There's no place like home

[Long Run]

for discovering how bad a loud work environment can get.

Reason 52-A for why we can't wait to go back to the office.

The dogs are barking as the cars are parking . . .

The yard crews have never met a push mower, rake or lopper -- everything is a loud gas powered piece of equipment. Vroom beat Zoom. Plus dogs don't like yard workers anymore than anyone else.

Who knew there were so many people dropping stuff off at our house and the neighboring houses. Did I mention dogs barking?

And people having the temerity of walking down the sidewalk. Did I forget to mention dogs barking?

Or the guy with the stereo system and awesome music library he wants to share with everyone.

Or maybe just regular neighbors, practicing social distancing by having a yelling conversation from across the street.

You would think it would be the future, aka The Children, but no, they seem to be among the quietest creatures in the new workplace. Not as interesting as the hummingbirds and other aviary, but not much louder.

The road traffic may be way down, but the traffic helicopters need to fly over to make sure people get a shot of that.

Speaking of road traffic, semis can go full speed, at least until they need to slow down illegally using their compression breaks.

Okay, a few minutes of quiet, gotta get back to it. Wait, food delivery. The dogs are barking!

[Joe Guy]

Or maybe just regular neighbors, practicing social distancing by having a yelling conversation from across the street.

Or those people who walk up and down the street screaming into their cell phones like my old aunt used to do when she was talking on the rotary phone.

[Long Run]

Or those people who walk up and down the street screaming into their cell phones

I don't mind the dogs barking at them.

[dales]

My home is my castle.

I share it with a Jack Russell Terrier who is quite atypical for the breed.

Very laid back and mellow.

Things are good.

I realize that staying at home isn't for everyone (it's driving my poor sister nuts) but for me, life is good.

[BoSoxGal]

I’m a homebody by nature so not terribly distressed by lockdown - but I have missed seeing spring unfold everywhere besides my own yard. I could have been taking daily drives to see the blooming of ornamental trees and flowerbeds around town, but I guess it seemed like a violation of the rules plus I didn’t want to run the risk of an accident BWAHAHAHA so instead I had one in my own backyard. And now I can’t drive anywhere for at least another month/2.

I am a little sad about missing spring and the out and about in my favorite season, but at least our yard isn’t bad and I have the company of my sweet and funny and clever border collie mix Riley, who is fairly mellow for a pup but then has ‘zoomies’ episodes where she sprints and gallops around the yard like a greyhound and leaves me in stitches. She’s great fun and a better dog than I deserve - but aren’t they all.

I do feel occasional twinges that I should be using this time to polish off this, that and the other unfinished project in my house/life, but the existential dread and profound grief over what is happening to the people and the planet are enough to deal with and sometimes I tune that all out by watching mindless junk and sometimes I think on it very hard and try to carve out some peace.

Today I spent a few great hours watching Ken Burns’s documentary The Dust Bowl and it helped me realize how ridiculously easy the suffering of most Americans during this pandemic and recession/depression will be compared to the agonies endured by those folks in that time and in the Spanish flu and the Great Depression because that was a time when the standard of living was so hardscrabble, the social safety net nearly nonexistent and the stigma against taking ‘charity’ or government aid so deep-seated that many wouldn’t even when they were starving. I don’t mean to minimize the suffering of the actual poor in this country but as a person who lives at or under the federal poverty level I recognize that for many Americans poor is still very comfortable compared to the poor in most places in the world and the desperately poor here at home.

Of course in a world of such plenty there shouldn’t be any poverty at all, but looking back 100+/- years reminds me that we are a really fucked up species and probably incapable of ever rising above where we have been stuck for dozens and dozens of generations. So sometimes I feel like rooting for the virus, and climate change - so our home can heal itself from the scourge of humankind.

[Joe Guy]

[Gob]

Apart from the fact that my wife is on the other side of the planet, indefinitely, and I miss her dreadfully, I am very happy with the lock-down.

Living, as those of you who have followed the "my hobby" thread will know, in a beautiful area, with amazing countryside all around, with great friends and neighbours, but with the added bonus of no tourism is bliss.

I have my dogs, my computer, my allotment and my hobbies all to keep life on an even keel, things are good.

Just miss the Mrs that's all.

[MajGenl.Meade]

There's no place but home

[Long Run]

I like my home a lot too, and if I was no longer working I'd be quite content. But as a place of business my home comes in a distant second to my normal office for getting work done and for enjoying the work. I'm guessing most of us who are fortunate enough to be able to keep working, but have to do so at home, are looking forward to the day when we can do that back at our work places.

[RayThom]

Except for my occasional food shopping trips, hospital and FtF doctors appointments, and daily walks around my neighborhood, I, too, am confined to my home. I'd like to be doing more, but I'm content.

However, in a ritual I have dubbed "Groundhogs Night" I've found myself saying "bedtime already again" as I prepare to hit the pillow, realizing how little change there has been from one day to the next.

I'm thriving and surviving... things could have been much worse.

Life is good.

[Big RR]

Working from home is OK, but I honestly detest Zoom meetings and would rather be on the phone (I wouldn 't be surprised if I'm in the minority here). Then again, a good portion of my work has been from home over the last year, and I don't miss the commute.

I don't mind being at home, but I usually like to get out and do something more than walk around the block every day, so I do miss that; now that parks and hiking trails are open, it may get better. I also miss getting together with friends who live at a distance, and the phone is not the same. Likewise, while I understand the reasoning and will observe the restrictions, I really dislike the regimentation imposed on things like shopping--waiting outside, one way aisles, etc.; somethings make sense, others are like the security theater in the airports (often imposed by people who have no idea as to what they are doing). I'll tolerate all of this, but I'm really not crazy about it.

[Crackpot]

We use Skype and Microsoft teams

[BoSoxGal]

Yesterday my next door neighbors house had 5 extra vehicles out front but no people out in the yard despite the excellent weather and their usual penchant for yard parties. Clearly they decided to mix 6 households in one average sized house where six feet social distance isn't possible for what was likely close to two dozen people. Stupid.

My cousin took me for a ride to pick up fish & chips from my favorite place last night (possible last meal) and we observed a dozen people wearing masks with nose uncovered, and crowding into the lobby despite copius signage directing folks to call in orders and enter the lobby no more than 5 at a time - I feel bad because the owner is a friend, a science believer and very conscientious, he closed for a month before because people weren't social distancing and now hes open again with signs, no mask no service and folks are still rudely ignoring and I fear he wil close again and go out of business.

Got the call today that one of the caregivers for a private client I was doing one half shift a week for has covid19. Luckily i haven't been there in 3 weeks and tested negative this week; client was tested today and gets results next week. He's very elderly, diabetic and has sleep apnea he refuses to treat, hypertension, and has had pneumonia recently and each of the past few years. I hope he's ok and this wakes him up as he has been whining about lockdown and not being able to go out to eat. I've already decided that i will not keep working with him if he decides to go out to restaurants as soon as they open - all evidence points to eating inside as a huge exposure risk, to me not worth gambling my limited remaining years on the rock.

This virus turns on common sense and intelligence, at least when it comes to folks blessed with the means and ability to stay home, distance, and mask. It's maddening to me that so many folks lack the care for others that should compel them to follow public health guidelines.

[Gob]

Phoned Hen in Aus for 30 mins.

Spent the morning on my allotment, chipping out some weeded areas. Took the dogs here for a walk.

Did some chores about the house, then drove here for our evening dog walk.

Cooked up a gourmet meal for one, had a nice Chilean Merlot with it.

Lock-down life ain't too bad, miss the Mrs though.