Passing the Time in an Isolated World

How many times pre-COVID 19 have you ever wished for just a few minutes of peace and some time alone to reflect or read or watch television or play a video game. It will be years before I wish for that again.

My family has been doing a good job of social distancing. As we wait on final word that Illinois schools will be online only the rest of this school year, we have been playing more games and catching up on some television shows.

Recently HBO announced that select shows and series would be made available for free on HBO Go. The list of free shows is limited but includes:

• The Sopranos
• The Wire
• Veep
• Succession
• True Blood
• Ballers
• Six Feet Under

I’ve been an HBO subscriber in the past and have seen all of The Sorpranos and The Wire. I did watch Ballers which stars Dwayne Johnson as a former NFL player turned sports agent turned owner which was pretty good, particularly for the amount of cameos from some top athletes. It’s certainly not a cerebral show, but if you’re looking for 25 minutes of entertainment at a time, it’s enjoyable.

I’ve currently started Barry. This show stars Bill Hader who stumbles into a new career path of acting. What is unusual about that is that his previous job was as a hitman. Henry Winkler and Stephen Root have been fun additions to the series so far. I’m only four epsiodes in but will continue watching the full two seasons.

With the closing of all the local libraries, I’ve been reading a few books on a Kindle. I enjoy reading fiction, especially series with characters such as Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn) and Scot Horvath (Brad Thor). Currently I’m reading True Believer by Jack Carr that features James Reece.

I’m also reading a lot about the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program, but I don’t recommend that for reading enjoyment.

Finally, I’ve spent a bit of time on Twitter just enjoying some of the more light-hearted things. I enjoy Frank Caliendo and Rex Chapman the most right now.

So there it is. Nothing too mind-stressing, just ways to get through these challenging times while trying to keep spirits high.