h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With all this social distancing & self isolation going on, has anyone started anew hobby or interest?

Any interactive websites to recommend?

We're lucky to have so much at our fingertips electronically, but we must not forget non computer based activities too.

Hope all keeping well.

Worry and anxiety are all-consuming hobbies.

Not that I'm recommending them.

What I do recommend is sifting through my stuff and throwing away what I don't need. My yard needs a lot of work, too.

With jugs of springwater in short supply at the local markets, I've decided to put out as many pails as I can in my yard, to capture the rainwater that we expect in the next four days. If I can drink rainwater, I won't miss the springwater.

I was going to relearn the art of bread making.Only one snag, absolutely no flour to be had anywhere.

Yeh… the lack of supplies for new hobbies is the m ain problem.... - likewise I had to struggle to get hold of yeast here, for making bread; and I'm holding off on making it, until ready-made bread supplies at the shops vanish; I've not much flour left in either - I'm inventing a million ways to eat chickpeas though... - we over-purchased, about a year or so ago, and have/had about 72 tins of it - luckily we've enough lemons and suchlike to make a fair bit more humus, so long as we can carry on getting hold of bread

Another kind of "bread" has a lot of people worried, no doubt. Starving actors may literally be starving, since Broadway and other theater districts are closed down. With no conventions, hotels and motor lodges will either be closed or working at minimal capacity. If the baseball and cricket seasons are cancelled, how with team owners pay the players?

Also all the entertainers at places like Renaissance festivals and whatnot. Those folks are really hurting here. And there's a very good chance they'll be left out of any aid packages being considered in Washington.

Yes, it's all the self employed in the UK that have been left out of any rescue finances so far.
Maybe it's time to cut the income of those at the top & vastly increase it for those at the bottom...

Those at the top have less to share, given the stock market plunges lately. They still have more than anyone else, though.

No real changes in our house. We are both retired and always have quite some weeks of supplies in the freezer and dry pantry.

Glad to know you're still around,Nick.

I'm very poorly prepared for the prospect of isolation and panic. I only have four gallons of drinking water (tap water makes me ). I've begun filtering rain water that I collected in dishpans. I made coffee with it this morning. I've ordered face masks and a thermometer. The thermometer will arrive after April 16, the masks no earlier than May 1.

There are two supermarkets within a mile and a half of me. They're both with in walking distance, if the items I buy are not too heavy.

I've loaded up on flour; I have some meat in the freezer, plus dry rice and macaroni. Salads will be the hardest thing to cobble together, assuming that the markets have to close..

Paper towels were nonexistent on the shelves for a while, but they're starting to reappear. The Dollar Tree has plenty of them. I have a good supply of toilet paper.

I should buy some canned soups. I could make my own bread and eat it with them.

Even filtered tap water? I use a Brita filter on my tap and I have a Pur water pitcher for work. I prefer our filtered tap water's flavor to any bottled water and that's saying a lot considering the source (Brazos County Surface Water at home and City of Houston water at work).

I can't understand the amount of shoppers still flooding the supermarkets. How much does anyone need? Is that people eat out so much, they now have to buy to eat at home?
I last shopped a week ago (online) & won't need to go again until late next week probably - then only a few top up items & fresh veg.

There are fewer shoppers than there used to be. And, yes, I imagine that with restaurants closed or limited to takeout, more people have to prepare meals at home.

The produce aisles are well-stocked everywhere. Quite a strange situation, what with toilet paper, paper towels, many canned goods, and bottled water so scarce.

I would blame 2Legs, but his powers don't extend to this side of the ocean.

Luckily this village still has an independent butcher,baker and green grocer who seem to be able to supply fresh basics when the Co-Op and Tesco Express are out of such items. Costs more but it is fresh and I like to support local independent business where possible.

I do, too.

I'd like to get takeouts from restaurants I like. I hate to see them suffering form lack of business. I have to be careful about it, though

Had to queue outside our village shop/PO today. Only 2 people allowed in at a time. Still, that fills in a bit of time.

Thought about getting out some old computer games & our lego box if things get desperate...

I walk to the nearest grocery store. This gives me exercise, lets me enjoy the Spring vegetation, and keeps my car off the road, benefiting the environment.

I will likely COMPLETE The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tomorrow.

By complete I mean 100% complete, including all 120 shrines, 389 snapshots for the "Hyrule Compendium", and all 900 korok seeds. I only have 25 Korok seeds left to find.

"YaHAHA!"

Oh, I'm jealous. I'm really rubbish at video/computer games, despite enjoying them. Have to keep consulting walkthroughs & even then I can't always manage the controls effectively

I keep meaning to open up the piano again, do some practice & maybe learn some new pieces. Am dropping in on the 'quarantine choir' on youtube in lieu of choir practice!

I still have tons of stuff to clean out of my house. I've had seventy years* in which to hoard for a rainy day, and this is a rainy day, both literally and metaphorically.


*I'm nearly 72, so maybe I didn't start hoarding until I was two, but who knows?