Covid19 Spare time

Donstar · July 31, 2021

On 7/28/2021 at 7:50 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

I toss stuff all the time that proves to be inferior or duplicate. Then there were small 'sets' of things you only needed one in the set and no use for the others. Some tools purchased for a once in a lifetime job and a special tool that only fits one model you sold decades ago. Tools you bought for hobbies you no longer enjoy. Projects you wish you would have never taken on. In the end a massive pile of stuff you only have need for a fraction.

It is only this small fraction that is getting the TLC they deserved all along and never got. Bad habit tossing tools on the bench at the end of a rough job telling yourself you will get to it tomorrow and never do. Over and over again.

Years ago I bought a leather pouch like the pros carry for my most commonly used hand tools. It contains tools for most of my needs, most of the time. The three large stacking tool chests in my garage carry backup! You never know when you're going to need to flare the end of a copper pipe or add a grommet to a tarp! I know there will be a day when I will regret not making better use of my current free-time to downsize. I've made sizeable progress over the past year or so but need to take it to the next level. It's like a trip to the barber when I had hair. "Take off 1/2" all around....maybe a little more...a little more... ok set your clippers to leave 1/2"...

Donstar · August 8, 2021

Our first overnight house guest from out of town since Jan. 2020 stayed with us last week. We did the tourist things and ate in restaurants a few times. It was amazing how much you appreciate the activities we once took for granted! Each day we'd all watch the evening news and shake our heads listening to the covid infection numbers climb here and elsewhere. I suspect this is due to in part to what it means to "ease" restrictions. Soft language like "recommended" is influenced by who gives the advice or the venue. I still wear a mask in all indoor public venues and keep a safe distance from others whenever possible. I have a popular family member's celebration of life to attend this week. It will be a major tax on my personal comfort zone with the travel and size/location of the event. I know I'll succumb to the environment to let my guard down. I will be extra good afterwards! This almost sounds like planning for a hangover....

Grumpy Bear · August 8, 2021

Except hangovers are not wrapped in a coffin. Be careful sir.

Recently a friend of ours invited us to 'eat out' and i declined. Of course she asked why. I said the the news is telling me that 50% of the population is vaccinated and that those people can go indoors without masking up. Yet when I go indoors, like a Box Store no one is wearing a mask other than some cashiers.

That tells me that exactly half the population is lying to my face and daring me like I was a five year old on the school yard chanting, "Chicken"!

I finished with, "I'm not trading my visits with my father for a ham sandwich". She understood. It's why we call them friends.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

KARNUT · August 8, 2021

25 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Our first overnight house guest from out of town since Jan. 2020 stayed with us last week. We did the tourist things and ate in restaurants a few times. It was amazing how much you appreciate the activities we once took for granted! Each day we'd all watch the evening news and shake our heads listening to the covid infection numbers climb here and elsewhere. I suspect this is due to in part to what it means to "ease" restrictions. Soft language like "recommended" is influenced by who gives the advice or the venue. I still wear a mask in all indoor public venues and keep a safe distance from others whenever possible. I have a popular family member's celebration of life to attend this week. It will be a major tax on my personal comfort zone with the travel and size/location of the event. I know I'll succumb to the environment to let my guard down. I will be extra good afterwards! This almost sounds like planning for a hangover....

I got my shot. I know people who have and still got a mild case. Im getting ready for our usual trip to visit my 91 year old father in law. He’s one who got the shot and still got a mild case. He says come on down. Yes I’m a little nervous. You can’t get a straight answer. My doctor says the odds are in my favor so we’re going. My wife refuses the shot. I’ll do whatever the places I visit wants. Mask or not it’s not worth arguing about. The screamers will scream. Someday we’ll get the straight scoop, I guess. My ministers husband died two weeks ago. Cancer one year after retirement. He spent his retirement at home afraid to go anywhere. I had three trips in that time.

Donstar · August 12, 2021

"She understood. It's why we call them friends." As usual, you make great sense. I'm catching a ferry this morning to attend the Saturday service for my sister-in-law. This will allow me to spend time with my brother and nieces/nephews individually prior to the service. I may choose to forgo the actual event if it appears that it will be unsafe. It is being held in a private residence and I'm suspecting it will not be in my comfort zone!

Bash74 · August 12, 2021

Vaccinated or not you can still get it. Covid is going to be around for ever just like the Flu unless by some chance it burns it self out, but I doubt it because vaccinations usually stop a burn out. Humans will build a small natural immunity to help fight it off and treating it will get a lot better. People can either hide away at home never doing anything, or they can go out and live a real life. I say the hiding at home is worse then Covid.

Donstar · August 15, 2021

You can go out and live a "real life" while keeping hands clean, exercising social distancing and wearing masks in appropriate situations. I did attend my sister-in-law's celebration of life yesterday and I felt comfortable. I hugged people, other than my wife, for the first time in over a year. These few people were vaccinated and asked before coming close. I gravitated to an old friend for the duration of the event as my wife was unable to attend. We estimated it was 40 years since we last saw each other. After the initial pleasantries, we were talking like it was 4 days since we last met! We could discuss our teenage antics with incredible precision and summarize our respective 35 year careers in a sentence. Time is a funny thing. I woke up this morning with much greater resolve to not squander any of my spare time. I don't look back over the past 18 months and think I was hidden away at home, not "doing anything". I accomplished a great deal but nothing recognizable by others. When my family comes to celebrate my life, I want the pictures to include current accomplishments, not just those pre-covid!

KARNUT · August 15, 2021

I’m on the first part of my trip in Myrtle Beach. Felt normal in Texas, Georgia, South Carolina. Louisiana stuck to truck stops and rest areas. No fast food indoor service, no rest rooms. Casinos are pretty empty. We get free rooms there. So we figured we check them out. Social distance wasn’t a problem. Surprised at the lack of crowds compared to May. Our last trip east. Normal crowds in Myrtle Beach. Not going out to eat as much. Enjoying family company and cooking in. Now those tropical storms could impact the trip home. My oldest daughter and family got the new covid. We were informed a few days ago. Cold like symptoms for the older members, 40 year olds. Kids 20 year olds less symptoms. Covid spare time almost normal. Allergies are more active for me. It’s like every morning. Oh no, covid. Nope false alarm. Allergy meds check, ok we’re good.

MikeBMW · August 16, 2021

Covid experience at my office last week.
There are 5 of us in my office, 3 unvaccinated caught Covid from one person bringing it in. Two of us, vaccinated tested negative.
All three have been experiencing quite a bit of discomfort with headaches, coughing, sore throats, etc. They are all in their 20s and 30s. I hope they come out of this OK.
It's been just me in the office for the past week as the other vaccinated person lost an unvaccinated friend to Covid (at 42 years old) and took some time off for the funeral.
This ****** ain't no joke and ain't a hoax.
I urge all who are eligible to get vaccinated, please do so.
No downtime around here with this stuff going on. Still gotta work and our office has a mask mandate for all unvaccinated people entering our office after this episode and strongly encourage all to wear a mask.

Edited August 16, 2021 by MikeBMW

Grumpy Bear · August 16, 2021

History as a spare time hobby.

8/13/2021 will be an date for the record books.

The day that in the USA as many people have died of COVID-19 as the American Civil War.

COVID-19 hit 620,000 dead in 20 months.

Civil war took 4 years, 27 days.

Imagine a disease more deadly than War.

The USA's worst war

Imagine calling the Civil War a Hoax

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-casualties

Yes, other sources (Wiki) post this number at 655,000. Patients. We'll get there.

Donstar · August 16, 2021

I enjoy learning as a spare time hobby. History is also a part of this. Technological advancements in the past few decades have changed general ignorance drastically. The change wasn't overnight but pretty close! It has also changed our conversations. How often did we discuss the possible answers to a question and try to combine efforts to come up with an answer or solution? Sometimes we were just left wondering. Now we only ask questions if our phone is out of data!

It wasn't that long ago that if I was unsure of the spelling of a word, I'd guess if I was writing for myself. If others were involved, I'd have to search in a dictionary or choose a different word. Everyone who is able to read this has access to an incredible amount of readily accessible knowledge. A few months ago I had a nephew doing research on WWII and wanted to know more about his grandpa's (my dad) role in the war. Before I responded to his request, I took what I remembered and spoke to Google for awhile. My few remembered facts led to a whole new understanding of the context of his participation. There is still a need for a good education to help guide us on how to interpret or use this easily accessible knowledge. Our conflicts on dealing with the pandemic illustrate some profound differences on how we interpret information. Critical Thinking is a particularly worthwhile topic to research as it improves our abilities to discern good information from the other stuff!.

KARNUT · August 16, 2021

45 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I enjoy learning as a spare time hobby. History is also a part of this. Technological advancements in the past few decades have changed general ignorance drastically. The change wasn't overnight but pretty close! It has also changed our conversations. How often did we discuss the possible answers to a question and try to combine efforts to come up with an answer or solution? Sometimes we were just left wondering. Now we only ask questions if our phone is out of data!

It wasn't that long ago that if I was unsure of the spelling of a word, I'd guess if I was writing for myself. If others were involved, I'd have to search in a dictionary or choose a different word. Everyone who is able to read this has access to an incredible amount of readily accessible knowledge. A few months ago I had a nephew doing research on WWII and wanted to know more about his grandpa's (my dad) role in the war. Before I responded to his request, I took what I remembered and spoke to Google for awhile. My few remembered facts led to a whole new understanding of the context of his participation. There is still a need for a good education to help guide us on how to interpret or use this easily accessible knowledge. Our conflicts on dealing with the pandemic illustrate some profound differences on how we interpret information. Critical Thinking is a particularly worthwhile topic to research as it improves our abilities to discern good information from the other stuff!.

Things change. Instead of making excuses for change. Just explain that change happens. That I did the best with the information I had at the time would work for me. I hate when doctors disagree with each other. Instead of saying different people react different to medication or virus. My 90 year old father in law said his covid felt like a cold. His 50 year old son spent the night in the hospital. My nieces had no symptoms. Every day is a crap shoot. I drive with a seat belt. It’s good to a point. Same with the shot for most people. Getting on the same page with therapeutics would certainly help.

j-ten-ner · August 18, 2021

Since the fourth wave is gaining momentum here in BC, I decided to get myself a new project

1965 Kaiser Jeep. It's a solid base to work on. It's not a J10, but who gives lol

So long

j-ten-ner

Donstar · August 18, 2021

9 hours ago, j-ten-ner said:

Since the fourth wave is gaining momentum here in BC, I decided to get myself a new project

1965 Kaiser Jeep. It's a solid base to work on. It's not a J10, but who gives lol

So long

j-ten-ner

Great looking truck! Which direction are you going, a clear coat on the patina or back to original? Yes the fourth wave was so unnecessary, imo. I travelled from the island to the mainland this past weekend and was disappointed to see covid protocols abandoned rather than relaxed. We have family in New Zealand and they just went from normal to stage 4 lockdown in a day. Covid19 is very much alive and flourishing. Restrictions don't need to be so drastic if everyone participates. Unfortunately, too many need to see it first-hand before they will take it seriously or participate. My wife and I have decided to move forward with a huge project and replace the floors throughout our house. The tiles and laminate will all become luxury vinyl plank. We were hesitant to get started because we want to be able to host company as restrictions ease. However, "we" went too fast, too soon (imo) and company won't be coming to our house from afar for awhile!

KARNUT · August 18, 2021

On my latest trip the theme seems to be let it do it’s thing give me therapeutics. Everyone is short help. I do see people staying spaced out for the most part indoors. Not many mask. Myrtle Beach is packed, like usual. Our governor tested positive. Seems fine. He’s getting the meds. Two more days heading home. See if there’s been changes. Truck stops, rest stop s will be the rule. Will check out our favorite Mississippi casino get our free room. It was not as full going. We’ll see coming back.