Donstar

Yes, me too, but never thought they would become mainstream! I took a couple of pairs of jeans to a tailor today to be shortened. They had a huge display of masks produced.by the tailor to keep busy during slow times. I told them I have a big head and masks pull too hard on my ears. Unfortunately, they produced a large size with a variety of patterns just for people like me.... . My new mask will compliment my wardrobe nicely!

I saw on the news yesterday where a local company is making non-surgical masks with a printed picture of the part of your face being covered. Interesting! I am hoping the mask thing passes and doesn't become accepted as normal in the long term. I have used one on occasion but only as needed. Watching drivers with no passengers wearing masks leads me to believe some must like the look and feel! Removing her/his mask will need to be added to going through the bases. ?

A rocking camper can be used to describe a good experience. ? However, pulling and/or sleeping in a camper would be horrible when tornados are in the area. Glad you're home safe!

I once drove several miles to deal on a classic car based on several pictures. It was freshly painted in a beautiful light blue. I was a little shocked by the roller, brush and splatter marks not captured by pictures!

Welcome to this forum. I am interested in hearing more about your vehicle. I agree that a lift , heavier tires and bumpers will definitely hurt the range of your vehicle. The cost of electricity will be to your advantage but your all electric range must be pretty low. I know that the 4.3 is used to generate power for the electric motor which will bring your range up to a traditionally powered truck. It may be worth your while to sell/trade your bumper and wheels and shed some of the excess weight!

I took my dog to a popular dog park yesterday. I haven't gone for a couple of months due to my dog's issues with her hind legs. This is a beautiful forest park with well marked trails and can accommodate many walkers at a time. At popular times there can be a few bottlenecks as walkers meet to discuss their aches and pains while their dogs sniff and try to figure out what each other had for breakfast. I was impressed and delighted with how Covid19 distancing requirements vastly improved the experience for me and my dog! I'm certain our pets appreciate the extra attention gained by our increased spare time!

Skype and Zoom have are terrific and I am so thankful that I see as well as talk to my callers. Connecting like this is far less of an effort than a long distance call of yesteryear. However, the long distance calls of 40 + years ago were expensive so you didn't waste time or words! They were newsy and memorable. (Your phone bill after a couple of overseas phone calls would have a number you'd remember for a long time!) I am not a big hugger or overly social but I do miss personal contact with friends and family. When flights safely resume, we're going to be just as excited to see each other regardless of frequent video chats!

Yesterday we had a zoom chat with the grandkids projected on our 55" TV. Three of them were sitting on a couch and it was evident that they previously had been doing things more fun than sitting still talking to grandparents via their Dad's computer. They appeared to have been given a firm talk on grandparent chat etiquette! (If we were there in person they'd be all over us vying for our attention) I am delighted that we can do this type of virtual meeting with some spontaneity and without additional cost but it has its shortcomings! It became very evident that the 13 yr old might have exhausted his polite formal talk and I told him about how I had to sit down at the kitchen table once a month and write a full page letter to my grandparents. The reward of a reply in 3-4 weeks from Scandinavia wasn't always enough to make me put my best into my letters! I can certainly appreciate the enormous challenge faced by students and teachers who plunged into virtual classroom environments. . The power of personal connection, proximity and environment is definitely lacking on screen!

My wife is the opposite. She would have the garage, shop/shed emptied and painted within hours of our final goodbye. I mentioned earlier that I asked for her help a couple of days ago but I also had to ask her to stop! ?

I may need another strategy as this is very bad! I refuse to leave this for my wife or kids!! I spent a whole evening sorting plumbing fittings. I haven't started on the tools specific to plumbing. This was the easy one and electrical is next.(Residential then auto) The emotional part is one thing but the waste is sickening. Some stuff is saleable at garage sale prices, some is donatable and other stuff is priceless only to me. My father was able to sort through his stuff with me and now I know why he was so happy to help me load up my truck!!

The issue I found with adding a designer nudge bar is I'd simply be adding another layer of decoration. I have owned custom bumpers and police style push bars to protect my truck. Fixing them with a rattle can saved me a lot of body work over the years. Now that my truck is used as a people mover in an urban environment, I use a front mounted camera to protect me from self inflicted nudges. If I'm in an accident, I want my front end to crumple as designed.

Welcome to this forum! You are towing a significant weight but well within the capabilities of your truck. I'd get my vehicle and trailer brakes checked. Your issue may be mechanical. I used to live many miles away from paved roads. At the time, I'd only drive a manual which was heavily used when long steep hills were encountered. Does the transmission in the one ton have options to hold in a lower gear?

The next time you will need that odd or weird tool is the day after you give it away.

My father and his father thought the same way! My kids unfortunately could probably fit what they want in a shoebox!

I recruited my wife's help and did a another attack on the garage yesterday. It was very tidy but still full of too many treasures and tools. Last week my neighbour and I were working on our fence. At one point he mentioned that he forgot his level. My garage was closer so I said what size do you want? (I have multiple lengths) He said 4 ft. My next question could have been what colour?! I will continue to donate to our local Restore when they reopen but I find parting with tools/supplies/hardware very difficult They either have sentimental attachments (many are inherited) or are special items that may be useful "someday". However, plans and projects anticipated for the future take on a different reality ten years into retirement. Downsizing a tool collection is tough but my wife's delight when seeing free space on a shelf makes it somewhat worthwhile! ?

Yes, it wasn't as passive as my summary of events may have suggested and I don't know what follow-up transpired. My point was more about how the majority care. I continue to be impressed with the respect, kindness and empathy demonstrated by the majority. I agree that complying should not be a choice nor are arguments about personal freedom applicable in situations like this when in a pandemic..

On Thursday I witnessed a shopper in a local major drug store refuse to comply with the safety line-up process. He successfully used his physical presence to place himself to first in line status at the cashier. Directions from staff and a polite explanation from me and others were disregarded. He obviously believed in the threat of the virus as he used his body as a super power with an anti-magnetic field. The only right thing to do was to let him. Funny how I felt when I left the store. I was genuinely happy with how seriously the majority of people are responding to this challenge. The world has had a reboot and we've installed virus-protection. We're still learning DOS commands but most are onboard.

We have a wonderful provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. I admire her calm, knowledgeable, respectful answers to the tough questions. Her responses are factual and non-partisan. She speaks in a positive manner, but doesn't downplay the severity or try to win your vote. I know from the media that the other provincial health officers are also doing an equally admirable job. They keep their public informed and are implementing appropriate health orders and/or regulations. I am sure each state has a comparable champion. I accept the fact that things have changed and won't be fixed by returning to a previous normal. We may have reduced the rate of spread in many areas but the virus is still spreading. This rate will only be further reduced by even stricter measures or a cure. The "open back up" mantra suggests a lot more listening still needs to happen. The information is out there. My next door neighbour is a young family and are out of work due to Covid 19. Unfortunately his work wasn't the sort that can be done from home. The family is in serious financial trouble and have a grandparent in palliative care. They are truly inspirational and lead the block in nightly shout-outs to front line workers and post huge hearts in their windows. They spend their spare time running errands or doing small jobs for neighbours. Both parents are actively looking for ways to keep a warm, loving home for their kids and not waiting to go back to a job that may not exist in the future. We in turn look for ways to support them in their efforts! We all have to do our part to beat this pandemic. Some have to do more than others but we all need to pitch-in. An over the fence conversation yesterday informed me that their BBQ bit the dust. I have a good one that is no longer in use. Guess what I plan to do today? I am so appreciative that I am able to consider such an idea and appreciate being surrounded by people that make me want to give!

I don't believe anyone truly believes staying shut down has no effect. It creates a huge range of hardships and sacrifices but ultimately saves lives. People like your brother-in-law are making enormous and life altering sacrifices with the net result of helping to save the lives of strangers. People like you and I are not hurting as much so we try to add balance by helping those in need. The idea of re-instating activities that were promoting the spread of this virus while it is still out of control shows total disrespect for the sacrifices made to date. Let's see this through and beat it!

I certainly support the right to protest as it can definitely influence politicians. One way to interpret a protest is politicians need to do a better job of informing their public. This is a particularly rough thing to protest when we know that "opening" will lead to increased cases of this deadly virus. Thankfully, the majority of us have not (yet) suffered the health affects or know an infected loved one so we tend to be more receptive to the idea of loosening restrictions. I have watched interviews with Covid19 ICU survivors and, to no surprise, they advocate for others staying home until this pandemic is under control. Unfortunately these individuals' stories aren't as newsworthy as a protest. I totally appreciate the freedoms we have but we all know that there are times when we need to be protected from others. We have all visited essential service stores in the past month and encountered individuals who don't "believe" in social distancing. Does a person's reluctance to respect the space between others result from a lack of or more knowledge? I believe saving lives takes precedence over all other hurdles and our leaders need to keep this a number one priority. Opting to lessen the number rather than striving to eliminate the number of casualties from this virus is unacceptable.

My wife cleaned me up pretty good last week. Overall, I still look in need of a haircut but nothing frightening!

Thanks for the response. A couple of years ago I switched to insuring my motorcycle for 8 months instead of 12. ( I do keep year round comprehensive insurance on the bike. ) I do use all three vehicles but definitely could get by with one. Mrs. Donstar will not drive the truck (or motorcycle) so the problem is really mine. ? If I give up on either, the chances of getting another later are slim or none! I'm with you in that not a lot of hardship has happened in comparison to many other people. We may not be suffering in the same way as so many others but we are all experiencing many changes. I still find it strange going for a walk. I have a noticeable struggle to my walk so it is usually oncoming walkers who will take a detour around me whereas they once would have remained close and wished me a good day. The really noticeable part of this is if people do come close. I see it as a threat rather than an act of friendliness!

We don't have a lot of spare vehicles, but a car, truck and motorcycle are more than we need. They are all in good shape and paid for but the insurance premiums may put one or two of these on the chopping block soon! It would be nice if somehow I could pay one premium as I only drive one vehicle at a time! (It is an extremely rare situation when we will need two on the road at the same time.) The "new normal" will undoubtedly impact our thoughts in this regard. ?

My cedar fence needed repair so I braved the outdoors and went to Home Depot for a few pieces of wood. They have really stepped up to make sure their customers feel safe. At the check-out I made a point of expressing my appreciation to the associate for working and for the safety measures in the store. I asked her if she felt safe working here (expecting a "yes") and she said no. She went on to explain that for every nine customers like me there is one who thinks this is a "joke". I feel good about the unofficial 90% compliance rating to distancing. The remaining 10% only serves to slow the process down. Hopefully, peer pressure will get everyone exercising social distancing as it is such an easy and effective way to keep safe!

I chuckled at this particular example because I also keep a freezer full of ice-cream and didn't think I was disgusting. I have been impressed with the generosity by many wealthy celebrities during this pandemic. Many are featured on our evening news and I don't begrudge them the privileges of success. I am not rich but I do give generously in time and food to those less lucky.