I’ve said several times during this pandemic that nothing brings out a person’s true nature like a crisis. It will either bring out the best – or worst – in a person! I’ve seen so many people doing things that are truly remarkable! People are making their own face masks, people are honing their cooking skills in ways they didn’t before the quarantine (raised hand, yo), breweries/distilleries are making hand sanitizer and last but not least – our health care providers all deserve Purple Hearts when this is all said and done. I honestly can’t say enough about hospital workers and others putting their lives on the line right now.

And then there’s the other side of the coin. Sadly, this global crisis has also brought out the worst in some people. And I don’t want to get into any of that in detail here. Just look around you, it won’t take too long to find it!

Right now, we’re all adapting to what everyone seems to be calling “the new normal.” Ugh…I am SO in hate with all of these buzzwords right now! Tired of pandering commercials telling us to calm the f— down, commercials/messages telling us to “stay safe,” yada, yada yada. What I’m not tired of are the Popeyes commercials! I never get tired of seeing that delicious, delicious breaded chicken…(drool)!

My husband in “strategy” mode…

I remain thankful that I’m not working right now and receiving unemployment benefits. But what I’m most thankful for on the “home front” is the way my dear husband has stepped up to make sure we’re not bored during our evenings at home! He has become our virtual “entertainment director” as he gets decks of game cards ready for us to play board games, such as “Zombicide.” He and I have both been coming up with potential scenarios, and  he’s the one making them happen!

Tonight’s adventure will be in a…campground! Our survivors will awaken from a camping trip…to zombies! Our mission will be to find the camp store and get enough supplies to hop on  a boat to escape since the mainland is crawling with the walking dead. We’ll have to find the supply cards for things such as Twinkies, bottled water, canned food, bags of rice and other supplies – all the while fending off the attacking zombies with whatever we can find! Hedge clippers, firearms, fire axes…

A couple of nights ago I told him how much I appreciated what he was doing! He just humbly said:

Well, I used to be a DM!

You gamers already know what DM means! But for all of you others, it means “dungeon master,” a title bestowed upon folks running “Dungeons and Dragons” campaigns. And their skills are just as “essential” right now as sewing, cooking, teaching children at home (I pity the folks trying to potty train their kiddos right now) food service, grocery/liquor stores and health care!

It’s really been sort of a “team” effort! We come up with the game scenarios together, I provide the “soundtrack” by finding the appropriate tunes in my personal music collection or on Spotify, and I make sure the drink fridge in the basement stays stocked with enough libations. And even more important – I make sure the downstairs bathroom has enough  T.P.!