As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to shake the world, life as we know it—in all its fast-paced and infinitely productive glory—has come to a screeching halt. Many of us are transitioning to a new lifestyle, attempting to hold together jobs and relationships while we practice the social distancing necessary to quell the spread. In the words of Bethany Cosentino (indie rock icon, lead singer of Best Coast, and doting mother of Snacks the cat) from the band’s newest album Always Tomorrow, “Everything has changed.” As many have already pointed out, while the circumstances are inconvenient and disruptive, this might be the perfect opportunity to slow down and recalibrate from the place we know best: home.

Emma Glassman-Hughes, writer based in Brooklyn but currently stuck in San Diego, CA. Two kittens, one couch.

8:00a.m.

I wake up to the sound of hungry mewing outside my door. (I recently had to instate a closed-door policy at home because my 16-week-old kittens discovered how much noise they could make with the metal chain hanging off my bedside lamp, resulting in a few too many sleepless nights.) I get up and feed the little beggars, Roxy and Floyd, and eventually feed myself. Fresh minced chicken for them, scrambled eggs and peanut butter toast for me. 

9:00a.m.

Checking emails, checking my calendar, checking Instagram, checking texts, checking calls, checking DMs, checking Twitter (big mistake), checking bank account (huge mistake), checking on kittens. They’re bouncing off the walls with their morning energy! Can’t relate, but we love to see it!

9:30a.m.

I’m extremely lucky to be able to stay with my parents in San Diego as we wait out the worst of the Coronavirus outbreak. Because the neighborhood studio is closed, my dad and I started doing yoga in the space between the living room and the kitchen on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We roll out our mats and queue up our favorite 45-minute at-home vinyasa flow video from Lululemon. When the kittens catch wise, our Cat/Cow stretches take on a more literal tone. Floyd loves to watch the yoga instructor on the screen, following her every move with a cocked head. The upside of doing yoga at home? No angry side-eyes from PTA dads and soccer moms when you erupt with laughter.

10:15a.m.

Quick rinse-off, and then it’s time to pick out today’s outfit. I’m thinking the vibe is oversized Grumpy Cat t-shirt and CVS brand underwear that I slept in?? I’m giving you Sleepy Seductress, I’m giving you Drug Store Diva. Yas. Work it. Now it’s time to start writing. I plop down on my green pleather sofa and crack open the laptop. I’ve got 3 articles that need to be written and a bunch of pitches to send out. Let’s go girls.

10:30a.m.

Floyd is intrigued by the laptop. He approaches slowly, watching my hands type, and before I can catch him, he decides to walk all over the keyboard. “-0pojioahugyfastq.” Wow, looks like I’m raising a poet. I pick him up and place him by my side, thinking he’ll just curl up sweetly and go to sleep so I can focus. Instead he dives off the couch and starts playing—loudly—with his toys. *Googles* How do you focus at home with two adorably distracting kittens?

**psst, we chatted with an expert animal behaviorist about how to handle WFH when you have distracting kitties. Read more here. 

12:30p.m.

Time for a little 7th-inning stretch and snack time. I slather a banana with peanut butter and grab a jar of olives from the fridge (no! judgment!) and resume my place on the couch. It’s nap time for the kittens—all that work distracting me must be exhausting—so I fire up an episode (just one!!! I’ve EARNED it!!!) of The Office.

3:00p.m.

Ok, so I watched basically an entire season of The Office. But now I’m ready to get back to work. The kittens are still napping, but they moved to the other side of the couch to catch the sunlight. They’re snuggling together. It’s insanely cute. I snap a pic and send it to my mom and my best friend and also every living person that I know with access to a cell phone.

4:30p.m.

I’m back in business, writing up a storm. I finished the first article and have been working on the pitches and of course snapping more pics of the kittens because UGH I CAN’T.

6:30p.m.

Dinner time for everybody! Fresh turkey pate for the kitties, and my brother’s homemade yaki udon noodles with shrimp and chicken for the humans. Luckily, my family is full of great cooks (myself not included). 

8:00p.m.

Dinner time’s over, the kittens are playing again, and I’m slobbering over a bowl of Vons Signature brand cookie dough ice cream with a smidge of Reddi-wip (usually I’m more of a Land O’ Lakes gal myself, but this is all they had left at the store... RIP) trying to get a good head start on my second article of the day. Looks like the final product will have to wait until tomorrow. Sigh. I’m learning to be patient with myself!

9:00p.m.

Finally it’s time to accept my defeat and put away my laptop. The six of us—mom, dad, brother, Roxy, Floyd, me—are all curled up on the couch, watching Bridesmaids. This is the kittens’ first introduction to Kristen Wiig—a momentous occasion. 

11:00p.m.

Bed time! Roxy and Floyd sneak into my bedroom when I’m not looking, but they look so cute on my bed that I don’t have the heart to kick them out. I’ll definitely come to regret this at 3a.m., but for now, it’s just fine.

[#BeginTLDR#]Of course we love to go out, see the light of day, put on real pants, etc. But we can all agree that sometimes, it’s best to follow our felines’ leads and just… stay in. And now? Well, it seems we don’t really have a choice one way or the other.

To make the most of our mandated OOO, we’re kick-starting a new series of work from home diaries, logging how you and your favorite cat owners and creatives are adjusting to the demands of the day. Join us in your best sweatpants and fuzziest socks as we take a page out of our cats’ book and curl up on the great, cozy couch of life—might as well get comfy because, hey, we’re gonna be here awhile.[#EndTLDR#]

Want to share your From the Couch? Email us at community@smallsforsmalls.com