Sunday, June 14, 2020

The Sunday Post [49]

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer! It's an opportunity to share news, post a recap for the previous week, showcase books, and highlight what's planned for the week ahead.

News:

NO MORE SCHOOL! SUMMER HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED! Thank the ever-loving stars. I think my son and I were both starting to feel drained. He kept asking me how many days he had left, so we started a countdown on the kitchen calendar (it helped him to have a physical way to mark time). We still don't know what's going to happen in the fall, but they did send an email asking parents if they'd be okay with alternating face-to-face instruction with online learning. So... one week at school, and then one week at home. It's supposed to help keep the class sizes small and more manageable, but I'm not sure how that's supposed to work if both parents of a student have jobs. I also thought we'd learned that online learning at this age was not an efficient way of teaching. Besides, kids need the social interactions they get at school. It's a HUGE part of their development.

Speaking of school and social distancing, why isn't anyone talking about the coronavirus anymore? It didn't go away. People are still dying, and it's only getting worse. The economy can't just forget about it a go back to normal. We still need to take precautions and stay at home whenever we can. Playgrounds have reopened, but we only go when no one else is there, and I still make them wear masks and sanitize their hands every 15-20 minutes. I'm not taking chances with my children's safety, and I've already had a parent criticize me for leaving when she and her children showed up (they weren't wearing masks, and made no attempt to keep their distance). She said, "If you're so concerned with social distancing, you shouldn't've been out here in the first place."

We also made a trip to the beach last week, but went when there weren't a lot of people. We found a nice spot next to the water that was far enough away from everyone else, and the kids played for hours. We buried each other in the sand, jumped in the waves, collected seashells𑁋it was wonderful. Definitely something we all needed!

Previous week on the blog:
  • Sunday: NA
  • Monday: NA
  • Tuesday: Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington (★★★★☆) Review
  • Wednesday: My Weekly Pull [119) & Can't-Wait Wednesday [94] Post
  • Thursday: NA
  • Friday: Changeling (The Oddmore, #1) by William Ritter (★★★★☆) Review
  • Saturday: NA
What I'm currently reading:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1538701510/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=7ee086585d3661e7c92a40b30edb0057&language=en_UShttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476751803/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=748227e774df61046467b6fce74a6228&language=en_UShttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C831X6Z/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=0dd86f35b026d6e8441228cbe406f862&language=en_US
Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons, #1) by Christina Lauren
Ruthless Magic (Conspiracy of Magic, #1) by Megan Crewe 🎧
  •  I started The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad yesterday. It's made me smile a few times, but I don't really like Birbiglia's views on family and kids. He never wanted children, so obviously he's going to think they're gross and strange, but it's off-putting. I also feel like he's trying too hard to make certain things sound funny, so some of the humor feels forced.
  • Sweet Filthy Boy is one that started as a group buddy read on Instagram, but everyone else is already on the last book in the series, haha. I just don't have that kind of time! Additionally, the book is more sex than story, and I'm struggling to connect with the characters. 
  • Ruthless Magic has been wonderful! I've really enjoyed listening to it, and never want to turn it off. It's like The Hunger Games, but with magic and less public involvement. I should finish it today! 

What I plan on reading next: 

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Unframed-Deb-Caletti/dp/1534426973/ref=as_li_ss_tl?adid=082VK13VJJCZTQYGWWCZ&campaign=211041&dchild=1&keywords=Girl,+Unframed&qid=1592169317&s=books&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=660385af58247c8e3aee441c7df2b37b&language=en_UShttps://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Wild-Sarah-Stewart-Taylor/dp/1250256437/ref=as_li_ss_tl?adid=082VK13VJJCZTQYGWWCZ&campaign=211041&dchild=1&keywords=The+Mountains+Wild&qid=1592169350&s=books&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=2ad2015dc8fced9903bec5e299389034&language=en_UShttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1982121475/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=ll1&tag=doyoudogear-20&linkId=a78bd03a38b62c6615d05d1dc0587895&language=en_US
Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

What I'm watching:

They FINALLY released new dubbed episodes of One Piece, so I spent the week catching up on those! My husband wants me to watch Space Force with him (the new television series with Steve Carell), so I'm sure we'll start that this week. He's already seen it, but thinks it's something I'd like. We watched a move this week, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was... something with the kids... We also started the new season of Kipo with them, and AHHH! SO GOOD. 

Challenge updates:

25 comments:

  1. The Coronavirus is still around and more people are testing positive everyday yet no one is talking about it. We had a 227 positive spike in 24 hours after it had been down to 50 new cases a day, now it's over 200 new cases a day. I know there are spikes in other places bigger than the ones we're seeing here too and people are just going along like nothing is happening.

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    1. Yes! WHY AREN'T PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT? How many people have to die before this is taken seriously? Hospitals are back to having to choose which patients get life support, because they don't have enough ventilators for everyone. Everyone is so caught up in politics, that they're ignoring what's right in front of their faces. The Black Lives Matter movement is scaring the president, so he's choosing to focus on his rallies and reelection, NOT THE PEOPLE STILL DYING FROM A PANDEMIC.

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  2. I liked Head Over Heels. I thought it was more women's fiction than romance (one again), but I liked seeing this woman find herself again.

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    1. Haha! Another one? I feel like publishers REALLY want to avoid being slotted as Women's Fiction. ;) So they think labeling it as romance will make more people want to read it? I like Women's Fiction! Glad you enjoyed this one, Sam! I'm looking forward to it. <3

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  3. Where I live, the coronavirus is all people talk about - we're just starting to reopen things after almost 3 months, so I think the next couple of weeks will be crucial.

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    1. They JUST put up a sign at Walmart that requires people to wear masks (employees and customers) when they're in the store. However, there were still a lot of people walking around NOT wearing one. How does that work?? You have to enforce those rules, or people won't take them seriously. We live near the beach, so everyone is out and about with no concerns about spreading the virus. We still stay home unless we REALLY need to go out (groceries, dog food, the occasional trip to the playground or a hike). Did you hear that the deaths should exceed 200,000 by the fall? That's crazy. PEOPLE SHOULD CARE MORE. Hospitals are already starting to get overwhelmed again.

      I also read an article about people who have survived the coronavirus, and the medical issues they will have for the rest of their lives. The virus attacks the body in multiple ways, and a lot of those have lasting effects.

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  4. It really does feel a little surreal---like everything is kind of sort of going back to normal, and yet COVID is still out there, lurking. We're still being really cautious too, but we've started tentative steps toward getting back out into the world - mostly in the form of occasionally ordering takeout and going to the pet store for puppy stuff. LOL! And, yeah, school in the fall will be quite interesting. Our schools are talking about possibly rotating schedules too. I get that that's frustrating, but at least then they'll only have half the kids at school at a time? It's definitely better than no in-person classes because at least then they'll have peer interaction some of the time. (Though, maybe an every-other-day or even split-day approach would be nicer so the kids don't have to go a whole week without seeing each other. And I can definitely see how it would be really difficult for working parents, so there would need to be solutions for them too! It's all a lot to think about!!)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. We order takeout once a week to try and support local businesses that might need help during this time. There are a lot of Mom & Pop places around here. :) However, when I leave the house, it's with a mask and hand sanitizer. When I come home with groceries, or have stuff delivered, it gets wiped down before being put away, and then I wash my hands for like an hour. ;)

      We were asked if we'd rather alternate weeks, or if we would want to alternate days. I didn't like alternating days, because then they're only getting two days of in-person instruction during the week. If they alternate weeks, they'll get to go to school for 5 consecutive days, and then do a week at home. I think they need to be in the classroom regularly, even if it's alternating weeks. It would allow them to form socially distant connections with kids, and teachers could cover a single subject or area during the in-person portion of the lesson, and then the next week could be focused on doing work that reinforced what they'd been learning in class. Something like that? I don't know. It made more sense in my head! I don't think I'm explaining it very well.

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  5. I'm happy school is over, remote learning is such a struggle! My husband's school has about two weeks left. They released some guidelines for public schools to open in September but I don't see how it's possible. I expect them to continue virtual learning.

    It's insane how people forgot about COVID. I've seen my cousins host two parties with TONS of people, alcohol, and no masks. I cannot.

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    1. Remote learning was DIFFICULT. My son is 6, so it was hard for him to sit still during the Google Meets, and I hated how much time he was spending on the computer during the day. When he's at school, their days are broken up with lunch, recess, gym, music, etc. At home, it's just him at the computer with some breaks here and there. The lack of social interactions is the worst, and so important for his age.

      I've been reading the guidelines for a potential fall partial reopening, and it's madness. It's going to be SO COMPLICATED. I hate that this is the world my son is living in right now, and wish his first year at school hadn't been so chaotic. It doesn't feel like he got that experience, you know?

      HOW? How are people acting like COVID is just over? It's not! It's WORSE.

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  6. I think we've just decided to go for herd immunity and whatever happens happens.

    We go out really early when no one is out too.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. It makes me hate people. At the start of the pandemic, people were coming together and helping one another, and now it's like there's an every-man-for-himself mentality, which sucks. We need to stay home if we can, because there are people who can't. Also, wear a damn mask when you go out. It's not going to hurt you, but it could save others. Stop gathering in groups, stop saying a mask is infringing on your rights, just stop. Give a damn about your neighbor, or the person beside you at the grocery store.

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  7. Yay schools out for summer! Our kids have been out since mid-May but go back in August.. i think. They are still working out how and what it will look like. Numbers are down in our state, but not our county since we are the largest populated county.

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    1. I have no idea when school is supposed to start up again, and I don't want to look! I want to enjoy this reprieve, because I know the new school year will have its own challenges.

      Protesting is a necessity right now, so people accusing them for the uptick in confirmed cases is ridiculous. It's the people who stormed around crying about their barbers while carrying assault rifles and not wearing masks. I'm sure the protests aren't helping, but they are necessary. The worlds needs to change. Trump's planned rally? NOT NECESSARY. We're in the middle of a pandemic, and he wants to gather 20,000 people inside of a building to give his ego a boost.

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  8. I love how people act like coronavirus has just magically gone away! It's so dumb. And then people being so aggressive about ridiculing people who are wearing masks and everything else. So much unplesantness now, like all the people who are hateful are just coming out of the woodwork thinking it's okay. Hard to believe it's 2020?!?!?

    The Mountains Wld looks good!!!

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    1. SO DUMB. Trump's planned rally really bothers me, because he's risking people's lives to stroke his ego. He thinks because people are PROTESTING, he has a right to GATHER A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE TOGETHER DURING A PANDEMIC. The man is insane! I was talking to someone the other day on Twitter, and we've decided potential presidents need to take a test before being allowed to rule a fucking country. You take the SAT to get into college, so I think something similar needs to be administered before someone is allowed to make decisions that impact millions of people. I seriously doubt he'd pass a physical test, much less one for mental health or general intelligence. You know he paid someone to do his work in school.

      The Mountains Wild was EXCELLENT! :)

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  9. Yay for no more school!! I hope that things are a bit more normal for your son in the Fall. And yeah, it's crazy that people are just kind of ignoring Covid ever happened. I still haven't really been OUT anywhere in forever, except for the doctor, but when I do, I'm going to be wearing a mask. My parents and sister all wear masks if they have to go somewhere. Things are opening up, but cases are going up and deaths are going up, like you said, so it's just really selfish of people to pretend like everything IS normal when it's not. And that's so messed up of the mom at the playground to criticize you! Keep it to yourself, lady! lol

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It's going to be interesting to see how things work in the fall. I want my son to be able to go to school for in-person instruction, because I think he needs that time away from home and an opportunity to socialize outside of his immediate family. Don't get me wrong, I love having him home, but I also don't want his development to struggle because he's not getting a chance to develop social skills. Kids also have to learn to take instruction from people they're not related to, and school is a big part of that.

      The people pretending the pandemic is over are making me crazy, and it's not like POTUS is setting a good example. He just does whatever he wants, so people think they can to. He refuses to wear a mask, so they think they don't have to either. Ridiculous. Idiots. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The world isn't going to survive people disregarding the lives of others. We have lost over 100,00 people to COVID, and that includes the medical professionals helping them. Also, the really old man that survived? His hospital bill WAS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. Can you imagine?

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  10. I have heard it will be the middle to end of July before we hear anything in our district about which way they'll go with the coming school year. The plan you mention is one of the options. The other was two days a week at school and the rest virtual. Like you, I am wondering how this will work with both parents working . . .

    I am glad you have been able to get out now and then to the park and your visit to the beach sounds so nice. It seems like people around here are not taking the pandemic seriously at all either. I'm so disappointed people--but yet not really surprised. We had to have someone come out to check our air conditioner and he came to the door without a mask. He seemed shocked I was wearing one. My husband was saying many people were at the grocery store Saturday morning without masks and weren't social distancing. That's still in place right?

    Ruthless Magic sounds wonderful! My eyes went straight to that one. I am glad you are enjoying it. I haven't heard of Kipo, but I looked it up just now. It looks like fun. I bet my daughter would enjoy that. She's been watching a lot of Pokemon and My Next Life as a Villianess (which is hers and her dad's show).

    I hope you enjoy your upcoming reads. Have a great week, Lindsi. Stay safe and well.

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    1. I didn't like the idea of them going twice a week every week, because it still feels inadequate. Kids need consistency and structure when they're learning, and I think going for a solid week would be more beneficial, since it's 5 days of in-person instruction. It allows them to build social skills and cover an entire lesson in a single week, and then the next week of online learning could be used to enforce and reiterate what they've already learned. Neither option is good for homes that have two working parents, so I have no idea how they'll find something that works for everyone.

      Same. Disappointed but not surprised. People are inherently selfish, and they put their wants over other people's needs. If they don't feel sick, or they haven't been touched by the pandemic personally, they're not going to take it seriously. Why would they? Our president doesn't. He still refuses to wear a mask, and he's supposed to be the example people follow. Yes! We had someone come out to spray for ants, and I wouldn't let him inside because he didn't have a mask or booties for his shoes. I told him to come back when he had both, and then threw in gloves for good measure. I am not taking any chances when it comes to the safety of my family. Our Walmart has a sign that says masks are required, but they're not enforcing it. Dumb.

      Ruthless Magic was fantastic! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! It was like The Hunger Games, but with magic and less public involvement. My kids love PokΓ©mon too! I bet she would enjoy Kipo! You'll have to let me know if you guys give it a shot. :)

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  11. "I also thought we'd learned that online learning at this age was not an efficient way of teaching. Besides, kids need the social interactions they get at school. It's a HUGE part of their development."
    The school situation is hard for everyone, but I'm sure it's worse for the youngest. Hopefully the rotation will smooth the issues, if it comes to that. Then again, if both parents are so lucky to still have a job, I don't know how they'll be able to handle it.

    "and I've already had a parent criticize me for leaving when she and her children showed up (they weren't wearing masks, and made no attempt to keep their distance). She said, "If you're so concerned with social distancing, you shouldn't've been out here in the first place.""
    So people aren't contented with doing as they please - they also feel they have a right to policy what other people do? Also, do they OWN the darned place now? Of course, it's the government's fault in the first place. So the numbers will ramp up again and the whole ordeal will restart (if it ever stopped).

    Italy is doing well so far (though there are lots of people interacting without masks in the streets, but at least they have to wear one in closed places). We only seem to have one region where the cases are still spiking up, I don't know why. Things are quiet where I live, thank goodness. Stay safe!

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    1. I'm trying not to think or stress out about school right now, and just enjoy this small reprieve! I'm trying to make the summer fun for my kids, despite all of the restrictions. They still can't play with other children, but we can at least go places as long as we're staying away from other people (and wearing masks, sanitizing our hands, etc.).

      I'm really afraid of what the country is going to look like in a few months. Hospitals are already starting to feel overwhelmed with new cases, and not enough people are taking the pandemic seriously. Yes, you had to stay home, but it's because this disease is LIFE-THREATENING.

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  12. I'm sorry that mom said that to you. I can't believe that happened (and yet a part of me can). I think it's great that you're being safe because coronavirus is still a real threat. I hope you and your kids enjoy the summer break!

    I love the One Piece manga (and I've heard the anime stays true to it)! Great storytelling. I enjoy going back after an arc is finished and rereading it to see how events connect.

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    1. The confirmed number of cases is increasing, and so are the number of deaths. We really should be talking about this and taking it more seriously. I am baffled by how little people care for their own safety and others. "If I get sick, I get sick," is not a good mentality to have. If you get sick, you could potentially get others sick, and they likely don't want to suffer because of your stupidity. We stay home unless it's necessary to go out. Occasionally, we'll go to a playground, but only when other people are there. I also sanitize constantly.

      I haven't read the Manga, but my brother has! The show is one of the few things we have in common. I actually have Luffy's hat tattooed on my arm. :)

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  13. The UK coronavirus news is all focused on things opening up again and our government has just lowered our "alert level" to 3 at a politically convenient moment in order to reduce social distancing to 1M (instead of 2M). It's frustrating as hell. Our cases are on the decrease but they've basically done it so they can viably have pubs and restaurants reopening as well as send all kids back to school in September as they couldn't get them all back at 2M distancing. I could scream. I'm as desperate to get back to normal as the next person but I want it to be safe and not have the numbers start rising again. I popped into town today and it was anything but safe. People just are not giving a shit anymore. They think "it's over." Argh!
    At least open-air spaces (like our castles) are reopening sensibly which gets us out of the house to fun places. They're only allowing pre-booked tickets and it's severely reduced numbers (with fixed arrival times) so it's actually more fun and less stressful than visiting normally! lol.

    You've just got to do what's best for your family at the moment. I'd have left the park when the other family arrived too. If it's any consolation, I had an old man start on me (including breaching social distancing by invading my space AND also tapping me on the shoulder) over the fact I was queuing for bread and milk with my son in tow... I presume I should have left him home alone or something since my husband was at work? Grrr.

    I'm with you on the drain of homeschool... Our schools dont end until 20-something of July but the teachers are switching up the learning majorly now with more "fun" incorporated like building lego bridges that can hold x-amount of items because they know people have reached their limit.

    The world has collectively lost it's ever lovin' mind... And I've just realised this is a super long comment! lol


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“Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff and much of a muchness and nonsense all over again. We are all mad here, don't you know?”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless