End of Fourth Month

Of course in January, when I decided to attempt my Depth Year, I had no idea we'd all end up isolating ourselves during a global pandemic. In some ways, I think this has actually helped a bit with any temptation I might have had otherwise.  I did buy a new computer this month.  I had talked about that in an earlier post that it was already sort of planned out before I decided to do a Depth Year.  My system is right around 10 years old, and since I'm now working from home every day, a more reliable and updated system seemed like a necessary splurge.  Yes, I do have a work laptop, but I didn't bring my docking station home, and working without dual monitors isn't particularly ideal for my kind of daily work, either. 

Aside from the computer, the only other incidentals have been for the garden.  I ordered a batch of tomato, pepper, and eggplant plants for the garden back in early February set to be delivered the last week of April. All things considered, edible plants and their care are going to definitely fall under necessary. It's also been a good outlet on the one or two warm sunny days to be able to get out into the yard and work in the dirt and get everything ready for the new plants.  I had a stash of seeds in the freezer, two, so I'm awaiting the sprouting of marigolds, nasturtiums, and wildflowers.

Otherwise, I have rediscovered my stash of bath & body crafting supplies.  I ran out of body scrub this month, and was wondering who I should order more from this time, when I realized I had all the ingredients needed to make a perfectly fine body scrub.  So far I've been working my way through my stash, and have made the sugar scrub, an extra abrasive salt and pumice scrub for feet, a facial scrub (very gentle, mostly oatmeal with a little rosehip powder), and a clay facial mask.  If I could use up all this stash, it would certainly help free up some storage space for other things.

The only other thing I can think of that might be a little dubious is that my S/o has been gifting me with video games.  He had given me his old X-Box 1 at the end of last year to replace my outdated DVD player.  Also, I think he's been wanting to lure me back into gaming.  I used to love video games before I moved to New York City.  I told my gamer friends back home, "it's one thing to sit around and play video games for hours when you live in the middle of nowhere; it's entirely another when you have New York City right outside your door and there is always something fun to do out there."  Well, true as I feel that was, the situation right now is ideal for hunkering down with a video game.  The S/o is quite the gamer geek, so without me even asking, when the lockdown first started, he bought and downloaded me a copy of Ori and the Will of the Wisp - and for nearly a month that kept me quite entertained in the weird gap between work and cooking dinner, or sometimes after dinner and wanting something than just more TV shows. This month, after Ori was finished up and I had a break from regular gaming, he found me Obduction, the latest game from the creators of Myst (which was a big favorite of mine back when it was released.)  It's a totally different style of game-play (for anyone who remembers Myst), is exceptionally challenging, and I can't get too wrapped up in playing it all night, because after a couple of hours it gives me motion sickness. (I don't tend to get motion sickness in cars, buses, trains, planes, or even boats; but a first person perspective video game that's too quick and fluid in its movements can make my head spin like a top!)  But, I haven't bought these games.  I haven't asked for them.  They're not even technically "stuff," as they only exist digitally on the gaming system.  They're gifts, so I'm not counting them.

So that's April, then.  We're still all in quarantine here in Brooklyn.  I think that the quarantine is actually helping me with my Depth Year, slightly.  I know other people are expressing their stress through online shopping, but every time it even starts to flit across my mind, I just think "OK, and then what?" and I think of what my life is like right now, and the urge goes away.  I expect my situation will stay the same through May.  Even if New York City starts the process of reopening in mid-May, it won't be my sector.  I'd be surprised if my office reopens before July.  We'll just have to wait and see.