We all have our coping mechanisms. This is a judgment-free zone. Few of us have ever lived through a pandemic, so it’s OK if we need a little time to adjust to isolation during a statewide stay-at-home order.

With a more than a month behind us, we’ve developed some crucial habits to help us through the crisis, mainly keeping ourselves and our loved ones entertained for hours on end via books, movies, music, TV, food, exercise, Zoom chats and anything that’ll take our mind off of things.

We on the AL.com Life & Culture team thought we’d share with you how at a few of us in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Tuscaloosa are passing the time when we aren’t working. If you feel like it, please share the ways you’ve chosen to live through this odd time.

Since we’re cooped up in our homes, we met up digitally afterward in the Slack instant messaging platform to chat about it.

Here’s what we’re watching, reading, eating and more to stay sane during uncertain times.

MOVIES, TV, MUSIC, BOOKS, PODCASTS...

Ben Flanagan: OK, folks. The idea is to talk about how we’re coping during coronavirus. We all have some spare time on our hands, and we on the Life & Culture team know how to keep ourselves entertained. We’ll cover some non-entertainment topics here, but let’s start with what we’re watching, reading and listening to. Mary, do you want to kick it off?

Mary Colurso: Aside from obsessively following the pandemic news via CNN and The New York Times, I find myself turning to “The Office” on Netflix, for laughs and comfort. The show’s writing, acting and pace really hold up, and as a native of Scranton, PA, I can definitely relate. Long live “The Office”!

Lawrence Specker: My 14-year-old and his friends are weirdly into “The Office.” I’ve never really watched it but I’ve been absorbing it by osmosis.

Mary: Smart teens!

Lawrence: Streaming autoplay is an evil thing. I hear that theme music at all hours.

Mary: I usually find myself drawn to dark, dramatic things -- like the third season of “Ozark” -- but lighter is better for me right now, when it’s smart and funny. Anyone else want to recommend a show that makes you laugh out loud?

Matt Wake: I can recite all the little intro video spiels when your cursor is over a show on Netlix browser, by heart now ...

Ben: I scrolled through the major streamers right as our isolation began to make a long list of TV show options for my wife (who never has time to watch anything with her work). Covered some heavy hitters we haven’t binged yet like “Big Little Lies,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Ozark,” “The Crown,” “Russian Doll.” But we soon learned that once we put our 4-year-old to bed and we had some time before we crashed, we would rather just turn off our brains and re-watch a few episodes of “The Office” instead. This time around, I have never liked or identified with a character more than Stanley Hudson.

Steve Carrell in "The Office." (NBC)

Lawrence: A real oddity I’ve been watching is “Peter Gunn,” which is on Amazon Prime. I was kid when “The Blues Brothers” came out and I remember all the adults saying that cool music was The Peter Gunn Theme and explaining it was an old detective show. But it wasn’t in rerun rotation so I had never seen it. It’s a very stylish detective show with heaping helpings of early ’60s hipster jazz scene. And an amazingly high body count. And cool theme music, of course.

Mary: Is that something you’d normally watch, Lawrence, or a pandemic panacea, if you know what I mean? Extreme escape?

Lawrence: It’s reassuring, in its own way. Private Detectives have hearts of gold and work closely with the cops. Every case gets closed, usually with the bad guy dead. Lounge singers also have hearts of gold. Club owners are nice people interested in the greater civic good. The cars are American made.

Shauna Stuart: So, I started watching the first two seasons of “Claws” on TNT. I’m also finishing up the last few seasons of “House of Lies” which ran on Showtime for a few years. I started it a few years ago and I’m FINALLY finishing it up.

Mary: Shauna, “House of Lies” is very cynical, if I remember correctly. But a great role for Don Cheadle.

Shauna: He’s my favorite actor. I’m no film/TV critic, but that man has RANGE.

Matt: Lately and in general I like finding old TV interviews with rockers on YouTube, with like The Stones, Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Black Crowes, Van Halen. When pop stars were rock stars. Colorful personalities, colorful stories/dialogue. Reading wise, Bob Mehr’s Replacements biography is amazing. A dirty-clever book about a dirty-clever band.

Lawrence: Matt, the only Replacements album I have is “Don’t Tell a Soul” and it’s perfect. Just listened to it last night.

Matt: Lawrence, “Pleased To Meet Me,” “Let It Be,” and “Sorry Ma” are all killer.

Ben: My other go-to is reality TV, both good and band. The good stems from my longtime affinity for MTV’s “The Challenge.” You know, that old “Real World/Road Rules” spin-off? Yeah, it’s still on, and it’s better than ever! I binged through Netflix’s latest dating series “Too Hot to Handle,” which I deeply regret. And as an admitted fan of “The Bachelor” franchise, I’ve managed to avoid this “Listen to Your Heart” show. I don’t know how much longer I can last, though...

Mary: Hate-watching reality TV can be fun. I’ve done some of that, too.

Matt: Ben, with Netflix, sometimes I feel like I like their home run scripted shows, like “Black Mirror,” but the much of the rest of their content I feel like needed more studio oversight, someone going this isn’t quite good enough, or it’s too one note.

Mary: Do you think we’re finding antidotes to the heavy mood of the coronavirus pandemic? I’m not doing that actively, but it seems to be happening anyway.

Ben: On that note, Mary...The pandemic thriller “Contagion” has resurfaced as a go-to flick for folks cooped up in their homes. It was actually my favorite movie from 2011, and I own it on Blu-ray. It’s sitting on my dresser, but I just can’t bring myself to fire it up because something tells me it’ll only stoke extra anxiety. And if my wife catches me watching it, she’ll kill me. That said, it’s a brilliant movie that unfortunately got a lot right.

Mary: “Contagion” might hit too close to home right now. I can definitely see that.

Lawrence: Probably, Mary. I love “The Expanse” but I’m watching it verrrrrrrry slowly. The people in it just have so. Many. Problems.

Matt: Oh totally Mary, regarding streaming. Fun over darkness, 100 percent. Normally, I’d be way into “Devs” on Hulu, but after a few episodes in the tone was such a downer I couldn’t keep going. Same with “#blackAF” on Netflix, they’re are some funny parts but the whole bad parents fighting negativity got really old really quick, right now.

Shauna: OMG! I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE FOURTH SEASON OF “INSECURE” STARTED TWO WEEKS AGO ON HBO. I’ve been a fan of Issa Rae since “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.”

Matt: As far as docs go, I like Banger Films’ “Hip Hop Evolution” and their ZZ Top doc. There’s also a good one on Hulu on “Back to the Future.” And a REALLY good John Delorean doc on Hulu too.

Ben: On the doc front: As a basketball fiend, I was plenty heartbroken when the NBA season came to a halt. The playoffs were supposed to begin on Saturday! No basketball has been tough, but ESPN has blessed us with “The Last Dance,” the exceptional documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, which is the perfect blend of scratching a sports itch and channeling some ’90s nostalgia.

Mary: Um, “Tiger King”? Dare we go there?

Matt: I loved “Tiger King.” It’s vastly entertaining and the storyline gets crazier and crazier. And it gave us monoculture when we really needed it. Something to talk about besides pandemic or politics, that most people had experienced. Not much monoculture these days. I think the Jordan doc Ben mentioned will be a big monoculture thing during this as well.

Mary: “Tiger King” is very messy as a doc, with so much going on. But as someone who’s fascinated by extreme behavior, I devoured the whole thing as quickly as I could. The reunion episode, though? Meh.

Matt: Yeah didn’t watch the “TK” aftershow. No Joe Exotic, I’m not interested...

Lawrence: Haven’t watched “Tiger King.” I have this longstanding theory that years from now when I’m in a nursing home I’m going to spend my time catching up on all the stuff I should have watched but didn’t. Probably starting with “The Sopranos”...and playing video games.

Matt: Definitely do “The Sopranos,” man. It definitely has some holes looking back but Gandolfini is just fantastic.

Lawrence: Yeah, i’m going to be like 94 and my great grandkids will be visiting me and I’ll be like WHAT IS UP WITH THE DREAMS ABOUT DUCKS?

Mary: Lawrence, you just blew my mind. No “Sopranos"? Your golden years will be interesting. Shauna, you have not ventured into “Tiger King” territory. Tell us why, please.

Shauna: I’m just a “late to the party” kind of person. As you can see, with the exception of Insecure, I watch things YEARS late. “The Player’s Club” came out in 1998. I JUST saw it for the first time two weekends ago. I’m 32. In all fairness, I would like people to know that I HAVE seen “The Best Man” “The Wood” and other classics. AND I already knew all of the famous lines in The Player’s Club. i.e. “Make the money. Don’t let it make you.”

Ben: Look, I have a 4-year-old. It’s honestly Disney+ or Peppa Pig around the clock. It could certainly be worse, but I’ve watched several “Aladdin,” “Cinderella" and “Little Mermaid” sequels. I did finally catch Pixar’s “Onward,” which is great.

Mary: One good thing: There’s no lack of streaming and traditional TV content for us to pick and choose. You can find a show, movie, doc, etc. to suit your mood, or counter it.

Ben: What about books? The only thing I’ve read (other than y’all’s fantastic work) is Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s autobiography. Is this where we admit we’re pro wrestling fans? [Steps away from laptop]

Matt: The wresting guys reminded me of 80s rockers, who I love.

Ben: I bought a “Brain Games” book of crossword puzzles that I forgot to take on a beach trip last year, so that has come in handy to help pass the time, especially during lunches when I’m finishing off my 41st ham and cheese or turkey sandwich. By the way, anybody know a 7-letter word for “tedium?”

Crossword puzzles have come in handy during isolation. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

Mary: One thing that I’m finding while sheltering at home: I’m reading the news like crazy, but holding off on books. I have three lined up -- including one I’ve been anticipating for years, by Hilary Mantel -- but when things slow down, I haven’t picked 'em up.

Lawrence: Books: I highly recommend William Gibson’s latter-day stuff. In his previous one, “The Peripheral,” he created a great structure where people in a thriving post-disaster future are interacting with people in present- or near future-scenarios. That one was great. The newest, “Agency,” builds on the scenario. It’s science fiction that is cautiously optimistic, a rarity.

Matt: In addition to The 'Mats bio, read Stephen Pearcy from Ratt’s book and it’s sleazy fun and like anyone who’s been up and down in showbiz, surprisingly poignant at times. Also rereading micro-fiction collections by Chuck Klosterman and Denis Johnson. Modern weird short stories you can read in the time you’d do a scroll through Twitter or whatever.

Matt Wake's copy of "Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll: My Life in Rock" by Stephen Pearcy and Sam Benjamin, from Gallery Books. (Matt Wake / AL.com)

Lawrence: Matt, the new Entwistle book sounds interesting, I want to hear your thoughts on it when you get to it.

Matt: Lawrence, that Entwistle book should be fascinating. The quiet one in any band where everyone else is a huge star, huge persona, that’s inherently interesting.

Mary: Books: “The Mirror & the Light” by Hilary Mantel, “Eileen” by Ottessa Moshfegh, “My Dark Vanessa” by Kate Elizabeth Russell. All waiting for me to crack the cover. Not sure why. Lack of focus?

Ben: I’m an avid podcast listener. Instead of going into detail about them, I’ll just share the ones that have kept me going these last few weeks: All the Smoke, NYT’s The Daily, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard (with Alabama’s Conrad Thompson!), The Reckon Interview and The Lowe Post.

Matt: Ben, I’ve listened to the Conan one on your rec. It really gets back to what made him awesome in the first place. The imagination, etc.

Mary: Is anyone keeping up with all the concert streams, live performances, from-the-vault concerts, etc? I find the quantity overwhelming.

Lawrence: Yeah, it’s a torrent.

Shauna: I have LOVED learning the history behind some of my favorite songs in the VERSUS beat battles that Swizz Beatz and Timbaland started. AND they put out a link to all of them so far. The first one I actually watched live was Lil’ Jon vs. T Pain. And of course, BOTH of the Babyface vs. Teddy Riley battles.

Matt: Recent listening, old: Mick Ronson, Scorpions, Johnny Thunders, Delaney & Bonnie, Eric B & Rakim. New: Jason Isbell guitarist Sadler Vaden’s recent solo LP, it’s Top Petty meets Oasis(ish). Mary, regarding streams, I’ve mainly been doing local on those. Dave Anderson and Rob Aldridge are two from NoAla keeping theirs varied and interesting.

Lawrence: I wrote early on about Grayson Capps offering subscription content via Patreon. That has been money well spent. He has been churning it out.

Mary: Has anyone been watching/listening to something that’s a brand new thing for you? Something you’d never touch in the common round? Or are we delving deeper into stuff we already like? Example: I don’t think I’d turn to wrestling shows now, even as a novelty. (Sorry, wrestling fans.)

Ben: Don’t make it personal, Mary.

FOOD

Mary: OK, so do we want to talk food?

Ben: Yes! Has anyone’s routine drastically changed? What are our go-to snacks right now?

Shauna: I still can’t cook. BUT, I’m upset NO ONE on the life and culture team told be about the Biscoff Ice Cream. I thought we were better than that.

Some of us have discovered Biscoff ice cream during the pandemic. (Shauna Stuart / AL.com)

Lawrence: So, I live along Three Mile Creek in Mobile and every year I’m in a race with the city. Once a year in late spring or early summer they blast the brush growing on the banks with Roundup or something like it. Some years they nuke the blackberries before they produce but this year, thanks to early warm weather, we’ve got a bumper crop. I went out Easter Sunday and picked enough for a cobbler. That felt like a win.

Mary: Anything I say here is going to be embarrassing, but here goes. I’ve been cutting down on trips to the grocery store, so the stuff I snack on is, for lack of a better term, scrounge material. Example: I keep low-fat peanut butter in the house, to give to my dogs with their daily meds. When I get the urge to snack, the jar is coming out and I simply use a spoon. Also, I boil chicken for the dogs and shred it up. I’ve been eating their boiled chicken, which is pitiful.

Shauna: Mary...I’m truly concerned for you.

Mary: I hear you, Shauna.

Ben: My go-to daily snack for when I just need a quick pick-me-up is a six-pack of peanut butter crackers. Nothing fancy. I had actually given up sweets and soft drinks for Lent, so Feb. 26 through April 12 lasted much longer than anticipated, thanks to this whole pandemic thing (also, Easter has come and gone, so there may have been some chocolate ice cream).

Matt: Same food jive I usually do: Veggie burgers, diet cokes, vegan tacos, enough Cliff Bars to build The Wall if there’s ever another Roger Waters or Pink Floyd tour.

Lawrence: With five people in my household we’re going through a LOT of groceries. Short answer is I have been eating like a hobbit and it’s reaching crisis proportions.

Ben: I caved and finally switched to La Croix, and good news! I’ve tricked myself into believing it’s a real-life soda! I dig orange and berry flavors, er, essences. Passion Fruit is a big no for me. Otherwise, do my best with fruit, greens and smoothies when I can.

Shauna: I’m a salad lady! I love vegetables. So I have a couple of salads a day! And fruits have been on sale at Publix. I just got give little honey mangoes for five dollars over the weekend. And strawberries, blackberries and raspberries drizzled with a little condensed milk

Mary: Shauna, if you are preparing salads, you’re cooking. Good for you! I don’t cook at all, and am too lazy to do anything but salad in a bag. Gotta get the green stuff somehow.

Lawrence: I’ve been grilling a lot. There’s not the pressure of getting home from work and having to fire it up in a hurry.

Ben: What about takeout? It took us a while to order takeout. We could have gone longer, strictly from an appetite standpoint. We love our favorite local restaurants not just for the food, but they also need all the support they can get right now. We had a great meal from a nearby Mexican restaurant and will venture back out soon.

Lawrence: Have been enjoying growler beer from Braided River, Mobile’s newest brewery, which has been very proactive with its curbside service.

Matt: Took me a bit, but have done some delivery lately. LOVE this new Asian stoner food joint Phat Sammy. They’re Huntsville’s new Lord of the (French) Fries.

The French fries from Phat Sammy will do the trick, if you want to venture out for curbside takeout in Huntsville. (Matt Wake / AL.com)

Ben: I will say, though, I was a little put off by another customer waiting on her order, just standing in the entrance doorway. No masks, no gloves, no social distancing. Meanwhile the restaurant manager wears a mask as he brings our food. I had to actually go inside the restaurant and hand them my credit card, so this was not traditional curbside.

Mary: Sounds like everyone is staying pretty healthy. Giving up sweets and soft drinks is a big deal. I see lots of memes about everyone eating junk food and getting, shall we say, rather chunky, but you guys seem to keep health in mind.

Shauna: I have some Cheetos puffs on deck. I’m not going to lie.

STAYING ACTIVE

Matt: I’m missing going to the movies (and new movies in general) and going out to eat. I love concerts and the big spectacle event of those but seen so many of them, and find myself missing stuff I did on a weekly basis more. Now, when my mom comes over for a walk I get as excited as if I’ve going to see a Rolling Stones concert.

Lawrence: Small-scale live music, art walk and similar see-and-be-seen events, even group bike rides, that’s what I’m missing.

Ben: I take my dog on two 40-50 minute walks per day. This is when I listen to podcasts. I’ve also tried some quick home cardio workouts thanks to YouTube. Burpees, push-ups, squats. That kind of thing. I am thinking of running. And I’m running out of excuses not to.

Shauna: So, I’m a TERRIBLE runner. I was planning to use this opportunity to train for a mud run. Well...

Lawrence: Mobile is fortunate to have a good bicycle route that runs from downtown through and around the Brookley airfield area and down Bayfront Road. People are leery of riding in packs these days, but you can hit it just about any time and know you’ll see others out riding the same paths. You see something like 21 American Airlines jets parked idle at Brookley, but also you’re on the bay shore for several miles. That’s a good mental health resource.

Mary: I have two dogs, and walk them separately nearly every day. Getting fresh air is a wonderful thing. Ditto the opportunity to stretch my legs, look at the sky and see something other than a laptop or cell phone screen.

Our dogs are in need of things to do during isolation, too, including multiple walks per day. (Mary Colurso / AL.com)

Shauna: I follow this ab routine on YouTube that is nine minutes and nearly kills me every time.

Lawrence: Small-group kayaking is also a way to get out and see some people without getting close. I was part of a very nice outing last week on upper Dog River. Might not be the most strenuous exercise, but it gets you out in nature.

Mary: It’s also nice to see other people and chat, even if you’re across the street or standing 6 feet away. Dog walking doubles as a social activity! Jealous over here, Lawrence. Getting out on the water sounds completely awesome.

Matt: Yeah walks are the best. For staying active and avoiding “The Shining”/Overlook Hotel vibe that can come from working at home, staying at home, etc.

Mary: Can I triple-love that last comment, Matt? Because I do.

Matt: Right on, Mary! Good to get out of the house for sure!

Shauna: Matt, as a cat lady with no cats, I would like to know what it’s like working from home with your fur babies. Because I am JEALOUS.

Matt: As a cat lady WITH cats, I will say it’s awesome. They have a way of sensing when I’m stressed and coming to see me in my office to snuggle. They’re comic relief too. Honestly can’t imagine doing this solo without my little fur dudes.

Mary: One reason I haven’t attempted any video workouts is because it’s another screen to look at, even if you’re moving. Ben and Shauna, has that been do-able?

Shauna: So, I cast the YouTube videos on my TV with my Roku. So that can be helpful.

Ben: The video stuff only lasts about 10-12 minutes. I just prop up the phone and get to it. And once you memorize the circuit, you can just handle it solo

Matt: The cardio videos sound good, because I miss running a treadmill (easier on knees etc.).

Kayaking from a safe distance will do the mind and body some good during isolation. There were taken April 16 in the upper reaches of Dog River. (Lawrence Specker / AL.com)

TO MASK, OR NOT TO MASK?

Ben: My last thing here...everyone seems to be on the fence about the whole mask thing. When you venture out, are you wearing one? Does it freak you out to see others wearing them?

Lawrence: I have not yet worn a mask in the supermarket but probably will next time.

Ben: I definitely wear gloves if and when I go to the grocery store. It’s taken me a while to get over the weirdness of wearing a mask in public, but the last few times I’ve been to the store, about half of the people wore them. So by now, it’s normal, and nobody is going to care. I obviously want to stay healthy, but I want to do my part in keeping everyone else healthy, too. The best way to do that is to stay at home, but sometimes we need bread. So yeah, mask on.

Mary: For a few weeks now, I’ve worn a mask when I go shopping for groceries and necessaries. I also started to wear disposable gloves. I still feel weird in a mask, but it gets easier every time. I’ve got a couple of N95s from a household project years ago -- opened the package but never wore 'em -- and a cloth mask. It’s black with a print of oranges and lemons. Makes me feel like the Hannibal Lecter of the citrus industry.

Do your masks hang above a photo of two adorable Corgis? (Mary Colurso / AL.com)

Shauna: I cover my face to go into the super market. this conversation reminds me that I do have disposable gloves!

Mary: A lot of what’s going on in grocery and big-box stores is an honor-system thing, and I’m seeing lots of folks who are not following the guidelines. So, the mask and gloves make me feel better about being there, along with helping everyone to stay safe. However, no mask or gloves when walking the dogs. That seems extreme to me.

Lawrence: When I get home with groceries, my wife has this elaborate process for sanitizing everything. Someday we’ll look back on it and laugh.

Matt: I wear a mask and gloves to grocery and cast a black magic spell of disinfecting on my shopping cart.But noticed a huge variation in mask wearing percentage depending on what store though. Walmart, I was the only one wearing a mask and bubbas were looking at me like I was wearing panties on my face. Publix, a bit more mask wearers maybe, 33-40 percent. Whole Foods, almost everyone wearing masks.There’s a socio-cultural analogy there if you want to make it.

Mary: Completely agree, Matt.

Lawrence: Last time I went to Publix here it was probably two-thirds wearing. And almost all the non-wearers were men.

Matt: Because they’re tough. Sigh.

Lawrence: I was going to say “dumb,” but “tough” works.

Mary: I’m also seeing fashion trends -- or simply trends -- with cloth masks you can buy online. There’s a whole subculture of motorcycle neck gaiters that can be pulled up over the face, for example. Is your mask a fashion statement? We’re not there yet in Birmingham, but I can see it happening online. Animal prints, camo, animal faces, skull images, all kinds of stuff.

Matt: See the online ads for those, Mary. Band logos, etc.

Lawrence: I saw some color coordination in Publix, for sure.

Mary: When you’re wearing a mask, do you find yourself doing things differently?

Ben: Other than robbing people, no.

Matt: Yes! Trying to not look like a robber. Seriously.

Lawrence: It makes me want to switch to open carry (JOKING)

WRAP-UP

Ben: Folks, I think we’ve accomplished a lot here. I’m going to stream Insecure, read some Chuck Klosterman, kayak from a distance and maybe, just maybe, give “Tiger King” one more shot. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and stay safe out there!

Matt: Enjoyed it y’all! Always a pleasure.

Shauna: Thanks for hanging out!!!!!

Mary: Same! Going to check out some of the entertainment stuff mentioned here. Thanks, everyone.

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