In these times searching for some sense  of  normalcy of pre-pandemic times is totally scared. Bonus points if you can social distance and not harm others. Earlier this month I started doing online figure drawing workshops with Art Center students. One of the students that goes to brainstorm and Art Center invited us to check it out. It has been a blast so far. I'm pretty rusty but hey I'm learning and having fun! 

I've been doing figure drawing digitally. I bounce between Photoshop and Corel Painter.

One of the reasons I started going to figure drawing sessions was because I was taking online classes. I would go to my crappy fast food job and then just go home and repeat, repeat, repeat. Doing that for one semester drove me nuts!

I have my anti-social moments, but need some social interaction. But now-in-days with the pandemic things have to be online, video chat, text or phone. It helped I took a Brainstorm Inland class and it was live online. Everyone was able to get to know each other pretty well. Sometimes we draw together and do voice chat or share screens on discord or google hangouts. Some social interaction.

I learned about the local figure drawing sessions from the local art store. It took me months to actually attend a session. (I can be extremely shy at times.)

I've been to numerous figure drawing sessions and workshops, it was part of my routine and a staple in my life for several years now. It isn't ideal to study figures online instead of live but something is better than nothing. 

Hang in there peeps! It is hard for everyone. 

Stay safe!

& keep drawing! 

There are more drawings but they aren't as good. Or I drew the same thing numerous times to try to get the hang of drawing and understanding the pose. 

Songs on my playlist

Homemade beef stew Version 2 with my own grown chives

I was sick with covid for about 3-4 weeks. The incubation time for me was 12 days. The worst of it was during the first 2 weeks of having symptoms. I also had minor symptoms during the 12 day incubation time. 

My symptoms were gradual lost of taste and smell that eventually completely disappeared, muscle soreness at first. headaches at first, fatigue, brain fog, mild sore throat. Thankfully the way my throat felt was like when you get that pin like feeling when you are about to get sick. It stayed that weird feeling of about to get sick but not. I didn't get the fevers, chills and cough. 

For home self care 

-Drink plenty of liquids. I drank only water and tea with organic honey.

-Eat a good diet. 

-Plenty of rest. There were days I slept all day and only woke up to eat.

-Tylenol - for headaches and if you have fevers.

I started this liking Matcha Mint tea, I had so much of it
I don't like it as much as before.

This honey is the best! So smooth and tastes 

like marshmellows. And its super affordable!

Yes and no Covid-19 has similar symptoms to the Flu. This beast takes over your entire body and mind. Complete lost of taste and smell without congestion is strange. Then again everyone's case is different and the unknowns that doctors do not know too much about this disease. And then the real threat I could really die from this is too real. 

I really can't emphasize how awful the fatigue was. Doing something simple as washing dishes for less than 10 minutes would completely wipe me out. It took an additional few weeks to feel "normal" and be awake the entire day without napping.  

Until brain fog is lifted you don't realize what brain fog is. A friend mentioned the comparison of when you get a migraine, and it lifts you can finally think clearly. It would take a long time to think about things. For example if you are making an omelet and it take longer that usual to realize you need to take the eggs out and other things. Complex thoughts took longer to process, like making a list. 

Didn't help around this time I was sick the news cycle for a few days was really locking on black people were more prone to dying from this. It was pretty upsetting. Like the horror movies the black person usually dies. I'm half black. I joke that my horror movie stereotype is despite being the 'smart' one that almost survives till the end. But, not a surprising plot twist tragically dies because I am black. Doesn't help my other half is Asian and welp they usually die too. Hey guys! lets go this way! -dies- Clears the safe path but never makes it through. *Sigh

My version 1 beef stew. So good I could eat it everyday.
Crock pot food was a lifesaver. 

Surprisingly people were extreme good to me when I told people I had it. I didn't expect that. But when there is a human face in front of an abstract notion people tend to be more humane.

When I was going through it I only told a few people, when I recovered I am now more open to telling people. A couple of friends would think of me when ordering take-out. Like hey I'm going to the burrito place want your usual beef fajita burrito?

 Even my germaphobe friends didn't treat me like the plague. It was funny there was a few germaphobe friends that kept texting me if I was alright. I would lie and say I was fine. They kept badgering me and I did not give in and be honest until I was recovered. Real shock that they had compassion instead of wanting to perform an exorcism with lysol, hand sanitizer or essential oils. But then again I wasn't in contact in person with these people.

Extra food I make I usually freeze, it was nice to have a
good meal without cooking. Split pea soup.  

I made 2 different kinds of beef stew with the same broth and beef chunk. 
The thyme is homegrown. It took a long time to make these. I would sauté vegetables, go back to sleep. Sear the meat and place in the oven. Dose off and so on. Took me 2 days to prepare beef stew to
what usually would of taken an 1 1/2 hours. 

During the worst of this I enrolled in a Brainstorm Inland class and I wasn't sure if should drop the class. I'm glad I did not. It kept me busy and focus on something else besides dwelling in misery. It was difficult at first because I would sleep all day and only get up to eat. 

Recently I saw an article that pin pointed exactly how the covid test feels like. I have had this test 4 times. When you are a kid and you are in the swimming pool and accidentally dunk into the water and the chlorine goes up your nose. That feeling but is swifter. 

I'm feeling better for the most part. 

-Stay tuned for Part 3! - Because Yes! There are lingering side effects. 

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