8 minute read
HOME WORK
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At home with NMG’s Hudson County editorial/graphics team, with special thanks to the members of our stalwart sales team who have been working valiantly against tremendous odds. COVID-19 put us out of the office, but not out of the loop.
Staff Writer Marilyn Baer Photo by Malcolm Clark
To be a good journalist, you’ve got to be able to work from anywhere. Lately, that’s my living-room floor, where the coffee table is just the right height for me to type my notes as I watch the latest virtual city council meeting. So far, 2020 sucks, but the one thing I’d like to keep from this year is the attire. I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable than in my button-down shirt and athletic shorts.
Art Director Terri Saulino Bish Photo by Ronni Saulino Bish
Working from home has been a paradox. To quote Charles Dickens, “It has been the best of times and the worst of times.” I eat lunch with family, pet my dog’s big white head, and avoid countless hours navigating the maze of New Jersey highways. But I truly miss my coworkers, their smiles, their rants, and their unmatched creativity. So, I guess I will “reflect upon my present blessings” and greet this new reality with a smile.
Staff Writer Dan Israel Photo by Thomas Szweada
Working from home has been an adjustment, but my “thinking chair” has made it easier. Occasionally one of my cats will come along to distract me, but I’ve maintained my productivity by dressing as if I’m still in the actual office. Some days are more casual than others, but it helps me get the job done!
Managing Editor Gene Ritchings Photo by Lauren Naslund
Dear Dr. Norquist: It’s Gene, working from home, just me and my risk factors. My tasks and responsibilities are the same. Just no commuting to Bayonne. I can see the street out my window. Have coffee whenever. Have lunch every day with the love of my life. It’s quiet. It’s safe. I’m barefoot. Is it okay to like this?
Editor in Chief Kate Rounds Photo by Beth DiCara
Notice my Crocs? A must for your at-home ensemble. I’m moonlighting as an Amazon Package Rescuer-in-Chief for tenants and neighbors. The pay stinks, but it’s essential work. Speaking of essential, thanks to our editorial/ graphics team for their incredible work during an incredibly stressful time!
Jersey City podcasters offer a fresh perspective on the liquor-free life
By Tara Ryazansky Photo courtesy of The Seltzer Squad
Podcast cohosts, Kate Zander and Jes Valentine, fi rst met at a Jersey City bar. That’s not unusual for a pair of sociable besties, but their podcast, Seltzer Squad, focuses on staying sober in the city. It’s safe to say, a lot has changed since they fi rst started hanging out.
They found their way to sobriety separately. Kate realized that she had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol during therapy. “Anytime I was around alcohol it was to feel the eff ects and get drunk,” she says. “I think I always suff ered from social anxiety, and I defi nitely used alcohol to quote unquote help that.” It took her therapist telling her she had a problem for her to recognize it even though she’d been arrested on drunk and disorderly charges. “Even getting arrested didn’t make me think I should stop drinking.”
Kate and Jes grew closer as they navigated the alcohol-free life. “Kate has been sober for much longer than I,” says Jes, who is a tattoo artist. “It’s been about a year and a half this time.” She currently works and lives in Brooklyn after 10 years in Jersey City. The two have been on and off the wagon a few times. Kate, who lives in Paulus Hook and works in media and marketing for beauty brands, just celebrated four years sober.
On the Wagon
They both needed a sober community to lean on, especially because traditional 12-step programs didn’t vibe with them. “I think it’s really outdated and very god heavy,” Jes says. “It hasn’t been updated since the 1930s. We’re in such diff erent times. But, if someone is teetering, I am like, ‘Absolutely go to a meeting’. It obviously works for a lot of people.”
“In times of crisis, just going to a 12-step meeting, even if you don’t totally identify with it, it can still be helpful,” Kate agrees, though she never connected with what she describes as a masculine environment. “I kind of felt excluded when I went.”
“The very fi rst meeting I went to, there were only fi ve other people, and they were all men over the age of 60,” Jes says. “They were all nice, don’t get me wrong, but it felt a little strange.”
“There’s a lot more than one way to get sober,” Kate says, citing therapy and online groups as a means of support, as well as the Seltzer Squad. “The podcast helps keep me sober.”
“I always say to Kate, the podcast holds me accountable,” Jes says. “I’m not saying I would be drinking if I didn’t have the podcast. AA is all about being anonymous. It’s always been this hush-hush problem. I think it’s still very much stigmatized, but people are trying to smash that stigma. There’s a lot of shame in AA, and we’re trying to do the opposite of that”
Podcast
Community
“I think the community aspect of the podcast helps with the isolation,” Kate says.
Adds Jes, “I have had a lot of listeners reach out who don’t have sober buddies. We did not expect the level of DMs or emails that we get. It’s hard because we can’t always reply to everybody. A lot of the questions aren’t questions for us; they’re questions for professionals.”
The podcasters created a list of resources on their website, SeltzerSquad.com. It features everything from therapists and rehab facilities to fun books and movies that resonated with the pair.
They both agree that keeping your mind and body busy can help when trying to maintain sobriety. That can be a challenge early on in sobriety or when triggered by stressors like being quarantined at home.
“Now it’s about getting online,” Jes says. “Listen to podcasts and watch movies. Anything you can do to get your mind off of drinking; do it. Paint, draw, or redecorate your apartment, I did that when I fi rst got sober.”
“We also have a Facebook group that’s growing really quickly,” Kate says. “It’s a place to give and receive support.” The group is called Seltzer Squad.
After the
Quarantine
Once Jersey City returns to business as usual, there are plenty of places to break the quarantine without breaking your sobriety, they say. The social scene doesn’t exist only in bars.
“There are gyms, there are yoga studios,” Kate says.
“Think of how many parks there are,” Jes says, adding to the list of sober hangout options.
Plus, there are plenty of great brunch spots to enjoy a hangover-free breakfast.
“When you’re sober, you can wake up early,” Kate says, adding that Sam A.M. is her favorite.
And of course, the Seltzer Squad enjoys a good mocktail.
“The Cellar can do really good mocktails,” Jes says. “Porta also.”
“Hamilton Pork has really fun outdoor seating, and I think Matthew’s has kombucha on draft as well,” Kate says, “and I love that there’s a place called Sober Shot. I just like that name. Talk about smashing the stigma.”
“I think opening up a conversation about it helps,” Jes says. “If one person sees that I’m talking about it and is like, ‘I can talk about this too,’ the smaller and smaller the stigma will be.”—JCM
Together is how we get healthy. Person by person, community by community, we commit to living better, happier, healthier. Which is why we’re continuing to heal, enhance and invest in Hudson County by expanding and strengthening our network of physicians and outpatient facilities.
• The ONLY comprehensive heart center and cardiac surgery program in Hudson County • The highest volume orthopedic program, handling the most traumatic orthopedic injuries • An expanded emergency department to meet the county’s growing needs • Our Lord Abbett Maternity Wing serves newborns and their moms with the highest level
NICU in Hudson County, and comfy, state-of-theart private rooms • Exceptional cancer care in the only NCIdesignated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the state, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
We’re taking every precaution in a safe environment, so that when one person feels better, all of Hudson County is healthier. Learn more at rwjbh.org/HudsonCounty
