Covid19 Spare time

diyer2 · January 11, 2022

Customboss, you're service may not be appreciated by some or by many on a daily basis, but never doubt that many appreciate your service along with the many others on a daily basis.

Donstar · January 11, 2022

Weather is nuts. A couple of nights ago we were listening to the news about the upcoming weather event (now underway) and then they ran a story about earthquake preparedness. I am listening to this while enjoying a root canal gone bad. Our first priority when Covid interrupted our lifestyle was to make sure we are well prepared for major disruption. Now I feel underprepared. On Saturday night I was able to speak with a dentist and pick up a prescription at a late night pharmacy. A good stock of toilet paper and pork & beans wouldn't have helped my excruciatingly painful mouth if we were without services! I know this is a "first world" type issue but definitely need something more than bandages in our emergency kit!

KARNUT · January 11, 2022

4 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Weather is nuts. A couple of nights ago we were listening to the news about the upcoming weather event (now underway) and then they ran a story about earthquake preparedness. I am listening to this while enjoying a root canal gone bad. Our first priority when Covid interrupted our lifestyle was to make sure we are well prepared for major disruption. Now I feel underprepared. On Saturday night I was able to speak with a dentist and pick up a prescription at a late night pharmacy. A good stock of toilet paper and pork & beans wouldn't have helped my excruciatingly painful mouth if we were without services! I know this is a "first world" type issue but definitely need something more than bandages in our emergency kit!

My last root canal put me on a regular schedule cleaning and X-rays for prevention. I went to my 40s with two extractions and that was it. In my 40s I had caps, fillings crowns the works. And swore I would take better care. Well 20 years later out the blue abscess. Under a cap. Root canal, yeah! It took two visits, sh$t. I’d rather take a beating than sit in that chair. Strangely a dentist has never caused me pain, ever. Now two times a year cleaning and X-rays. Recently I learned that bad oral hygiene can hurt the heart, go figure. Good luck my man. I feel your pain.

Donstar · January 12, 2022

Yes, tooth pain is disproportionately huge! It took my mind off of my other aches but, no thanks! I suspect most of us have a stash of supplies in the event our support system is cut off and this past week I discovered I am woefully underprepared in the area of emergency pain relief. This morning I mused what will be the impact if we're offline for a few days? This could prove to be a real problem and should be included in your emergency preparedness discussions. My kids were teens before cell phones were around. We had a rule that if we couldn't make a contact within 15 minutes, we needed to know why and when. You can manage without cell phones but don't underestimate their role in your everyday life. Is there an AM radio c/w batteries in your kit? A what????

KARNUT · January 12, 2022

My wife keeps us well stocked with over the counter meds. With her experience with an incompetent doctor and repair surgeries there’s usually muscle relaxers and such around.

Donstar · January 14, 2022

A neighbour homeschools her pre-teenaged children and occasionally phones me for help. Yesterday she called wondering where she could buy a 10 inch piece of 14 gauge copper wire for a science activity. The fact that she didn't have any around the house was understandable but not knowing where to source a piece of copper wire was suspicious. In this case, as an example, she could have googled an answer faster than phoning me (if she truly didn't know). I am certain that this was simply a feel good opportunity for my benefit. This was evidenced by the speed I delivered 30 inches of #14 copper wire c/w cutters and needle nose pliers to her front door! Part of the time you spend planning for your senior years needs to be preparing to be treated like a senior. Imagine having a 40 year old brain and have people run ahead of you to open doors, speak loudly to you or praise you for having some extra household wire to share!

KARNUT · January 14, 2022

3 minutes ago, Donstar said:

A neighbour homeschools her pre-teenaged children and occasionally phones me for help. Yesterday she called wondering where she could buy a 10 inch piece of 14 gauge copper wire for a science activity. The fact that she didn't have any around the house was understandable but not knowing where to source a piece of copper wire was suspicious. In this case, as an example, she could have googled an answer faster than phoning me (if she truly didn't know). I am certain that this was simply a feel good opportunity for my benefit. This was evidenced by the speed I delivered 30 inches of #14 copper wire c/w cutters and needle nose pliers to her front door! Part of the time you spend planning for your senior years needs to be preparing to be treated like a senior. Imagine having a 40 year old brain and have people run ahead of you to open doors, speak loudly to you or praise you for having some extra household wire to share!

My son always finds reasons to tease me a little. Thinning hair, eye site etc. He looks exactly like me, his son too. Good looking I mite say. My come back is always your looking at your future. My kids have after their parents don’t know anything stages. Have rewarded us the knowledge of our years and seeking our advice down the path of life.

diyer2 · January 14, 2022

txab · January 15, 2022

8 hours ago, KARNUT said:

My son always finds reasons to tease me a little. Thinning hair, eye site etc. He looks exactly like me, his son too. Good looking I mite say. My come back is always your looking at your future. My kids have after their parents don’t know anything stages. Have rewarded us the knowledge of our years and seeking our advice down the path of life.

Yep. You're a handsome guy alright. Glad you been keeping with your dental.

:crackup:

Edited January 15, 2022 by txab

Donstar · January 16, 2022

Cleaning out and digitizing family photos/videos is spare, spare time activity. Pictures of the "good old days" spark a lot of reflection - good & bad. We tend to cherry-pick the good of the time depicted. In reality, I'm happiest now, in the present. This is a good thing because I don't have a choice! I spend a lot of time pursuing opportunities to make my present worthy of becoming fond memories. Covid has challenged some production of picture perfect moments but it will someday frame a period of good and bad!

Donstar · January 17, 2022

I have a game running on my phone that entertains me when waiting or need a little something to bide my time. The reward is a game count that is ranked world wide. I am currently in the top 20 which does not really bring me pride as very little skill is required. I do appreciate the attraction to the gaming world. Over Christmas one of my grandsons outfitted his space with a dedicated gaming computer c/w a large curved screen. I had worried about the reclusive stereotype of gaming but he lives a well rounded lifestyle. It was a couple of years ago that our game playing strategy switched to him allowing me to win. Next time I get to Texas and play a game with him, it will need game of chance with minimal skills required! I do recall I once achieved a high level of competence in Pong. I'm sure he'd be too distracted by the graphics to beat me in a game!

KARNUT · January 17, 2022

Years ago my son and I played the racing games on Nintendo. My grandson is ate up with gaming, even competitively. At 21 it’s pretty much his world. It’s kinda of worrisome to me. And a sharp contrast to me at that age. No interest in dating, could careless about cars. It just that game. I try to advise without criticism. I want to slap him silly. It seems it’s not uncommon. My son’s boys are quite different more outdoorsy.

shakenfake · January 17, 2022

8 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

Years ago my son and I played the racing games on Nintendo. My grandson is ate up with gaming, even competitively. At 21 it’s pretty much his world. It’s kinda of worrisome to me. And a sharp contrast to me at that age. No interest in dating, could careless about cars. It just that game. I try to advise without criticism. I want to slap him silly. It seems it’s not uncommon. My son’s boys are quite different more outdoorsy.

I understand what you mean. Gaming was a big part of a lot of our child hoods. Our being Gen Z. I am 20 now and have played an inordinate amount of videogames. I think the main reason a lot of us switched to gaming instead of outdoors and what not is a couple of things. The main two being: 1. Entry cost/money sink and 2. The lack of kids in a neighborhood/decentralized schools

1. Gaming is so much cheaper than getting into cars or just about any other hobby. Basically you can buy a system and a game for cheaper than buying a set of headers, most of the time. You can decide how much you want to sink in via online purchases but I am a free gamer. I don't really play games that cost money anymore and I rarely upgrade components on my computer.

2. I know that for many adults they grew up with other kids in their neighborhood that all went to the same school. Well for me it wasn't until high school that I went to a school that was my "home school" if you will. It wasn't even until late elementary where I had a friend that lived relatively close to me. I had to have my parents drive me because everyone lived so far. Gaming was the only way we could all hang out every day.

Getting into other hobbies took a long time for me. I played sports and lifted weights in high school and in my first year of trade school but it was not until I was 18 that I took an interest into cars or guns. I always thought they were cool but never cared about building or working on my own. I have scaled back the gaming quite a bit now. Work has taken up a lot of my time as well as my girlfriend. But so have my other hobbies and that is a good thing.

There are some other reasons why gaming is so big now but those were the main two for me

To comment on the dating life, honestly it is better for him. Most girls and young women now are very very caught up with social media and fads and a lot of them just seem to be quite self-centered. I love my girlfriend and have been with her since high school, 3 years since December, but my advice to every one of my buddies or younger guys I know will be leave them alone for now. Find a girl to hook up with every once in a while but don't lock yourself in. If your grandson is working or going to school be thankful he isn't dating in my opinion. It is only a distraction.

Just some thoughts from a 20 year old.

KARNUT · January 17, 2022

4 minutes ago, shakenfake said:

I understand what you mean. Gaming was a big part of a lot of our child hoods. Our being Gen Z. I am 20 now and have played an inordinate amount of videogames. I think the main reason a lot of us switched to gaming instead of outdoors and what not is a couple of things. The main two being: 1. Entry cost/money sink and 2. The lack of kids in a neighborhood/decentralized schools

1. Gaming is so much cheaper than getting into cars or just about any other hobby. Basically you can buy a system and a game for cheaper than buying a set of headers, most of the time. You can decide how much you want to sink in via online purchases but I am a free gamer. I don't really play games that cost money anymore and I rarely upgrade components on my computer.

2. I know that for many adults they grew up with other kids in their neighborhood that all went to the same school. Well for me it wasn't until high school that I went to a school that was my "home school" if you will. It wasn't even until late elementary where I had a friend that lived relatively close to me. I had to have my parents drive me because everyone lived so far. Gaming was the only way we could all hang out every day.

Getting into other hobbies took a long time for me. I played sports and lifted weights in high school and in my first year of trade school but it was not until I was 18 that I took an interest into cars or guns. I always thought they were cool but never cared about building or working on my own. I have scaled back the gaming quite a bit now. Work has taken up a lot of my time as well as my girlfriend. But so have my other hobbies and that is a good thing.

There are some other reasons why gaming is so big now but those were the main two for me

To comment on the dating life, honestly it is better for him. Most girls and young women now are very very caught up with social media and fads and a lot of them just seem to be quite self-centered. I love my girlfriend and have been with her since high school, 3 years since December, but my advice to every one of my buddies or younger guys I know will be leave them alone for now. Find a girl to hook up with every once in a while but don't lock yourself in. If your grandson is working or going to school be thankful he isn't dating in my opinion. It is only a distraction.

Just some thoughts from a 20 year old.

I hear you. I grew up in the country in the sixties. I wanted to work and earn money for my first car. My father, uncles etc had performance cars and trucks. I wanted one at 12. So I worked. As for girls in my day most were flaky. Until I met my wife. I can understand the attraction to the games. My screen time on my iPhone is crazy. So I refrain from the game consoles.