2020

[Pennzoil GT-R]

What a great year...

How's everybody doing? Anybody caught the virus yet?

[tut]

Surely someone would have by now.... but not me. I’m in the lockdownest place in the world

Can’t complain too much about 2020; it’s the year I became a father
And with all the pandemic economical measures, I’m financially heaps better off

[Pennzoil GT-R]

Sounds like everybody in America is getting it so surely somebody here has had it.

Here we were not allowed outside for 3 months other than to the nearest supermarket. Thank god that's over.

[thewalrus]

It's honestly not ever been all that bad for us. But that comes, I suppose, with living on an island with 60+ km of frigid North Pacific water separating you from the nearest massive population centers. Vancouver Island has, I think, 6 active cases for a population of over 600 000 and only one new case in the last 24 hours with a total of 185 cases since the start. So people here have been generally relaxed. Following guidelines and orders, for the most part, but it just hasn't been as serious here as it has basically everywhere else. We also have a Provincial Health Officer with a light touch - making orders and rules only where absolutely necessary. Far from being confined to our homes at any point even at the height of pandemic in March - May we were encouraged to go outside - but to maintain 6 feet of distance while hiking and running and to avoid 'indoor areas' where possible. Some service providers were shut down - namely bars and restaurants for a while - but there was never a complete shut down of all non-essential services. In fact, I was diving and running and hiking and paddle boarding throughout the whole pandemic and reliably getting air fills and renting gear and buying new shoes.

Overall I think our response has been working. It's getting a bit worse lately (to the tune of a hundred or so new cases a day across BC) but ICUs are still largely free and our hospitals are far from being near capacity. We'll see how things are later in the fall if / when the second wave is supposed to hit.

[thewalrus]

Surely someone would have by now.... but not me. I’m in the lockdownest place in the world

Can’t complain too much about 2020; it’s the year I became a father
And with all the pandemic economical measures, I’m financially heaps better off

Dude! Congrats!! Boy or girl? When were they born?

I also made that leap... though in 2019. And he's now just over 1 year old. Incredible. Terrifying birth, almost lost my wife to a hemorrhage and a lazy nurse that didn't believe me when I said my deathly white, pleading for help, delirious wife was possibly in need of help at 12:00 AM. But we made it through and things are incredible now.

[tut]

Surely someone would have by now.... but not me. I’m in the lockdownest place in the world

Can’t complain too much about 2020; it’s the year I became a father
And with all the pandemic economical measures, I’m financially heaps better off

Dude! Congrats!! Boy or girl? When were they born?

I also made that leap... though in 2019. And he's now just over 1 year old. Incredible. Terrifying birth, almost lost my wife to a hemorrhage and a lazy nurse that didn't believe me when I said my deathly white, pleading for help, delirious wife was possibly in need of help at 12:00 AM. But we made it through and things are incredible now.

Congratulations!
It’s a boy, born in July... and I have a very similar experience with almost losing a partner and multiple blood transfusions

Oh well.... she’s on the mend now..... and he’s sleeping through the night (most nights)

[the_edge]

wow! some signs of life here!

TBQH I've missed some of ya! We had our fun for sure, and y'all even put up with my insane rants LOL. You're good guys.

[the_edge]

It's honestly not ever been all that bad for us. But that comes, I suppose, with living on an island with 60+ km of frigid North Pacific water separating you from the nearest massive population centers. Vancouver Island has, I think, 6 active cases for a population of over 600 000 and only one new case in the last 24 hours with a total of 185 cases since the start. So people here have been generally relaxed. Following guidelines and orders, for the most part, but it just hasn't been as serious here as it has basically everywhere else. We also have a Provincial Health Officer with a light touch - making orders and rules only where absolutely necessary. Far from being confined to our homes at any point even at the height of pandemic in March - May we were encouraged to go outside - but to maintain 6 feet of distance while hiking and running and to avoid 'indoor areas' where possible. Some service providers were shut down - namely bars and restaurants for a while - but there was never a complete shut down of all non-essential services. In fact, I was diving and running and hiking and paddle boarding throughout the whole pandemic and reliably getting air fills and renting gear and buying new shoes.

Overall I think our response has been working. It's getting a bit worse lately (to the tune of a hundred or so new cases a day across BC) but ICUs are still largely free and our hospitals are far from being near capacity. We'll see how things are later in the fall if / when the second wave is supposed to hit.

I'm surrounded by cavemen. I live in what is supposed to be a very liberal, highly educated area of the US and I still come across stupid people who refuse to wear a mask and they use the "I am a grown up! U can't tell me what to do!!!" and "mind ur own business!" types. I'm not sharing an elevator with those characters!

[thewalrus]

It's honestly not ever been all that bad for us. But that comes, I suppose, with living on an island with 60+ km of frigid North Pacific water separating you from the nearest massive population centers. Vancouver Island has, I think, 6 active cases for a population of over 600 000 and only one new case in the last 24 hours with a total of 185 cases since the start. So people here have been generally relaxed. Following guidelines and orders, for the most part, but it just hasn't been as serious here as it has basically everywhere else. We also have a Provincial Health Officer with a light touch - making orders and rules only where absolutely necessary. Far from being confined to our homes at any point even at the height of pandemic in March - May we were encouraged to go outside - but to maintain 6 feet of distance while hiking and running and to avoid 'indoor areas' where possible. Some service providers were shut down - namely bars and restaurants for a while - but there was never a complete shut down of all non-essential services. In fact, I was diving and running and hiking and paddle boarding throughout the whole pandemic and reliably getting air fills and renting gear and buying new shoes.

Overall I think our response has been working. It's getting a bit worse lately (to the tune of a hundred or so new cases a day across BC) but ICUs are still largely free and our hospitals are far from being near capacity. We'll see how things are later in the fall if / when the second wave is supposed to hit.

I'm surrounded by cavemen. I live in what is supposed to be a very liberal, highly educated area of the US and I still come across stupid people who refuse to wear a mask and they use the "I am a grown up! U can't tell me what to do!!!" and "mind ur own business!" types. I'm not sharing an elevator with those characters!

That's sad. And not unique to where you are. We, apparently, had (or will have) an 'anti-COVID-measures' protest where people will stand around hugging each other. Astronomically stupid. The same people are usually out front of our legislature protesting and carrying signs. The most wack-a-loon of them usually talk about how the government is spreading COVID through contrails. Or that the 'wear a mask' direction is to see whose a 'sheep' and whose more likely to rebel when the government institutes their inevitable dictatorship in the coming years. I want to suggest that in either case it would still make sense to wear a mask - either to keep you from getting 'con-trail-covid', or to keep the government from recognizing you as a problem. But I'd rather not get into a discussion with those types.

[thewalrus]

Surely someone would have by now.... but not me. I’m in the lockdownest place in the world

Can’t complain too much about 2020; it’s the year I became a father
And with all the pandemic economical measures, I’m financially heaps better off

Dude! Congrats!! Boy or girl? When were they born?

I also made that leap... though in 2019. And he's now just over 1 year old. Incredible. Terrifying birth, almost lost my wife to a hemorrhage and a lazy nurse that didn't believe me when I said my deathly white, pleading for help, delirious wife was possibly in need of help at 12:00 AM. But we made it through and things are incredible now.

Congratulations!
It’s a boy, born in July... and I have a very similar experience with almost losing a partner and multiple blood transfusions

Oh well.... she’s on the mend now..... and he’s sleeping through the night (most nights)

Shit - I'm really sorry to hear you went through the same (or very very similar) thing that I did. Incredibly scary. But at least, like us, you guys are through the thick of it and she's getting better.

[Talon]

Did someone say boobs?

No beer flu here. Don't have it or know of anyone who has, thankfully. Most people are being responsible but there are always the outliers who aren't just for the attention/drama aspect. Hopefully we're over the worst of it.

[Talon]

And holy shit to Wally and Tut almost losing their baby mamas. Fuck that. That would be terrifying.

[the_edge]

It's honestly not ever been all that bad for us. But that comes, I suppose, with living on an island with 60+ km of frigid North Pacific water separating you from the nearest massive population centers. Vancouver Island has, I think, 6 active cases for a population of over 600 000 and only one new case in the last 24 hours with a total of 185 cases since the start. So people here have been generally relaxed. Following guidelines and orders, for the most part, but it just hasn't been as serious here as it has basically everywhere else. We also have a Provincial Health Officer with a light touch - making orders and rules only where absolutely necessary. Far from being confined to our homes at any point even at the height of pandemic in March - May we were encouraged to go outside - but to maintain 6 feet of distance while hiking and running and to avoid 'indoor areas' where possible. Some service providers were shut down - namely bars and restaurants for a while - but there was never a complete shut down of all non-essential services. In fact, I was diving and running and hiking and paddle boarding throughout the whole pandemic and reliably getting air fills and renting gear and buying new shoes.

Overall I think our response has been working. It's getting a bit worse lately (to the tune of a hundred or so new cases a day across BC) but ICUs are still largely free and our hospitals are far from being near capacity. We'll see how things are later in the fall if / when the second wave is supposed to hit.

I'm surrounded by cavemen. I live in what is supposed to be a very liberal, highly educated area of the US and I still come across stupid people who refuse to wear a mask and they use the "I am a grown up! U can't tell me what to do!!!" and "mind ur own business!" types. I'm not sharing an elevator with those characters!

That's sad. And not unique to where you are. We, apparently, had (or will have) an 'anti-COVID-measures' protest where people will stand around hugging each other. Astronomically stupid. The same people are usually out front of our legislature protesting and carrying signs. The most wack-a-loon of them usually talk about how the government is spreading COVID through contrails. Or that the 'wear a mask' direction is to see whose a 'sheep' and whose more likely to rebel when the government institutes their inevitable dictatorship in the coming years. I want to suggest that in either case it would still make sense to wear a mask - either to keep you from getting 'con-trail-covid', or to keep the government from recognizing you as a problem. But I'd rather not get into a discussion with those types.

are we regressing as a species? I can't fathom people in the 80s and 90s being this stupid....

[the_edge]

And holy shit to Wally and Tut almost losing their baby mamas. Fuck that. That would be terrifying.

agreed

[Turbojett]

I don't have it, and I don't know anybody that does, thank fuck. But there were a couple scary false alarms. When I caught my first cold of the season last month, I had a bunch of the symptoms. Went to a clinic to get my brain touched by a cotton swab, but I came back negative.
And back in March, my brother got sick almost immediately, and we thought he caught it, but he also just had a cold. Pretty scary because he has a toddler at home, and his kid was just a little over a year old at the time.

I have a friend up in MI who was trying to get me a job where he works, and I was supposed to go up there in April and apply/interview, but March happened first. He says he's gonna try again after the whole COVID thing passes, so I may still end up there eventually, but for right now, I'm just chillin' and doing my thing.

[thewalrus]

And holy shit to Wally and Tut almost losing their baby mamas. Fuck that. That would be terrifying.

yeah, man. it was fucking horrifying. Probably a 48 hour period where it was touch and go. And a full day where I really thought she wouldn't make it. But, all in the past, now.

[thewalrus]

I don't have it, and I don't know anybody that does, thank fuck. But there were a couple scary false alarms. When I caught my first cold of the season last month, I had a bunch of the symptoms. Went to a clinic to get my brain touched by a cotton swab, but I came back negative.
And back in March, my brother got sick almost immediately, and we thought he caught it, but he also just had a cold. Pretty scary because he has a toddler at home, and his kid was just a little over a year old at the time.

I have a friend up in MI who was trying to get me a job where he works, and I was supposed to go up there in April and apply/interview, but March happened first. He says he's gonna try again after the whole COVID thing passes, so I may still end up there eventually, but for right now, I'm just chillin' and doing my thing.

On the plus side, based on news from today, it looks like a vaccine may be on the horizon. And, more importantly, we've actually got an Administration that will take the problem seriously as the vaccine is rolled out. At least I think we do. Maybe Trump calls in the Army and nukes NYC or something, rather than concede.

[Turbojett]

And holy shit to Wally and Tut almost losing their baby mamas. Fuck that. That would be terrifying.

yeah, man. it was fucking horrifying. Probably a 48 hour period where it was touch and go. And a full day where I really thought she wouldn't make it. But, all in the past, now.

Dude that's fucking insane. I'm sorry that happened to you guys.