Personal post, do not read or you might get depressed.
With rising coronavirus numbers in Texas, I just wanted to know if you are alright.
Rita
Thank you for checking.
See that big red circle? That’s us. We made national news by going from 4 cases a day to 210 cases a day. For a county with not that many people, it’s not pretty.
Yup. Greg Abbot, our governor, removed the shelter at home restrictions. San Marcos is a college town. Once restrictions were lifted, the kids went to tube on the river and they went to the Square, which is like a tiny 6th street (Austin reference) in our town filled with bars. Nobody wore a mask. Because you can’t drink with masks on, and when you have surgery, your medical team only wears them because they make such lovely fashion accessories. So dumb. So very stupid. Everyone Kid 2 currently knows in her age bracket has COVID. Everyone.
We haven’t left the house in weeks. Groceries are delivered. I have sewn masks. I found this awesome pattern that fits really well, but is a bit fiddly to make. Right now we have Saharan dust and everyone’s nose is either clogged or running, so Kid 1 checks our pulse and oxygen every day. Kid 2 has moved to Austin and so she is isolating there. Our daughters have agreed that they might survive COVID but Gordon and I are hosed. They decided that we shouldn’t take chances, so we are under very strict supervision.
I don’t know what to tell you. Alright is a relative term. Everyone knows how much this whole thing sucks. It’s devastating if you have COVID and it’s awful even if you don’t, because you live in constant worry that people you love or you might get it. People are losing relatives. They are losing jobs and businesses.
Right now my coping mechanisms are failing a bit. I haven’t been able to read a single book. I can’t finish anything I knit. I’m trying to find a lawyer to remotely update our will. When that happens, most people get anxiety. I get fun physical symptoms for the reasons I won’t go into here. My chest hurts constantly – probably costocondritis rearing up after taking a 2 year break. Normal digestion is out the window. Sleeping patterns are completely off.
So yeah, it’s not fun. But we are all humans. We are designed to survive, so let’s do our best. We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can, you, hopefully, will keep reading it, and we will try to get through this mess together. đ
Oh, so I don’t end on a sour note. If you have Viki, check out Romance of Tiger and Phoenix. A screenwriter of a fantasy romantic drama gets stuck in her own script as an awful princess fated to die two episodes in on her wedding night.
I’ve laughed so hard! OMG. I don’t know how it will end – it’s ongoing – but what’s there is so funny. I want to watch it all in one sitting, because making people wait for the new episode is some sort of torture. Like I don’t know who came up with that or what kind of horrible monster even uses serial format for entertainment. Honestly. đ
Ouch. That is rough. Hang in there, is all I can say!
Stay strong and stay safe!
Thanks for the update. Stay safe and we are sending you warm fuzzies!
Also during quarantine I have gotten sucked into the wonderful world of K-dramas. Thank you netflix and Crash Landing on You for being my gateway drug. I now have a Viki Subscription. So this recommendation is perfect!
Anyone else have viki recommendations?? I have watched and loved: My love from another Star, What’s wrong with Secretary Kim, Extra-ordinary You, Cinderella & the 4 KNights (Netflix)
Depends on what you like. If you are into modern romances, 1% of Something is fun. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-Joo are very fun. I’m Not a Robot is a cute SF. Guardian: the Lonely and Great God is lovely, but sad.
If you want to try a Chinese modern drama, Go, Go Squid might be decent. It’s harder to recommend modern C dramas because so much of it is state-mandated propaganda. đ
Thank you!! I will put these on my watch list!
I’m pretty much historical, modern and fantasy romances! basically anything with a dash of romance ha! Really don’t like gory scary! đ
Tried one modern c-drama and had a hard time getting past the prop. stuff! Some of the historical ones look kinda fun though! But i will give go go squid a shot.
Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a fun and light historical Kdrama about a woman disguised as male scholar, with a love triangle (or quadrangle), starring the same lead actress as in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim.”
Another “modern” Kdrama I was surprised to really like was “Because this is my first life.” Very quirky twist on a contract relationship. For more slow-paced slice of life in a medical setting, the new Netflix show “Hospital Playlist” was a pleasant surprise.
Two high school Kdramas with romantic elements that I liked were “Dream High” and “Cheer Up!” (the latter also addresses bullying and trying to game your resume for college).
If you like more fast-paced action with your romance, then “W” is a Kdrama I recently watched and was surprised at how much I liked.
Ilona has recommended this one before, but a great action Cdrama is “Joy of Life.” However, it has a cliffhanger ending pending a season 2, so watch with caution. Two modern romantic Cdramas I did like were “Skate into Love” (college drama has a speed skater, hockey player, and ice skater in it) and “Love 020” (two college students meet in an online game).
Awesome thank you!!
Best historical/fantasy Cdrama Is âEternal Loveâ (or ten miles of peach blossom)âamazing chemistry with happy ending but also tragic in parts so be ready for the angst; âPillow Bookâ is the sequel and much lighter romance; âAshes of loveâ is another fantasy cdrama thatâs got a great love story with happy ending but again, tragic in parts. Bring the tissues! âThe Untamedâ is a great fantasy drama and the actors are hot!âthough I know Ilona has said she didnât get the appeal, all my gfs have loved it and itâs highest rated drama on Viki so you can judge for yourself!
Kdrama: âthe heirsâ is fun and cute and has Lee Min Ho, my favorite cutie; âLegend of the Deep Blue Seaâ is another great Lee Min Ho drama; âThe Doctorsâ is a great medical drama; âDevilish Joyâ is totally underrated and has the best real kissing scenes of any kdramas (after watching Cinderella and 4 knights, I kept wondering what was up with the cold, barely there open eyes kissing! So unromantic!)
Also 2nd âI am a robotâ as a cute kdrama and âlove o2oâ as a fluffy and cute cdramaâno tissues needed! âHotel Del Lunaâ is a modern fantasy, with thriller elements, great acting and chemistry, amazing OST, and heartbreaking.
Ashes of Love is pretty famous as well
Love the ‘Upwards to the Moon’ theme song.
Detest the lead female character with a passion. Have never been able to finish it, despite the fact it has Leo Luo in it.
Try out Love O2O it’s a modern Chinese romantic comedy. If you just want something light and fuzzy. For historical C-drama try The Legend of Minglan
I loved ‘She was pretty’ (total romantic fluff)…and ‘Fighting for my way’. (A BIG fan of the lead actor Park Seo-Jun). Also liked Suspiscious Partners, and now on to Healer (also because of the lead actor…different one to PSJ. See a pattern here.) All available on Netflix.
Then you really need to watch Story of Yanxi Palace for one of the best Chinese historical romance dramas. Superb acting, costumes and settings. Iâm on my third time watching it, it doesnât get old!
Plus, has Xu Kai! đ
If you havenât seen it yet, Love In The Moonlight is one of my favourite K dramas. Itâs a historical romance set in 19th century Korea, about a crown prince who falls in love with his eunuch, who is actually a woman disguised as a man. The acting is wonderful, especially the lead male Park Bo Gum.
I absolutely love Love in the Moonlight! It is one of my favorites also! So happy that Ilona Andrews recommended and it has made me really hooked on Kdramas!
If you like a more recent historical the cdrama My Roommate is a Detective is hilarious đ It’s set in mid 20s Shanghai
You got me hooked on k-dramas with Whatâs Wrong With Secretary Kim- so cute and funny!
You HAVE to watch âItâs okay to not be okay/Psycho but itâs okayâ. Itâs on netflix though and only 4 episodes have been released so far but the story, the acting and the chemistry is unbelievably good and the soundtrack is to die for
You said “We will keep writing Ryder as long as we can, you, hopefully, will keep reading it, and we will try to get through this mess together.” I don’t believe you have any worries there. I know I find myself thinking about the story _All the time_. I am sure there are others.
I am sorry that your coping mechanisms aren’t working the best. I find myself hiding in the world of RDR2. it is so easy to forget all the bad and just focus on the next objective.
Stay safe and take care of one another.
Stay safe! If your masks that you are making have a filter pocket, cut up vacuum bags work really well!
Iâve also been crazy stressed with all of this. My doctor suggested I try tai chi. I found some videos on YouTube and it has been really helpful with my anxiety. Just an idea.
Also if writing Ryder is too stressful you guys should take a break. Your health physical and mental is most important.
If you have Netflix try crash landing on you and the king: eternal monarch.
I love guardian the lonely god aka Goblin and recommend that to everyone if they have not watched it.
I’ve almost finished watching The Master’s Sun, had left it in my Netflix watchlist for a while but it’s proved pretty good and not scary as I had been worried about, quite funny too with romance and multiple plot points.
I’m contemplating watching Good Doctor but I have some concerns since I am autisic myself. If anyone has seen it could you tell me if the portrayal is very offensive? I am OK with spoilers, I just want to know if he gets his happy ending.
I’ve seen it. From what I remember, he was portrayed more childlike and innocent than anything else. I work with autistic kids and he didn’t really remind me of them. I’d say he reminded me more of the personality characteristics of some of my Downs syndrome students. I dont think you’d be offended although the portrayal was only accurate with a few characteristics since autism is a spectrum. I liked the show and thought it was sweet but I like the main actor and medical k-dramas in general. Oh and happy feel good ending.
Thanks for letting me know. I still have mixed feelings about my own label so I’m always a bit uncomfortable seeing it on someone else.
I will give it a watch – luckily my OCD isn’t as extreme with TV shows as books, films and real life so I should be able to stop after an episode if it’s too upsetting ????
Oh, I agree, K-dramas are so good!
Healer: This one has the perfect balance of action, drama and romance. The actors are great and the plot is very well written.
Tomorrow Cantabile: An orchestra of misfits and some really lovely music. The first few episodes are a bit grating but then they tone down the heroine’s screechy yelling and she gets proper character growth. It’s well worth sticking with it.
You’re beautiful: Nun dresses up as her twin brother to join kpop boyband, wacky hijinks ensue. Super cheesy but cute.Â
Life is hard right now. I’m in the UK and when things started to open up again, like clothing shops, all I could do was gape at the crowds on tv and in the news. My dad has had covid, we’re almost certain (no testing available when he was sick), and he had it mid March. He’s still having days where he’s really not himself. It was really scary seeing him like that, even though it didn’t go to his chest and he never developed a cough. He was having investigations to other health issues around the same time, and on describing it all to the dr, the dr told him it was Covid despite his chest being okay. He was exhausted, had a fever and lost all sense of taste and smell and his appetite.
Technically I’m classed as vulnerable, but not high risk. I’m comfortable shopping for groceries as long as people keep their distance and I’m keeping my hands clean. But anything that isn’t essential? Forget it. Not worth the risk. For me, friends or family.
I really struggled early on. Being stuck home for 2 full weeks without being able to go see my horses (the ones I work with, not mine) was hell. Horses have been my saving therapy for years and years. Not having them even short term was extremely difficult. It took me about 6 weeks before my anxiety levelled enough to start reading more than a few pages at a time. My job was at serious risk, and several members of our small team have had to be let go. Its horrendous. A couple members of the management are going back full time as of tomorrow, but the rest of us probably aren’t going back until August or September. I miss my job. So, so much. It’s getting really difficult for me again to focus on things when I’m still not allowed to do what I most want, to go and do my job, take care of our horses and continue training them so we can open and get paying clients in again.
All this, to say You Are Not Alone. I really hope you guys can all stay safe and well through the hotspot surrounding you.
Also, I will continue to devour Ryder and reread it. It’s one of the few things that has been a complete distraction for however long or short a section we get. Completely transports me to another place and time. Thank you.
I think about it like this: As long as you stay healthy, i.e. eating well, exercising, getting good sleep, the duration and severity of the infection is much lower. Even if it is only just taking a 30 minute walk with gloves, mask, etc. Or do calisthenics in your house. All of it helps.
That’s not true for everyone. I’m an asthmatic and all the healthy food and exercise in the world isn’t helpful. My parents are in their 70s. Same thing.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Travis you a right in a sense that exercise helps keep people healthy … it does not however stop the risk of catching Covid-19… and it does not make the vunerabble less vunerabble
As a nurse who is well studied on most things respiratory….. once there is damage to the lungs it does not repair.. ever… exercise will aid the body in dealing with ones lowered ability to gain oxygen … but it wont reverse the damage done or stop further damage if you have a diesease like asthma or any of the copd’s .. it will only slow it down.
By all means exercise .. but it is hand washing and social distancing and cleaning your areas that will keep you safer
There is no evidence of that. Healthy young people have been devastated by this disease, even killed. And people with pre-existing conditions or who are immunocompromised can’t change that about themselves. Please, everyone, wear your masks and take precautions to keep yourself and those around you (and our favorite authors and their family) safe.
+1
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Please read more articles .. u suggest any on lung diease and the damage those diseases do .. its not reversible
Hugs from Canada (but not really, because I would never hug a stranger, especially during a pandemic, that would just be dumb…).
We will get through this. If you have an emotional support network then now is the time to lean on them.
Also, a free piece of advice, (because who would actually pay me for advice?): The news services make money off of your anxiety. The more you read the news, the more anxious you get, and thus the more you want to read the news. If you find yourself spiralling then the first step is to stop reading the news. You won’t miss anything important, your family will help make sure of that.
Sadly this is not true. Age and health are definitely a factor but there are also a significant number of cases where they make no difference at all. Research is ongoing into the reasons why covid19 affects certain people so strongly for no easily apparent reason.
However at this time, with covid19, even a young and healthy twenty something can still die.
Or that twenty something can catch covid19 and need to be ventilated but live and have permanent lung scarring.
Or they could catch covid19 and have no symptoms and pass it on to their mother and father and sister and brother, nieces and nephews, all of whom catch it, three of whom die and whose funerals they had to watch livestreamed because of the rules on gatherings.
But it’s OK, because they were young and healthy and ate well and they knew it wasn’t as dangerous for them because of that so they just went about their business pretty much as normal, safe in the knowledge that they would be fine.
I don’t like society much and it’s rules often confuse me, but it began for a reason. Survival. Following the rules at this time isn’t just about being polite anymore. It’s about saving lives.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
NO, EXERCISE IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR PPE OR A CURE ALL. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE GET SICK. READ FURTHER IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING INSTEAD OF ATTACKING ME FOR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS. Maybe I should have taken ten minutes to clarify the statement: Healthy foods increase immune responses. While extra vitamins do nothing, enough vitamins improve overall body function. Exercise of any type stimulates the heart and the circadian rhythm. This improves overall body function which increases immune response.
One of the complications that might happen with COVID-19 is an overblown immune reaction. It’s called a ‘cytokine storm’.
Quite a few healthy young people with excellent immune systems have died of what doctors suspected was a cytokine storm.
So while it’s a good idea to boost your immune system, it doesn’t always help.
Ensuring you have sufficient vitamin D in your system helps prevent the cytokine storm. Check out Dr John Campbell on you tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyMFsLFAE5o&t=1475s
My apologies if I made you feel personally attacked. That was very not my intention.
I am more concerned with addressing the amount of misinformation that is often about regarding covid19.
Here in the UK due to such misinformation there were issues at times with ibuprofen, vitamin C and various other confused ideas. I often see people strolling blithely by with a mask while still touching this that and the other and then moving their masks up and down repeatedly. Maybe they think the mask magically protects them from their own hands having touched surfaces?
However until this novel coronavirus has either been more adequately researched, fully contained or a proper vaccine discovered, the only actually true and tested prevention is distance and avoidance.
Hand washing helps remove traces but is still not as good as totally refraining from contact.
Regarding life generally a strong immune system is of course something to be desired as is a fit and flexible physique, good cardiovascular health, plentiful red and white blood cells and preferably some above average brain cells to go with them.
But they’re certainly not guaranteed to protect you from anything and everything life can hit you with, let alone this new disease.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Hi Travis – Thank you for sharing the article, I did read it.
I sense your frustration as well as that of the BDH.
I cannot speak for others, but I can speak for myself.
Iâm tired, exhausted, over stressed. Iâm not working out (gym closed, wait on hip replacement so itâs not as easy as getting out and walkâ). My workload has increased, team dynamics fractured. Iâm a stress eater…and binge on wine and carbs. Iâve gained what I call them COVID 15.
I know this is bad.
âTellingâ me about the things Iâm doing wrong and why makes me feel worse. I know I need fresh vegetables, but they are not what I reach for now. Carbs and Sugars rule.
Is it long term healthy, no. Is it providing short term comfort yes. With as crazy as things seem for many thatâs the best we can do.
I recognize the intent to help…but Iâm past coping levels and good behavior modification – despite daily discussions of this with my spouse.
Once I read the article, I better understood your desire to share. I anticipate others, like myself, might have been a bit off-put.
I thank you for your interest in helping. I ask you patience and understanding that not all are in a place to hear / receive.
I hope you do not receive this a criticism, but as intended, an effort to help defuse.
Thanks for caring, and sharing. Each day is precious. Iâm coming to understand that more as each day passes.
All – sending you health and happiness in times of trouble and high stress. I thank you for this forum to listen and share.
I have often found any avoid stress comments quite amusing in a way.
Obvious and not particularly helpful.
Similar to when your GP helpfully tells you to try and avoid using your sprained ankle for a week but you’re the lone carer able to push a disabled persons wheelchair and carry shopping and walk your dog, you live in a flat somewhere without a lift and basically have to do all the things you have to do. Good advice that’s both obvious and useless. đ
“Take it easy”, “keep your weight off it”, “try not to think about it”, “rest it for a while”, “get a good night’s sleep”
Gosh, why didn’t we think of any of those ourselves?
Have to agree with it all. Especially since there is no real end in sight if you are among the at risk group. Hello, welcome aboard the SS Pandemic. Towering waves of depression and anxiety abound. This is not going to be a fun cruise. Our kids worry about us. I did think there’d be a few more years before we got to that topsy turvy state of affairs. However: We can go out and walk even with neighbors if we maintain a social distance. It can be done. We have our pets, if not our kids. We have maintained reasonable health. Heck, I’ve even lost 6 lbs since being locked down. I can’t for the life of me figure out how that happened. I eat when I’m anxious.Since we retired back when we reached 75 and 80 we aren’t worried by job loss. Not our own anyway. Our pets and gardens have never been so well cared for. We are blessed by neighbors who do still check in on us.Now there are those weird beige clouds and haze. Ah, the Sahara has come calling. Amazing really. 2020 the year that just keeps on giving. And the curiosity bump that has been a nuisance and family joke all my life has turned out to be a lifeline to sanity. Go figure. We will get through this. Whatever “this” is. We will damned well get through it. Carry on you’re doing great! Just think how many you’ve helped through this. Take my (figurative)hand, we’ll get through together.
I love that analogy; it feels so apt. I would like to disembark from the ss pandemic, please.
I just watched that c-drama yesterday and it’s already completed I think with 24 episodes, iirc. Have you played Love Nikki again? I still play the game in Indonesia server since you once mentioned it in your blog post long, long time ago. Seeing pretty dresses perhaps can make you more cheerful too. On another note, I recently watched Kim So-Hyun comeback drama titled “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”. The overall atmosphere is a bit dark, it brings out the issues of mental health. But somehow, one episode in, I’m already hooked. And it’s so good that I’m worried to jinx it by acknowledging it????
If you are interested in a fun, thrilling comedy drama, I also recommend the k-drama titled “Good Casting.” It features three women doing undercover to catch a criminal. Recently released this 2020 too.
All in all, I wish you and everyone to stay safe and healthy.
It is hard when you do all you can to keep yourself and those around you safe but it is undone by people who cannot or refuse to see pass their nose to see common sense. I am grateful to your words and world you with them and hope they bring as much solace to you as they do to those of us read them. I understand your kids’ fear of keeping you safe. I stayed away from my mother and grandmother for two months in order to keep them safe.( I was coughing and until I was able to get tested, it was no go) It is hard on all of us when having that face to face time is what makes them happy. Hope the situation gets better in your area. Meantime, please stay safe. ‘This too shall pass’.
“But we are all humans. We are designed to survive, so letâs do our best.” This. Exactly this. I’m so sorry it’s turned so badly in your area. I’m with my Mom, 84 years old, here in Oregon. Rural, small town Oregon. We are blessed to have some land and I can work from home. My husband will traveling to, of all places, China tomorrow night, for work. Strangely it feels like he might be safer in China right now than here in the U.S. Thank you for staying home and taking care of yourself. Your writing is helping so many of us get through this crazy time. If there’s anything we can do for you…just let us know. Blessings.
Thank you for the sweet ending note. Iâve been reading nonstop and watching anime with the kids to keep our minds off of all the things weâre not doing this summer (and all the people weâre not going to see). Thank you for telling us about Viki, I downloaded it immediately. I recently read all of WR Gingellâs Between series and enjoyed it, if youâd like a recommendation in return.
Yes, WHO could POSSIBLY be so cruel as to installments to agonize over? ???????? You know, I do wonder sometimes if you guys enjoy having us wait. I know it takes time and a lot of work to write Ryder for us. And yet, Iâm convinced a part of you two, however small, likes the anticipation. Especially after this post. ????????????
Iâm glad u are surviving as thatâs what most of us can only do.
I self-quarantine (donât go out more than once/twice in 10-14 days to errands that I canât put off. We (Virginia) were like u guys 3 weeks ago, but we still have between 15-20 people dying a day from this crap, about 200 people since 6/13. Thatâs a lot of people for Va. So I hunker down, shop WalM in the early morning hours, and only run errands that I hv to.
Just a reminder, getting sick is one thing, it is the Long Term side effects from this disease that we donât know anything about. If anything, itâs This that should hv everybody shaking in their shoes.
Take care. Thank you for letting us know ur ok.
PS: Iâm the same about knitting, canât finish a project to save my life.
Thank you for your honesty. I’m from England and it’s been really grim here and still isn’t anywhere near over. According to the experts we can expect the second wave in August/September. I’m furloughed from work, no idea if I will have a job at the end, many of my neighbours and friends have been made redundant. You are not alone, I’m struggling too and frustrated with myself for not coping better. With time off work I had big plans but instead of learning a new language or how to play an instrument (thank you internet for that pressure) I seem to have accomplished IBS, constant chest pain and the complete inability to sleep properly. Thank you for Ryder, it really makes my day. Sending you a virtual hug, we will all get through this. Stay safe & well.
If the chest pain continues donât ignore it. It could be real heart trouble exasperated by stress.
It might even be covid-19 related.
(refer back to the podcast link I put in my other comment).
Our children wonât let us leave the house either. We order food or they bring it . Then some people , my brother church friends think the precaution are overrated . My oldest son is getting married in September in Alaska and no one wants to go because of COVID.
I’ve “been” to a couple of Zoom weddings which were very nice, a bit of joy in this miserable mess.
This is a really terrible time. It sounds awful to say this, but once Covid got rolling I was actually glad my mother died last year because she would have been so, so scared this whole time.
Hate to add further to your worries, but my sister (an ER nurse) told me last week that they have found that coronavirus antibodies only survive for 2-3 months in the body. This means that 1) if you get it once, you can get it again a few months later and 2) making a vaccine is going to be really hard, since vaccines are based on the antibody response.
On the somewhat brighter side, I’m thankful this is happening now instead of during the pre-internet days. At least we all have the technology to work and socialize while keeping a physical distance. Imagine how much harder this all would have been even 20 years ago! No Netflix, for one (gasp).
Remember also that you have tons of friends and supporters you’ve never even met, all rooting for you. In fact, I’m sending this whole community a virtual hug right now. See it coming through the internet connection? I will pray for you too… setting aside any major divine intervention, there have been studies that show people actually get well faster and generally thrive if others are praying for them.
Finally, if you need masks Hanes has what looks like pretty good ones for sale at a decent price: https://www.hanes.com/masks/shop-masks.html. Mine are arriving tomorrow.
I think a lot of people unnecessarily panicked over the article about antibodies only lasting 2-3 months. That is actually normal and true for almost all infections. What matters for long-term immunity is not the antibodies but the “Memory B” cells that remember the pathogens for faster antibody production in future infections. No reason to think those Memory B cells won’t remember COVID. Wanted to throw that out there in case it helps with some of the pandemic worries.
Thx for the info.
Thank you, Em, it does help.
+1!!!!
Also just want to add that (working with covid genomes) it appears that although the genome mutates with each transmittance, it is still surprisingly stable and very similar even between continents, making the hope for vaccine that much more plausible- it does NOT seem like the virus will change so much that the potential vaccine will become quickly ineffective…
Sounds like you are in a tough place right now! Normally I never reply to your blog (although I always read it and enjoy it very much) since English is not my native language and I’m a bit shy.
But I just wanted to say: you got this! Take care of yourself and your family, enjoy the small things you can do. We will get through this!
Sending you and your family lots of love.
Thank you for that information about “Memory B” cells , it helps
COVID sucks. Pardon my language. We are in the Benton Franklin county area of Washington State. Not quite as dramatic as where you are at, but still bad.
We just said no to the kids visiting from Portland because if my spouse gets it he wonât survive. Or if the kids get it while in town we would feel awful!
Ryder is such a kind gift right now. Thank you both. And if you want to take a pause, that is what you should do. Some days I just have to sit in a stupor. Everyone try to minimize the day time drinking. đ
My prayers go out to all of you. Try to stay sane and safe.
I grew up in Benton Co. and now live in Everett, where COVID-19 was first identified in the US. I was having panic attacks about it at the end of February. My family still in the Tri-Cities thought I was overreacting.
I’m still freaking out most of the time. It takes all I have to not scream and yell at people who refuse to wear masks. Our local sheriff refused to enforce any of the Executive Orders from the governor to help protect us. Everyone in my household is immunocompromised. I lost my job the first week of March because of complaining about the lack of even cleaning measures at Lowe’s where I worked. The other family member still working retail.
Yeah. I’m still scared. BUT, my employer could not produce a valid reason to deny me unemployment. So until the end of July, I’m still making the same income level. Stressed about finding a safe job. But better off than many.
I’m making masks for local family and friends. I am learning to quilt. Building a set up for both of those with stuff I already have.
Creating something helps a whole lot to feel like I have some control and can move forward. At least I have enough material to keep my family in masks for the year.
I grew up in Benton Co. and now live in Everett, where COVID-19 was first identified in the US. I was having panic attacks about it at the end of February. My family still in the Tri-Cities thought I was overreacting.
I’m still freaking out most of the time. It takes all I have to not scream and yell at people who refuse to wear masks. Our local sheriff refused to enforce any of the Executive Orders from the governor to help protect us. Everyone in my household is immunocompromised. I lost my job the first week of March because of complaining about the lack of even cleaning measures at Lowe’s where I worked. The other family member still working retail.
Yeah. I’m still scared. BUT, my employer could not produce a valid reason to deny me unemployment. So until the end of July, I’m still making the same income level. Stressed about finding a safe job. But better off than many.
I’m making masks for local family and friends. I am learning to quilt. Building a set up for both of those with stuff I already have.
Creating something helps a whole lot to feel like I have some control and can move forward. At least I have enough material to keep my family in masks for the year.
I totally understand your not so happy comment about Governor Abbot. I knew he was opening up Texas way too soon, and now this happens. There were a lot of things he should have done sooner, but didn’t because he only wanted to look at the positivity rate in Texas. Every time he said that, I rolled my eyes because there is more to COVID-19 than the positivity rate.
The hospital system I work for is looking at the COVID-19 cases (whether admitted or under investigation) with sharp eyes because of the limited capacity within the ICUs. I just finished a CMS COVID-19 summary using CMS’s snapshot data made available just a few days ago.
If individual people would do their part to contain this virus in Texas, all of us would be better off. Yes, wear the mask, but also keep your distance and wash your hands. Apparently people only want to wear the mask, but not keep their distance. I do all three along with taking my allergy medicine. The mold count is really bad in the DFW area because of the humidity.
Anyway, I will get off my soapbox. Again, thank you for all the Ryder snippets. đ Enjoy your Asian dramas.
My son is in Houston and he said from the beginning that people refused to distance or wear masks and worse that people made fun of those wearing them or worse,getting belligerent towards those who did bc somehow in their microscopic brains this translates to the person wearing the mask making a political statement. What makes this even worse is the virus apparently is a lot more infectious now, mutations since it first jumped has made it like 10x more infectious than back then.
So they rushed to open up, the virus is raging, do they think that people now will want to go out to stores,bars,restaurants and theaters, even wearing a mask? I have talked to a lot of people where I live and almost everyone has said even when theaters and restaurants open they won’t go; by being quite frankly stupid, actually banning mask ordinances, opening too fast they are going to face something worse,a populace now too scared to go out and you don’t flip a switch on that.
Hubby & I are very high-risk & live in New Jersey so weâve been dealing with it forever. Or so it seems. Other than the mandatory medical appointments, weâve starting taking long car rides for the scenery. Everythingâs in bloom and the âgarden stateâ is looking very beautiful.
Iâve started helping some people on-line. This has helped to pushed my own anxiety to the background as I focus on someone elseâs problem. Itâs also nice to have some sense of âaccomplishmentâ involving other people in my life.
Of course the real highlight of my day is whenever I get a new Ryder post. Canât thank you enough for that. Stay safe and look forward to your blogs.
I enjoyed your post, Nancy. It sounds lovely: Iâm going to look for travel videos of New Jersey now to see what you might see. I find I do have to take my mind off of my own loneliness by thinking of others and remembering that what I have would be a dream for those in difficulty. Sending you a wave and a smile from Washington State.
This is such a difficult and scary time to be alive. I’m glad your kids are looking out for you and that you both are doing what you can to be safe. It’s so difficult to function right now, let alone make art or write. And the fact that you both are, is incredible. Thank you for sharing with us your process and glimpses into your lives.
I’ve found myself re-reading books as a way to seek familiar and comfort that isn’t really present right now, many of which are series that the two of you wrote. Thinking of you all.
I’m sorry this is happening. A colleague lives west of you in McAllen, everything he’s told us is scary. I’m pretty sure I had it back in March (antibody test results pending), and the immunologists don’t know yet what that means. Hopefully they’re right that antibodies below testable levels still means some immunity.
I appreciate the anticipation for Ryder – it’s a delightful surprise every time I see a post. I read very fast, so I don’t usually get to spend time pondering what’s going to happen next. đ
Regarding masks, Tom Bihn has my favorite pattern to make. They can be cut on the fold with a rotary cutter in two straight slices plus a curve. With cutting tricks and production sewing techniques I’m down to about 10 minutes per unit. I’d be happy to make & mail some if you need more.
https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/maskhowto
Hang in there – we’re going to get through this together.
I have loved ones that I worry about every day. I donât want to get political but itâs frustrating that something so simple as masks have become a political issue. I just want my loved ones to be safe. Just watched a special episode of Lenox Hill on Netflix. It shows a glimpse of what it was like for the NY hospital during the past few months. Itâs heartbreaking and traumatic. Canât imagine what it was like for essential workers to deal with that many deaths in a day…..I just wish everyone would take this seriously. The pandemic is still not over.
On a happier note, so excited that youâre also waiting for Romance of Tiger and Rose. Similar to you, I loved how hilarious it was and was waiting for more episodes to finish subbing. The official channel on YouTube was also releasing it with subs. Theyâre faster than Viki. Because you brought it to my attention, I checked on the sub status and it looks like theyâre all done on YouTube! Now I can binge! I need the humor and laughter in my life.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMX26aiIvX5qmFwvmqUqmuazLFKjXVztJ
Working for a university I get what you mean about a college town. We now have 107+ new cases identified as linking back to one bar in East Lansing over an 8 day period. The age range was 16 – 28 years old. 40% were college students from the university. 95 of the total were at the bar. The other 12 are in a town 90 minutes away, because one of the 95 went home and attended a party the classmates from high school. I have seen pictures – not one of those people in line for the bar were practicing social distancing nor were they wearing masks.
ive found that most people have girlfriend/sister/mom day and boys have their own stuff point is you can skype and watch a movie group chat all of those things yes not the same but it can be fun.Dress up. have a theme night. dress down have grunge 90 night .80’s hair bad night.i had to show my 9yr niece a picture of poison.she was surprised to know that they were all men….its the little things that can make a huge difference in mood.have fun be silly.nobody will ever know and your friends already did.
Def Leppard and Guns ‘N Roses were no slouch in the 80s hair department. đ It’s the hair that will get them every time. đ
Sending air hugs to you and your family. I worry for so many people and I was driving myself crazy. I couldnât sleep or watch television or read or . . . you name it. I talked to my doctor; he prescribed trazodone. He also told me to turn off the news because I was getting so agitated listening to all the politicians – especially Trump. Within a week, my sleeping even doubt and I was not having my panic attacks. I am a firm believer of better living through chemistry right now.
Thank goodness for better living through chemistry!
Hi feel your pain the Uk is easing restrictions but my city has just been locked-down again because of a spike in cases here âčïž
Dear Ilona und Gordon,
I feared that your situation would be bad now, and I am very sorry,
I was right.
I learned to read english with books like yours since 2000 and have panic attacks and depressions for 43 years. These books were often a light in my darkness.
The situation in Germany is much better but I fear because of my illness and people become careless really fast. And so much people are ill and dying all over the world.
You recommended a book “Tsumiko and the enslaved fox” (forthright),
I read all the books and daily the blog “Lord Mettlebrights Man”,
100 words nearly every day and it makes me smile.
Forthright recommended “Meadowsweet – Galleries of Stone Book 1”.
A children’s book but I like it very much, it is about “Fear not strangers, you can find friends, family and happiness in unlikely places”: Food for the soul.
I wish you can smile and sleep well soon again und know your children are save.
Greetings from south-west Germany (Saarland)
Ingrid
Hey Ingrid! Glad Germany is doing better. Germany could teach USA a thing or 2.
Take care.
Can you share the name of the great mask pattern? Though I often feel as if I can do very little to help, I CAN sew masks. And I have some ability to laugh at my husband about how my fabric hoarding has paid off!!
Thanks for Ryder and Innkeeper Chronicles, which I gave to anyone who had a kindle and am now enjoying again for like the fourth or fifteenth time.
As far as reading goes, I highly recommend The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison and Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold (and the Penric novellas, because smaller readings are sometimes better to deal with). In these kinds of times, I really appreciate fictional heros who are the good guys.
Seconding the request for the great mask pattern. I’ve made three different versions and have yet to find one I love, so I’m in search of new variations!
Ditto – Iâd love to know which mask pattern youâre sewing.
+1. That’s what I was thinking as well. When I get stressed out, I make a mask. Keep trying to get the best fitted design and an unhappy with what I’ve found so far.
I have found lots of patterns on both Pinterest and you tube. They have lots of different ways to make them. The funny part is that donât need much material for each mask so your stash will probably not drop much ????
Anything by Bujold has been a great distraction for me.
My cherry on the covid sundae has been the discovery of a potential deer tick bite -complete with circular welt. Just starting on my premptive antibiotics today. I am planning to spend my evenings relistening to all of Innkeeper. And Three Men in a Boat – the version read by Ian Carmichael.
Have you read Connie Willisâ time travel book âTo Say Nothing of the Dog?â? Itâs a hilarious book with the main character being sent back in time, ends up in the wrong time and place and ends up punting down the Thames where he has a brief encounter with the punters in Three Men in a Boat. Very fun read with some romance. A little confusing in the beginning but well worth it.
I ended up reading Three Men In a Boat ( to say nothing of the dog) because of it.
The Curse of Chalion- so so good! Divinity and humanity and so much himor
I live in a rural part of Wisconsin where people, despite numbers, still donât seem to believe in Covid. Cases are still relatively low and few have died. My cousin even had a graduation party for her daughter, and we didnât go. She is a nurse. I just canât help but be frustrated by the lack of even simple precautions like social distancing. Especially from adults that should know better.
“Because making people wait for a new episode is some kind of torture” Me thinks the BDH can certainly sympathize with that statement!
Hey there. Iâm not so far away in Bryan/College Station and absolutely understand your heartache. Please know youâre not alone. Sending you a great, big chubby-woman hug and a warm THANK YOU for Ryder. Seeing a new post is one of the best moments of my week – right up there with slinging my bra off at the end of the workday, taking that first sip of chilled wine, and hugging my puppy. ????
It has been and is a difficult situation. I have also gone through a few weeks in which I couldnt cope with it. I am lucky to live in Switzerland where, no one knows why, it hasnt been so bad so far. It is not easy to meet the balance between paranoica and safety measures, that is how I feel here where it seems most people dont care about the pandemia.
However, my family lives in Spain and I know how it is when it hits hard. Although the virus itself isnt the worst, I know of families who have lost loved ones and not been able to say their goodbye because of the forced lockdown (mind that not only corona kills, cancer and strokes are still as deadly as ever). I have lost someone in Spain and couldnt yet visit my family to cry together because flights are cancelled daily (or not offered even).
In case this can help you at all, I am sharing with you what makes me feel better in these times. It probably is childish but who cares, it helps me so:
When I feel desperate and just want to cry, I just think that life goes on. I think of those times when I also expected the worst to happen and make fun of myself because I keep repeating the same mistake. When I though I would fall during last hike, when I got scared thinking I would be assaulted that night alone at the airport… Those things could have happened but didn’t. So corona could affect my family more but won’t. Just be careful, keep your mask, your distance and whatsapp your family daily for them to do so too. Dont do crazy and everything will be ok.
This reminded me of one of Kate’s coping mechanisms. That I can remember she does something like this at least twice in the books. Sending good energies your way.
Thank you for sharing The Rose and The Tiger. It made me LOL.
I feel you about the anxiety and worrying about family and friends. Your daughters are young and yet behaving so responsibly.
It’s hard to focus on the positives. My way of coping is to be grateful for every little thing I have and to give thanks many times a day, every day, for such small things as a cup of tea to waking to a new day. I find when I focus on giving thanks, the worries take a back seat. When there is a particularly stressful worry, I focus on my breath. When doing that it feels there is not room for anything else. I appreciate that not everyone’s coping methods are the same and what works for some will not work for others. Focusing on fear can be crippling for me.
Thank you so much for Ryder. It brightens my week and is very valued. Your creativity has not stagnated one little bit during this time and I feel so very grateful.
This too shall pass but living with it every day is can be so draining. Thinking of everyone for what you are going through.
I’ve got it easy compared to a lot of people. I live with my parents and our two dogs in a semi-rural area, so we’re able to go out for walks without getting close to people. We try to do most of our shopping at farm stands and the corner store that does curbside pickup, and my dad goes every couple weeks to the grocery store’s early-morning senior hours. The locals are, for the most part, being pretty good about avoiding risky behavior. Unfortunately, the tourists not so much â they’re on vacation, so obviously things like masks aren’t necessary! >.<
Still, we're in comparatively good shape. My parents are retired (but on the young end) and are financially secure. I was supposed to be working for the census this spring before starting grad school in the fall; census is indefinitely postponed and classes are going to be online, but I'm not going to go hungry and I am going to be able to start my program. I miss social interaction and snuggling up with my boyfriend.
If chocolate would help, I highly recommend AlterEco's bars and truffles. They're really tasty, as well as environmentally and socially responsible. For dark chocolate lovers, their 90% cacao bars are deliciously smooth, without the grittiness a lot of super-dark bars have.
I live in Germany where things are slowly going back to normal with small hiccups in between. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t get a second wave…
I didn’t believe it at first but during my 8 weeks of home office Animal Crossing New Horizons really helped! You can be outside without going outside, you can be creative, everyone on your island is super cute and nice to you, the online community is great! The first rush has died down so now it’s pretty chill playing again. If you have a Switch at home or can get hold of one, you should really try it! Especially if nothing else works at the moment đ
First thank you for another Ryder installment, they always lighten my day.
I am sorry it is so rough for you at the moment, it is so hard when we have physical problems that are affected by stress – I have a chronic pain problem that is affected. Mind my chronic pain is easy to forget when I am reading your works, or at the moment rereading them, I am sorry I can’t prescibe you the same medicine! I’m in the UK and I’ll be sixty in August so I really don’t want to get COVID-19, but despite doing everything I should I am frightened that I will get it, that more family will get it – so far one youngster – that it will be the longer version etc etc, and looking at the way too many people are behaving is enough to make me despair. *sigh*
Could you share the details of the well fitting mask pattern please?
Always love you posts. They put a smile on my face. That said I’ve noticed that sometime I get a post email from you and it won’t fully open. Or as in today. the only thing that opens is an Innkeeper picture from a post from July 16, 2019! Super Weird
So glad you are staying safe!
Is your mask pattern available online? Something “fiddly” might be a good distraction for some of us right now!
Hang in there!
Same, have been having a hard time to find the perfect mask fit
Try this mask. It’s fiddly and sized:
https://www.craftpassion.com/face-mask-sewing-pattern/
I’m brazilian, and we are steadily climbing towards surpassing even the USA, in numbers and overall shitness of how the whole situation is being dealt with. So I can relate.
I’m just glad you guys are able to shelter in place, this is a very hard time, made harder by stupid, irresponsible and egotistical people, but I have faith we’ll be able to get to the other side of this. Sending good energies your, and the BDH’s way.
Please be safe and take all the necessary precautions when possible. Sending lots of hugs your way.
I know you lived in South Carolina before and had neighbor issues. But the county where I live has only had one COVID-19 death. Iâm feeling pretty good about moving here.
I hope things turn around soon.
Sympathies. I live between Houston and Galveston Texas.
I do go to work, but we follow strict guidelines. Totally masked up unless eating lunch or hydrating. Lots of hand washing. We have curbside pick up but the Library is closed to the public. Yes returned books are quarantined. You all take care.
Heat them up to be able to lower the quarantine time. A vacuum oven works great if someone around you has one.
I’ll tell you what’s saved my sanity – discovering Kate Daniels! In the past two weeks I’ve bought and am now chugging through all the books and novellas to stay sane.
You may have literally saved my life. I’m a writer as well, and it’s been hard to find the words – but living in your Atlanta has helped me keep it all together.
Thank you so much!!!
đ
I will read anything and everything you all write.
Please stay safe.
My job has me knitting chainmail and I’ve been bouncing between personal projects of increasing complexity to keep me distracted.
The two of you will be fine despite the trials going on around you. The universe itself loves your work and you two have many more books to write. Hug your girls every day, they are in more danger than they know. Please demand they be careful even when they are being teased about it from their friends. Death and illness are lonely places.
Even though the numbers arenât nearly as bad here, I absolutely sympathize with the anxiety. Mine comes in the form of âWhy arenât our numbers higher? Why is everyone around us spiking but we arenât? Itâs not like anyone around here is actually isolating or wearing masks. So when is it going to spike and what am I going to do then?â I also work in a school district, so I get the weirdness of planning for normal school while also going, âYeah, weâre definitely going to be ordered to close at some point so letâs just see how long we can go before then, and have plans for every contingency.â
I am glad that you both and your kids are well. I am so sorry about the physical symptoms! I hope things get better soon for you.
I am in Yakima, WA which never left Phase 1 and was #3 in the Nation for cases and still rising. We have been on stay-at-home orders for 4, going on 5, months. Our governor is talking about Yakima and NYC and Italy in the same sentences. We just went on mandatory face covering orders last week and I am hoping that helps. Not a lot of people here were wearing them before.
Thank you for Ryder even in the midst of all of the crazy for you guys! It is a huge bright spot for me:)
I would seriously put you guys (and Betty White) in a bubble if i could! Stay safe, Stay healthy!!! So glad you have smart kids!
i watched that the other day. all 24 episodes. from 6 pm to 4 am… ummm yea lol haha
I’m so sorry. There are no words.
Thanks for the Viki recommendation. Have you ever watched “A Korean Odyssey?” Its on Netflix and you might enjoy it.
I hope you, your family, and all of the readers here stay safe and healthy. Back in February, my family was extremely ill. We had negative flu test results but experienced fever, chills, dry cough, fatigue, loss of taste and smell as well as general achey feeling. We are in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The doctor thought it was viral and prescribed Benzonate capsules, recommended we take Mucinex D (itâs over the counter but u have to sign for it here) and alternate Tylenol and acetaminophen. We never took a Covid test because then they were not widely available so we do not know if we had it. Anyway, I just thought I would share that with you all for whatever it is worth.
I felt like we were very lucky in that the doctorâs advice was effective for us. We felt very ill for about a month. The coughing produced something I have never experienced previously. It was like tiny bits of glue but somehow thicker and stickier and extremely tiny. Iâm sure that sounds gross and do not mean to gross anyone out here. We felt fatigued for another month afterwards and felt a bit foggy mentally. My husband and I are in our late 40s age wise. I just thought I would share what we experienced and what worked for us in case it helped anyone.
It does help, Mary. In March and April, I read a *ton* of detailed first person accounts, and I can’t express how much it helped take at least the “fear of the unknown” component out of the equation. I watch my mother’s (we’re sheltering together) eyes for redness and monitor her fatigue like a hawk. She 74 and a severe asthmatic, so it keeps me from having a panic attack at every inevitable cough and sniffle. And since I’m immunocompromised due to RA, she panics at my every temperature fluctuation, which is my menopausal hormones’ favorite way to party.
Accurate information, even in little pieces, is fear’s greatest enemy.
I am glad you found it helpful and hope you and your mother stay healthy. I feel I should also mention that we saw the doctor within a few days of feeling ill as we honestly thought we had the flu and were hoping to take medication early to lessen its impact. So we started following the doctorâs advice within a few days of feeling symptoms. However, I found I could only take the Mucinex once a day as opposed to twice a day as it prevented me from sleeping at night. I think it contains some sort of controlled substance as you have to sign for that particular Mucinex and show your drivers license at the pharmacy. And we took the Mucinex for a bit longer I believe as we bought it several times until the symptoms started to go away.
Also, I feel I should mention that the fever lasted about a month if not a little longer and felt like at times some sort of notepad would have been helpful to note when I had to take additional acetaminophen. The fever at times seemed to spike regardless of Tylenol taken and I worried about overdosing on acetaminophen. The fatigue I think was similar to what I experienced years ago during a bout of walking pneumonia, but lasted this time for about 2 months. We also tried to stay hydrated and drink extra water with the thought that we would flush whatever we had out of our systems. This resulted in, at times, feeling like just getting to the rest room was such a struggle and a small victory in daily life. Anyways, I hope everyone here stays healthy, kind to one another and themselves.
I’m in Austin and it’s just so crazy up here. We’re also in isolation since March, and it’s exhausting emotionally. Thank you for Ryder; it is a much needed diversion from life.
Each morning, my work gets a list of news articles that are suppose to be Texas based. But because of the key words we use (one is “mayor”), a lot of non Texas (US and worldwide) articles appear. My job is to weed out the nonimportant articles and email the rest to our client list. Normally there are about 700 articles. Since this has started, it is now around 1500 to 2000. What use to take 1 – 1.5 hours now takes 2.5 hours or longer.
So, needless to say, I know what is going on around the world (and a lot in Texas) whether I want to or not. So when Australia or New Zealand (sorry NZ about not staying covid free) or Britain, Germany, Italy, etc. gets a flare, I get several articles on it. Not to mention all the riot based articles. When I’m done, I try to get on the treadmill for about 10 minutes to clear my brain.
On the bright side, I am 100% remoting it (my work is about 98%). My wife is a teacher so she has the summer off. If the schools have remote learning, she is well prepared (all her lessons are already on the web). We haven’t killed each other yet, but then I’m working upstairs and she has the kitchen/dining room to work with.
We go out to eat once a week to a place we trust. Other than that, it’s mostly homebound.
My other release besides the treadmill is putting together puzzles, reading/listening to IlonaAndrews/Renee Raudman or other urban fantasy authors.
The only reason why New Zealand is no longer covid free is that we’re telling all kiwis to come home. They go into 14 days of isolation and get tested twice over that period, well that’s what’s supposed to happen, there were mistakes made but the system is working, it’s been over two months since we had a case occur because of community transmission.
Our lockdown was harsh, but it has certainly worked
For what it’s worth New Zealand is currently doing ok (we had a bit of a scare with our quarantine processes but that has upped the attention being paid), there are 22 active cases and one in hospital in a stable condition.
All of the cases so far have been caught in border quarantine facilities (other than the two people who had compassionate leave but had limited contact with people) and we’ve tested over 1% of the population over the last few weeks so hopefully if there was community spread it would have been detected.
Eventually we could get community spread and lockdowns again but for now life is fairly normal (although we are all anxious and on edge along with the rest of the world).
Niece lives in San Marcos but came up here to Dallas to stay with her parents because its crazy down there. I want to say it will be ok, but who the hell knows at this point.
Since you like that show, if you enjoy anime, take a look at My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! at https://www.crunchyroll.com/my-next-life-as-a-villainess-all-routes-lead-to-doom
From Wikipedia:
Catarina Claes, the young daughter of a noble family, one day bumps her head and regains memories of her past life as an otaku. It is then that she realizes she has been reborn into the world of the otome game Fortune Lover, reincarnated as the game’s villainess who, regardless of what route the player took in the original game, is doomed to be either killed or exiled. In order to avoid these routes that lead to doom, Catarina begins taking countermeasures to try and avoid things going the same way as the game. This, however, ends up having unexpected consequences on her relations with the other characters of the game’s world.