Octopus Overlords

House maintenance...lots of house maintenance.

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 1:51 pm This isn't to say that I don't appreciate that we could indeed get sick, or even die, from covid. We simply take into consideration as a managed risk, like driving on I-95, getting hit by lightning (lots of lightning in our area) or getting hit by a giant asteroid.

Knowing the risk and choosing to take a chance on dying for something that matters to you is absolutely something I can support. But this isn't like getting hit by lightning or an asteroid, either. It's more like taking the roof off your house in the spring and hoping it doesn't rain (without checking the weather first.) Still, it's your house.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 4:07 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:37 am No, it’s the “I take proper precautions and I’m not going to live in fear” thread; or at least my posts are. When you grew up when polio was still around, you get a sense of perspective. I’m 66 by the way

How do your precautions apply to those who don't give a fuck about your health and happily mingle in those events, often with no PPE in place?

I haven't really seen that attitude in the places I've gone, certainly not at the dinner theater, it being a place with folks as old as we are or older and everyone maintaining social distancing. The tables at the theater are placed about ten feet apart so no one was forced upon anyone else. I guess because we don't go to crowded locales I'm not seeing any bad social behavior. And in spite of what the tin foil hat media try to convince people, nobody is being crowded at the beach, at least not where we've been. There's plenty of room and folks can maintain distancing easily.

Our county hasn't implemented mandatory masks. At our local supermarket a month ago I figured about half the folks had masks. When we went yesterday, with everyone thinking about the surge, most people had masks. And masks or not, folks pretty much stayed away from each other, stayed on the spots on the floor, not crowding.

And for people wondering why no mandatory masks, our positivity rate is right now at 0.5% so the county is leaving it up to individual businesses. Over in Orlando masks are mandatory and when we were over there this morning it seemed that no one was having any issue wearing them.

Hamilton county began their mandatory mask wearing today. One cafe said a single customer fussed and refused then left. The county police will issue a warning on the first go and a citation for $50 or 30 days next time. For some reason the City police said they wont be enforcing it. Kinda stupid in my opinion. At least county can still get them in the city. Useless police chief.

Unemployment has put a dent in my support of the local brewery industry (I expect mass closures to ensue). Almost went to flight today, but with budget restrictions in place, I can't justify spending a lot more on 4 beers than I do for 15 (supermarket had 15-pack Goose Island mix packs for $11 last week). Sure, the quality of the Goose Island stuff is shit, but it's drinkable and help fills up the additional drinking time I have these days.

Did my weekly ammo dump. Today, 300 rounds of 22lr.

Tonight I'll probably "game" online with a friend. Basically fire up a game, drink beer and whiskey, and voice chat until 4am. Usually little actual gaming but it's the highlight of the week.



COVID birthday weekend number two, second for the kids in two weeks. They are driving us crazy but it has to really suck for them. Considering with an impromptu road trip (somewhere?) or just getting a stupidly large suite at a hotel downtown to mix it up.

I think at this point, I’m not sure that I’m staying sane. I’ve lost my sense of time. No idea what day I’m on, or what time of day it is.

I’ve forgotten what co-workers look and sound like. It feels a lot like when you quit a job, except I still have to do work.

I’ve started handling more conversations with phone calls instead of MS Teams chats, and that’s helping.

I really need to do a better job of regimenting and normalizing my daily schedule.

RunningMn9 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:23 pm I think at this point, I’m not sure that I’m staying sane. I’ve lost my sense of time. No idea what day I’m on, or what time of day it is.

I’ve forgotten what co-workers look and sound like. It feels a lot like when you quit a job, except I still have to do work.

I’ve started handling more conversations with phone calls instead of MS Teams chats, and that’s helping.

I really need to do a better job of regimenting and normalizing my daily schedule.

I've been back two months and it still feels like living in molasses.

RunningMn9 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:23 pm I think at this point, I’m not sure that I’m staying sane. I’ve lost my sense of time. No idea what day I’m on, or what time of day it is.

Normally summer breaks don't cause me to lose track of time but the roll from synchronous virtual teaching in March and April to asynchronous in May, and then summer break has really messed with it this year. I am finally getting out to do some of the pretty important but not quite critical tasks (new glasses prescription and glasses, in person checkup and refill on my normal meds, yearly physical needed for my job) and that is helping bring back a sense of what day it is.

It would help if I plugged back in my bedside clock but I might wait until just prior to the start of school. I've had a bedside clock for probably 45 years. Not having it on for the past month has been interesting.

Every day is Blursday.

Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

I try to log on to work at 7:30 every weekday to keep that routine. I know when Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning are. Get me on a Tuesday or Wednesday and I have no idea what day of the week it is. Is it still Monday? Thursday? Does it matter? (No, it doesn't.)

From the time I left school until this year Ive never known what day it was. Id be in a store talking to some employee and say "Well at least its Thursday. And they'd say "But its Monday.....doh. I simply asked my wife what day or date it was. But this year Ive known each day. I plan stuff weeks or months ahead of time now and Im the one who actually has to remember it. No more of my wife to come to bed and say "Remember we are going to the doctor tomorrow" and me like "Wait what???" and her reply "I told you this yesterday and the day before"

Its ALL on me now so Ive gotten good at it.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

It's kind of like that for us since I retired. I do know if there is auto racing on it must be the weekend, otherwise I have to really think about it

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm

Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

Newspaper? Forget the day and date, you might want to check the year.

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:23 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

It's kind of like that for us since I retired. I do know if there is auto racing on it must be the weekend, otherwise I have to really think about it

It's F1 Styria weekend.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:37 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:23 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

It's kind of like that for us since I retired. I do know if there is auto racing on it must be the weekend, otherwise I have to really think about it

It's F1 Styria weekend.

Yup, but it looks like third practice and qualifying Saturday might be rained out, pushing qualifying to Sunday morning (their time) with the race a few hours later.

Also an Indycar double header at Road America, one of my most favorite courses, both watching in real life and driving in sims. There's also NASCAR but I don't follow that series anymore. I'll have to wait till next weekend for the next IMSA race at Sebring.

And in the meantime, the America's Cup YouTube channel has been replaying the full races from the 34th America's Cup which took place in 2013 in San Francisco, featuring the greatest sports comeback of all time, or at least in my personal opinion

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:35 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm

Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

Newspaper? Forget the day and date, you might want to check the year.

Someday I will school you on the importance of supporting local journalism. Lucky for you, today is not that day.

I suppose in some ways starting a new job right when everything was shutting down (first day was on March 17) maybe made this transition easier. I never experienced what the job was like normally, so working from home and chatting over Zoom feels normal to me. Also, the job entailed moving to a new place where I only knew one other person, so I probably wouldn't be going out much anyways (although certainly I would probably have started socializing with at least a few of my new co-workers). If I hadn't changed jobs and were still in St. Louis where I hung out with friends regularly, the change would definitely have been more jarring and I probably would be going a lot more stir crazy.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:46 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:35 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:12 pm

Honestly, some days I learn the weekday and date from my morning newspaper.

Newspaper? Forget the day and date, you might want to check the year.

Someday I will school you on the importance of supporting local journalism. Lucky for you, today is not that day.

Agreed it's for another thread but I support several local journalists. None of them work for a newspaper. And their work is consistently better and more impactful than the local print journalists.


But it's . more about print being on the decline and a loss leader for most papers.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 5:53 pm Hamilton county began their mandatory mask wearing today. One cafe said a single customer fussed and refused then left. The county police will issue a warning on the first go and a citation for $50 or 30 days next time. For some reason the City police said they wont be enforcing it. Kinda stupid in my opinion. At least county can still get them in the city. Useless police chief.

The cops here announced they would not be enforcing Covid requirements. I assume it is a question of manpower. But I do know the city and county are citing businesses and restaurants that are violating the requirements, but it is not cops that are doing it. In fact the state is also citing local restaurants thru the ABC.

Makes me glad that here in suburban Chicagoland, most people are following the governor's orders and the infection trend has been low and steady for awhile. I went shopping in 4 stores today and mask compliance was 100%. I'm still not inclined to do anything inherently risky though. Our local waterpark (largest in the state) apparently opened today. I bought season passes for our family and two others when they had an end-of-year deal for the rest of 2019 and all of 2020. Now they say passes are good throughout 2021, but at some point we ought to go and actually procure the passes to avoid grief. But the kids aren't going to be happy with just going there to get their pass so...ugh.

wonderpug wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:47 am

paulbaxter wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:28 pm I've been playing piano every day for the last few weeks. I'll read through a Bach Prelude and Fugue (badly) each day, and I'm also working on a Scott Joplin rag little by little. Progress is always small and incremental, but certainly every few days I'm noticeably better at part of it. Also, playing this stuff is challenging enough to absorb my attention fully, which I find helpful in stressful times.

What ragtime song are you working on? I haven’t built a very big repertoire of songs, but ragtime is one of my favorite kinds of music to play on the piano.

Sorry, took a little break and missed this. I wanted to work on a song that wasn't one everyone knows already, so I picked Sunflower Slow Drag. I'm pretty decent at the first half now, and I've memorized the second half, but it isn't very smooth yet. Still playing Bach every day as well.

I am finding it tough going, working from home permanently, both boys have not been to school since March 23rd. Wife is a teacher and is working full time, each days seems to blue in to the next, work is going well but is hard going.

I used to coarse fish a lot then had kids and it stopped. Taken it up again this yea with my boys. The youngest who is 10 can manage a few hours but the eldest at 13 has fallen in love with it. We went yesterday got there at 6.30am and left at 8pm.

We have already had some decent fish. Jack has had 2 15lb carp one mirror and 1 common along with plenty of smaller and I caught a lovely perch at 4lb 01oz just 9oz short of the club record, Youngest has had a 12lb mirror carp.

The fishing is something to look forward to each week, have joined a club and we go once in the week after work and one day at the weekend the other day going to the beach hut which was great today.

paulbaxter wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:06 am

wonderpug wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:47 am

paulbaxter wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:28 pm I've been playing piano every day for the last few weeks. I'll read through a Bach Prelude and Fugue (badly) each day, and I'm also working on a Scott Joplin rag little by little. Progress is always small and incremental, but certainly every few days I'm noticeably better at part of it. Also, playing this stuff is challenging enough to absorb my attention fully, which I find helpful in stressful times.

What ragtime song are you working on? I haven’t built a very big repertoire of songs, but ragtime is one of my favorite kinds of music to play on the piano.

Sorry, took a little break and missed this. I wanted to work on a song that wasn't one everyone knows already, so I picked Sunflower Slow Drag. I'm pretty decent at the first half now, and I've memorized the second half, but it isn't very smooth yet. Still playing Bach every day as well.

Very cool! It’s always fun to see people try out songs other than just the Entertainer and Maple Leaf (though those are fun, too). Right now I’m working on Stop Time Rag, which has you stomping your foot like a metronome while the piano part does occasional stops and restarts. Kind of a cool effect.

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pm I used to coarse fish a lot then had kids and it stopped. Taken it up again this yea with my boys. The youngest who is 10 can manage a few hours but the eldest at 13 has fallen in love with it. We went yesterday got there at 6.30am and left at 8pm.

We have already had some decent fish. Jack has had 2 15lb carp one mirror and 1 common along with plenty of smaller and I caught a lovely perch at 4lb 01oz just 9oz short of the club record, Youngest has had a 12lb mirror carp.

The fishing is something to look forward to each week, have joined a club and we go once in the week after work and one day at the weekend the other day going to the beach hut which was great today.

Wow, that is a hefty perch, nicely done! American Yellow Perch look almost identical but rarely grow to that size. Did you get to fry it up? It's been a while since I last had one, but I remember them having a wonderfully mild flavour.

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:40 pm

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Coarse fishing = the British equivalent of freshwater fishing for non-game fish.

Achievement unlocked: I performed my first self-haircut, with results that aren't laughable. Kind of screwed up my mustache but that grows out fast.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:49 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:40 pm

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Coarse fishing = the British equivalent of freshwater fishing for non-game fish.

I wondered what he was referring to. Thanks.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:49 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:40 pm

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Coarse fishing = the British equivalent of freshwater fishing for non-game fish.

Most places I've lived it would just be called 'fishing.' If going after game fish, it would be 'trout fishing', or 'bass fishing.' With no modifiers it means 'whatever happens to bite.'

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:05 am

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:49 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:40 pm

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Coarse fishing = the British equivalent of freshwater fishing for non-game fish.

Most places I've lived it would just be called 'fishing.' If going after game fish, it would be 'trout fishing', or 'bass fishing.' With no modifiers it means 'whatever happens to bite.'

Dredging up my freshwater fishing experience, there's fly fishing (rivers) and drowning worms (lakes). I never got into fly fishing because of all the flies, but I used to love rowing onto a lake and drowning worms. And who even remembers what "trolling" mean before the internet?

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:05 am

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:49 pm

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:40 pm

Reemul wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:54 pmcoarse fish

*runs to google*

Coarse fishing = the British equivalent of freshwater fishing for non-game fish.

Most places I've lived it would just be called 'fishing.' If going after game fish, it would be 'trout fishing', or 'bass fishing.' With no modifiers it means 'whatever happens to bite.'

I could be mistaken, but I believe the origins of the term have much to do with the British class system. Back in the day, freshwater fishing was mostly a sport of the gentry, who were primarily interested in game fish like salmon and trout. They looked down upon catching other fish that made for less-palatable eating, so they were disdained and referred to as 'coarse' fish. Hence the term coarse fishing.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:20 am Dredging up my freshwater fishing experience, there's fly fishing (rivers) and drowning worms (lakes). I never got into fly fishing because of all the flies, but I used to love rowing onto a lake and drowning worms. And who even remembers what "trolling" mean before the internet?

My first real job was as a fly tier. I loved all the flies, and I loved the process of creation. Growing up I did a lot of fishing - bait, fly, lure, salmon (which is its own thing), trolling, trotline, surf casting, deep sea. I never did any ice fishing (although I did fall through the ice once while fishing on Donner Pass, New Years Day 1988.) I've caught enough types of fish that I couldn't begin to recount them, plus other things that ended up on my line (a turtle, a frog, several clams, a number of squid.)

And yet I haven't been fishing more than a half dozen times in the last 30 years (and none in the last 15-20), ever since I moved to Indiana. Indiana fishing is... blech. I think the last time I went fishing it was for crappie, and we pulled in like 30 of them in an afternoon. For someone raised primarily on trout, where you'd have to really think the fishing through and work for a catch, it barely felt like fishing. It felt like automatic fish retrieval.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:29 am Indiana fishing is... blech.

Really? You know, this a pretty big annual thing in Indiana. Especially if you like fly fishing and salmon.

I've been bicycling a lot.

You'd think I'd lose weight, but I've also been drinking beer a lot.

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:39 am You'd think I'd lose weight, but I've also been drinking beer a lot.

Cosign.

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:39 am I've been bicycling a lot.

You'd think I'd lose weight, but I've also been drinking beer a lot.

This.

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:39 am I've been bicycling a lot.

You'd think I'd lose weight, but I've also been drinking beer a lot.

I've not been on a bicycle nor had a drink.

My video game time has certainly been spiking though.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 10:06 am I've not been on a bicycle nor had a drink.

Brewery to brewery bike tours are a real fun thing during most summers.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:29 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:20 am Dredging up my freshwater fishing experience, there's fly fishing (rivers) and drowning worms (lakes). I never got into fly fishing because of all the flies, but I used to love rowing onto a lake and drowning worms. And who even remembers what "trolling" mean before the internet?

My first real job was as a fly tier. I loved all the flies, and I loved the process of creation. Growing up I did a lot of fishing - bait, fly, lure, salmon (which is its own thing), trolling, trotline, surf casting, deep sea. I never did any ice fishing (although I did fall through the ice once while fishing on Donner Pass, New Years Day 1988.) I've caught enough types of fish that I couldn't begin to recount them, plus other things that ended up on my line (a turtle, a frog, several clams, a number of squid.)

And yet I haven't been fishing more than a half dozen times in the last 30 years (and none in the last 15-20), ever since I moved to Indiana. Indiana fishing is... blech. I think the last time I went fishing it was for crappie, and we pulled in like 30 of them in an afternoon. For someone raised primarily on trout, where you'd have to really think the fishing through and work for a catch, it barely felt like fishing. It felt like automatic fish retrieval.

I stopped fishing after I moved out of MI, away from my fisherman friends and all the places that I knew.

I'd forgotten about ice fishing. For a couple of years, keeping warm on the ice was a parent-sanctioned excuse for teenagers to drink pints of booze. I liked Southern Comfort or peppermint schnapps. My main fishing buddy was a blackberry brandy man. Yeah, we were kids. Never cared about the actual fishing, but the party surrounding it was fun.