I saw that too! It makes me sad; now I can't binge watch it unless I buy it

*Looks around.* It's so quiet here lately.

"Is there anybody alive out there? Can anyone hear me?" - Mr. Lowe in Titanic.

I have a new job orientation starting Monday

I've been really busy lately; how are you?

Good luck, Dragondog.

On my part things have not been going great since my message from november in Last One To Post Wins. To be real honest, any other person in my situation would probably move back home but that's not exactly an option for me, due to the bad relationship with my mother.

While the whole situation from when I worked in the cleaning company is now solved. Yes, I did get sanctioned with the wellfare for about 8 weeks but the whole thing is more or less solved. After that I had done several job interviews, but also refused jobs because I mostly got cold feet when things began to start official, I always backed out at the last minute. Because I didn't feel it anymore or didn't get the information I wanted or I started to get doubts about how it would affect everything making me feel insecure about things, maybe stupid things that probably didn't matter but I got edgy about it.

In the end I just let the year finish and restarted searching with the idea starting all over with new years resolutions. A total new beginning, new year, new decade, new job, new life...

So I applied for a job in a store for household items. I got the job only to get fired four days later because they said that according to them I lacked spontaneity/enthousiasm. As if that's something that couldn't be worked at, so they immediately fired me, without talking to me about it first. If they just gave me a hint or a reminder or bothered to try another way to get out of me whatever they wanted, this could've been solved a different way then just firing me.

I know of myself that I can be quite serious when I work. While everything else is a joke(and dramatic) to me in daily life and nothing serious comes out of my mouth, at work I'm like in the other extreme. Humor can get past me without even noticing. When I'm at work, I like to get the job done as best as I can and that has priority then clowning around, I think. Maybe I lose myself in that because I really don't look at the surroundings when I'm really concentrated while working. So, yes, I might not say hello to a costumer when I'm busy, but that doesn't mean I didn't notice him or acknowledged him. I'm just not all over the costumers when they get in, nor do I approach them when they're just looking around. If they want my help, they just have to ask it. So maybe there, I indeed lack some spontaneity but that's just who I am. They also said my work was fine and done well but clearly it wasn't enough. Only to fire me after four days with that reason and hardly giving me time to get used to things, is just well in my opinion strange.

Then a few weeks later I found that the store has been taken over by another company, so maybe that might be another reason. Could've been cutbacks maybe.

Anyway, things are now at a point as I said that it would be better if I moved back home but I just can't. I barely made it this month to pay the rent and next month I might have bigger problems, so I just keep looking for work and hope something comes along and if necessary, I might wanna reconsider of working in a supermarket. Main problem I have with that is that it has been adviced by everyone as if it's the only solution and that's where my problem lies because they always make it sound it's better to listen to them and do what they tell you. That's why I don't want to work in a supermarket and because it seems like a dead-end job to me. But if it's my own decision, I might have less of a problem with it and I think I'm going down that road now, while I still don't want it, I think I might have not much choice.

Wow, even though I may have been going through a tough time, this corona outbreak turns out to be a lot more serious then I thought. I always tried to remain sober about it but after what happened in Italy, they're not taking any chances. While we're not in lockdown yet, we're going to an advanced form of quarantine. Schools, bars, restaurants and most of the shops and stores will be closed over the weekends with exceptions of the supermarkets and pharmacies. During the week most will be open. Schools are only open for those who don't have any options to leave their kids but all classes are cancelled. Also anything public like concerts, theater, cinemas, where a lot of people will be present will all be closed for at least the next three weeks. Strangely day-cares are still open.

This is something unseen in my life. The measures taken now are much bigger then the ones during the attack on the airport three years ago. Only Brussels went into lockdown, now it's practically the entire country. This is so weird but probably necessary, especially after what happened in Italy. We have now 153 new infections in one day, which puts the total on 556 on a population of 10 million. It's still relatively small but we better take these measures now then when it's too late.

Schools are being canceled, businesses shut down, and grocery stores are packed. Nearly got into several car accidents due to people panicking. Also, toilet paper is suddenly a rare item

If we run out of toilet paper, you can bring in the garden hose.

Now since midnight the measures went into effect. Actually it feels like a Sunday, everything's closed. I honestly started thinking last night that if I woke up, I would totally be alone and that the apocalypse had begun. Too much horror movies I guess. I was thinking like what if this is the eve that people started biting each other and we all become zombies or we end up in a permanent state of rage, vomiting blood and infecting others in the morning, like Dawn of the Dead or 28 Days Later? But I still see people walking on the streets and there are still cars riding around so, I don't think the apocalypse would be for anytime soon.

I can hear Mac say it: "It's thinking like that that will make you absolutely nuts."

How do you think you'd fair if the zombie apocalypse was on us?

I don't know. Lock myself up, I guess. I live in the center of the city, so everything I need is close by. The grocery shop is just around the corner.

We're another step closer to total lockdown (instead of doing one and calling it one and be done with it). Everything is closed and from noon tomorrow the new measures will take effect. Only the essential sectors will remain operative: hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets. Only from now on a certain amount of customers will be allowed in the supermarkets and for 30 minutes tops. It's strongly adviced to remain indoors but we're still allowed to go out when absolutely necessary.

I don't get the toilet paper thing either, but I'm considering investing in a bidet, which I should have just done after my last trip to Europe. Such a luxury.

One positive to all this is that I get to work from home, which means I've been running MacGyver in the background starting with the Pilot. Man, I know we all loved the Phoenix Foundation, but these first season DXS eps are all really up my alley.

Talk about toilet paper. I just came back from the grocery store... it's all gone.

The toilet paper hoarding as somehow become a big joke now. Like, it's so silly how people just hoard it like it's made of gold or something. Someone on Twitter boasted about how they have enough toilet paper to last them until 2025. lol I was like... you don't boast about that on social media, ya idiot.

I'm still around, of course... I've gotten into VRChat lately. Pudding got a VR headset a couple of months ago and got into VRChat, then invited fans to join him since the game doesn't require a VR headset. You just need a keyboard and mouse. Because of that, I've been joining in with that and have had a blast.

I've made some new friends, and my ferret avatar has started a new trend... ferret avatar parties. lol I started a new Instagram account specifically for this, along with Pudding and others, to share fun moments together.

I've got one photo right now: https://www.instagram.com/jediferret.vrc/

There will be more to come... and here is a picture of most of the gang, though some folks are missing.

Here we have, Lotus (in green with glasses), Storm (behind her), Pudding (in the middle), El, me (as the glow ferret) and Shan (who is taking the picture).

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I just bought a pack of 9 rolls, that should last me about a year. It pays to be single sometimes, you know.

Meanwhile I'm hanging in there. There is not much I can do, right now. I had a job interview before the lockdown and at the time they said, I would hear from them in two weeks. It's been two weeks now and considering the circumstances, I'm not surprised, I haven't heard anything, especially since I want to go back in sales and everything's closed now for God knows how long. According to my niece who works as a nurse in the hospital says she heard the crisis might last till August for Belgium at least, worst case scenario.

But I do have to say this crisis is making me put things back into perspective. Before all this, I was at my wits end. I really thought everything was over and then this situation puts everything on hold indefinitely and I intend to take this chance to recollect myself so I can go on after all this is over. No regrets, no remorse, no looking back.

Meanwhile, I stay busy and try to enjoy of what there is now, rather then to worry what might come.

How is everybody doing out there?

God. Trying to keep as many people's spirits up as I can☺

You could have left some for others!

Same as last time. My mom's laid off, I'm unemployed. We're using unemployment compensation until this blows over. I'm considering doing cheap art commissions, but I don't know if I'm good enough yet.

You could have left some for others!

Very funny. The shelve was empty then. I just bought a pack after that.

Currently living of wellfare. If I only had the job before it all happened. I did hear yesterday that my grandmother is no longer allowed to receive visitors in her service flat. The resting home didn't allow any visitors from the start of the lockdown but the service flats were allowed until yesterday. I did kept seeing her and I said I would as long as possible in case of groceries or cleaning up and I went there every week at least since my washing machine broke down couple of months ago. Now I just go to the laundromat. Looks like we have to stay in touch by phone for the time being and see afterwards.

I got locked out of my disqus account, and now I can only use the second one I made for April Fool's day. That one is a cow.

Do you have any idea how awkward it is to go from being known as Dragondog to being a cow? 🐄🐄🐄

Use the "I forgot my password" option. Every site has one.

Use the "I forgot my password" option. Every site has one.

Disqus wasn't giving me that option. And all my information was correct. It just didn't allow logging in on any accounts

Well it took a few attempts, but I got in. The forgot password option is there, it's just hard to use when I used ten minute email for certain accounts (but was finally able to get into my main account without it)

Hi, y'all.

So, how are we all doing? I've never known the world this crazy as in what happened the past few weeks. Past year even, first the fires in Australia and Brazil, then Corona, now the shooting in Minneapolis, the protests… We never learn, do we?

Well, Belgium seems to get clearer from the virus every day. The schools are back open and the bars and restaurant opened again this week, yet there are still a lot of measures that needs to be taken: masks, handgel… but it looks like we are getting out of the pandemic. We are no longer in top 20 of the confirmed cases list, yet we are still ranked 8th with the most deaths on the death list. I wouldn't outrule it just yet but I think the chance we get to 10.000 casualties is getting slimmer every day.

Back to doing job interviews because I really can't afford my place any longer. I just hope to get replies on whatever I send out. Everyone is saying there are so much jobs that can't be filled in on the otherside a lot of things are going out of business because of corona. I hope we're not going to another financial crisis.

The fact that I live just hours away from Minneapolis makes things awkward. But seems most protests here have been pretty peaceful, though people from Minneapolis are hiding out in the hotels here to avoid the chaos. Stores around here have strict curfews right now, too...

2020 just seems to be a nightmare compared to other years.

Or a TV show with a really bad script, bad actors with no character development, too man evil characters, shaky camera angles and blurry CGI. And stupid filler episodes like murder hornets and black holes with heartbeats


I guess concerning Corona, Switzerland was pretty lucky. I'm still working mostly at home since we should keep a distance of 2 metres and avoid public transport during rush hour. I haven't seen my family since mid-January so I'm really happy I have 2 weeks of holidays next month. Well, not the holiday I'd like and more staying at home but I can hopefully visit my family without "endangering" anyone; even if there won't be much hugging or being too close.

Last Sunday there were protests here too and they weren't entirely peaceful either. It was in Brussels and they trashed the place too not as bad as in the states but still, yet there were protesters protesting the trashers telling them to just stop it. I get it and I understand a lot of people are angry right now but I don't see how trashing the place can help the cause. Once more the show proves how relevant it still is because I get a lot of The Challenge vibes right now.

My country's history is far from innocent either. In the late 19th century king Leopold II had his colony in the Congo, using it's inhabitants for slavery to his own private project and profit, severly mutilating (like cutting off hands), torturing and killing Africans. So every statue of Leopold II in the country has been damaged one way or another. Now they are planning to remove all statues and people start expecting an apology from the Royal House.

Strangely enough that's the one thing that appeals people in their shows. Now we're in one and suddenly it's a lot less interesting.

I think we just fell from one global problem into the other. It kind of worries me a bit and I wonder if this is not prologue to another major war. Franz-Ferdinand got shot in 1914 and the result was World War I. Though it may not be a world war, but maybe another civil war or revolution of some sort.

Hey guys!! Long time no see! XD

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!!!! AHHHH!!! I know I haven't been around lately. A LOT has been going on in my life so I've been pretty busy, especially in the social department.

With Pudding introducing me to VRChat, I've made a LOT of new friends. I also got to meet Pudding face to face last Friday. He was in my area as a guest tattoo artist and said I could stop by to say hi, which was super cool! He's a super nice guy. You can learn about him HERE.

Also, my 40th bday was yesterday so I was swamped all day.

There's been a LOT of exciting stuff going on and I'm pretty excited about the future!! SO MUCH!!! AHHHH!!! XD

Happy Belated Birthday!

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