What have you done that you never would have done if SIP didn’t occur?

[Panina]

Cooked all my meals and found out I am a good cook.

I call my mother multiple times a day.

I dyed my own hair.

I started a vegetable garden.

I have taken Yoga classes and like it. I thought I hated Yoga before.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Wow, that's a nice list! Honestly, I can't think of a single thing. But I am retired, so, probably not too surprising. I suspect that those who do have a list, will be full of mostly positive things, could be interesting to read.

 

[Beachclubmum]

I planted a vegetable garden as well....normally we would be travelling all spring and summer. It's kind of fun to be home to water and watch everything grow.

I learned how to make poached eggs this past week. Practice makes perfect! I was trying to re-create a breakfast sandwich served in the lounge at the Boardwalk Resort at WDW and came pretty close I think. Ciabatta bread, Gouda cheese, poached eggs, bacon. Usually I'm vegan so eating at the BWR was a special post-race treat. Heated the whole thing, wrapped in parchment paper, in the toaster oven. Yum.

 

[bluehende]

Used a grocery delivery service paying a lot more. Something I never thought I would do.

 

[AnnieBets]

Trying to sew again. I’ve bought too much beautiful fabric that I’m afraid I will butcher if I try to use it.

 

[VacationForever]

- Cook both lunch and dinner as I only cooked dinner in the past.
- Make our own distilled water since we do not want to run into the store to buy distill water.
- Buy everything online including meat and produce. Didn't think it was even feasible.
- Buy hydroponic systems to grow our own vegetables for convenience, less dependency on vendors, having fresh and safe vegetables.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Used a grocery delivery service paying a lot more. Something I never thought I would do.

me too.

 

[rhonda]

Virtual Church. And to support it, I've had to learn Apple's iMovie and other video editing tools.

I'm part of the Worship Team and am co-hosting the Zoom sessions. While Zoom was new to me, the skill of hosting Virtual Meetings is not. I'm currently busy trying to overcome the challenges of "doing music together" via virtual meetings, thus learning iMovie to create as compact a file as possible for streaming during our time together. (I've used lots of photo editing tools over the years ... but had always remained a bit shy of video editing. Now I'm spending hours each week producing and sharing video. Whee! New Skill!)

@VacationForever , I have a stovetop water distiller but it is too expensive to operate for any significant production. Rather, it sits on top of our propane room heater and makes a liter, or so, every few weeks during the winter months if/when I'm running the heater anyway. If nothing else, it looks interesting and raises the room's humidity levels when the heater is running.

 

[VacationForever]

@VacationForever , I have a stovetop water distiller but it is too expensive to operate for any significant production. Rather, it sits on top of our propane room heater and makes a liter, or so, every few weeks during the winter months if/when I'm running the heater anyway. If nothing else, it looks interesting and raises the room's humidity levels when the heater is running.

I bought a unit from Amazon and it plugs into an AC power adapter. It is FDA approved and generates 6 gallons a day. The distilled water for my hydroponic systems as well as for my husband's CPAP machine.

 

[Luanne]

I never would have realized how good I am at doing nothing.

 

[MrockStar]

We stopped eating out/take out all together and used a shopping service for groceries a few times.

 

[Paumavista]

Trying to propagate azaleas.

 

[TravelTime]

Spent more time with my DH during the week

Eat dinner consistently at a reasonable hour

Call my 86 year old great aunt every Saturday and established a ritual that will continue after SIP ends

Did my first FaceTime call with my father

Took my business 100% online (and it is not doing as bad as I expected)

Started to research new business ideas for another online business

Had time to do a lot of business oriented webinars

Did all of my medical procedures including a mammogram, colonoscopy, ultrasound and lab work

Having my first telehealth visit with my PCP this Friday

Gave our dogs haircuts and bathed them ourselves

Cut my DH’s hair for him and let my gray roots grow out

More time to annoy people on TUG lol (I promise to be good going forward - sincerely sorry if I have offended anyone)

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I’ve found that this time has allowed me too...

be very thankful that I’m able to spend more time with my family

be grateful that I work for a company that ensured we had enough cash on hand to last us thru this storm

be happy that I get to sleep an extra 80 minutes a day since my commute is now just a walk down the stairs

that I get to witness my adult son working from home and taking pride in how professional and talented he is.

watching my adult daughter come home after working all night and her willingness to take on another shift as her manager tells her how much one of her patients feels most secure when she’s there taking care of him. As an essential employee this gal has been working a ton of hours but doing it because she wants to ensure that her patients are taken care of. To see the level of maturity in this young woman melts my heart with pride

making time in the middle of the day to call aunts, uncles, and cousins

feeling grateful that my family is healthy and surviving this pandemic.

 

[Big Matt]

I would have never wasted the last six weeks sitting at home every day.
I would never have missed my son's graduation from college
I would never have missed my corporate retreat
I would never have cancelled my extended family trip to Hilton Head
I would never have gained 10 pounds in six weeks (now that one is debatable)

 

[x3 skier]

Getting rid of a lot of junk that has accumulated in my house where I have lived for most of the last 50 years. After my wife passed 6 years ago, I had done a lot of clearing of her things and now its my turn..

I've been thinking about doing this for a few years but since there's not much to do "in the world", I finally started.

Im sure my kids will appreciate it after I vanish.

Cheers

 

[jehb2]

I wouldn’t have played board games with my kids (high schooler & middle schooler). We were just so so busy with school and other extracurricular activities if ever there was down time i just wanted to take a nap or get something done around the house.

Road my husband‘s stationary bicycle in the driveway. Use to hate it now I absolutely love it.

Sit with the family in the backyard. Something we never had time for.

 

[presley]

Planted flowers - been wanting to for years, but always too busy.
I start volunteering at a senior dog rescue this week - also something that I've been planning on doing for a couple years, but I've always been too busy.
Had lots of time to think about how out of balance my life normally is.

 

[elaine]

I think I’ve got the winner—Cut dh and dd hair with dog shears.

 

[DancingWaters]

Every week I have done a “good deed.” Took a bunch of food to a remote food pantry, delivered “Sunshine bags” filled with disinfecting wipes, a roll of toilet, paper, hand lotion, granola bars and candy that is yellow such as peanut M & Ms. One week delivered homemade cookies. Sent our snowbird friends in Florida,who are going thorough medical problems, a Panera meal. I’ve been sending my grandaughter that lives in Michigan crafts to keep her busy. For myself, I have cleaned out 3 walk-in closets, and cupboards above the washer, cleaned up the yard, weeding and etc. and of course, way too much online shopping. I’m anticipating needing some new spring/summer clothes if we ever get to get back to normal. Also, we sold 3 duplexes we have owned for 30 years—-oh the freedom we feel. We are ready for a NEW ADVENTURE! Probably won’t be as exciting as Maryanns or Panina!

 

[Glynda]

Learned how to finish the semester taking college course online which involved learning how to use Zoom, taking a test online, converting it from Word to Pages and back to Word and to drop it in instructor's drop box. Learned how to make a video presentation online and submit it. All new to me. Final second semester grade 98.17. Have worn a medical mask for the first time. Wore gloves and wiped down an ATM machine before and after using. Walked to local grocery store, went through all the sanitary stuff, walked home with groceries. All the sanitizing of packages, groceries, home. Ordered groceries online for pickup. Read the newspaper a day later as each day's stays outside for 24 hours. Same for mail. Don't open delivered packages for two days. Haven't driven a car for six weeks.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Getting rid of a lot of junk that has accumulated in my house where I have lived for most of the last 50 years. After my wife passed 6 years ago, I had done a lot of clearing of her things and now its my turn..

I've been thinking about doing this for a few years but since there's not much to do "in the world", I finally started.

Im sure my kids will appreciate it after I vanish.

Cheers

I'm sorry you lost your wife...
I've been clearing a ton of junk from our house as well, it feels good to get rid of all that clutter...

 

[klpca]

The last 6+ weeks (no idea when this actually started) have had both plusses and minuses but I have really enjoyed pushing the reset button in my life. I have always been a doer and have made running around doing things a lifestyle. Not anymore. I have never spent this much time at home in my entire life, and never would have otherwise. I like it. Decorating inside and out has always been my hobby and our house and yard are finally where I want it after 30+ years (almost - there are always projects, lol) and for once, I am getting to enjoy our beautiful home. I no longer have this sense of needing to go anywhere or do something. I can finally sit at home and relax. That I like. My husband and I have been sitting out in the back yard and enjoying everything about it. We rarely did that before the quarantine. We were always planning the next trip to some resort. Now we just go outside and enjoy what we already have.

I couldn't feel worse for folks like @Big Matt who are missing out on life events. My heart hurts for them. All of the kids who were in the senior years of college or high school - all of those milestones that they can't get back. It is so unfair. My niece is also graduating from college next month - the first in her family to attend college and now, nothing. It has taken her six years to get through because the first four years included a lot of remedial work since her high school just didn't get the job done, but she has worked hard to finish - and now nothing. She had an internship lined up in another country - that's gone too. We were scheduled to attend four weddings this spring/summer - all but the September one have been rescheduled. I know that others have faced far worse and I am not minimizing that at all, but these others who have been tangentially affected are also facing some terrible disappointments.

 

[jbeachlvr]

Getting rid of a lot of junk that has accumulated in my house where I have lived for most of the last 50 years. After my wife passed 6 years ago, I had done a lot of clearing of her things and now its my turn..

I've been thinking about doing this for a few years but since there's not much to do "in the world", I finally started.

Im sure my kids will appreciate it after I vanish.

Cheers

I’m sorry for your loss, x3 skier.
Trust me, your kids WILL appreciate it. I’ve been clearing stuff from my attic for a couple of years now (stuff as early as 1816, but some treasures too)— I live in a family ancestral home my whole 57 years— a duplex built in 1770. My father just passed away in February so Ill have more things to donate and throw away.
My parents never tossed anything, nor my grandparents, my dad’s greats, etc. I’ve donated some things to our local historical museum, and sold some furniture. It’s a daunting task, one that I don’t want to leave for my daughter.
I started again during this time and realize that I’ve got a lot of stuff to get rid of too.

Jill


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DaveNV]

What have you done that you never would have done if SIP didn’t occur?

Well, today I'm working on putting in an offer to buy a house in Nevada. In checking back on real estate listings in an area we've been considering, I found a certain home we'd viewed last year has come back on the market. It's enough incentive that I'm trying to see if we can do this. As my Mom was known for saying, "Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it!" Cross your fingers!

Exciting times, to be honest.

Dave