Just checking in here. Y'all good?

Seeing how much things have progressed in the world since the Corona impact on sports post (and how big that post is) - figured I'd ask how all you on this board are doing.

It's funny, despite endless time and a sort of return to form in terms of how this board is used, I haven't posted all that much. Honestly, outside of what work I have, I've been doing hobbies and stuff. Bought an XBox One, bought a new turntable and mixer, etc. My wife and I are chilling at home 95% of the time, and really only leaving for a walk in the neighborhood or to get groceries. It's weird, but we're also really lucky to have a house and have dual income right now.

How are you guys doing?

How are you guys downloading MP3s these days? ARE you downloading MP3s these days?

I'm revamping my serato library and realized all the shit I used to use probably doesn't work anymore. I did the Tidal thing, and I pay for Spotify, but I realize I have no clue (outside of torrents) if people download music anymore, ha.

I don't know exactly how many of us a left out there. But whenever I can, I buy CD then rip it to my laptop (it's old enough to still have a built in CD drive)/

But when that's not possible, I use other means. I never got into Torrents, but I use a few blogs to find albums that I'm looking for an rip them from there. It's kind of a pain, because most of them use the third party hosting sites, which are riddled with ads and malware and shit. But since I mostly seek out obscure shit, I've found a couple that use much less intrusive hosts.

don’t think I’ve purchased a physical since the last Tribe album.

Copped a lot a few weeks back when they had that special "All proceeds go directly to the artists" day.

>don’t think I’ve purchased a physical since the last
>Tribe album.

.

Vinyl if I think it's a special release.

I don't rock with streaming at all.
Too many incomplete or non-existent albums on Spotify.
Just mp3s.

i guess that's kinda old school but whateva it works.

and I still actually buy stuff off iTunes. rocking that iPod touch in the car until it dies.

>and I still actually buy stuff off iTunes. rocking that iPod
>touch in the car until it dies.

I don't want to play music through my phone. it's the only time of the day when I'm able to disconnect from all messaging, social media, internet, etc.

even if I can get it via streaming

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

i'm still buying cd's and vinyl but I've been downloading stuff from there as well

It's exactly what I was looking for. Soulseek has always been awesome. I'm shocked its still around. Thank you!!!!

I've been carefully building up my library for so long, obsessing about playcounts and ratings and using streaming (Spotify then Google Play) just to listen to new stuff, then downloading stuff I felt I should have in my library. But this Qobuz sound quality is just too good, I don't even have a great setup yet but I spent the whole weekend reading about DACs and other sound nerd shit because I think I've seen the light. I'm even wondering if I should buy less vinyl so I can focus on collectables, and stream everything else in the meantime.

officially, you can hit up bandcamp and Amazon basically has everything the streaming sites do in their MP3 store. I found some Stevie Wonder compilations I couldn't find elsewhere that way. because of their cloud service I tend to get things from The Gulag (Amazon) if possible, also Bandcamp because of the same.

I certainly wouldn't be able to do this without the wife (And the two dogs). We're also privileged enough to live in a house, both have jobs, and be able to work from home. So we're able to make it together. We're in Cali, so we've been doing this for a little over a month now, and it appears that we'll doing it for at least another month.

Otherwise, yeah, fallen into a decent pattern, lot of which is regimented by the job. Wake up at 7:15, do the first of the daily check-ins at 8, and then going about the day. During the week, only release leave the house to walk the dogs and to take a daily longer walk for myself. Also do my freelance/for the love writing, watch a little TV, and do a little reading (I really should do that more during this period).

Sunday is the only day we're out of the house for an extended period, as that's grocery day. Also buy stuff for my folks, as they're both around 75 and taking sheltering in place very seriously. I do not like how much of a pain in the ass shopping has become; I actually used to **like** buying groceries before this. Now it's just fucking stressful.

But all in all, I know things could be much, much, MUCH worse for us, so I keep things in perspective a d stay happy that my wife and I have each other and our families are okay.

the wife and I still have jobs, I've always worked from home and it's not that big of a deal for her to thanks to videoconferencing.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

my wife still goes to the office. She works in a small office with less than 5 people. She told her supervisor, that I was already working from home and both of us would be a lot. So, she’s goes to the office, locks in and works...the other ladies stay home. So...we haven’t lost one penny of income and SO many folk can’t say that. Anything I could possibly think of to complain about, would be trivial, at best.

I have been running weekly raffles with portions being donated to hospital workers, womens shelters, ronald mcdonald house etc. its been a fun time waste for me and people and a nice way to help out others even if it isnt that much.


I bought a Peloton once I saw the writing on the wall that I wouldnt be back to the gym for awhile. I was on an 85 day streak of going to the gym (didnt miss a day in 2020)

Tons of tv watching.

thought I’d see where my legs were...joint is so archaic, lol. I got bikes , too...seems like every time it looks like our weather is going to break, for good it gets back on some bullshit. On the gym tip, I just learned yesterday that Gold’s is closing ALL 10 locations in St. Louis...permanently. So, I’ll be finding a new gym once that can be done, again,

> On the gym tip, I just learned yesterday that
>Gold’s is closing ALL 10 locations in St.
>Louis...permanently.

they're in these massive property spaces and bringing in zero revenue. they can't stay closed indefinitely. and even when restrictions are slowly lifted you gotta think that gyms will be one of the LAST places that will be allowed to reopen.

if you're someone who wasn't into outdoorsy exercise and you don't have a home gym setup right now you're really assed out.

>if you're someone who wasn't into outdoorsy exercise and you
>don't have a home gym setup right now you're really assed
>out.

I have a decent room setup for getting some stuff done but I do like the people I interacting with everyday. Losing them has been tough.

my dream house always had a ridiculous home gym setup in it...and now it's like ok, maybe that isn't really the dream.

>I bought a Peloton once I saw the writing on the wall that I
>wouldnt be back to the gym for awhile. I was on an 85 day
>streak of going to the gym (didnt miss a day in 2020)

the home fitness equipment industry is off the hook right now

I was lucky to grab some stuff right when all of this went down. Everything else is backordered for months. Like you can't even buy a pair of dumbbells anywhere online. It's nuts.

#fitfam

Also go to purefitfashion.com - use promo code:ceejluvdakids for 8% off your orders of $389 or more.

them joints were scarce.

a friend of mine is looking for some

Looks like they still have all the sizes of the “alpha shield” kettlebell in stock

https://www.gopherperformance.com/conditioning/kettlebells

.

.

but, nah.

Otherwise, I'm home, chillin with my girl

I work in the live entertainment industry so things are completely halted right now. Our company has done a pretty good job of taking care of employees but this week has been kind of a doozy.

Overall...I closed on a house on 3/31 so moving and adjusting to that in this whirlwind of bullshit has also been crazy. Living alone has never bothered me as much as now so I think I'm gonna get a guinea pig or something.

**edit** I haven't downloaded music in so long. Mostly streaming unless it's something I know I'll want to listen to....at some point? Idk b/c I don't put stuff than I download on my phone and I only have an ipod classic that I'm not 100% sure will work in my car. But I just like to have the music still JUST in case lol

I adopted a retired racing greyhound about 2 months ago.
She's great. Doesn't bark. Sleeps most of the day.
She's never really excited about going outside, but we get out there.
Just a few accidents in the house, but that's to be expected.

Only problem? She's scared of people.

The greyhound adoption agency said that the dogs that didn't race well didn't have much interaction with the handlers, so their exposure to people was limited. I was walking her a few weeks back and I ran into one of my boys, she immediately started trembling, shaking, then proceeded to pee right there. A couple days ago we were leaving my building for a walk and she heard the voices of someone walk in the building and immediately peed on the carpet.

I'm looking for ways to ease her anxiety around people. I know that's kinda hard now but...if and when things return to normal?, I'd like to help her overcome this.

and she lived most of her life in a kennel. With no interaction. Its been about 8 months now and she is just starting to get better around people. For about 4 months they couldnt even pet her from behind she would freak out. He says they just slowly gave her space. Let her chill in the house and she slowly warmed up to them. Lots of walks and just little things showing she could trust them. She has come around. But I dont think that anxiety will ever fully leave. She doesnt like other dogs at all. But she is doing better around people. Patience and lots of it.

The more I talk to dog owners, the more I realize that time and patience is the starting point. I need to change my expectations. She's only been here a couple of months, but I've been expecting her to be cool with everything. I needed to hear this. Thanks.

http://greyhoundequality.org/care_article3.html

http://www.greyhoundcrossroads.com/index.php?page=separation-anxiety

*Those links should give you a solid understanding of what's happening with your dog, as well as a few things you can do immediately to help alleviate stress and create a comforting environment for your pup.

I remember earlier convo about your adoption. Not sure if you recall, but I'm certified for behavioral correction/training. If possible, perhaps we can get on a call to speak more in depth (Inbox).


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

..Maaaaaaaan listen:

Anyone who thinks this shit isn't real, I can tell you personally that I've already lost a handful of family & friends (1 in Cleveland, 1 in Detroit, 3 here in BK), let alone the people I know currently dealing with severe symptoms.

Everyone else I know that tested positive have a variety of the symptoms listed (from mild to severe), but most people are doing well enough to manage it at home.

I work in tv/film, so we've been on hiatus now for over a month. Before that, we'd already started trimming back on the number of staff on site daily, and the last 3 weeks of production were held without a studio audience (its a sitcom for Netflix). We actually have a very progressive cast/crew and a great working relationship with the production company/studios, so things have been very slow, but consistent. I can't complain about sitting on conference calls 2 or 3 times a week. I'm fortunate enough to still be paid (main gig and side hustles) and continue independent work online (coaching/consulting/post production/editing/etc.)

*I also volunteer regularly with City Harvest and that hasn't changed. We get food to as many people as possible, knowing that there's an entire population of under-served people that aren't being accounted for. There's nowhere to shelter in place when you don't have a home. There is no stimulus package for the homeless. Next week, I'm set to start volunteer work with Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen (https://wck.org/we-fed-an-island?gclid=CjwKCAjwp-X0BRAFEiwAheRui_oovtUpz1OECBLk_8vh_YlutlFoZuKQhBDoKSYMIW5Dyc8e25E2cBoCPP8QAvD_BwE).

I Shop for my neighbors that can't get out or are at-risk. Unfortunately, we just lost "Da Mayor" © Do The Right Thing. He was the patriarch of our block. He was a retired Vietnam vet that simply never stopped working to help others. He used his SUV to deliver food, supplies, and shuttle people in need to medical appointments. As much as we tried to stop him from risking his own health in this crises, he just wouldn't quit.

"..I'm doing all this so you young people can LIVE... " © Sgt. M. Fudge

That was the last convo we had before he tested positive. We all celebrated his birthday (digitally) on the 11th, but sadly he passed away on Monday, the 13th.

I don't want to give the impression that Uncle Marcus was simply stubborn. This is the same man that would see/hear me sweeping or shoveling the entire block and he would be the first to step out and help. Anytime you needed something, he was right there. He cooked for the annual block party and made floral deliveries each spring during planting season for the entire block. I am completely devastated, but so very thankful to have known the spirit of this man. Respect due.

*Again, please take this pandemic seriously. Between my job and my career in cycling, I have all the gear & resources needed for this and will continue to do everything I can to help (responsibly). If you're not an essential worker right now, please stay home & healthy.




*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

sounds like he lived a solid life. Sorry for your loss, man and keep up the good work...but take care of yourself, as well.

..Indeed, he lived an Incredible life.

I will continue to take every possible precaution while helping others. I haven't been sick in over 20 yrs and I don't plan to break that streak.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

..If we all do our part, there's nothing we can't accomplish.

I just wish more people would recognize that we're a fight for our lives as a global community and unless we truly start working together, the rising number of deaths will continue.

*Please be safe & stay home if you can.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

He sounds like a tremendous human being. Sad when the good go before their time.

..and thank you.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

stay well

..and thank you.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Also great all that you're doing locally

..Thank you. Every little bit helps.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Both my jobs are currently on hiatus but between unemployment and other stuff i am good until the end of June. Shout out to Larry David for inspiring members at the country club i work at to help caddies out during this time. It looks like the summer might be kind of shot. The Golf Course i work at is going to open on May 1, but with no caddies so that is a big chunk of my income. At least i still have a job at the course in the bag room. The hotel i work at is currently closed and i am hoping they open at the beginning of next month as well. I am the night guy so i will be one of the first people that is back once the hotel re-opens.

Outside of fucking around and watching TV, going for the occasional walk and swinging golf clubs in my living room not doing a whole lot. I need to start reading more and i think next week i am going to start trying to read for at least an hour and listen to new music for at least an hour a day.

Outside of all that jazz i did celebrate two years of sobriety on March 25th and that was pretty great. I have not gone to meeting due to the stay at home orders, but i don't have cravings and if i were in this situation while drinking i do not know what would happen with all this down time.

Hope everyone is doing good and staying somewhat sane. Be safe y'all

Well done. Two years is a great achievement. Best wishes in continuing to stack up the milestones.

It's so tough to say, but I would have to think golf might be an easier sport to get back going, but with some social distancing changes. Maybe it's optimistic, but I really think golf courses will open back up by June. Maybe twosome only and no shared carts?

So i will not be able to caddy and at most probably 16 hours a week, but i am set with bills an everything so if i can at least go out and play that is all i would like.

And yet, I am embarrassed to say that, as “knock on wood” everyone is healthy, family is doing well, no financial stresses, etc. but social isolation is way more impactful than I would have expected.

I was in the middle of a move back to Chicago, from Charlotte (moved down here 4 years ago) same company all along, bigger role, career going great and very thankful for that, much more so now. I started in early February and started in hotels, coming back every other week, then moved into a Corp apt in the city. Which was great until shelter in place. Being in a high rise, taking elevators every day just didn’t seem like the look anymore. So I’ve been back in my house in Charlotte. The one I still need to sell- not sure how much the value has gone down by not moving faster, but again very small complaint considering what everyone else is going thru.

But it is lonely, my LT GF and I broke up early this year, something I didn’t honestly Stress too much. The move was a new chapter, and was really excited about it. Now being stuck at home, by myself... again not great timing :)

The thing is, I’m busier than ever, calls, zooms from 7am-7pm, high stress/stakes decisions (again not in the grand scheme, but they feel that way in the moment) all the time (or what feels like it) and the weird feeling that all the days blend together mend even the weekend aren't great for destressing.

Anyways, all in all I’ve been incredibly fortunate and have a lot to be thankful for, need to continue to keep that in mind.

Glad all of you are doing relatively well And managing thru. Small as it is,this is a great community. Glad to be a part of it.

financially good for now and my family is all healthy.

but I still think it's OK to feel the way you do. I read something where realizing you "have it better than most" ends up being another layer of depressing guilt.

..Tough week, all around.

*RIP Poe. I thought Friday evening was tough enough losing one of the best pups I've ever had. 10 years of service to your community and around the globe, Poe. How many dogs can say that? Such a ham!! Greeted every child and refused to leave anyone out. We've been everywhere, man. Thank you for being strong when I couldn't be. Biggest heart in the business! I'm out here trying to help everyone I can in your spirit.

Then Saturday morning took me out... getting that call... I didn't want to answer 'cause I knew it was "more bad news." I could feel it. Robert Jenkins was called home. Spent months taking care of each other. Trying to capture every ounce of wisdom available, as you aged stubbornly into the ultimate retirement. Fighting over taking ALL of your meds, taking walks, & watching ball games. Laughing at your constantly flirting, only to be astonished by the number of languages I never knew you kept in your repertoire. Checking up on you in the middle of the night because you started wandering, only to find out that you had a girlfriend a few floors down (LOL). I'll miss trolling with you @ family events and sneaking a drink for ol' times sake. You traveled this world at a time filled with hostility towards our people, but you never let it dampen your spirit. Hated that the recent gig took me out to Long Island daily, cutting deeply into our time, but you know I never forgot about you, my guy. We love you, Bob!

*RIP Wendy. You were a kind soul to everyone you encountered. A butterfly riding the wind like Snoopy flying Ace, ready to take out imaginary barons on the prowl. That incredible smile... that spirit. The original Gemini Gypsy!!! I'll keep an eye on Rash for you. BedStuy loves you!

*RIP Delores. Mama Dee, we knew it would be a tough fight, with your previous health concerns. Doesn't make it any easier, but you chose to do it your way. No more pain © Pac. Losing you a few weeks ago had me dizzy for a bit, but I pulled it together. You raised us. You held it down for my Mom when she never knew she needed it, giving her confidence in ways the world may never know. You know Renard and I will always have each other's back, with the rest of the sibs not far behind. We love you.

*RIP Cousin Jimmy. I didn't know you as well as I'd like, but Ummah kept us close with all the stories and laughs. I used to stare 'cause y'all had identical smiles. Modern technology helped bridge the gap, allowing family to reconnect. Give Mary Helen a kiss for me. We love you.

*RIP Macho. Smartest Pup I've ever known. Its been a couple months, now, but it still stings. Getting that call @ work was a shock to my system, but you held on long enough for me to reach you before your final sleep. You held strong when I walked through the doors, showing great strength, but I knew you were tired buddy. That side-car tongue won't be forgotten. I promise to keep an eye on Nat & Tash, making sure we spend a little time on the parkway benches each summer. Love you, Legs McGhee.



*Edit* My bad for being the downer with this post, fam. The past few months have been extremely tough for my family and sometimes the weight of this current health crisis gets to be a bit too heavy, but I'm working on it. I've been trying to find the right words, but still didn't have an outlet. Took a minute to get over the "No Bad News" (© The Wiz) mantra I'd been carrying for the past few months, but I'm cool. No such thing, news is news. What matters is what you do in response. We will get through this.

Please stay safe, healthy, and home.





*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I'm in nyc as well but keeping my ass INSIDE so I'm not really seeing what's happening on the front lines

..You're already doing your part, and I truly appreciate it.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Lamar Odom-esque series of tragedies and grief. Stay up, if you wanna talk or vent or whatever you already know ...

Thanks, fam.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

This place ended up in the top 1% of nice people on
the internet.

Don't get it twisted, y'all are still dweebs, but I'm
just saying.

You are pretty decent folks.

Please be well.

----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

That's all I got.

I feel like if you can say those 3 things everything else can be worked out.

Overall this shit is super scary to me and I feel like it may be a while before things get anywhere close to "normal", I fell like we'll have to adjust to new normal whatever that is.

Our current political situation is scary AF.

I'm blessed to be working from home but at the same time wondering how long that will last. As I've said before I think probably in GD that I have a ton of family and friends in the restaurant, bar and service industry that are just assed out or their income has been tremendously reduced. Then I have a ton of family in friends that work in medical, LE, FD and other first responders plus shit like corrections that can't wfh they have to get out in this shit every day regardless. I've mainly been going to the same local grocery store for like 10+ and a lot of those folks are like family too.

I'm an introvert-extrovert or whatever that means. I enjoy time by myself but I also enjoy being out and about among friends and family but now having all of the former and almost none of the latter is tough. I do all the zooms, facetimes and all the other shit but its still not the same as human interaction. Going outside to the grocery store or whatever is scary and exciting at the same time. I've said its almost like sex without a condom.

Being on zoom calls with a combination of single folks and folks in relationships its tough and I joke about us single folks should have taking cuffing season more seriously lol. I think stay-at-home orders probably helped some relationships and probably hurt others lol. My birthday was earlier this month and of course I got a ton of virtual love from everyone through various mediums but it wasn't the same.

I have a couple of friends that live close by that I occasionally "break quarantine" to eat drink and laugh with and one other fwb that stops by occasionally that helps keeps my sanity. At the same time I feel terrible guilt at the possibility of contamination to me or from me.

Its crazy though in some ways immediate family has gotten closer because now we check in and talk and/or facetime every other if not every day. I communication a lot more with close friends too.

Trying to be productive instead of just watching tv all the time is tough. I have all these ideas of stuff I should be doing and I sometimes get to some of it early but by lunchtime its a wrap lol.

I'm a huge fan of live music and this IG shit is cool but its not the same. I'm wondering when we will ever get back to that and if and when the shows we missed will be rescheduled. I think about the artists, musicians and various support staff and how they are impacted.

>and one other fwb that stops by occasionally that helps keeps
>my sanity. At the same time I feel terrible guilt at the
>possibility of contamination to me or from me.

The fwb thing has been pretty much cut off where I'm at (mind you, I'm located in the worst of it)...and breaking code would be considered majorly irresponsible.

I'm sure there's still a percentage of people who have been doing it but not broadcasting it, but I don't know how much longer that can continue for the majority of people. Even the most conscientious and well meaning amongst us. Especially with no end in sight.

I know these are petty grievances in the grand scheme of things but this is a major part of life for single people and I don't think it's getting talked about enough.

-

As I said above, I have no idea how I would do any of this without my wife. Both psychologically and logistically. So who the fuck am I do judge two people feeling the necessity to connect somehow during this shit? Even in a COVID-19 hot zone?

Even with my wife, it's not like I'm doing this perfectly. I've been within the six feet social distancing radius while out shopping. Or on my afternoon walks. All of this is hard as fuck, and we do the best we can to keep ourselves and everyone around safe.

Not that anyone needs my blessing or anything, but I generally feel like if both people are being careful in other areas of social distancing, then... hey it happens. Just don't be like those astro-turf shit-stains "protesting" to cut their haircut or play golf.

>but I generally
>feel like if both people are being careful in other areas of
>social distancing

Even if you have a friend who you deem trustworthy or conscientious you're still going on blind faith.

And even if you are being overly vigilant (like myself) that doesn't make you immune from catching it.

And at the end of the day having sex isn't an essential activity...so I feel guilty for even considering it.

i assume more folks than not are still out here trying to get laid even at the risk of the virus.

i'll admit it hasnt stopped my efforts.

also one of those IG story quizzes went around and it had a "had sex since the quarantine" question and EVERYBODY i follow checked that one off and i know these folks arent quarantined w/ their SOs sooooo...

I think a lot depends on what part of the country you're located in.

Also, i think of fwb differently than random hookups in that you know the other person and have a level of trust with them.

If you're meeting a random on tinder and letting them come through then you kinda get what you deserve at this point. I don't know anyone personally who is doing that. But I know girls who have told me that guys are trying...but not succeeding.

Everything you wrote kinda sums it up for me as well. Good to read it.

Well I haven't done one of these in years so I guess the good news is that late 2018 I got married and I've been doing more work for more outlets on the journalism side.

But since then I've been getting fucking rocked. My main merch supplier for my business went through a nasty divorce and it hurt our sales last year: more than 100 grand short from our five-year average and in turn about 40 Gs spent out of savings as everybody else was still leaning on me just as hard or harder.

We had some major changes at the primary client I have for journalism stuff and none of them were good. It's reaching the point where working for the most recognizable publication in the world might actually be *bad* for my career.

Of course we got totally screwed by the suspensions and postponements and all that with pro leagues, arenas, etc.

A lot of things that were rock solid for years on end vanished and suddenly I started to get very nervous about my parents, even before all this COVID-19 shit. It just seemed like the way stability was disappearing from my life, that was the next logical thing.

But my mom had been getting over a lot of her health issues and kind of managing, and my dad, though he was 74, was more active than he had been in a while and happier than I'd seen him in 30 years. He was letting a lot of regrets and old stuff slide, reconnecting with past friends, enjoying the work he did for me and Jesus Christ did he and our dog (my wife and mine) ever love each other. It was better than bringing him a grandchild, and the dog looked at him like a best friend and a protector.

Well a couple Sundays ago our dog started insisting on something and we couldn't figure out what it was since all the normal stuff was taken care of. So my wife said "He wants to see your dad, take him over there." So I did, a little surprise visit. We're there more days than not but almost never on non-football Sundays. So I went over and we talked for a while and played with the dog a lot. He said he'd been feeling in a good rhythm and that he talked to his brother for a couple hours (this is extremely rare). We took the dog for another walk and I left with plans to come back the next day to work together.

Three hours later, I get a call from my mom saying something is wrong. I call an ambulance and hustle over to help him in and follow them to the hospital. That was the last time I ever saw him; 26 hours later he was dead.

He had a small heart attack and then a huge one the next day, and of course the whole pandemic thing didn't help matters as they had to investigate that also (and initially told us he had it, which was another tangled thing). Even the grief process is awkward because nobody can travel; we just had four of us at the viewing even.

So at this point I don't have a lot of confidence in much of anything. I just take each day as it comes and try to be there for the people around me.

Sincere condolences. RIP to your pops.

Reading that really hurt. My father is the same age. He had a small heart attack 2 years ago. Holding up well, apparently, but you never know.

Man, best wishes as you work thru this incredibly tough period.

One of my friend's dads had a heart attack in high school (now 21 years ago!) and he is still keeping on strong. It's tough, I mean at that age you can't say they were cheated but for many there's plenty of life left. My dad was back at his best recently and that has made this really tough

..My condolences to you and your family.

Fortunate that you were able to spend that last Sunday together. Hold your head, young man. Holla, if you need.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

It's been a rough month for us both from the sound of this thread but all things come to pass.

Thank you for sharing that.



----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

I swear it’s like life waits for you to get married to throw some bullshit at you to test your resilience.

my wife has sometimes felt that he has brought me bad luck but i don't look at it that way. it would be a lot harder to handle this all alone. she has also gone through some real difficult transitions and that's made her stronger, more able to roll with all these punches.

you're easily one of the coolest people I've met on OKP...I'm sorry you're having to go through this.

I had a lot of years with the wind at my back. Strong support, a lot of freedom and no shortage of breaks in my favor. All the other shit I could handle and chalk up to some luck evening out. But my dad was a tough one to take and it was just a bang-bang thing. I helped him into the ambulance and then I never saw him alive again. It's also so final and non-negotiable, really a strange and helpless feeling.

Stay up. I can't contribute anything here other than good vibes your way. Hang in there.

-->

thank you, brother. lebron and ohtani were two guys he wanted to see live. we had tix for the LAC-LAK game that got postponed and then against sac at the end of the year. wasn't meant to be, i guess, though i did get to see bron a few times this year for work he never did. ohtani we could have gone any time because the angels draw like crap but for whatever reason he was zeroed in on seeing him pitch.

..I feel kind of heavy for downing this post with the tragic reality of this pandemic.

I'm working to maintain the balance, so let's try to inject some positive energy into this thread.

• What have you been working on? (DIY, passion projects, etc.)
• New arrivals? (Beats? Babies? Beer?) Whatever floats your boat.
• (Re)Kindle? (Anything from your past that you put aside for lack of time, that you suddenly find a renewed interest in?)
• Stranger things: habits/routines you've formed in the wake of this pandemic?

Share your good Gnews!




*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

My brother and I sync our video and facetime all the Caps wins. We're up to Conference Finals, Game 7.

It's been surprisingly rewarding to watch. Especially in lieu of actual sports.

Highly recommend.

Also, still playing lots of video games. PS4, Switch

Finally playing Witcher 3, five years later.

Finally played the new Zelda (incredible)

..I know Netflix has a chrome extension, but I'm not sure if there's anything available for other apps/streaming services.

I gave my PS4 to my youngest brother awhile back because I hadn't touched it in years. *My motivation was to simply force myself to focus on my passion projects without distraction. Now we have all this time on our hands. Can't believe I'm considering buying another one.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

lots of FIFA here

I think I had it for like 18 mos before I started

I knew it was a big commitment.

I haven’t played sports games in years. Used to be the only games I played.

Thinking of getting into FIFA or NHL

fresh off Assassin's Creed Odyssey...chasing the high...it did NOT do it for me. I literally took it back to Gamestop the same day.

Also W3 took A LONG ass time to get going.

I wasn't used to the mechanics and all the in game systems until at least 10-15 hours in

One of the games that apparently is perfect for me
but I haven't played yet for whatever reason

But I'm intrigued

- Is it a button masher?
- How much combat vs storyline?

I'm a tad more into good story and exploration than I am
arcade action

GTA/Red Dead is about the level of action I'm looking for




----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

and it's not a hack and slash, by any means. It's strategy based, massive area to explore and there is great fighting. It's heavy on skill and weapons acquisition. Choices you make as you're playing affect how the game plays out for you, down the road. Another one that it sounds like you would appreciate is God of War 4. That and AC Odyssey are the two best games I've ever played...any system.

It's a game that's definitely heavier on storyline and exploration than it is on combat, so I really enjoyed them for that reasons. I'm a history nerd so I loved it being set in ancient Rome, Constantinople, Egypt, 18th cent. Caribbean.

Good amount of puzzles/problem solving in Egyptian pyramids or giant tombs under Rome.

There's a bunch of volumes of the game, so it really depends on which one(s) you play.

I'd argue it's a bit of a button masher, but it depends on difficulty level & which edition you're playing. Later games have better combat.

There's a common storyline but it's not critical to keep up with. You can start with any game.

In a lot of the games there's this meta storyline where your character is in the present, but he's able to inhabit the body of his ancestors. These meta breaks got tedious after a while but they never take up too much time.

My favorites are:

AC II
AC II Brotherhood
AC II Revelations
AC IV Black Flag (pirating & sailing)
AC Origins (Ancient Egypt)

Admittedly I haven't played some of the recent ones:

AC Rogue
AC Unity
AC Syndicate
AC Odyssey

>• Stranger things: habits/routines you've formed in the
>wake of this pandemic?

This is the most sleep I've ever gotten in my entire life...a solid 9 hours per night.

It's been an amazing boost both physically and mentally.

But on the flip side, I'm used to getting about 7 hours of sleep per night. Which means I'm losing 2 hours worth of productivity each day which has been really difficult to adjust to.

Been spending some time with my grandma. She hit the 90 mark....So happy about that....

Found a ton of books that I haven't read. The first one I started: Tribe of Hackers: Red Team. Next up is Dark Pools.

I tried that Ciroc VSOP and I dunno man....Doesn't taste good. I just been putting it in my tea. Only way I can drink it.

my first Specialized. Got a decent little kettlebell routing, going. Had to reel myself in on the eating tip. It's hard working this close to the fridge. Started back intermittent fasting. Looking forward to getting out on the bike, this weekend.

https://imageshack.us/i/poFKhrwWj

do you have a road bike too? i threw Dura Ace on my carbon beast two years ago but my riding has slowed down a lot. hopefully you track your rides on strava!!

heres my KTM: https://imgur.com/a/pwD3ok7

haven't ever rocked with Strava...not sure why, either. I used to have a Garmin computer...now it's just easier to rock with my Fitbit...I can go into the app on my phone and see my whole ride and then compete against myself on subsequent rides.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img661/4034/UZUJS3.jpg

did you get that at Performance Bike? i was the Sales Manager for about 3 yrs. thats a beauty im diggin the paint and tape. 105 is so bulletproof that is a very fast bike. my first road bike was a Fuji SL1, weighed 16.1lbs. im a big Fuji guy - i had a carbon SLM 29r hardtail that absolutely flew.

as long as you are tracking your rides and can compare your previous rides that is all I personally care about, but Strava is really cool in that users add segments and over time you start to plan your rides around segments and try to beat yourself on those. im a bit of a ride-data whore so strava satiates that. give it a try!

Phoenix has this incredible canal system and a gravel grinder would be perfect for it.

that's the first place I ever saw one...and I fell in love with it. At that time, the 1.3 was like 3k...but I didn't LOVE all the components on it...like some of the Oval stuff. So, I decided fuck it...I'm gonna build one. Found a brand new frame and fork on Ebay. Then sourced all my stuff. Every single piece from the 105 5700 groupset to the bar tape. I LOVE this bike. I could get 20 more bikes, I will never get rid of this one. You're right about 105, too...I'm a bigger guy and I can hammer pretty hard when I stand up and go...never had any shifting issues...even on the occasion "shift while hammering" slip up. The gravel bike I linked has the 105 5800...that's kinda what made me jump on it, when I saw it on Ebay. A bike shop in California was selling it. It was a display bike...retail was 2200 and I ended up getting it for 1499. Pretty excited to get on it. It's a slow day, working from home today...I'm gonna mess around with Strava, right now.

bc Performance is pretty shady, they strip the wheels, handlebar, front derr, brakes, put on Oval and drop the price a bit. kudos to you piecing that together online, that is the way to go tbh. that SST frame is legit tho. when i got more into all-mountain biking i pieced together an enduro mtb but fell into too many cacti and impaled my chest on my handlebar too many times and sold it lol.

curious how big of a difference you find in the disc brake on the new Specialized. the dura ace caliper brakes are nice, but not even remotely as good as a 105 disc that my buddy has on descents. I keep convincing myself not to buy a nice disc roadie, this KTM is a beast and I have upgraded every single aspect of the bike. but the disc technology is just on another level.

hope you are rockin tubeless on that gravel! nice work getting it at that price point.

I kinda questioned why road bikes needed disc brakes, when they first started coming out. I mean...unless you're riding in the wet or made dust or something that would compromise the wheel surface...I just didn't see why rim brakes weren't good enough.

Cycling around with a face covering on was very very humbling at first. I was so damn winded and sucking for breath the first two or three times I went on my bike. I've slowly gotten accustomed to slowing my breathing down with my face covering so that I'm not so winded. I dunno how mandatory face coverings are where you're at, but they are pretty much a necessity here in NYC.

Wearing the face mask while wearing sunglasses without them fogging up is my next battle that I'm trying to win.

Not something that is too major compared to what other folks have to deal with obviously, but something that I thought about since you mentioned cycling.

when I was on the bike...especially since I'll be kinda off-road. I plan on hitting up the Katy Trail a bunch...and don't really anticipate being withing much distance of any other riders/walkers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Trail_State_Park

Don't have it nearly as bad as some folks in here, but man this is a bummer.

About a year and a half ago I kinda fell into a position that utilized all my skills and was for a cause I believed in. I worked for the communications dept. of a union and was basically fighting the man everyday. My first minute on the job I was dropped in a meeting where they were brainstorming ideas of how to mess with a large company that was fucking over our members. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. It was the first full-time job I really liked. Sure it came with much of the bullshit that any job comes with, but the end goal was great and I truly loved the team I was working with.

Oh well, onward and upward. I should be fine financially for the time being. Got some savings and I'll get those unemployment checks rolling in soon enough. Gonna miss it a lot though.

Gotta start writing again... goddamn.

you wholeheartedly enjoy doing. No chance of coming back?

>you wholeheartedly enjoy doing. No chance of coming back?

Not many members are working right now so there are way less dues coming in. No real timetable on when the members will be able to get back to work so I’m not all that optimistic about being able to go back, but we’ll see.

Do you minds if I ask: was it a white collar or blue collar Union you were supporting?

>Do you minds if I ask: was it a white collar or blue collar
>Union you were supporting?

Not really either technically. It's a performer's union.

Manufacturing unions over the years (being on the wrong side) always interesting. But I’ve personally seen the decline. From the intimidating presence it was in my young 20s to what they’ve mostly become now. Sad

I, luckily, did not. But it's fucking insane and weird and my job probably entirely shifted overnight to some craziness.

I've talked about what I do here, so uh...expect our content to change drastically. It's so weird.

>I, luckily, did not. But it's fucking insane and weird and my
>job probably entirely shifted overnight to some craziness.
>
>I've talked about what I do here, so uh...expect our content
>to change drastically. It's so weird.

>I, luckily, did not. But it's fucking insane and weird and my
>job probably entirely shifted overnight to some craziness.
>
>I've talked about what I do here, so uh...expect our content
>to change drastically. It's so weird.


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "