I’ve seen a lot of “Isolation? Yay!” posts from fellow introverts and homebodies. I am with you (spiritually!) My last dating profile started with “Indoorsy Homebody looking for same.”
Much like the hermit druid I play in our home game, I am 100% content to stay at home in my swamp hut, accepting visitors for whom I can make healing salves and potions, and just tending to my swamp companions (Charlotte the dog, the hummingbirds and the neighborhood outdoor cat collective.) But the visitors have come to a halt, except a couple trusty family members who helped me with some home maintenance.
Hilariously enough, I do actually live between a small swampy pond and a small swampy lake. It’s a constant worry that my house will flood. I can talk endlessly about my worries these days. However, that’s not what this post is about, that’s what my Twitter is for!
This is about the things I love, and how I am passing time.
Coping Mechanisms
I am privileged enough to have a full-time, work-from-home job even in the before times. My day to day hasn’t changed much, but my anxiety levels are through the roof. I have tremendous empathy for everyone making the adjustment to work from home, not working or putting themselves in danger to make sure everyone can still eat.
To balance out my anxiety, I definitely spend a lot of time sleeping, zoning out, and streaming content. I am not sure what I would have done without the jovial levity of the McElroy Clan podcasts. Truly, Everyone should be listening to them. It’s like my new ASMR. I am currently making my way through Wonderful.
Magicians: 5 seasons, Netflix & Syfy.com
Modern Day, Adult wizards attend magic college, learn about magic, ethics, love and saving the world.
Longer Synopsis: Set in modern time, the premise is that a young man, Quentin, and his best friend, Julia, are obsessed with a series of children’s books similar to The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe. In the books, siblings uncover a portal to another world, called Fillory and a bunch of magical things happen.
The show starts when the young man discovers the entrance to a special college called Brakebills. This is where magicians learn to craft their skills and discipline. It’s mostly wonky hijinks and trying to get around the rules. There’s also an underground sect of casters called the Hedge Witches who are not deemed good enough to get into college. To further the plot, Fillory is revealed as a real place where Q and his friends explore and continue their hijinks.
What I like about it: It’s a sexier, adult, not TERF-related Harry potter. I would say Magicians : Harry Potter as True Blood : Twilight. It’s one of those shows where I laugh & cry a lot. There’s a lot of character growth and destruction and more growth. It has a lot of heart and some corny bits, there’s more than one singing episode. Hale Appleman as Eliot and Summer Bishel as Margot pretty much give me life. The cast is diverse-ish, and a lot of the sidekick characters become your favorites. The overarching story is beautiful.
Caveats: There are some trigger warnings, There’s some magical and non-magical consent problems, and one of the BBEG is “The Beast” who takes what he wants, in whatever way he wants. They don’t show these scenes, we mainly see the fallout.
Schitts Creek: 6 seasons, Netflix & Poptv.com
A formerly-rich family moves to a small rural town and learns how to live without their money and connections.
Longer Synopsis: A rich family gets grifted by their accountant. They lose everything in a tax fraud issue. Keeping only some clothes and some personal effects. They end up uncovering that as a joke the father (Eugene Levy) had purchased a city called Schitt’s Creek for the adult son (real life son, Dan Levy), and since it was basically worthless, they got to keep the town.
The Family takes a greyhound and ends up staying in a rent-free, roadside motel, courtesy the town mayor, Rolland Schitt (Chris Eliot.) It’s less than one horse, and definitely no Starbucks. It is mildly unclear why the late 20s son and daughter decide it would be best to stay in a hotel room that connects with their parents’ room for 6 whole seasons, but it is an amazing show. There is a lot of self pity and, to us poor folk, obnoxious behavior, but it becomes lovable.
What I like about it: The cast is amazing. Their mannerisms and character quirks are one of the best things to have ever played on my TV. Another show with remarkable character growth. There are Easter eggs if you go back through the seasons. There is an article where someone went through every episode and documented all the quirks that build up over the episodes. The best thing is the activism and inclusion: one of the main characters is LGBTQ+, and the relationships that come from that are represented in such a gentle, sweet, real way. By the end of the series, each character still has all their goofy quirks but has learned and grown and it’s really beautiful.
Caveats: The first season is harder to watch the first time. It reminds me of Parks and Rec: the first season is good… the second time through.
Animal Crossing: Nintendo Switch
A relaxed town building gamer.
Longer Synopsis: This game is about taking a trip to a beautiful island and then buying a plot of land. Then the bastard raccoon who talked you into taking up a mortgage decides you are the cultural enhancement specialist and tasks you with building a reputation for the island so eventually you can get a Rockstar to come to the island.
The majority of your time is spent catching bugs, fish, digging up fossils, collecting unique items to decorate your house and the island and trying to breed unique flowers. You also collect fruit and try to time the market to invest in turnips. All so you can build a nice house with nice things on an island full of maybe nice residents that are all anthropomorphic animals.
What I like about it: It’s fun and cute and has things I like to collect. I can play with my friends and we can visit each others islands online. I love the Museum, a place where you can turn in unique items to be displayed in a beautiful interface, so that you can prove you had them without needing to find a way to ruin your aesthetic.
Caveats: So. What are your turnip pricestoday? For some reason I buy at what I feel is low (mid 90s) and then Mon-Sat get nothing higher than 60. Also we’re all stuck at home with nothing to do, could we speed things up just a bit so i can do more in a day? It’s a huge time sink.
Quickfire Recs:
- The Mcelroy line of podcasts
- Billy on the Street (Netflix)
- American Horror Story (Hulu)
- The Witcher (Netflix)
- Hot Date (Netflix)
- Splatoon (nintendo)
- Little Monsters (Hulu)
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Pic Credits: Ducks in swamp: Kristjan Kotar | Magic Book: Natalia Y | Animal Crossing: Sara Kurfeß