Way OT: what permanent life changes are YOU making now bc of COVID-19?
Not talking about the obvious near-term responsibilities of social distancing, etc to flatten the curve. I'm talking about stepping back and reassessing what you can do better. What selfish practice(s) should I re-think, as I try to love my neighbor rather than just myself? What can I do to be more prepared to be independent of the daily suck on the collective immediacy of our societal network for my mere existence, and thereby less of a contributor to the panic next time?
I'll start:
1) Building the garden I've long procrastinated about that can at least in part provide for my family and several others in need around us, if needed ... and if not needed, can help those generally in need. It's going to cost me about a grand, and the use of my children as conscripted labor while they're out of school. Makes healthy eating readily available, cheap and yummy ... for us and/or others around us.
2) Encouraging one small, commonsense bit of green living: investing in a Berkey water filtration system. Gravity fed, so very safe in a power crisis. Super effective in taking out pathogens, etc. Very 'green' compared to bottled water, and even compared to a Britta. A little bit of money up front ($300 or so), but incredibly cost-effective over time. Very easy to use. We've had one for ten years and it is a no-brainer, but very few people have heard about them or seriously considered them.
While it's understandable that we want to spend time blaming what part of the system broke down, etc, we can each immediately make permanent changes to impact our families and our communities. We can't all move Up North with XM, nor do I believe we should gut the workings of our largely urban/suburban civilization by wholesale changes, but we can all do this a bit smarter ... and we might share some good ideas with one another here.
So what are YOU doing?
March 17th, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
I am hoarding Vodka in case everything is shut down. Better to be safe than sober.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
I was shocked and there was so much alcohol left in the stores. Like who prioritizes TP over beer?
March 17th, 2020 at 11:08 PM ^
People who have vaginas?
Just picked up 2 giant bottles of tasty Kirkland Vodka for $13 & change each today. Oh and Costco had tons of TP!
March 17th, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
Kick my neighbor’s ass because he won’t shut up with his obsessive cutting of firewood with his stupid loud chainsaw.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
That might be my Dad. Be careful he is deceptively tough for an old guy.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
Let him know he needs to be quiet or I’m going straight for the nuts.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:56 PM ^
Maybe wait til he puts the chainsaw down though.
this x 1,000. chainsaw will rip you to bits if you're not careful.
Never use a chainsaw above your head.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:15 PM ^
Sex with strange women. I really have to start rethinking why haven't done more of that.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
Define strange.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:57 PM ^
Anyone who would sleep with ldevon1.
Pwned
Go out with a bang?
Haha.... Touche'
Double. I think this forum software has Corona Virus.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:21 PM ^
Nothing. I am building a garden but that has nothing to do with corona. Going all out with an SIP wicking bed and worm towers, because what fun is just sticking plants in the ground.
If you are running with any designs found online, could you post the links please? Thanks!
March 17th, 2020 at 12:21 PM ^
Nothing. I am building a garden but that has nothing to do with corona. Going all out with an SIP wicking bed and worm towers, because what fun is just sticking plants in the ground.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:26 PM ^
I hereby promise to no longer eat bats or snakes I buy from a Chinese wet market!!!
March 17th, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
Just bats and snakes?
I wondered why there were fewer missing Chinese children reports...did not know Spiders can catch COVID-19!
March 18th, 2020 at 12:17 AM ^
You should try pangolins. I heard there scales are extra crunchy and that they taste like finger nails.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Going to adopt a pangolin.
Poor creature’s gonna be mass exterminated now.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin
I had to look it up.
They were already being mass exterminated by poachers. They actually have a chance now if China outlaws eating them and using them for medicine.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
All it really takes is learning a skill. Learn how to shoot a gun. Learn how to filter your water. Learn how to build/find shelter. Learn how to start a fire. Learn how to live off the land. Learn basic survival tactics. You’ll survive 99% of what life can throw at you. And the other 1%, it really won’t matter what you’ve learned or what you’ve prepped.
I hardly consider myself a “prepper.” But my wife and I each have a backpack with a few basic supplies and a couple boxes of ammo. I feel pretty confident that we could survive quite a while on our own between the basic supplies and what I’ve learned about living off the land in the majority of SHTF scenarios.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:37 PM ^
Likely none. I do wonder if we will subconsciously buy more toilet paper or something silly like that for the rest of our lives. Maybe just have hand sanitizer in the house at all. It'd sure be nice to start on that $1,000 emergency fund, and 3-6 month savings account people are always talking about.
But I'm basically operating at my normal schedule right now. 8-9 hours at work, an hour total commute, and hour cleaning the house, a few hours of TV and some sleep. Repeat.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:51 PM ^
The only thing I'll do is buy nicer hand towels. As I wash my hands a bit more often, I've come to realize mine are hella thin.
March 17th, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
I'm going to watch even more fucking sports. Sorry family!
The only permanent life change I'm making is being a bit more proactive about buying stocks that are "on sale"...that and I've bought some new kinds of Kirkland whiskey at Costco since they were out of my favorite Kirkland Rye whiskey. The new Kirkland blended 80 proof scotch looked enticing and I'll be sampling it tonight.
None at the moment. This hasn't really changed much for me and my family when it comes to how we live our lives. I have to young boys that are extremely hyper, so going out isn't much of an option for without a pandemic. We can't take them to restaurants as they'd run all over the place and bother everyone else. We aren't rich, so we don't go see too many movies, just wait for the blu ray. Kids with hangovers suck, so the wife and I don't go to bars. Plus we are generally people who don't mind being home anyway. My wife is a teacher, so we are used to extended time with everyone home. The only things we generally do are take the dog for a walk, go shopping, and visit our parents about an hour away. We can still do those things.
Get some counseling for your kids with hangovers.
Lol I'll be the weirdo. It's odd to me how people are so quick to defend "dude the food supply is fine". I mean yes in this instance, right now, the water and food supply is fine. I think the OP is thinking forward to future issues that could/may be worse. That seems a reasonable thought.
I don't know about you all but I want to be in a position to where if we had a virus like this going around with a 50%+ death rate that I could sit inside, relax with my family, and play a game of uno.
For me...I am close to the above described scenario and this is what we have done the past year to get to that point:
1. We have enough bottled water to last 8 months. Yes...it's a metric ton.
2. We have enough food to last 8 months. Yes...lol...it's a lot.
3. We have enough ammo to protect it all. If you don't have #3 on this list, you don't have #1 or #2.
What I've come to realize is I am deficient and this was a good test run. I need to have...
1. A full supply of medication from antibiotics to ibuprofen and everything in between.
2. a more robust first aid kit
3. Supplies for dog
4. A bug out vehicle fully stocked and weaponized, if needed.
5. More of 1-3. I'd like to have 1-3 years of food, water and ammo.
I have a corp job, at a fairly high level with a very large company, wear a suit everyday and I think you'd all find me "normal" in real life. I don't wear tinfoil hats and am not caught up in conspiracy theories. But...this proves what I've had in my mind that our "sophisticated" society hangs on by a thread. We have people pulling guns on others over food and toilet paper. It's quite easy to see us devolve into animals fairly quickly. I'd like to make sure my family is in good shape if that were to happen.
Also...I find acquiring all the above a fun hobby so that is why it probably feels a bit different for me :)
I know the above all sounds nuts but think if the death rate from this was literally 10% instead of 1-3%. Think about what would happen in our society. It would self destruct. Is that, that crazy to imagine?
All of this does bring a doomsday scenario more into focus. I don't have the ammo so would be likely to perish in such a scenario like millions of others.
Yes, our society does hang by a thread and I am guilty of taking it for granted. Less so after we get through all of this, much less so.
I find these things fun but let's be honest if crap really hit the fan and we all devolved to the most ruthless level of ruthlessness my family and I would likely perish as well. Maybe we'd delay it, but not long, likely.
Do you recommend any online ammo stores?
I'm good to go on 40SW and 3006 but my wife is running low on 9mm and everyone I talked to this morning says the entire state is out of that cal.
honestly I’ve acquired most of mine at field and stream. They even had a ton of 22lr ammo which has been stocked out all over basically everywhere. Heck they had packs of 350 for $17 so I grabbed 6 packs. I pick up other ammo as I see it. We have a couple 22 pistols, two shotguns, and two 9mm handguns.
if I want to get to that next level of extreme prepping I’d need to really up my game in the artillery department.
Natchez Shooters Supply ... though I haven't checked to see if they're running low.
Thanks for the tips folks...
… for anyone else reading, Natchez is completely sold out of 9mm across the board and F&S is in store pickup only.
All over Columbus 9mm and 22 ammo is like gold right now.
Big out to where? You need a bug out bunker as well.
March 18th, 2020 at 11:14 AM ^
That is fair and at this point I don't know. My wife and I were looking at buying a cabin outside of cleveland so thinking about that. We are not looking at it for that purpose but would stock it for a place to bug out to.
At the end of the day unless I become a multi millionaire many times over I will never be fully prepared to really survive in a complete breakdown of society.
My thought on a bug out vehicle is how to I extend life if my home is over-run but no plans after that.
Not much, but am more aware of self reliance. Keep extra water on hand for one. Won't be forgetting this event after it ends and will keep it in the back of my mind.
Lots of valuable lessons to be learned here. You bring up power crisis- that would have a far more impact to our well being and economy than a virus, by far. I truly pray that day never comes.
Not making any permanent life changes. This isn't something I anticipate changing the way we live for the rest of our lives. But if you want to know what I'm doing in my down time now that we're really homebound and have no sports whatsoever to watch:
1) Putting together the baby's room. Have pretty much all the furniture, just the little things now like mounting everything to the wall, decorating, etc. Baby isn't coming until July but hey, besides work I don't have much else to do for the duration.
2) Fixing up the house. Hung new lighting fixtures in our bathroom and a fan in the guest room that I put off doing for really no good reason. I imagine I'll be taking quite a few more trips to Home Depot in the near future. Our sun room and last guest room need new fans, too.
3) Cooking more. Did it quite a bit before all of this, but now that we're not going out for a while, I imagine I'll be doing it more. Like experimenting anyway.
4) Just cleaning up the house in general.
I’m definitely spending my time differently and I think in some cases that will last. I find I’m not missing the NBA, NHL or Golf on tv as I’ve found other things to do instead. I’m also cooking more which I am enjoying. And not missing not going to the movies. Etc.
So I can see changes in how I spend my time and money being more permanent.
Getting more quality time in my man cave these days.
Buying an assault rifle. And putting barb wire on my Louisville Slugger.