My husband Andy and I got married last year and moved in together in February. We now live in a lovely apartment in Ridgewood, Queens with our awesome friend and roommate, Nate. While Corona has definitely changed a lot in our lives (understatement of the year) there have been a few constants: exercise, food, and lots of snuggles with our dog, Doug.
I'm a sleeper so I wake up after Andy gets out of the shower, say good morning to Doug (a pug, no not the famous one but totally, definitely, absolutely cuter), and we amble over to the living room to join Andy on the couch. Andy and I read the news, catch-up on emails, drink coffee, and chat until it's time for Doug's morning walk.
While Andy walks Doug, I change into my workout clothes, stretch, logon to Facebook, and watch the replay of my dear friend and client, Liz Samuel's, daily workout. She kicks my butt every time and it's been such a great motivation to get moving and active at the start of my day. Monday - Friday, rain or shine, I attend. Here's her facebook profile if you'd like to join! facebook.com/liz.g.samuel
Then, I hop in the shower and listen to NPR's "Up First" podcast for a brief breakdown of the news as well as the New York Times' "The Daily." I actually just started getting into podcasts since I moved to Queens and now have (or, rather, had) a commute into the city. Another favorite listen is NPR's "Hidden Brain."
After that, I change into an assortment of acceptable daytime pajamas (aka leggings and some sort of Zoom-presentable top) and prepare brunch. I have now perfected the B.L.A.T sandwich (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato), but sometimes switch it up and do loaded turkey sammies, an assortment of salads (Greek, Cobb, blue cheese and beets), stuffed grilled cheese, or just yummy leftovers from the night before. Bacon and cheese are heavy-hitters in our quarantine diet. So I'm extra thankful for the morning workouts with Liz!
Then it's time to get to work prepping for my daytime Zoom clients. Since my brick and mortar midtown location of Calloway Productions is temporarily closed, I have been offering virtual self-tape and coaching sessions, as well as editing services.
It's been super interesting adapting to this new digital age of self-tapes! I find a lot of folks are intimidated by creating their at-home setups or just by the general technical steps of submitting their final files. So I have been helping clients by advising them on their current setups and gaps in equipment, being their virtual reader, coaching and directing takes, and editing and packaging their submissions. I'm particularly proud of getting a more senior client submitted for two projects after he was convinced he couldn't do it. It took some patience, and a lot of back and forth, but we managed to submit some great takes to casting and, together, we conquered technology!
Otherwise, I take walks with Doug (masked of course), maybe go for a run, perhaps take an online yoga class, hang with our rad roommate Nate, do limited grocery and pharmacy runs, and try to keep in touch with friends and family. It's been really fun Facetiming with my dad (who lives in LA)! There's also still a lot of work we need to do to our new-ish apartment. So Andy and I have been researching furniture and design ideas. We're tackling the kitchen paint-color next. And, I have gotten super into the video game Animal Crossing! I am a very good fisher but terrible at mining rocks and catching bugs. I'm getting better, though!
Next, Andy and I collaborate on dinner. We have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen and he comes up with the best out-of-the-box cuisine ideas! Mostly Andy plays head chef and I help as prep cook/sous chef. We have made Indian food with homemade paneer from scratch, a full Korean dinner with a spectrum of ban chan, multi-course Szechuan meals, goulash, loaded pasta sauces, mac n cheese, tacos, chili, jambalaya, fajitas, and all sorts of desserts. It's been a great way to experiment, connect, and get creative at the end of our day.
Then, we watch some truly terrible television (aka 90 Day Fiance, Kitchen Nightmares) peppered with some truly wonderful television (aka Six Feet Under, Unorthodox) and play with Doug. Or, mostly, Doug just lays on me since I'm basically human furniture to him. This is a recurring theme throughout the day (and night).
Lastly, Andy takes Doug out for his nighttime walk, I wash dishes, and perform my extensive nighttime beauty routine (I'm a skincare junkie, shout out to Murad for your crazy expensive products and The Ordinary for your amazingly cost-effective offerings!). Then we hop into bed with Doug and all sleep in a pile. Doug is definitely a bed-hoarder and he snores. But, we love him to bits and nothing makes me happier than having him sleep by my side.
Some days are better, and busier, than others. But mostly I am experiencing a lot of gratitude during this time. I am so thankful to be married to, and living with, Andy who is such a tremendous support. And it's been wonderful having the company of Nate and Doug. We have our health, a full fridge, steady work, and lots of space in our new place. It seems odd to be thankful during a time like this but I do count myself as one of the lucky ones. And our good fortune isn't lost on me. So, even through the harder days, I try to take a deep breath, hug Doug, eat something yummy, laugh with Andy, and move around in this new normal.
Website: callowayproductions.com
Insta: @callowayproductions, @kitchenandkitsch
Facebook: facebook.com/callowayproductions
