By no means am I suggesting this virus is a good thing. Let me just get that out of the way. I understand many people are getting sick, losing family or friends, losing income or even experiencing anxiety over this. My thoughts, prayers and heart goes out to all of those. We (generally speaking) take life and what we have for granted, I have been guilty of that at times. trying to get away from the “doom and gloom” and tI find something positive or uplifting.
Are you pleasantly surprised by the lack of traffic on you’re commute if you have one or to the store to get groceries? Glad to work from home and work in your undies (or naked) and save on gas? Whatever, as small or silly as it is, let’s hear it?
For me, we start every day at the gas station. I quit going inside to buy breakfast and whatever else catches my eye. So I save money there, and the pumps are almost empty at 7am. So, no trying to find a spot for 35 feet of truck and trailer. Also, since everyone is on lockdown, we see many people outside now. Usually it’s a ghost town. See the same jogger or someone walking the dog. That used to be a perk, we never saw people! Now that everyone is home, these subdivisions seem “lively”. I’ve got to say, it’s refreshing. I’m seeing many people outside jogging, walking, teaching kids to ride bikes, etc. the list goes on.
I’m seeing and witnessing things I’ve never seen in 13 years of running the same routes. Provided I don’t get blasted for starting a positive thread during these times, I’ve got much more to share.
Hopefully a lot of you are experiencing some “upside” to the lockdown as well. Let’s hear it. Maybe you’re drinking or smoking less, getting in more excercise and shedding a few.
The Upside...… I don't have Jehovah Witnesses banging on my door...….. LOL
(04-07-2020, 06:57 PM)The Drifter Wrote: [ -> ]The Upside...… I don't have Jehovah Witnesses banging on my door...….. LOL
You’re not joking. I thought about that and other solicitors not ringing the doorbell the other day. I despise solicitors. I should have included that. Definitely a good one!!
(04-07-2020, 07:02 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ] (04-07-2020, 06:57 PM)The Drifter Wrote: [ -> ]The Upside...… I don't have Jehovah Witnesses banging on my door...….. LOL
You’re not joking. I thought about that and other solicitors not ringing the doorbell the other day. I despise solicitors. I should have included that. Definitely a good one!!
Been walking the dogs (two dogs = two walks). The dogs are really happy that we're home all day.
Also, we used to eat out all the time. We've discovered that Mrs. Malabar is a great cook! Who knew?!
On the downside, I saw four vultures sitting on a roof. They must wonder what has happened to all the roadkill.
I've got no proof...
But I swear the sky is clearer and bluer than I ever remember around here.
Interesting thread...
I tip the guy who brings the takeout food once a week $10 and his smile makes me happy, same with the guy at Total Wine who brings the wine, bourbon and beer out and puts it in the car.
We also, once a week, watch a Facebook live event from Florida where a musician we like plays on his back porch to about 6 live people and maybe 16 on line...we Paypal him $20 as a tip b/c we know he needs it.
Since we're not going out, not needing gas money or spending money on drinking in bars/restaurants, there's more available for tipping more generously.
(04-08-2020, 09:58 AM)PF* Wrote: [ -> ]Interesting thread...
I tip the guy who brings the takeout food once a week $10 and his smile makes me happy, same with the guy at Total Wine who brings the wine, bourbon and beer out and puts it in the car.
We also, once a week, watch a Facebook live event from Florida where a musician we like plays on his back porch to about 6 live people and maybe 16 on line...we Paypal him $20 as a tip b/c we know he needs it.
Since we're not going out, not needing gas money or spending money on drinking in bars/restaurants, there's more available for tipping more generously.
Would you mind sharing the info on the porch concert? Some here might like to help too.
Business as usual here for the most part. The stress level is higher at work with all the new and constant changing restrictions/policies. We have distributed so much currency that the vaults are near empty and we are paying out new money at an alarming rate. When this ends and people start returning the emergency cash they have been withdrawing we are going to be swamped.
Yes the roads are empty and I was enjoying the 15 minute commute until Monday when they closed the Heart expressway to begin it's demise.
(04-08-2020, 09:59 AM)fls prtsgod Wrote: [ -> ] (04-08-2020, 09:58 AM)PF* Wrote: [ -> ]Interesting thread...
I tip the guy who brings the takeout food once a week $10 and his smile makes me happy, same with the guy at Total Wine who brings the wine, bourbon and beer out and puts it in the car.
We also, once a week, watch a Facebook live event from Florida where a musician we like plays on his back porch to about 6 live people and maybe 16 on line...we Paypal him $20 as a tip b/c we know he needs it.
Since we're not going out, not needing gas money or spending money on drinking in bars/restaurants, there's more available for tipping more generously.
Would you mind sharing the info on the porch concert? Some here might like to help too.
I'm not a Facebooker so I'm foggy on it but he's under Capt Nick Nicholson in Flagler Beach. He does these live FB events on Mondays and Thursdays at 5 PM until 7 o 8 and he has a Paypal account: paypal.me/captnick
Nick is in his 60s and his audience is the similar age group (and older). He plays around Flagler Beach to this crowd and the live events are sponsored by the Beachfront Grille on Flagler Beach. BG is one of the truly great places down that way, BTW.
Another thing that is nice is that my wife works from home now and has been making my lunches. That’s pretty cool. Kinda offsets the fact that she’s always home now. I used to have an out or so after work as “me” time before I got my kid. I’ll take the lunches!!
The concerts seem cool. I’ll have to get my wife to look into it. I’m not a FB user either.
One thing that I have noticed and really appreciate is seeing people innovating and doing what they can to help others out. From factories re-tooling to make PPE and other materials needed to small town people making masks, hand sanitizer and other items to donate to others.
We have a bunch of Aloe plants that we have been harvesting to use to make hand sanitizer. We were able to purchase the other ingredients and produce quite a bit that we use at work and have given away.
My wife started a whole bunch more out on our property since Aloe is useful for many things.
(04-07-2020, 08:00 PM)MalabarJag Wrote: [ -> ] (04-07-2020, 07:02 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ]You’re not joking. I thought about that and other solicitors not ringing the doorbell the other day. I despise solicitors. I should have included that. Definitely a good one!!
Been walking the dogs (two dogs = two walks). The dogs are really happy that we're home all day.
Also, we used to eat out all the time. We've discovered that Mrs. Malabar is a great cook! Who knew?!
On the downside, I saw four vultures sitting on a roof. They must wonder what has happened to all the roadkill.
Dogs are happy, extra activity for you and a Mrs that can cook is always a good thing! Perhaps in the next few weeks you’ll discover some other hidden skills...wink wink.
(04-08-2020, 02:11 PM)jagibelieve Wrote: [ -> ]One thing that I have noticed and really appreciate is seeing people innovating and doing what they can to help others out. From factories re-tooling to make PPE and other materials needed to small town people making masks, hand sanitizer and other items to donate to others.
We have a bunch of Aloe plants that we have been harvesting to use to make hand sanitizer. We were able to purchase the other ingredients and produce quite a bit that we use at work and have given away.
My wife started a whole bunch more out on our property since Aloe is useful for many things.
I’ve been hearing some “feel good” stories as well. It’s great to hear people are coming together, just sucks it takes things like this or 9/11 for it to happen.
Good for you guys to get hand sanitizer out to others. I’ve always kept aloe plants as well. Just never really used them. How do you process it to use in sanitizer? At best I’d just cut a “leaf” off and put the “gel” on a burn. But I rarely even do that.
(04-08-2020, 05:55 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ]I’ve been hearing some “feel good” stories as well. It’s great to hear people are coming together, just sucks it takes things like this or 9/11 for it to happen.
Good for you guys to get hand sanitizer out to others. I’ve always kept aloe plants as well. Just never really used them. How do you process it to use in sanitizer? At best I’d just cut a “leaf” off and put the “gel” on a burn. But I rarely even do that.
It is an easy process. We take a few of the larger leaves by cutting them off at the stem of the plant. Slice it open and allow the yellowish substance to drain (this is latex). Take the gel and put it in a mixing bowl at a ratio of 2:1 alcohol to aloe gel. Add in some kind of essential oil for scent and whisk it until it turns into a gel. Note: you want to use either Isopropanol or 99% isopropyl alcohol greater than 90%. You also want to make sure that the area that you make it in as well as the things you use are well sanitized. Just pour the mixture into a dispenser of some kind (we use recycled soft soap bottles).
(04-09-2020, 12:59 PM)jagibelieve Wrote: [ -> ] (04-08-2020, 05:55 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ]I’ve been hearing some “feel good” stories as well. It’s great to hear people are coming together, just sucks it takes things like this or 9/11 for it to happen.
Good for you guys to get hand sanitizer out to others. I’ve always kept aloe plants as well. Just never really used them. How do you process it to use in sanitizer? At best I’d just cut a “leaf” off and put the “gel” on a burn. But I rarely even do that.
It is an easy process. We take a few of the larger leaves by cutting them off at the stem of the plant. Slice it open and allow the yellowish substance to drain (this is latex). Take the gel and put it in a mixing bowl at a ratio of 2:1 alcohol to aloe gel. Add in some kind of essential oil for scent and whisk it until it turns into a gel. Note: you want to use either Isopropanol or 99% isopropyl alcohol greater than 90%. You also want to make sure that the area that you make it in as well as the things you use are well sanitized. Just pour the mixture into a dispenser of some kind (we use recycled soft soap bottles).
If I can find the alcohol at a store, I’ll try that. Seems like a fun “science” (if you could call it that) project. Plus having it for the obvious reasons. I don’t have a ton of plants to be mass producing it. How much does the average leaf and required alcohol yield?
Our neighbors have a young daughter, I'd say 10 years old or so, and she's an only child. I've seen her playing in their yard over the years and she always seems lonely. Mom and dad both work so I guess they're tired at the end of the day and I never see them out there with her.. Last week dad and daughter were in the yard jumping on the trampoline together and having fun. I swear that is the happiest I have ever seen that kid.
That just did something for me. Neither my dad nor my step dad had a lot of time for me and my sister so I could understand that poor kid's loneliness to a degree. I did have my sister to play with even though she was a total brat and a sister doesn't replace a dad. They worked hard to provide but sometimes a kid just needs her dad. I've seen a lot more parent/children time in my neighborhood. It's been nice.
Also, all the folks who can't get to the gym are all out running. Or maybe they're trying to get alone time. Either way it's pretty cool.
(04-09-2020, 04:59 PM)americus 2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]Our neighbors have a young daughter, I'd say 10 years old or so, and she's an only child. I've seen her playing in their yard over the years and she always seems lonely. Mom and dad both work so I guess they're tired at the end of the day and I never see them out there with her.. Last week dad and daughter were in the yard jumping on the trampoline together and having fun. I swear that is the happiest I have ever seen that kid.
That just did something for me. Neither my dad nor my step dad had a lot of time for me and my sister so I could understand that poor kid's loneliness to a degree. I did have my sister to play with even though she was a total brat and a sister doesn't replace a dad. They worked hard to provide but sometimes a kid just needs her dad. I've seen a lot more parent/children time in my neighborhood. It's been nice.
Also, all the folks who can't get to the gym are all out running. Or maybe they're trying to get alone time. Either way it's pretty cool.
That’s exactly what I’m seeing. I included parents teaching their kids to ride bikes. I’m fairly observant. We run the same route week in and out. Seeing stuff like that is a “feel good” of sorts. That’s not what we typically see.
Having said that, weird things have been happening. You never or rarely see people fall off a bike. Usually pretty damn funny when you see it. Back to back days I saw that happen. One was just a little girl with grandma about 15 yards behind. The other was an elderly woman. She fell off the bike and just didn’t move. I quickly put my flashers on and got in the turning lane. I really thought she hurt herself. Took her a bit to move. But she got up. So I moved on as I was a distance away at this point. One employee was in front of me and saw it. An SJCSO officer was behind me and kept going. Kinda surprised he didn’t stop. She fell in slow motion. Like, you knew it was going to happen. It visually looked bad enough to where that employee texted me later.
If you haven’t yet or don’t normally do, get outside. Take a walk. Get some fresh air. It’s a lively place out there these days.
Are you guys gaining an appreciation of what great lives you had before this? I am. What used to seem like a mundane existence- seeing friends, shopping, going out to eat- now looks more and more like a really great life.
Perhaps when this is over, and everything returns to near-normal, we'll all have a greater appreciation for all those little things we can't do when we're under house arrest like this.
(04-10-2020, 07:03 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ]Are you guys gaining an appreciation of what great lives you had before this? I am. What used to seem like a mundane existence- seeing friends, shopping, going out to eat- now looks more and more like a really great life.
Perhaps when this is over, and everything returns to near-normal, we'll all have a greater appreciation for all those little things we can't do when we're under house arrest like this.
We will, for a short while. That's just human nature.