by alone and loving it
I’ve actually been doing an ok job at not totally rotting during my Corona quarantine. I’ve been doing some home workouts and am trying to relearn French on Duolingo. You know, attempting to become a better me instead of being in a constant trazodone coma.
Being human and needing human interaction, I, like most, have begun to rely more on FaceTime and Netflix Party for company. This might come as a big surprise to anyone who has ever lived with me. From their perspective, I’m a hermit whose ears start bleeding if I hear any noise other than my own breathing. Yet, even I have found it to be a great time to bolster and rekindle relationships virtually.
I recently reconnected with a friend who, for this article, I’ll call George (pronouns: she/her).
George and I are those kinds of friends who see each other every half decade or so but, upon FaceTiming for the first time in months, are keen to bring the phone to the bathroom while peeing so as not to cut the conversation of nothing in particular, short.
George is one of those great people who are quietly hilarious, looks like a blonde sorority c***, and enthralls listeners (she is antisocial AF, so listeners basically include me) while enthusiastically describing what could otherwise seem banal: gaming, being crafty, her eerie relationship with the number 28, pitbull rehabilitation (not banal, but a big passion of George’s), etc.
During our first Corona-era FaceTime, George eagerly showed me all of her detective game kits. She walked around the apartment, showing me walls adorned with paraphernalia from her mystery games. These serve as inspirations on her quest to find the truth surrounding unsolved murders and undeniably cool décor. A homemade corkboard for clues hangs prominently in her living room. Needless to say, George is an ace detective. Her newest mystery involving a rock and roll band named Fluf is currently eluding her, but I have no doubt she will break the case before the Corona quarantine ends. In the meantime, George wears her Fluf band shirt (included in the kit!) most days.
George and I discussed her Playstation trials and triumphs. As an avid believer of signs, George is pretty spooked that all her latest video games have involved mass pandemics…Classic action video games are something I will never get into. I’m not coordinated and find them immensely difficult and dizzying. However, George is also a big fan of chiller pastimes, including The Sims. I hadn’t played The Sims since circa Hot Date (2001, fuck I’m old), and I could not wait to get reacquainted with the game in my Corona isolation ennui.
As my significant other is currently in lockdown 3,000 miles away from me and supremely reluctant to FaceTime for more than 20 minutes, George helped oversee the creation of the digital version of my relationship and house (my house is atrocious, I have no eye for design and my initial uneven spacing of windows caused George immense anxiety). Playing The Sims over FaceTime has become a nice respite from Corona reality. I get to indulge in my fantasy of being in the same country as my partner while George develops her made-to-be loser Sim, Mackenzie, into a mediocre artist and influencer.
Since any socializing with people I live with gives me anxiety (actually enjoying the company of your roommates is fucking weird), George and I have taken to hours-long FaceTimes most days. We drink together, game together, pee together, watch Housewives together, and don’t talk together.
Setting up movie/tv viewings together requires immense coordination and gadgetry. The other night we attempted a Netflix Party and watched Swiss Army Man. Getting to the Party portion took several emails with new Netflix links, as one of us would fuck something up each time we tried to enter the Party. When, at last, we commenced the film in sync, our set-up became an instant go-to for future viewings. Movie/tv show in the main window, chat box to the side, phone with FaceTime against the computer screen (you know, so we can watch each others’ expressions as the drama unfolds), and wine/white claw/Xanax in hand.
Our routine has been quite nice and keeps me relatively grounded during this time of uncertainty. This is a unique time because while I usually avoid human contact (unless I specifically plan an outing with a person or the few people I like in a venue I choose), everyone is free and eager to connect through any means possible. So while I can’t wait for businesses and country borders to re-open, I hope mine and George’s perfected FaceTime routine continues.