How Y'all Doing With This Coronvirus Quarantine?
I'm in an essential business (aviation training) and so it's pretty much business as usual with some exceptions. Our building is the cleanest it's ever been. Out cafeteria is giving out free lunches. The traffic in and out of the DFW airport area is amazingly light. Don't have to wait much on the elevator. Since I have multiple qualifications I probably won't be furloughed.
On the downside, they just closed my favorite coffee kiosk. TP is scarce because of rampant stupidity. The meat counter contains tongue, cabeza and some sorry looking briskets. Managed to snag some flank steak. Thankfully I have more meat in my freezer. Got my haircut in before the lockdown but my chiropractor had to stop massages and adjustment. Now my back hurts again.
For the most part we're doing well despite the hysteria. I've been mocking the foolish on social media but I did that before the invasion of the TP snatchers.
You?
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Razorback
4 years agoGlad to hear you are doing well. All is fine with us in Northwest Arkansas. Our freezer, pantry and bathrooms were already well-stocked because, well, we have OCD and like to be prepared.
I am self-employed and have worked from home the past 2.5 years so this change is like a normal day to me. Except for the fact I cannot visit my favorite taco joint at least once a week, sometimes three. I also miss the friends I used to have regular lunches with but we stay in touch online. I am currently working with the three guys I jam with to see if we can set up a socially distanced music session in my driveway. I feel certain that our amplifiers can help cover the distance. I also try to grab some take-out from my favorite restaurants just to help them out.
My wife manages a department at the local university and is slooooowly adjusting to working at home. Just over one week in and it has come with various social and technical difficulties. But this too shall pass and her "office" view at home is much better than the one at work.
We avoid all mainstream media and only seek our info from credible, non-biased sources such as the Associated Press and BBC America. Although social media is a required part of my business, I am finding my disdain for it growing by the day and actively attempt to avoid it when possible.
We have been participating in the nationwide 8:00 howling sessions and that has provided a little comic relief each evening. We also planning how best to take our "stimulus" (cough, cough) checks and intentionally reinvest them into our local small businesses.
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glen
4 years agoSocially distanced music is becoming a thing, and you're at the forefront Razorback! I'm glad that you're able to keep your sanity. Social media had such promise 10-12 years ago. Now it's like a huge puddle on the sidewalk: I usually try to avoid it, but sometimes it's fun to just run and jump into it when I'm feeling ornery.
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Razorback
4 years agoI was referring to socially distanced music in my driveway. As in, the four of us stand 10 feet apart from each other but still play live. But to your point, the amount of wonderful live-streaming music the past two weeks has been very uplifting. I have learned about new artists and watched re-broadcasts of shows from some old favorites. But yes, social media as a whole has gone downhill. I do like the puddle analogy and may borrow that if you don't mind.
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glen
4 years agoWe're all adapting. My kids are handling this so much better than my wife and I, but we're learning to cope with being "home school teachers" while working. We've kind of filled our time and energy with new projects like raising chicks, planting gardens, and family walks.
We purchased a bidet, as trying to keep small children from using too much toilet paper is impossible. It's actually worked, and I gotta say: it'll be hard to go back to the TP.
Bidet purchases are not what I thought I would be worrying about in 2020, but life's like that sometimes ;)
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elancaster65
4 years agoTrying to convince the wife to convert to a bidet. At least one that will attach to the toiler vs. buying the whole shebang. She is, so far, reluctant. I believe that once she tries it, she won't go back.
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glen
4 years agoThe attachment is the way to go. If she doesn't like it, you're only out $50. The heated ones are twice as expensive, but I've heard it's worth it.
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Razorback
4 years agoI thought about the bidet attachment but have not yet ordered one. Something about cold water hitting me where the sun don't shine that gives me the willies. But I could see the benefit and would like to give it a try. What brand did you go with, Glen?
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glen
4 years agoThe decision was centered about what was actually available on Amazon. We landed on this one, which is only cold water. You get used to it really quickly, though. It's not COLD, just not warm.
That said I would have preferred one of the warm water options, but alas; they were sold out. But for only ~$50 it was a great experiment and I'm glad we tried it.
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Razorback
4 years agoThanks. If it ever becomes necessary, I also have a garden hose right outside the bathroom window. ;-)
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Chet_Manly
4 years agoLife hasn’t been too bad. We are financially stable enough to not be critically stressed out and we have an adequate supply of TP; I’m very thankful for that. There has been a lot of great family time. We already home school so school is still going strong. That part hasn’t been difficult at all. I have a small assortment of gym equipment, enough for training to be interesting and creative but effective. I had to stop in the middle of a peaking strength cycle so I’m free to do whatever the heck I want now, and that drastic change was fun.
I have piles of work to do on the house, property, etc., and now I have uninterrupted time to do many of these things without kids activities pulling me away from it. The weather has been awesome. I get more sleep now than before. I’m not on social media of any kind, never have been. I like my wife a lot, and I like my kids most days, and I can help them correct their behaviors when I don’t like it. My wife likes to cook and is really good at it. She even gave us some really good haircuts last week... her third attempt, but first time giving good haircuts, but my boys and I are easy to please in that regard. I’m lucky no matter how I look at my life. Plus, there is finally a good new discussion thread here... Life is good.
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Razorback
4 years agoI never imagined how much I would miss being able to get a proper haircut. Which is funny since, at one time, I had hair down to about midway on my shoulder blades. But now I like it nice and trim.
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glen
4 years agoThe haircut is the one thing that I'm missing. Everything else has been just fine. I'm with you Chet, this has been a nice reset of sorts.
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Chet_Manly
4 years agoWith that magnificent mane of yours I’m not sure that I’d ever get a hair cut.
And maybe I’m just a child of the 80’s but every time I hear a bidet conversation, my mind goes back to Crocodile Dundee exploring his bathroom in NYC. I can’t bring myself to go that step, but maybe, if I have to deal with another septic tank & line issue... I should.
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Razorback
4 years agoI forgot about that scene in the movie. So naturally YouTube was there to jog my memory. I used a bidet once when we were in Italy years ago. It was...different.
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Razorback
4 years agoThis event will (or should) change all of us. This is a once in a lifetime development that, after its respective tragedy, should make us better. The forces that be will do their best (and spend billions doing it) to return us to a programmed version of normalcy. It is up to us to understand this new outlook on life, and more importantly our focus on work and family and friends. We will never again be given this opportunity.
Carpe diem, my friends. May the road rise up to meet you.
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glen
4 years agoBeautiful, Razorback. Couldn't have said it better.
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Razorback
4 years agoWe have seen a noticeable increase in the amount of trash we produce (as in going from one small bag to two per week). But our recycle amount is about the same. We are also running the dishwasher more than we used to. But laundry has decreased because my wife doesn't have to dress for work.
Another thing I have noticed is more people are getting out to walk, jog, bike, etc. We also see more families doing things together. I think all of these are positives that will (hopefully) make people more aware of their lives and the loved ones around them. If I were the CEO of a larger company, I would be giving some very serious thought into how I could change the work environment for employees to have a greater work/life balance. I think that will be an important part of employee retention going forward.
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Chet_Manly
4 years agoMy small town is similar and I welcome these changes. I couldn’t agree with you more about how it should change us. We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control our reactions. As this wraps up, hopefully others are on the same page you are.
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elancaster65
3 years, 7 months agoIt's been a few months and it's been quiet around here so I thought I'd check in and see how y'all are faring to the "new normal".
As for us, things are good. I've actually spent more time converting my garage into a part time wood shop and have been turning out some fun little projects/Christmas presents. You can see the results here: https://www.instagram.com/elancaster1965/
I find it's been a nice get away from the craziness of the times. Music on loud, cutting, sanding, staining, painting, finishing, thinking of new projects, etc.
Picked up 3 bourbon barrel lids and now that they are cleaned and sanded, just thinking of which project I want to tackle with them first! Maybe a giant Lazy Susan to go with the redwood disk ones I made for family.
Hope this finds all y'all well and somewhat sane.
Eric
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brian
3 years, 7 months agoDang, looks like that account is private so I can't see the pics. Nice to hear that you are getting more into woodworking. I'm kind of on again off again on woodworking. I built us a queen sized bed and an entryway table (and a handful of other projects), but kind of lost the zest for the hobby due to how much time it consumes (and the fact that I don't have a dedicated shop). Let us know how the bourbon barrel lids project turns out, would be curious to see what you end up with.
I've been doing fine as far as things go. Fortunately I have a job where I was already working from home and so the only transition for me was to basically stay home all the time instead of going out to restaurants, going to movies...etc.
On the plus side, I have been cooking a lot more and we're trying a lot of different new recipes and such. For example, one day my girlfriend suggested we order takeaway from our local Indian food place because she had been missing it. I suggested we try to figure out how to make the dish at home and now we've had it like every week for the last month because it turned out really good. It's just kind of interesting to see the adaptations that are taking place. A door closes, a window opens up.
That said, I feel really bad for all the top notch local businesses in our town, they are dealing with a completely unpredictable situation and I try to find ways to support them when I can.
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elancaster65
3 years, 7 months agoSorry about that! Forgot it was private. Had to lock it down to keep out the creepers. If you're on IG, request a Follow and let me know you're from the Mint and I'll let you in!
I also post some on FB. I'm there under Eric Lancaster.
First bourbon barrel lid Lazy Susan turned out okay. With the tongue and groove joints I had to remove and glue them back together. They didn't like to be apart, wouldn't stay together, so I forced the issues. Lots of glue. Big clamps!
The other lids...well...not sure what to do with them yet. They're glued and clamped.
Eric
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