How are you faring right in the middle of this covid19-epidemic?
How about telling us what’s happening in your country? and about your personal experience?
In Germany, we can’t meet up with more than one person, but we can still go outside for excercise. I strapped my uni to my bicycle a few days ago, and went to the trails. Normally I get there by bus or train, but it is recommended to avoid public transport. So it’s a 13km bike ride each way added to cross country/enduro style unicycling, which makes it a lot tougher than usual. I’ll need to bring more food and water next time, so I can stay long enough to make it worth the trip. Staying away from more dangerous trails is hard for me, but this is not the time to get myself into hospital. I found some good jumps that I hope I can film a video with when the worst part is over.
University is shut down, due dates for assignments postponed. I hate studying at home (I usually go to the library). Anyone who is good at working in a home office here with some tips for me? I managed to clear up my desk, but unless I am forced to it by tight deadlines, I can’t get myself to really sit down and study/work on the little cfd solver I should be writing.
Homeoffice sucks, but atleast the home gym works for me, if anyone is getting bored, I recommend downloading the madbarz app and doing a bodyweight workout every other day. I am perfectly capable of designing a workout myself, but just scrolling through and choosing one, and having a timer/counter integrated is just easier.
There is an eerie silence around us: cars, trains, planes and even birds stopped singing. In the evening the Eiffel Tower flashing lights remind us the city is still alive.
I went muniing in the woods 10 days ago… but this is not allowed any more. I am lucky: I have a garden and place to move (my place is part of an old factory) . So trying to keep fit by practising katas (and also trying to learn to juggle: but I fail miserably).
Being retired I have so many things to do that i forgot how to get bored ! The only dark side is when you learn that a friend “got it”…
We are in the early stages here in Canada, and Saskatchewan in particular. So far less than 100 confirmed or presumptive cases and only 4 of them that can’t be traced back to out of province/country travel. Hopefully everyone takes this seriously and prevent widespread community transmission before it gets out of hand locally.
I moved my office to my home on Monday. with non-field work I have the advantage of being able to start work at 6 or 7 AM if I want which I will take advantage of.
Went out to one of the fuel reduction projects yesterday to GPS the portion that was not complete so the contractor could send us the invoice. slogging through the snow it was up past my waist in a few sections. It took me 40 minutes to walk less than 400m, not sure why I didn’t think to bring snowshoes.
It struck me while I was out checking the project that while we are “social distancing” ourselves with at least 2m spacing, that is exactly the same as we are prescribing for these fuel reduction projects. Thinning out the forest so the trees are 2m apart to prevent tree-to-tree transmission of wildfire.
Finnspin: If you can make yourself a work schedule it would probably be beneficial. Maybe matching the times you would have been in class or in the morning before your brain gets distracted by everything else that is going on. When I went back to University a few years ago I had 7 classes in one semester (here you are considered full time with 3, and they don’t suggest more than 5). Time management was really important and I had to make my own deadlines as waiting until the actual due-dates would make things clump up and the overlapping priorities would have been overwhelming.
If you can assign your own due dates and stick to them that can help motivate you to get things done, and not spend too much time on relatively unimportant projects/assignments. Get your project that is only worth 2% of a class grade done to a “good enough” state by a self-imposed deadline then forget about it and work on your major project in the time that you would have otherwise wasted on trying to perfect the low value assignment.
My school district called an early Spring break last week. The next three weeks, we stay at home and engage in “remote learning”. I teach violin/viola/cello classes to 4th and 5th graders. My main goal is to support them practicing at home. I spent most of my time last week preparing a web page with different-speed accompaniment .mp3 files for all the songs in the district book. Today, I will be videoconferencing with students who need help tuning. Violins, especially the cheap ones bought on Amazon, don’t tend to hold their pitch. I expect some strings will be broken by students/parents. I teach at seven different elementary schools. Many of my students are privileged. Their parents are administrative professions currently working at home. These kids have access to devices. They have parent support. Other students’ parents work two jobs, and English is not their first language. Unfortunately, for many students, remote learning is not going to work. They are going to play video games all day.
In the last week, I saw crazy numbers of people out on the trails. I live next to a less-popular portion of a county wilderness park. We have had the most beautiful spring weather here. But, now, the authorities have started closing down beaches and parks. I am not sure how this affects my smaller, neighborhood parks. I was riding down the street, the other day, when a woman shouted, “Is that a new quarantine activity?” I had only a couple seconds to think of a reply. I said, “Yeah, I smell so bad, people stay away from me!”
They want everyone to F’in stay home in Los Angeles/CA/USA.
Unicycle riding for me is a solitary activity, and I’ve always ridden my unicycle away from the public.
There is no danger of spreading if you are away from everyone, but the “feeling” is everyone should f’in stay home no matter what.
This just drives me deeper into isolated riding trails. Fortunately, there is absolutely no gridlock on our freeways to go, anywhere.
There was a long discussion about that on the French uncycling forum. My advice is that the feeling of “no danger” may be misleading.
I told them that during a ride a dog wanted absolutely to befriend me… I was obliged to handle it with his collar… wrong! how about the collar being the vector?
So bad luck happens all the time.
Where I live people are allowed out for exercise provided they keep two metres apart. I went unicycling on a trail in the park but was put off by the many joggers huffing and blowing as I passed them they were also running in groups close to each other .
I now practise my muni skills on a hill where there are no joggers and am really enjoying it.
I keep my unicycling restricted to less risky activities. I very much do not want to get to need the health care system at these times, nor do the ambulances or hospitals want to see me.
This restriction is fine for me. There are so many things you can do on one wheel. Challenging downhill, scary trials lines and speed records can wait.
The European country I live in kicks ass. People largely act reasonably and solitarily. The public health care system rocks. Experts do their experts job in an expert fashion. Politicians listen to them actively and act and communicate all surprisingly well.
The air quality in the city improved. Never ever have there been that many people commuting on bicycles, despite many businesses being closed. People enjoy the sun outside and keep their distance.
This is how I plan to stay sane working from home.
I’ve been WFH for 5 weeks now as I had ankle surgery (sustained from a bad dismount from a Giraffe unicycle). I think I’ve put on 2.5kg of weight due to WFH. I think I was raiding the pantry and fridge way too much out of boredom, plus being a bit crippled by the ankle didn’t help.
So the day is not same-same and depressing and I don’t comfort eat (this could go on for months), I’ve got this plan for me. It’s a mix of activity, I’ve got things to look forward to and it really helps so I don’t end up simply looking for things to eat out of boredom. l will still be productive at work and i’ll end up with a cleaner house. (Which makes me happy). So I think it’s a win-win-win.
Additional ideas welcome.
Btw, if I was working in the office, normally I would unicycle to the station 10 minutes each way (cardio), plus additional walking.
Then I would go walk to people’s desks/move around the office during work and go for a walk at lunch.
My normal weekly activities include Sunday nights I would have women’s comp volleyball (social event, fitness and fun), Monday nights I’d usually be doing an hour of aerial tissue (strength, stretching and social) and Friday nights I try to go to Unicycling meetup, the participants mostly play unicycle hockey. (Fitness, skills training and social). Weekends I may do some riding (bike or unicycle) or go canyoning or help with theatre set building etc. Due to WFH, I think my flexibility and cardio have gone downhill. Plus I’ve gained weight.
Workday schedule:
Morning - shower then breakfast.
Start up computer and work.
Mid morning break - 10-15 minutes home cleaning/decluttering. Gets me moving.
Lunch - lunch plus unicycling practice (weather permitting). Or walk (when my ankle is better!) or do any errand. If cooking lunch, also pack dishes/clean kitchen. Note: right now (this stage of surgery recovery), bike riding is way better than walking.
Mid afternoon - Another home cleaning blitz, 10-15 minutes. Gets me moving.
Immediately after work - chinups, pushups, sit-ups and stretching. (Ok, I haven’t done the pushups and sit-ups as yet). I realise I haven’t really stretched since February, so I’ve lost a lot of flexibility.
After that - free time!!
I need to add something to really raise my heart rate, so maybe that needs to be part of the lunchtime plan. I still need to be careful with my ankle though, surgeon said not to do anything that could damage it till beginning of June.
ps. If you are going to be anywhere with people not from your household, I recommend wearing a mask (over your mouth and nose). It can be homemade.
day schedule (I am retired!):
- get up (late … I sleep a lot)
- breakfast (tea, greek yogurt on crêpe)
- writing everyday a short text I send to an old lady
- some sport: kind of running, performing katas, and trying (unsuccesfully) to learn to juggle
- shower (I need it!)
- back on the computer reading (distressing) news
- designing, cooking and eating the meal (I pretend to be an expert cook!) -the problem is that now I am 3kg overweight!-
- tea (and dark chocolate) while reading the news
- doing some chores my significant other wants me to do …
- sorting pictures of my father’s geological collection (more than 4000 pics!)
- writing science-fiction and or trying a rehearsal with my brassband (through a tele-conferencing app)
- sharing a drink with neighbours (through the same app)
… and so on
Well this week was a bit tougher than last week to stay motivated on the working from home front. Last week was honestly great, I was wrapping up projects, sending in final reports, and doing all sorts of end of year scrambling. March 31 was the end of our fiscal year at work.
This week I found it much more difficult to focus on work when I could see sunshine outside, though winter has come back with a vengeance. Last week it was starting to look like spring was on its way with temperatures peaking into the positives in the afternoons, but this week we got another blizzard and right now it’s -24 and windy.
My Lady Friend moved in temporarily on Thursday so that’s a little bit different and takes some adjustment, so far we seem to still like eachother 
We have both been training for a half marathon in June, which I assume is going to be canceled but it’s still a great excuse to get out and get some exercise, despite the weather. In over a month of outdoor runs I have only crossed tracks with another runner on one occasion. Pretty darn low risk of exposure if you ask me.
I usually love winter but man am I looking forward to spring.
Is this because of social distancing? I have wondered how social distancing is enforced for nursing mothers.
Glad you’re happy, my friend.
I’ve been Cokering more for exercise. People keep their distance from unstable, weirdo unicyclists.
Mostly due to social distancing and just getting away from the craziness. I now live on an acreage outside of Prince Albert in 1200 square foot house near some natural areas with walking trails, while she was downtown Saskatoon in a sub 300 square foot apartment. I have to acknowledge that I’m incredibly fortunate to be in the position I am in.
In Canada social distancing is not enforced between members of the same household unless someone is showing symptoms or has recently traveled. I’d assume that the baby and mother are in the same household so social distancing should not be a factor 
We are often more unstable than people seem to think
Has there been any improvement in your daughter and son-in-laws situation?
Yes. They will soon begin receiving unemployment compensation to the tune of some fraction of their income. There is a statewide moratorium on evictions as well as a federal moratorium. Things are transient so they don’t know how they will fare in the long run. They’re still understandably freaked out.
This is how I plan to stay sane working from home.
I’ve been WFH for 5 weeks now as I had ankle surgery (sustained from a bad dismount from a Giraffe unicycle). I think I’ve put on 2.5kg of weight due to WFH. I think I was raiding the pantry and fridge way too much out of boredom, plus being a bit crippled by the ankle didn’t help.
So the day is not same-same and depressing and I don’t comfort eat (this could go on for months), I’ve got this plan for me. It’s a mix of activity, I’ve got things to look forward to and it really helps so I don’t end up simply looking for things to eat out of boredom. l will still be productive at work and i’ll end up with a cleaner house. (Which makes me happy). So I think it’s a win-win-win.
Additional ideas welcome.
Btw, if I was working in the office, normally I would unicycle to the station 10 minutes each way (cardio), plus additional walking.
Then I would go walk to people’s desks/move around the office during work and go for a walk at lunch.
My normal weekly activities include Sunday nights I would have women’s comp volleyball (social event, fitness and fun), Monday nights I’d usually be doing an hour of aerial tissue (strength, stretching and social) and Friday nights I try to go to Unicycling meetup, the participants mostly play unicycle hockey. (Fitness, skills training and social). Weekends I may do some riding (bike or unicycle) or go canyoning or help with theatre set building etc. Due to WFH, I think my flexibility and cardio have gone downhill. Plus I’ve gained weight.
Workday schedule:
Morning - shower then breakfast.
Start up computer and work.
Mid morning break - 10-15 minutes home cleaning/decluttering. Gets me moving.
Lunch - lunch plus unicycling practice (weather permitting). Or walk (when my ankle is better!) or do any errand. If cooking lunch, also pack dishes/clean kitchen. Note: right now (this stage of surgery recovery), bike riding is way better than walking.
Mid afternoon - Another home cleaning blitz, 10-15 minutes. Gets me moving.
Immediately after work - chinups, pushups, sit-ups and stretching. (Ok, I haven’t done the pushups and sit-ups as yet). I realise I haven’t really stretched since February, so I’ve lost a lot of flexibility.
After that - free time!!
I need to add something to really raise my heart rate, so maybe that needs to be part of the lunchtime plan. I still need to be careful with my ankle though, surgeon said not to do anything that could damage it till beginning of June.
ps. If you are going to be anywhere with people not from your household, I recommend wearing a mask (over your mouth and nose). It can be homemade.
By mid-April we had reversed the trend and reached a trend of exponential collapse that pointed towards the complete elimination of the virus from Germany around December. In mid-June the powers that be decided we are doing too well and make our neighbours look bad, so we started loosening restrictions.
After some back and forth we have now reached a state of steady exponential growth, much slower than the March spike, but it’s exponential growth nonetheless and the political conversation is still revolving around loosening up restrictions further. So we have made it from less than 6000 active cases in July back up to more than 25000 in September and there is no indication that we’re going to slow down any time soon.
We’re riding this second wave and I have no doubt it will turn out to be larger than the first one.
Here in Australia, we had 5 new cases yesterday 
Ok, we are hardly letting anybody in or out of the country…
Sounds like the UK, aside from we never got that low.
We now have “local restrictions” which of course are imposed far too late as cases have already risen significantly.
The latest ruling is that pubs can’t stay open past 22:00, which sounds fair enough (although official figures give transmission through hospitality businesses at only around 2%…) but will hit them hard as the normal peak in bars starts at 21:00.
Conveniently parliament’s own bars are exempt from this ruling as they’re considered to be “workplace canteens”.
@Gockie, I was reading about the whole cruise ship situation in Australia yesterday. It seems like you were so close to avoiding it altogether.
One part of Australia (Victoria) stuffed up big time with hotel quarantining. Cases peaked to 700 new cases in a day in that state, and so that state had to do something to get the numbers down. (Yes, many countries would be envious of having 700 cases per day)… Anyway, now it is all basically under control, thank goodness. A lot of deaths with nursing homes sadly though.
In Aus, we have natural water barriers (country “girt” by sea) so the only way in is via air or ship, so our national borders aren’t so hard to control. Note that most states weren’t letting people from other states in, which didn’t make things easy. Also note, Australia is only letting a few people in each day (because people need to spend 2 weeks in hotel quarantine), so there’s a backlog of citizens wanting to come in, and on top of that, flights arent always easy to get on too.
Anyway, glad I’m here right now.