(no subject)
I'm scared. Not for the virus itself, but for everything surrounding it.
General Australia status: we're not in lockdown, but any business which revolves around gatherings has been closed. Pubs, gyms, cinemas, all those sorts of things are closed. Cafés and restaurants are allowed to do takeaway. Obviously social distancing is mandatory, with fines for anyone not observing that. Basically no gatherings allowed at all, weddings restricted to five people, funerals to 10 people. Retail hasn't been specifically mentioned as yet, but restrictions on how many people are allowed in rooms are applied there. Schools still open, though some states (not SA) have brought forward school holidays forward. Everything not specifically mentioned counts as an 'essential service' because people are earning money and staying in jobs and not getting into the million-people-strong queue at Centrelink.
So far, my business counts as one of those. We're still open, but I'm scared. Our major clients are booze and ice cream/hot dogs. The booze is the one that pays my salary every two months; lose them and, well... Jon says 'people will lose their jobs' but lbr it's me. I'll lose my job. Bottle shops still count as an essential service. This client works in 2-week periods for their promo/specials, and we typically do two periods at a time. I just finished doing the artwork for period 21+22, just got that approved on Monday, and they pulled period 22 yesterday. Today I got an email asking for one of their staff members to get trained on the EDM system (Electronic Direct Mail, all those marketing emails you get from companies you sign up for loyalty programs and such). I've been doing them for the past two years, but no more.
Until then, we'd been kinda cushioned a little bit, specifically because of them. Ice cream/hot dogs, who operate in shopping centres, fell off a cliff two weeks ago. Things have been quiet, but we're still getting orders from the medical clients, the major car servicing client, Government. Still keeping... busy is the wrong word, but still getting work. The booze, though... I'm scared.
This week, I've had lunch in the fridge at work but have gone to the café to get takeaway lunch every day just to support them for as long as I can. If I'm still coming to work on Monday I'll be amazed.
Still doing fitness, going for a run on the beach as long as I'm allowed to. Brighton, my closest, isn't a particularly busy beach anyway, especially late in March when it's only, like, mid-20s. Even in normal times you're typically spread out with, like, 20m betweeen people unless you're passing dog walkers and other fitness walkers/runners. Not at all like the dickwits at Bondi on Sunday. So anyway. I started last week running for as long as I could, which was eight minutes, then each day tacking another two minutes on. Today I got up to 26 minutes! Pretty stoked with self for this progress. I haven't at any stage given up and taken a break before the timer went off, go me. I need something to cheer and, y'know what, my own improving health will do nicely.
I'm scared.
'narti originally stuck this at Dreamwidth cos she lives there now.
General Australia status: we're not in lockdown, but any business which revolves around gatherings has been closed. Pubs, gyms, cinemas, all those sorts of things are closed. Cafés and restaurants are allowed to do takeaway. Obviously social distancing is mandatory, with fines for anyone not observing that. Basically no gatherings allowed at all, weddings restricted to five people, funerals to 10 people. Retail hasn't been specifically mentioned as yet, but restrictions on how many people are allowed in rooms are applied there. Schools still open, though some states (not SA) have brought forward school holidays forward. Everything not specifically mentioned counts as an 'essential service' because people are earning money and staying in jobs and not getting into the million-people-strong queue at Centrelink.
So far, my business counts as one of those. We're still open, but I'm scared. Our major clients are booze and ice cream/hot dogs. The booze is the one that pays my salary every two months; lose them and, well... Jon says 'people will lose their jobs' but lbr it's me. I'll lose my job. Bottle shops still count as an essential service. This client works in 2-week periods for their promo/specials, and we typically do two periods at a time. I just finished doing the artwork for period 21+22, just got that approved on Monday, and they pulled period 22 yesterday. Today I got an email asking for one of their staff members to get trained on the EDM system (Electronic Direct Mail, all those marketing emails you get from companies you sign up for loyalty programs and such). I've been doing them for the past two years, but no more.
Until then, we'd been kinda cushioned a little bit, specifically because of them. Ice cream/hot dogs, who operate in shopping centres, fell off a cliff two weeks ago. Things have been quiet, but we're still getting orders from the medical clients, the major car servicing client, Government. Still keeping... busy is the wrong word, but still getting work. The booze, though... I'm scared.
This week, I've had lunch in the fridge at work but have gone to the café to get takeaway lunch every day just to support them for as long as I can. If I'm still coming to work on Monday I'll be amazed.
Still doing fitness, going for a run on the beach as long as I'm allowed to. Brighton, my closest, isn't a particularly busy beach anyway, especially late in March when it's only, like, mid-20s. Even in normal times you're typically spread out with, like, 20m betweeen people unless you're passing dog walkers and other fitness walkers/runners. Not at all like the dickwits at Bondi on Sunday. So anyway. I started last week running for as long as I could, which was eight minutes, then each day tacking another two minutes on. Today I got up to 26 minutes! Pretty stoked with self for this progress. I haven't at any stage given up and taken a break before the timer went off, go me. I need something to cheer and, y'know what, my own improving health will do nicely.
I'm scared.
'narti originally stuck this at Dreamwidth cos she lives there now.