An Extremely Unsexy Update (Patreon)

EXTREMELY AWESOME UPDATE 11AM on August 7, 2021 - Teara tested negative AGAIN. Today is a good day, have some tacos. Now we just chill for a bit for me to score a negative test ...

(I’m gonna make the top of this update thorough and honest … and then I’m gonna make as many stupid jokes as I can and we’re all gonna laugh, okay? Gonna try to keep it under a 1000 words but no promises, y’all know me)

Hello, Patreon family. Mikey here. I wish I had better news considering the year that Teara and I are having but *raises glass of Pedialite*

I am going to be extremely open because 2021 just got real (which apparently it had not as of yet). Two days ago, I tested positive for COVID. Yes, I was fully vaccinated. No, we don’t take risks and rarely, if ever, go anywhere. Teara “On Top of Literally Everything All of the Time” E**** is on top of all things: Michael. I am getting care as we speak. I have a virtual doctor’s visit in two hours. Some information so you have it:

1) Yes, I have symptoms and yes this is scary. I haven’t smelled anything in six days and I pretty much run out of breath when I think about toast too hard.

2) Teara, Sam, Zoe and Elisa (at the time of writing this have all tested negative AFTER contact with me—and are all vaccinated.) This is great news because everyone I have any regular contact with has tested negative at least once.

3) An addendum to point 2) Teara was tested again today (because we live together obvo) and we are awaiting those test results. We’ll update this thread when we know what the result is.

4) It feels like, colloquially right now to give myself some ease of mind from the consistent anxiety bomb going off inside of my brain: I am not passing it on to the people we have contact-traced.

5) Oh, right! That’s a symptom too! I have … like mini nuclear panic attacks where I just freeze and start hyperventilating which will then convince my brain that I can’t breathe … COVIDbrain is real, y’all. I do not recommend it, full stop. Talking to doctor today about getting assistance here. I’m already on anxiety meds from this hell year so we might just try different doses. I would classify this as an abnormal amount of stress on the human body.

6) We are constantly in virtual contact with an entire team of medial professionals at our primary care facility. I literally live at an apartment building in the /parking lot/ of a huge hospital. I am probably one of the most monitored and protected people out there. We will also update Patreon as necessary as things evolve.

Okay, switching gears a little. Honestly, the last thing I want to ask of anyone is for more support, especially in a place where FilmJoy has been shown a kind, caring, and immensely-caring / supporting environment to make … weird film art.

1) I’m not even saying you won’t get a video this month. I’m gonna list us as a “maybe” just to be safe right now. We can’t do much for the next few days. Feel free to supply us with any thoughts you have here. We’d love feedback on however we can adjust and better entertain you. (Even if I just do COVID update videos from the couch)

2) We are taking quarantine very seriously. But also we like to entertain ourselves: so work is fun! We’re editing Deep Dive and it’s hilarious. I think the smartest thing we ever did was shoot two episodes back-to-back in case things got bad again. Also, MwM is slowly coming along. It keeps our minds sane. But, obviously, our output is not top-drawer right now. We’re inside for the coming weeks. I’ll be poppin’ up on discord and stuff—so feel free to pop over and tag me (might take me up to 20 mins to show up fyi, but I’ll try)

3) *WAIT* what if I shoot cooking videos on my iphone, post them on here, and it’s called “Cooking with COVID”? Too morbid? But what if the recipes are BOMB? (I’ll be very clear that actually cooking with COVID would be a very bad idea. COVID doesn’t go on Frito Pie—look, I gotta draw a line somewhere.)

4) I definitely mentioned this in the last update but my fractured knee will be in this brace for the next 6-8 weeks. I can’t go for my checkup appointments for that anymore. I’ve never felt more like Charlie Brown than this year, heh.

5) In case you’re wondering: we don’t necessarily want this going all over twitter right away. I mean, I know it’s gonna get out but … this is our lives. You generously pay us to make content. We take that seriously. As a business, you are owed an explanation. As far as I’m concerned, and please soak up /all/ of the shade with which I hurl this statement: I don’t owe Twitter shit. We all maintain a business relationship so this feels like a health update in an official capacity. You will, as patrons of our business, be updated on any changes.

Honestly, we’re in great spirits. I mean, as great as can be. The great thing about your partner being your best friend is you get to fantasy-draft teams for like MasterChef and shit. Everything is fun with her. We watched The Suicide Squad yesterday and it was definitely the movie I needed last night. I actually forgot about my situation for two hours. It was lovely. (If you reply to this message with your take on what you didn’t like about that movie … just don’t. This is not the thread for that. Thanks.)

Also, if anyone wants to send Get Well stuff you can use the PO Box in all the Deep Dive episodes. They’ll hold stuff until we can send someone to pick it up.

I dunno, I mostly thought what information I needed to convey in this letter and now I have no idea how to conclude this tome of a Patreon update.

I wish you all well,

Please take care of each other out there,

See you soon <3

-Mikey