What Are You Doing to Stay Sane....
In a world where everyone is telling you to "shelter-in-place" or self-quarantine. (For the record, "shelter-in-place" should only be used during times of potential immediate destruction, like a tornado or earthquake.)
We are all victims to the Coronavirus. Whether we actually have it, know someone who has it, or just based on all the restrictions placed on businesses. The Coronavirus is real and the smart thing to do is to stay at home except when absolutely necessary. The reason we have government officials making the proclamations about the dangers and forcing people to be unemployed is because the Coronavirus is serious and people are too stupid to take the proper precautions.
That being said, "What are you doing to stay sane?"
The advantage of being 67 years old and semi-retired, is that I have found numerous things to keep myself busy. I tend to buy physical books (the kind you can hold in your hands, not ones about doing physicals.). I have probably close to 100 books stashed around the house. Starting today, I am going to read the works of Tolkien, beginning with the Hobbit.
I have hobbies, too. I am still working on restoring a box of estate pipes for a lady. I work on two or three per day and so far, I've completed eight pipes.
I also took up leather crafting last year, in order to make accessories for my seasonal appearance as Santa Claus. I have a supply of leather and tools for working on.
And, I have my pipes and enough pipe tobacco to last for at least five years. I have gone from smoking one bowl a day to being a two bowl a day smoker.
Finally, there is the internet where I can defeat boredom for short periods of time but logging into forums and venting.
What are you doing?
We are all victims to the Coronavirus. Whether we actually have it, know someone who has it, or just based on all the restrictions placed on businesses. The Coronavirus is real and the smart thing to do is to stay at home except when absolutely necessary. The reason we have government officials making the proclamations about the dangers and forcing people to be unemployed is because the Coronavirus is serious and people are too stupid to take the proper precautions.
That being said, "What are you doing to stay sane?"
The advantage of being 67 years old and semi-retired, is that I have found numerous things to keep myself busy. I tend to buy physical books (the kind you can hold in your hands, not ones about doing physicals.). I have probably close to 100 books stashed around the house. Starting today, I am going to read the works of Tolkien, beginning with the Hobbit.
I have hobbies, too. I am still working on restoring a box of estate pipes for a lady. I work on two or three per day and so far, I've completed eight pipes.
I also took up leather crafting last year, in order to make accessories for my seasonal appearance as Santa Claus. I have a supply of leather and tools for working on.
And, I have my pipes and enough pipe tobacco to last for at least five years. I have gone from smoking one bowl a day to being a two bowl a day smoker.
Finally, there is the internet where I can defeat boredom for short periods of time but logging into forums and venting.
What are you doing?
Comments
Except for necessity traveling, Illinois is in shutdown mode.
Fortunately I have many hobbies that I can flitter from one to another.
Yesterday I decided to clean my garage work area. Went to toss a piece of scrap wood in my bin, and an idea hit me. Decided to make a pipe rack from some scrap wood.
Since cleaning my work area wasn't really necessary, just a diversion, I wound up making more of a mess (which I did clean up later) to make a pipe rack.
Here's the rough cut...
This discussion is for those of us who are sane to begin with. Relatively speaking that is...
@KA9FFJ
No one should do more traveling than absolutely necessary at the moment. I've seen too many people advocating closing down state borders and the interstate system - both of which would cause more deaths than the Coronavirus. On the other hand, I am seriously concerned about the economic damage being done to this country because of the lack of commonsense when it comes to taking precautions.
It's difficult to keep your sanity when you seem to be surrounded by insanity.
That being said, here's something the wife and I look forward to most evenings as a pathway to a bit of normalcy...
And school teachers around the country are now telling parents, "My students would never do something like that."
Here is something for the new home school teachers out there.
On a brighter note, I was so bored I started cleaning out part of the garage. I found a box of painting masks I bought for use when woodworking and painting last year and a half box of latex gloves.
It's only been about 4 months, so I think I'll start with the Silmarillion... AGAIN.
At least I have my selfmade ongoing notes for the book to reference from the last 3 times I read it.
So that one first, then it will be time for the other two...
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/the-art-seclusion
On Dec. 8, 1941.
As for the fitness nuts, the one thing they are being told is to go jogging, walking and other solitary exercise and to maintain a 10-foot distance from the next person. So if you see someone out walking their dog, they aren't being an idiot.
This too shall pass.
I'm not letting the media hype bother me. They are useless.
Don't allow them to control your thoughts.
Always be prepared. Be neutral and observe, you don't have to participate.
In all seriousness, working, walking and watching too much Netflix... The dog loves having us home, however!
There are a lot of things you can do that doesn't imprison you in your house during the "social distancing" mode we are supposed to be in. I sit outside and smoke my pipe and wave at people driving by. You can take walks in the woods, go fishing, sit on the beach, work on restoring pipes, etc. It's the things you can't do that is really bothering some people like sitting in a bar or going to a restaurant or a movie.
I haven't sat in a bar in years. If I go into a restaurant, it's usually to pick up our to-go order, and why pay a movie theatre big bucks for concessions when you can fix your own at home way cheaper.
The only thing I'm missing out on is the Annual Pipe Night that has been cancelled and the monthly New Orleans Pipe Club meetings that are cancelled until further notice.
I will survive.