If ever there was a time to write down what life is like it would be that of March 2020, the month that the entire world came to a crashing halt. What’s so amazing about March is when I started to look back on photos of the month there is an abrupt switch from normalcy to isolation.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

March began just like February ended, with Jenn and I enjoying a mini trip to Philadelphia which I’ve already written about at length. Knowing what I know now I am even more grateful we were at least able to get this small trip in before the world stopped with COVID-19 (coronavirus).

The next week and weekend were really the last normal ones we had. Jenn and I met for dinner at Black Iron Burger on a very rainy Friday night (March 6th) and then walked to America Airlines Theatre to go see A Soldier’s Play which was one of the best plays we’ve seen in 2020. An incredibly powerful story that was well acted and had Jenn and me on the edge of our seats the entire time. I’ll never forget the lady behind us who must have seen the show many times before reciting most of the lines before they happened.

It hasn’t happened often but we actually had back-to-back shows. On Saturday morning we dropped off Frasier at Biscuits and Bath and finally got to go see Dear Evan Hansen a show that we’ve wanted to see for years and finally bought tickets. Unfortunately, the show was just not either of our favorites. The music was great, the set quite impressive, but it just didn’t stick to us like so many other broadway shows we’ve seen. Afterward, we went to Ichiran ramen. A little backstory when we were in Tokyo one of the best experiences we had was going to Ichiran, ordering ramen from a machine, sitting at a small booth and having it delivered to us. They just opened a few of the same style Ramen restaurants in New York so we had to give it a shot. Although not the same as being in Tokyo we had a great meal there and it was still just as delightful.

And then just like that the world sort of just stopped. The coronavirus began to spread all throughout the US but at a much faster rate here in New York City. My last official day in the office was March 11th although much of my team and colleagues began working from home a week prior. I’ll never forget my last day at work. I remember getting a coffee in an almost abandoned coffee shop that a week prior had a line almost to the door. I remember leaving the office and looking back and realizing I had no idea when I’d be back, if at all. Over the coming weeks, the entire city shut down. It started with large gatherings, restaurants at 50% capacity, but by the end of the month, all that remained were grocery stores, banks, pharmacies, and doctor’s offices.

I wish I could paint the second half of March as a beautiful moment in our lives. I wish I could say that Jenn and I found the silver lining every day. But there were good days, some even great, but there were also a lot where we just starred out our window wondering what was coming next. The stock market has crumbled, layoffs seem to be inevitable at most companies, and outside of walking Frasier we really haven’t left our 700 sq ft apartment in almost a month. One of our own personal struggles has been with our apartment complex closing the dog run downstairs. So we now have to brave the elements (in winter/early spring) to let Frasier relieve himself which as of this writing is much better at but was a struggle for the first couple of days and is pretty horrible during a storm.

There are simple things that we both miss. I for one miss going to a restaurant or a broadway show. Jenn misses the freedom to go about her days the way she wants to. When we walk Frasier you can feel the fear and the pain in the air. There isn’t a fifteen-minute stretch that goes by now that an ambulance siren isn’t going off. Every night at 7 PM everyone opens up their windows and claps and cheers for the brave medical workers and it’s both awesome and terrifying. It’s a beautiful show of affection for those putting their lives on the line but its also a haunting reminder of how bad this virus really is.

Jenn started working from home shortly after I did and we began a new routine. We now wake up at 7 AM, take Frasier outside, feed him, drink our morning coffee/hot chocolate and begin work around 8 AM. We have lunch together, watch The Great British Baking show, walk Frasier, work, cook dinner together, walk Frasier, watch TV, and sleep. And all of that is amazing, its what we both dreamed of. But its also a bit draining, almost every day feels the same. I’ll never forget in the last week of March we had a five-minute discussion about what day it was. It’s truly difficult to discern the difference between a weekday and the weekend. It also doesn’t help that we’re alone here in New York the current epicenter for the virus here in the US and really the world.

Even during the pain, stress, and uncertainty, there have been moments of true joy. We had a great FaceTime happy hour with my siblings on the first full week of quarantine. We’ve been ordering Hello Fresh and cooking amazing dinners together. And the real solace has come on the days with good weather where we’ve taken Frasier on long walks up to 92nd street and walk back through the gardens home. Those are the moments that when I look back on this month that I’ll hold onto and cherish.

I don’t know what April or the rest of 2020 will hold. I have a suspicion that we won’t have much in the way of travel photos or grand adventures to be embarked on, in fact as of this writing we’ve canceled our trip to California in April and South America in May. More than anything as I write this all I hope is that Jenn and I can find peace at this moment, good health to make it through, and careers that we can continue to thrive in.

TV WE WATCHED

It’s sort of ironic but with everything going on we didn’t watch as much TV this month as in those prior. The highlights this month were watching one of our new favorite shows The Great British Baking Show which has been a source of pure joy. We did finish the first season of Mythic Quest on Apple TV + which we enjoyed and stopped watching both Altered Carbon and Orange is the New Black which we couldn’t get back into.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

I’m not sure how much reading I’ll be doing in the months ahead but I read three really good books in March. The best of them was Tuesdays with Morrie a book Jenn has been telling me to read for a long time. It was short, beautiful, and poignant especially given the time we currently find ourselves in. I also enjoyed The Calculating Stars a fun easy going science fiction book.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

I still love That Thing You Do and argue its one of the best original soundtracks for a movie ever. Jenn made us rent Jumanji The Next Level which was far better than it had any right to be. We also rented the movie 1917 which had quite a bit of Oscar buzz earlier in the year and although I liked it, it wasn’t as good as I was hoping.

THEATER WE SAW

I have no idea when I will have another playbill to put in this section. If I had to guess as of the start of April 2020 it won’t be until late 2020 at the earliest but my guess knowing what we know now it will be 2021. The last two plays we saw together (although Jenn did go to the opening night of Girl From North Country with a colleague) in early March was A Soldier’s Play and Dear Evan Hansen two great shows to see before Broadway was shut down. I cannot wait to write about the next show we see, whenever that will be.

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

I don’t think I’ve ever been more happy to have MLB The Show as I was this year. I reviewed the game and have used it as an escape most mornings/evenings. I also finished up Uncharted 3 at the end of the month which means I’ll be moving onto Uncharted 4 next month.

2020 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 40 Books: I've read 12 books and am currently ahead of schedule to hit my goal but do not plan on hitting 40 books given the virus.

Goal #2: Run 300 Times: Off-track and will not hit this goal in 2020.

Goal #3: Keep Weight Under 140: I've yet to go over 140lbs.

Goal #4: Eat at 13 Tasting Menu’s: 2 so far and would be happy to get 1 more before the end of the year.

Goal #5: 12 Monthly Recaps: 3 for 3.

A Look Back - March 2020