunipace isn’t much for TV, so when she’s not working remotely for her job with Wood Lane, she is stripping 120 years of wallpaper at her home. “It’s fighting back,” she said of the multiple layers.
Dunipace admitted working at home has its perks. It’s kind of nice to not have to shower, do hair and makeup, and get dressed up – all before going to work.
Instead of attending yoga classes, she is now doing yoga virtually.
“It’s different. When you’re in your own home, you need discipline and motivation,” since there’s no instructor or classmate to give the side-eye if she slacks.
“Many people across the nation are doing this,” Dunipace said.
For Harold Brown, the stay-at-home order hasn’t got in the way of him completing the latest newsletter for the Wood County Genealogical Society. But it has halted his plans to spend another summer volunteering at Yellowstone Park.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he said about heading west.
In the meantime, instead of working in the great outdoors, Brown will be conquering some dreaded tasks closer to home.
“I’ve got a list of things in the basement I want to get rid of,” he said.
Bob and Joan Callecod try to get outside every day for a walk in Wintergarden Woods. The couple has been keeping up with services online from First Presbyterian Church.
But tasks around the house are on hold since Bob injured his arm doing a “honey-do” job for Joan.
Now he is spending a great deal of time re-cataloging more than 26,000 travel photos from around the world, that an Apple program recently disassembled.
“He’s got time on his hands,” Joan said, noting that she tries to stay out of earshot when Bob is working on the photos.
The couple has loaned most of their jigsaw puzzles to their daughter and her family during the pandemic.
Joan has made about three dozen masks to give away, and she’s working on a needlepoint project of the African continent. Bob said he stays out of earshot when she is working on that complex project.
And after years of neglect, Joan has been devoting time each day to playing piano – “with the windows closed” to spare the neighbors, she joked.
