Isolation: How will you pass the time?

deirdre

Senior Member.
The aim of this thread is mostly to brainstorm/give other readers ideas of how to pass the time (so we don't all go nuts) in "isolation".

for example (aside from work and artistic pursuits) I often do jigsaw puzzles online. ex: Here is @Keith Beachy 's shopping cart
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=2a21d0ed0015

I also downloaded the Agatha Christy collection on Kindle (it was free) and i'm learning to hate this Hastings guy.
I also download and print every week a free Merle Reagle crossword https://www.sundaycrosswords.com/ccpuz/MPuz.php (these are old puzzles as he passed away).
 
I can't stop reading about the coronavirus, but I want to do some programming. So to cover both bases I'm programming a Coronavirus contagion simulation :)

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I have a music studio-like room in my house. As an avid music enthousiast I play a few instruments, like keys and electric guitar and have a bit of a instrument collection going. I can record 16x2 channels at once, digitally.
But also acoustic classical guitar finger picking gives me great joy (in normal circumstances though)
 
I can't stop reading about the coronavirus, but I want to do some programming. So to cover both bases I'm programming a Coronavirus contagion simulation :)

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I friend of mine had an infectious disease simulator app for his phone. In one scenario Iceland was the only population center to survive because they closed their borders and bombed their infected populations.
 
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I can see video streaming sites such as Netflix going down due to much higher than normal amounts of people using the service at the same time. Let’s just hope their IT department can still fix any issues whilst wearing a mask and rubber gloves.
 
I have been asked to take part in an ipsos mori survey on people's media usage. So I'll be diarising my tv, radio and internet usage at half hour intervals for the next week. I don't think they'll be capturing the slice of normal life they were seeking from participants.

Other than that I need to make a flight case for 12" records, finish the 7" ones I'm halfway through, make a nice box for my Japanese saws and design and build some other storage/furniture because my ever expanding record collection needs somewhere to live. I'll pobably find time to buy more records too.
 
there are interactive games online too. so if anyone is going super stir crazy you can friend me on FB and we'll play 'words with friends' (although my vocabulary is horrible so I'm not much of a challenge!) I'll whomp anyone in 500 rummy though.
 
I'm still going to work, because a nursery isn't really something that can be done from home! You also can't really just leave things, unless you want to come back to find the entire farm dead.

Apart from that, I'm relying on the good ol' standard of video games (minecraft has ten million modpacks to add extra playtime).
 
my daughter spent 7 days behind doors before her C19 test results negative but that was after a 2 week japan holiday and 4 weeks full on work shifts so she was kinda was enjoying the down time i just took her playstation games ..

From what i understand isolation may not mean 100% locked behind doors 24 /7 and that things like walking driving single person hobbies are allowed just dont interact with others.. So i'd go surfing fishing target shooting archery golf driving range car drives to places i no been but all just by myself or dear swmbo can come along or follow in the other car.. id look to volunteer my time on things like roadside rubbish collection or repairing my various club premises.. About the house i got the painting to be done which is itself a 2 week project plus i have heaps of work admin reports and plans to update so really 2 weeks is not enuff time..

oh wait could hire a sail boat or lake house boat for 2 weeks & see ya

actually i got 2 weeks holiday starting this Thursday :) and the above was handy to plan out my time off

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From what i understand isolation may not mean 100% locked behind doors 24 /7 and that things like walking driving single person hobbies are allowed just dont interact with others.
Yes, even in the strictest mandatory regional restrictions in the US so far, in San Francisco, they say:
https://sf.gov/stay-home-except-essential-needs

I become anxious when cooped up in my house. Am I allowed to go to a park or on a hike? Can I travel to a County park or open space?

Yes. Spending time outside improves mood and wellbeing, and is particularly beneficial to children. You can go for walks, go to the park, and engage in other similar activities, but should maintain social distance (i.e. be more than 6 feet away from persons who are not part of your household) when on walks and in parks to avoid spread of the virus.
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But also:
You cannot take unnecessary trips on public transport or in your car or motorbike.
Content from External Source
Although I think that's really aimed at the metro areas.
 
So i'd go surfing

just be careful (IF the virus hits your area/hospitals hard) not to do anything that might end up requiring a hospital visit and tying up paramedics and doctors. I realize shark attack is extremely rare, but you just reminded me of the "be careful" message I thought yesterday when I almost sliced through my wrist while cutting up boxes. :)

and even now, when hospitals maybe aren't so busy.. they are still full of flu, cold, staph and maybe covid germs. So maybe a good time to be extra careful in our activities!
 
I shifted to telework today, so I'm actually working. I am somewhat distressed because I got word that someone in the same organization as I am (albeit it in the building next door) tested positive. I don't deal with people in the other building, but people I work with do, so that chain is pretty dang short.

By chance, my wife and I had purchased most of the things we need to refinish our sun room before this all started, so I'll probably work on that when I'm not working. I'm also a model railroader and I have an endless supply of projects down in the train room.
 
I "work" from home. Doing Metabunk, my podcast, occasional videos, and programming. So I'm quite used to not going out for several days. Still, two weeks or more is quite a while, and my wife is missing her daily trips to the gym. All the Coronavirus stuff is quite distracting - not just for me, there's been a distinct downtick in my feeds regarding the traditional conspiracy theories. So it's changing my usual activities.

That said, I'm going to keep active. There's always lots of yard work to do - tidying up trees, and mowing the field in preparation for fire season. And there's a variety of jobs around the house. Plus we've still got Jeopardy :)
 
Still, two weeks or more is quite a while
snort some hayweed. time flies by if you have a sinus infection. I've been home 2 weeks, haven't done a single thing on my long to-do list but ive barely noticed the time as ive been sick :) my low grade fever finally broke last night and I feel human today, so now I'll have to watch the "getting antsy" stuff.
 
Getting exercise is helping me fight the boredom of having spring break extended and college classes shifted to online-only. Been enjoying the great outdoors a pretty decent bit and familiarizing myself with the state parks. It's easy enough to stay a sufficient distance away from other people.

Otherwise, applying to summer internships, working on a few LEGO projects, and practicing on the guitar. In particular, I finally decided to learn "Rats", by the Swedish band Ghost. Seems like a fitting piece to learn, as the song is about the Black Plague. :p
 
I am OK with hibernating for a while, but my 86yo father living in the next room, is not.

I have my personal home hobbies already installed..... cooking, gardening, fine-art painting, and music-making in my synth studio... (bedroom, ha).

However, my 86yo father, has very few daily pastimes, and they are limited by his reduced cognition, faulty memory, and his use of an assisted walker.
In order to keep him not-bored, I often create short road-trips, where he agrees he will stay in the car the whole trip. He likes it.

His senior gym "chair exercises", were cancelled.
I found equal (or better) chair exercises on YouTube.

I may even try some with him. We all need to exercise......
 
* Consider a needle-craft of some sort.
* Modify your microwave to heat your entire house.
* Mix several 1000-piece picture-puzzles together, for a real challenge.
* Learn a new musical instrument with items found around your home....like wine glass singing, or playing the spoons...


Source: https://youtu.be/X5e0TVUC_ko?t=337
 
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Speaking of LEGO projects...

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The two smaller ones have been around for a while (2.5-4 years), but I've been able to make a lot of progress on finishing out the big one thanks to the self-quarantine. Got one more spaceship to make after that and then I'll probably be happy with my fleet. :D
 
.....I'm using this event to quit smoking .

I have smoked clove-flavored cigarettes (Djarum brand) for many years. (they're mostly tobacco)
My history.......I didn't need to smoke everyday, but every third or fourth day, I binge-smoked 16-20 cigarettes.....for the last 10 years.
I am using a nicotine patch, and have nicotine gum when the craving occasionally hits hard.
I've also used this event to come close to stop drinking any alcohol at all.

Overall noticeable benefits from both changes (two weeks after changing }.......
+ No more morning cough.
+ Early-to-rise in the morning, and very constructive "isolation" days.
+ Crazy/wild dreams, because of a side-effect from the patch's nicotine during slunber........ I believe.
+ Increased interest in my health ***

Since I am already requested to "stay at home" as much as possible....I'm using that opportunity as a home-lockdown rehab from cigarettes, and it seems to be working.


( *** a fortunate reassessment, from an unfortunate event. )


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I talked earlier, about home cooking.

I care for my live-in 86yo diabetic father, so it's just us two, trying to isolate and avoid any virus.
I am the cook........... because he is "the burner of onions". (no really, like black and carbonized.)

I have committed to a routine, "one trip into the food market every two weeks". Averaged cost, $300 every 2 weeks, for us two.
My father sits and waits in the car, and I bring him along because he likes to "get out". It's good therapy for him.......and it helps alleviate his boredom.

What works best for me is, I have a pencil and pad in the kitchen, and I continually add items to the list, for the next market trip.
Because the list is open to entries for 2 long weeks, it's easy to figure-out my needs. If I think it's needed, I write it down.
What I want to do is, avoid/eliminate additional outside trips.....because I forgot an essential ingredient.

Arriving at the market, I gear-up before leaving the car.
Surgical gloves.
N95 mask .
After shopping, the used gloves leave my hands before re-entering my car.
Arriving home, I first remove my shoes outside, then I try to clean the imported groceries as best I can somewhat.
I'm being as careful as possible, because If I bring it into my home, my father fits perfectly into the "high risk" category.

I have about 50 good cookbooks, recipes from all over the world....and there is the internet for more recipes. I'm not sure why, but I prefer printed cookbooks. (??)
About half my waking day is concentrated on "today's food".... and also planning ahead.

I tend to get into regional cooking binges......... and I recently reached into my book stash, and pulled out this book "Japan" by Phadion..
(Mick prob knows Mitsuwa Japanese market.)

(spinach cabbage rolls, w/smoked soy and ponzu sauce)
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fishing, ok well not quite isolation but until today no real restrictions on movement,, only suggested its a good idea.

Oh Lang Lang river trout black fish

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Warneet Estuary bream mullet
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From today OZ Victoria its mandatory you stay at home unless essential for work food or family,, how this is enforced will be interesting.. Foot note state government closed gun shops today due to spike in purchases..



https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03...ronavirus-restrictions-as-cases-rise/12101632
From midnight, Victorians could also face fines if they leave the house for "non-essential reasons". That is, unless they leaving to get food and supplies, medical care, exercise or for work or education.
 
I think that this time of isolation and waiting....can be a time of passive reflection, and positive energetic personal surprise(s).
A positive outlook usually brings positive results.
I hope that this event will be recorded in recent history.... as a sort of brotherhood knot......and help eliminate petty differences, toward a better global future.
Am I being overly altruistic ?
 
I think that this time of isolation and waiting....can be a time of passive reflection, and positive energetic personal surprise(s).
A positive outlook usually brings positive results.
I hope that this event will be recorded in recent history.... as a sort of brotherhood knot......and help eliminate petty differences, toward a better global future.
Am I being overly altruistic ?
Possibly, but there does seem to be a general sense of unity over this, people all united in a common goal (read: not dying :p). One thing that I'm really curious about is how this might impact our conception of "work" going forward. It's hard to believe that after months of working from home, people will just "go back to the office" like nothing happened. Not sure how exactly it would pan out, but I feel like this virus may cause some long-term, deep, societal impacts.
 
I’ve always worked at home so the daytime routine is little different, other than no travel, and it somehow puts me a bit out of sorts. I’m literally getting the urge to go get on a plane and go somewhere for a few days. Pointless, as there is nowhere to go, anyway.

The big difference for me is that the evenings used to be time for socialization; dinner and drinks with friends, associates, and family several nights a week and that’s gone now. My roommate’s work closed up so she’s been working evenings for a local business doing office work in a private home.

Taking walks, going for drives, occasional shopping trips to keep the freezer full and the veggies fresh, and finally breaking down and watching a couple of TV series. I’ve just started The Witcher on Netflix and when that gets too heavy, I’m on season 2 of Eureka on Prime, which is much more fun.

Visited the California Poppy Reserve a couple weeks ago with some family members and it was beautiful. You can see for your self with the live camera at this link. Wait for it as the camera moves through 3 different positions.
 
My next door neighbour is a front line care worker, she is working long hours so I have taken care of her back garden, which is next to ours separated only by a small gate, we share a common back entry. She cried the first time she managed to get a break because she was worried she wouldn't have time to tidy it up, I had already done it. She bought us a box of chocolates and flowers to say thank you, so I then cleared all weeds, jetwashed the concrete and garden furniture etc. That job done, I am now doing more music recording. The wife is knitting doctor and nurse dolls.
 
Well, I spend most of my time playing on the xbox and hanging out in the garden. I started a few hobbies as well, including a mini-greenhouse and growing mushrooms. Planning to get started on hydroponics as soon as I can get the kits for that. Also, took up re-reading Arthur C. Clarke's novels.

Overall, I've been less productive than I had hoped to, but I am a procrastinator, so that was to be expected. I had hoped to play several videogames, but up until the middle of week 3 I 'd been grinding away at just one, Dying Light. A survival horror with an open-world setting which seemed eerily apropiate for the situation.

On the upside, we've had basically clear skies until now in France, and the clean air allows for some incredible night photography
 
I’ve been catching up on books that have taken a back seat to normal life and a lot of video games, honestly. Personally, the quarantine situation has been an interesting little experiment. During ‘Normal’ life, I always yearn for more time and fantasize about all of the things I would accomplish if I just had a little more of it. Well, I have all of the time in the world and I still find myself being unproductive. Perhaps the daily grind has conditioned me to be this way? Who knows. I worry often about the people, small businesses, etc, that will suffer and perhaps be permanently scarred from this whole ordeal. The U.S was not prepared for this and the federal government’s response has been lackluster at best. I guess complaining isn’t helping anything. I hope everyone is staying safe and I’m hoping that we can find a way to make it out of this in one piece mentally and financially. Stay safe everyone
 
Two things I am thinking of doing......

#1 .......making a History Network-style reality video, where I attempt to prove that unworldly entities are sharing my living (distancing) space.

#2 ........ while standing and spitting some stale gum into my toilet, I noticed that the splash almost reached back to my face (mouth). So I wanted to test "how far can water splash" from old gum or common household object. But it turns out, it's already a thing...... "splash height" .

Although today, I did make kimchi.
I also have a few ongoing $$ jobs, putting specialized paint finishes on furniture. I turned my apartment into a small studio.

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Fortnite with grandson, until they figure out I am bad. (grandsons in CA and NJ)

Copy slides from 1960s to the end of Kodachrome with a D800...

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And...
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I live in an upscale apt building. But I grow herbs on my south-facing patio,..... and I have like 10 (market size) bushels of Basil........Italian and Thai type.
I did not plant them, they re-seeded themselves from one or two years ago. (Note: they did not cross-breed at all)
They are visited by real live bees.
My basil plants are going crazy because of some late heavy rains (socal), and I have way too much for myself (I already have as much pesto as I can use.}
Now I am trying to give the excess to my "naturalpath" holistic neighbors.
They tend to not want it, because of the possibly tainted source, their neighbor (me ? ), 10 feet from me via a patio.

Free Basil if you are in the SoCal area. 100% organic, as always.

I already see new basil seedlings......so I think I can get at least 3 basil crops, before my season is over, in the fall.
(decorative aloe in foreground)

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Every night at 7pm, people stand on their balconies and bang on pots, hoot'n holler, or blow aerosol horns.
Not to be outdone, tonight I broke-out the power horn.
I have an air powered truck horn that made the loudest "honnnnnnnnnk
.." of anyone.
I'll try to video it again, tomorrow, at 7pm pacific.
(I installed a pull valve on the air line.... typically @ 100-120 PSI)

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