awkwardindenver

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#colorado #home https://www.instagram.com/p/B_WIRpIpTl9/?igshid=gg3qfysgm51z

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Five Ways to Stay Sane during the Corona Virus Outbreak

Denver is closing its bars, restaurants, gyms, libraries, and many stores are limiting their hours in order to cap the spread of COVID-19. If you’re considerate and able, you’ll likely stay home until all this blows over. It’s scary to imagine days or weeks without working in society, and it’s easy to let your fears get the best of you. Consider protecting not just your immune system, but your mental health as well, with these tips.

1) Work Out.

Exercise helps with fighting off depression and anxiety, it improves sleep, and instills a positive self worth and image. The following are good exercises that you can do without equipment (like weights or machines) or access to a gym.

sit-ups

push-ups (there are several varieties that work different muscle groups, depending on where you place your hands)

lunges

burpees

jumping jacks

stairs (just run up and down a set of stairs, or use weights while walking them to add resistance)

Youtube/DVD Yoga, Pilates, etc.

running (tennis shoes and a watch needed)

biking (bike and helmet needed)

swimming (outdoors, if weather and location permits)

hiking (try to avoid close interactions with strangers)

2) Create.

Without a workplace to go to every day, I know I’m not alone in thinking that these next few weeks are going to be super boring. Creative projects allow your brain to stay busy, it gives you something to talk about with others, and it may even pay your bills once the economy recovers. I’m going to take this time shut-in to work on my sewing, my whittling, and my writing. Other ideas that don’t require a lot of money include:

drawing

painting

cross stitching/embroidery

knitting/crocheting

sculpting

story writing

poetry writing

blogging

filming/photography

editing

wood working, carving, wood burning

jewelry making

gardening

3) Listen to and/or Play Music

Listening to music engages practically every part of the brain. Thanks to the internet, we can discover and obsess-over countless genres and thousands of artists at our finger tips. If you have access to a streaming service like Spotify, take this alone time as an opportunity to dive into an artist’s catalog that you’ve never had the time to. If you do not have access to Spotify, try listening to some old CD’s or the radio.

More engaging than listening to music is playing music, and its something you can enjoy with other musicians in your household. This brief TED talk outlines how practicing music enhances several of your brain’s abilities.

4) Read

There’s no better time to read than during a quarantine. Paper books in your collection are a good option if you don’t have any money to spare, and just like any good movie, there’s always something you didn’t appreciate the first time through. If you have several days off of work in a row, like I do, you could consider reading an entire series.  Reading has countless benefits, and there are books (for free) you can download offline straight to your phone from the public library, no contact with other humans required!

5) Meditate

Now you are officially out of excuses not to meditate. Meditation is free, it’s good for your mental and physical health, it can be done anytime, anywhere and all you need is good posture and good intention. Sometimes I will practice silent breathing for as little as fifteen minutes, but I’ve also had a lot of success using meditation videos to help calm my thoughts.Try: Meditation for Self Love or  Body Scan Meditation.

This is an unnerving time for everybody, but you have the power to control your mind and appreciate some part of this experience. Stay busy, stay healthy, stay happy.

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Denver Architecture that Doesn’t Suck

The Mile High City is known for its proximity to outstanding natural beauty, but our urban sights can leave you wanting something less grey and blockish. Aside from the “Cash Register” building, it’s hard to think of any noteworthy designs that make a Denverite proud. I’ve done the groundwork, and here are Five Attractive Architectural Designs in Denver.

Community Bank of Colorado a.k.a. the“Spaceship Bank”

This Englewood bank, built in 1967, is one of two circular, futuristic buildings designed by the Expressionist architect Charles Deaton. (His other egg-shaped building is not in Denver, but can be seen on I-70 driving west near the Genesee exit. It’s official name is the “Sculptured House,” but many know it as the “Sleeper House.”) A visit here to the Spaceship Bank is somewhat boring, as you cannot goof around too much; pictures and general shenanigans are frowned upon, as this is still a working business. That said, if you’re driving by, look out your window and appreciate this funky structure Coloradans have appreciated for more than 50 years. For more information on the Spaceship Bank, check out this Denver Post article.

Denver Art Museum a.k.a. the “DAM”

The DAM is truly unlike any other building in Denver. It makes sense that the DAM was designed by Daniel Libeskind, (a Polish-American architect from the Bronx whose parents survived the Holocaust), because it both inspires the visitor with its larger-than-life metal sails, yet it could be perceived as overwhelming, with its monotonous sea of dark metal sheets. If you are inspired by the DAM and are interested in seeing more of Libeskind’s work, I recommend checking out pictures of the Jewish Museum Berlin, which he also designed (I think Denver got the better deal, but you see for yourself). The DAM is a great stop in Denver; parking is easy, the museum is interesting and affordable, and it’s fun to visit all year-round.

The Brown Palace Hotel

The Brown Palace Hotel is the longest-operating hotel in Denver, designed by Frank Edbrooke and built in 1892. The Brown Palace is recognized by its right triangle shape, its terra cotta bricks, and by the sky bridge that spans across Tremont Place. The exterior of the building is as awe striking as its lavish interiors. Inside the front doors is a colossal lobby with a sparkling chandelier and all the fixings of the Italian Renaissance. While you’re there, check out the Ship Tavern, a nautical-themed bar with an interesting back story, or walk across the sky bridge that would fit right in on James’ Cameron’s Titanic.

On Visiting The Brown Palace... It has metered street parking for the curious visitor, and two equally interesting buildings neighboring it: Trinity Church and the Navarre building, home to the American Museum of Western Art. You can wonder the lobby like I did, maybe grab a cup of coffee or a beer, or you can pay for a public or private tour.

Denver City and County Building in “Cap Hill”

The enormous white building flagged by giant columns at the west side of Civic Center Park is undeniably awe-striking, both lit-up and during the day time. The building was built in the 1930′s, it has multiple floors, and is free to visit. There are tons of little details inside and outside for the visitor to appreciate, like intricate lamps, murals, marble floors, vintage elevators and guilded building directories. Of all the buildings on this list, this may be the best place for a fan of Colorado history. There are busts of important Denverites, framed photographs of long gone representatives, and cases of tokens from our sister cities.

Note on visiting Cap Hill: The area around the Capital Building/Civic Center Park is home to a lot of homeless people. This isn’t to say that they aren’t decent human beings and that you should skip visiting a very interesting part of Denver, but be aware of your surroundings and maybe bring someone with you if this fact make you feel uncomfortable. One more thing: if you happen to go inside the City and County Building, be prepared to go through a metal detector. Also, if you are taking pictures inside the building, make sure to respect people’s privacy, as there were several distressed-looking citizens waiting in the corridors during my visit.

Denver Gas and Electric Building

The Denver Gas and Electric building is a stately white building with a curved roof, rounded windows, and thousands of red and green lights evenly spaced on all four faces. At over 100 years old, it stands out among its newer neighbors. The history and current use of this building seems to be forgotten by time, although you can read a little bit about it here. When I visited, the front doors were locked on a weekday during business hours, so I’m not sure its worth a visit by walking. If your heart is set on taking a gander at the Gas and Electric Building, I recommend making an evening of it--take some photos at sunset, then walk across the street to the similarly quaint Old Fellows Hall, where you can drink at the Union Lodge, a revamped bar. 

Honorable Mention

Truthfully, there are some Denver buildings that are memorable to a newbie, but I did not visit because I’ve been there too many times. Some examples of these would be the Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus, Union Station, and the Denver International Airport (barely counts as Denver, but it is a pretty amazing design). Some residential neighborhoods that are fun to drive past or walk through are: the D.U. neighborhood and Cheeseman Park. Happy exploring!

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Winter #hiking in Evergreen. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6zZi9yJTbT/?igshid=1jv5pumqz13oy

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Sandals in December.

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What to do when you’re lonely as fuck

Know the Symptoms

Do you go to restaurants and cringe at the sight of couples, disgustingly in love?

Do you imagine yourself doing cutesy things with the invisible partner you wish you had, like planning a weekend getaway to Estes Park?

Have you gotten tired of asking your friends and family to help you with things like giving you rides to the airport or give you career advice for the fiftieth time this week, when you know you could be burdening someone who is romantically-obligated to deal with your bullshit?

OR maybe you already have a partner.

OR maybe your friends are just MIA today.

OR  maybe you have no explanation for it...you just know you are lonely as fuck.

The Good News

Everyone can get lonely, even if it hits some of us harder than others. I wish more people talked about being lonely, because it wasn't until I read multiple self-help books including: Getting Past Your Break Up and How to Love Yourself (and Sometimes Other People) that I finally accepted: LONELINESS IS A NATURAL PART OF BEING ALIVE.  I know this is true, because I have felt lonely, regardless of my relationship status or despite how many people I connect with and love. Fortunately, in my experience, loneliness is temporary--as quickly as it descends upon your heart, it will eventually lift and then you can go about your day focused on other things.

Five Ways to Fight the Loneliness (Other than dating)

If you are currently in the grips of a downright pathetic but also extremely-normal lonely spell, here are some strategies that may help. It's totally okay to sit there and just feel it, but if you want to seek out the warm fuzzy feeling of company, here are five things you can try.

Go to a bar/restaurant to watch a sporting event. Getting out of the house to watch the Nuggets has done wonders for my mental health. Even if I'm alone, slugging down a freezing-cold beer, I feel connected to the other bar goers watching the 4th quarter as excitedly as me.

Pay for a spa service like a facial or a massage. Healing touch is a great tool for when you're feeling lonely as fuck. If the practitioner is taking their work seriously, they will probably even ask you how you are feeling. Don't feel guilty if you end up crying into the massage chair, like I did during a visit to Indian Hot Springs.

Call a relative who you haven't spoken to in a while. Talking with family is something that you can do at almost any time of day, it's free, and chances are, they might be lonely too. It might not be the same as sitting right next to them, but it can feel close to the real deal. I like to call my uncle when I need to get out of my own head. He always has cool stories about country-livin', like his new trailer or how he's preparing for the next storm. Alternative: if you're not close with family, you could always check on a close friend. Another Alternative: if your family or friends cannot come to the phone, write them a lovely letter!

See a popular movie in the theaters. When you see a film with lots of eager movie-goers all around you, it makes watching it feel like a team sport. I find this especially true during a horror movie or a comedy, when you can jump or laugh together as a group. I will look up from my granola bar and apple that I snuck in from home and see people a few seats over who I can pretend came with me.

Look at an event calendar from nearby rec centers, libraries/book stores, cafes, etc. and find a drop-in event you can attend. There is almost always a gathering of folks nearby if you look hard enough for it, and a lot of the time attendance is free!

Hopefully some of these ideas help you tough it out through your lonely-spell. I have been able to do all of them, and I don't make a lot of money or always keep normal hours.