Taking a mental health day - Lockdown Day 51

I'm calling it. I'm shutting down. Well.. at least for today. It's not often that my Bride and I are feeling
really down at the same time, but when we are both in a bad state of mind, it seems to feel ten times worse. Spending four hours trying to navigate the ridiculous Florida unemployment website yesterday already had me livid. The constant barrage of news about this whole Covid mess and the state of affairs in our Country, was the last straw. I really try to keep it light on this blog, without dwelling on the news, politics, etc, but the news stories lately are just downright depressing.

I'm not necessarily speaking of the pandemic itself, but rather.. my fellow man. Whatever side you stand on in regards to Covid, social distancing, lockdowns, etc., over this last week I am downright embarrassed of how the masses are acting on all sides. The worst of our worst have been disgusting me with their behavior as of late, and while I know the media focuses on that heavily, you can't deny their are a multitude of stupid, evil and selfish people we are surrounded by in society.

Are these types of people the minority? I believe so, and I know there is a TON of uncertainty on how our lives will forever change because of 2020, but right now I just need to take a step back and quit thinking about it. For us, that meant no watching the TV news today. Something as simple as that will help me personally to readjust my thinking. I'll fill my time with replacing my bathroom sink and faucet today, an abundant amount of reading, and writing about things I love. 

Wow, I already feel better just thinking about the day and evening ahead. Take care friends. I'll be back tomorrow with what I'm sure will be a much better attitude and outlook. If you are feeling a bit down, make sure you do something nice for yourself, and try to focus on better days. That's always worked for me up to this point.

Lockdown day 37 - Cars and computers

Had a busy day yesterday, and by bedtime I was good and ready to go to sleep.  Here's how it went down..

• Mowed, edged and trimmed yard
• Cleaned and pressure washed my truck
• Cut down and removed dying bush in the back yard
• Repaired shower door
• Set up my new laptop
• Swam in the afternoon
• Went on an evening bike ride
• Fit in a quick dumbbell workout

My truck is something I have been putting on the back burner as far as projects go.  It really needs nothing mechanically, just some cosmetic work.  It has a camper shell, and the plan was to outfit the back of the truck for travel, to take day and weekend trips with.  I cleaned out the back of the truck bed and camper shell by hand washing and pressure washing everything.  I also cleaned out the cab really well, and just need to detail it up soon.

My vision for that camper is a space that has lots of storage, a fold out bed, and air conditioning.  Parking at KOA, RV Parks, or campgrounds with power, bathrooms, and showers.. will eliminate a HUGE expense with the type of traveling we like to do.  I may make a video or a few blog posts showing how I set it all up.  Plus, in the midst of all this Covid-19 mess, having your own personal space to sleep that you aren't sharing with thousands of other people sounds pretty appealing.

So my faithful writing and editing companion of 5 years (my Toshiba Laptop) was quickly going downhill.  A section of the hard drive was damaged and I could only do so much to keep it running properly.  I found an incredible deal for a new one at Best Buy, so I ordered it and had it shipped to me this week.  

It always amazes me how much easier and seamless the setup gets every time I buy a new phone or computer.  What used to take hours, now takes 30 minutes.  Now it's just a matter of getting the system tweaked and customized exactly the way I like.

Not sure where today will take me.  I'm pretty sore from all of the physical activity yesterday.  Once I get up and around however, that should quickly fade.  Take care friends, and see ya soon.

Lockdown Day 30 - A list of what I've done so far

So I've hit the 30 day mark of this lockdown. Since the days are now seamlessly blending together,  I was having a hard time naming off everything I've been doing to keep busy during this time.  I  actually had to comb through my blog posts so I could compile this list..

Some things I've done and accomplished during the lockdown

• Cleaned & Organized the garage numerous times
• Regularly Hand pull weeds from the front landscaping
• Treated landscaping for future weeds
• Treated landscaping for ants
• Reset paving stones on front landscaping
• Installed a keyed entry lock on the gate to my fence
• Scrubbed and cleaned the tiles of my pool
• Relocated a tree to the backyard
• Treated weeds in back and side yard numerous times
• Cleared home AC drip pipe
• Fixed slow draining bathroom sink
• Treated one of my trees for fungus
• Weekly Pool Maintenance and service
• Scrubbed and cleaned part of the patio by the pool.
• Repair broken and chipped tile gout on the pool
• Washed and Hand Waxed both of our cars
• Pressure washed the driveway
• Helped my wife with some interior painting
• Installed new handles and drawer pulls on the kitchen cabinets 
• Installed new toilet seats in two bathrooms
• Oiled squeaky door hinges throughout the house
• Installed hooks on the garage ceiling to hang bikes from
• Pressure washed the sidewalk in front of my house
• Treated the sidewalk for weeds
• Treated problem areas in the yard for weeds
• treated the yard for fire ants
• fertilized the yard
• Installed a wireless touchpad for my garage
• Redesigned my Blog
• Completed our household Government Census
• Combed our finances thoroughly

• Replaced our ventilation air filter
• Installed a new pool filter
• Shot, edited, and uploaded some YouTube videos
• Installed a new side mirror on my son's car
• Finished a rebuild of my 1963 Schwinn
• Fixed and tune my Bride's, Son's, and Daughters Beach Cruisers
• Installed a basket on my Brides Beach Cruiser
• Fixed the axle on my old Schwinn
• Brewed a 3 gallon batch of pineapple beer
• Installed a basket on my Brides Beach Cruiser
• Cleaned and organized attic
• Sorted my toy collection
• Unclogged two sink drains
• Hours of writing and creating content for the blog and social media
• Hours of riding my bike
• Hours of swimming and walking
• Hours of reading books

I almost expected that list to be longer to tell you the truth.  And.. this isn't a list of every single thing I've done.  Just projects and work that stood out to me.  Rest assured, I amazingly still have plenty more projects and work to do.  

I've been cooking a lot more lately as well.  Here a few of the meals I've made that stand out in my memory..

• Macaroni and Cheese with pork chops)
• Pigs in a Blanket from scratch
• Biscuits and Gravy from Scratch
• Bacon Pancakes
• Banana Pancakes
• Homemade Calzones
• Burritos smothered in Pork Green Chile
• Chili Dogs
• Breakfast Burritos (Egg, Chorizo, Potatoes, Cheese & Green Chile)
• Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas
• Pork Chops, eggs and grits
• Oatmeal cookies
• Breakfast Tacos
• Fresh Baked bread

I'm glad I've had so much to keep me busy during all of this mess.  I had a couple of days where the whole gravity of the pandemic really started weighing on me, but fortunately was able to shake that off without too much trouble.  Staying busy has helped me immensely, but am learning you also need to make time to take care of yourself  so the stress and anxiety doesn't start to creep in and takeover.

That's it for now folks.  Thanks for stopping by, and we'll see ya tomorrow.

Lockdown Day 23 - Purging, organizing and decluttering

A chill but productive day yesterday.  Here's what I did..

• Organized the attic
• Went on a short bike ride
• Went on a walk
• Organized my garage a bit more
• Started the decluttering process in my room

I'm a collector.. I collect things.. it's what I do.  It's kind of becoming a burden though if I'm being
completely honest with myself.  It has slowly encroached upon my everyday life. I open a drawer and I can't find what I'm looking for.  I open a cabinet and things fall out.  My closet is overflowing with things and possessions that I can't enjoy. 

And so began the start of purging and decluttering.  My dresser is 80% done and I have at least 30 auctions I can list on ebay already.  I kind of want to look through my dresser a second time.  I KNOW there are items I didn't clean out that I really don't need.  Seeing the progress I've already made has motivated me to be even more diligent in this endeavor.

Maybe it's all of the organization projects I've already been involved in over the last few weeks, that has jump started this next phase of to-do's for me.  I've decided I really need to focus on the hobbies I truly love, and focus on those rather than 100 different things I'm just a fan of.  We'll see just how far I can go with this. One thing's for sure, I should be able to dig some stuff up that will be interesting to share.

Take care friends!  Until tomorrow..

Corona Virus Lockdown Day 20 - Breakfast Tacos & creating YouTube content

So I didn't ride my bike yesterday.  My hip was a little mad at me for jumping from 2.5 mile rides, up to a six mile rides with no notice.  I decided to take a day off from riding to do some low impact exercise in the pool.  Here's how my day went down..

• Made some breakfast tacos
• Shot a couple of bike videos
• Worked on my Pineapple Beer
• Went swimming in the afternoon
• Made some Oatmeal cookies after dinner

Chorizo & Eggs make great breakfast tacos

I cooked up some Mexican chorizo and eggs which was super easy and tasted great.  You basically cook up the chorizo by itself in a non stick pan.  Once it's cooked, you add in some eggs that have already been beaten & seasoned with onion and garlic powder.  Let them cook, turning the eggs about once every 45 seconds or so until they are fluffy and dry.  The eggs take on the wonderful flavor of the chorizo as they cook, which is why I really don't salt the beaten eggs in this dish.

When the eggs are fully cooked, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the eggs in the skillet, and once it melts a bit, turn off the heat and serve.  Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas, and add any condiments or toppings you like such as salsa, hot sauce, or fresh chopped veggies like tomatoes or onions.

So it was pretty much a leisurely day of keeping myself busy.  Like many others during this time, I haven't cooked so much in a very long time.  I do enjoy it, even though sometimes what I make doesn't turn out exactly the way I planned, but at least I learn something new every time.

I also spent awhile in the garage shooting a couple of quick YouTube videos about Beach Cruiser maintenance.  I may get busy editing those today, but we'll see.  I also have to finish up my Pineapple Beer, so I will also share how that went.

That's all for now friends. Keep your heads up, and be good to yourselves.

Corona Virus Lockdown Day 19 - Biking and Bike Building on the brain

It seemed like bikes dominated my thoughts yesterday. I thought about them, rode them, and wrote about them for the majority of my day.  Having all of this time off from work is downright unsettling if not maddening, so having a hobby I love so much to focus on is a huge help for me.  Here's how my day went..

• Woke up and worked on the blog for an hour
• Made pancakes and eggs for breakfast
• Went on a six mile bike ride mid morning
• Spent the afternoon tinkering with bikes in my garage
• Spent a few hours in the evening producing bike related content

Oh yeah.. now we're rollin'

So I decided to search through my old bike parts and found a front axle replacement for my old Schwinn.  While I still have a few things I want to do to it, I'm ecstatic that it's completely rideable. I actually took it for a test ride in the afternoon down to the mailbox and back, and it rode great.  I live to see neighbors I know, so I have a reason to lay on that electric horn.

That's about it.  Maybe a slow or even boring day to most, but an awfully fulfilling one to me.  I have bike content I will be posting a little later this morning, so keep an eye out for it if you also love bikes.  Oh, and I was feeling the after effects of my longest bike ride yet.  Nothing bad mind you, just a tender hip when I woke up, but am not noticing it at all now.  Maybe I'll shorten my bike ride today, and replace that exercise with swimming this afternoon.

Not sure how busy my day will be today.  It's the weekend, my bride is off of work, and there's nowhere to go.  I'd grill if I had a grill, but I guess you can say I'm between grills at the moment.  Something that's been hard for me to commit to, is sitting down and catching up on TV shows that I watch. Not sure why that is.  I think I felt the need to use all this free time I have as wisely as possible.  Now that my to-do list is shrinking, maybe it's time to do a little binge watching.  We'll see.  

Take care friends, and have a good Saturday.

Corona Virus Lockdown Day 18 - Biking and Homebrewing Pineapple Beer

Nice day yesterday.  It was a much cooler day which really changed the course of my usual routine.  Here's how it went..

• Ventured out to grab groceries via Walmart curbside pickup (such a blessing)
• Ate a late breakfast (Big bowl of oats w/fresh apples and peaches)
• Started fermenting a new batch of beer
• Went for a 3 mile ride at 1:00 p.m.
• Installed a basket on my Brides Beach Cruiser
• Fixed the axle on my old Schwinn
• Cooked some meat for my wife so she could make lettuce wraps for dinner

Something's Brewing! (well.. fermenting actually)

All ready for a nice nap

So for the first time ever, I've decided to try my hand at making some Pineapple Beer from a recipe my Dad gave to me.  It's a Mexican drink called 'Tepache' (pronounced Tay-Paw-Chay).  It's basically a Pineapple Beer fermented in a similar way to Kombucha, but is done and ready to drink in 72 hours.

I guess Tepache is kind of like a cross between beer and fruit wine.  It's sweet, a little sour, and has a mild alcohol content.  I truly hope it comes out good, and if it does.. I will be dedicating an article to this great drink.

Added a basket to my Bride's Beach Cruiser

I also managed to fix the front axle on 'Olga'.. my 1963 Schwinn.  I found a spare axle buried in my magic box of vintage bike parts, and it fit perfectly on the rim!  I took it out for a quick ride and it rode like a dream. 

I have only a couple more things I want to do to it, and have parts on the way to complete the project. This includes re-installing the head badge and replacing the headset and bearings in the fork tube.  There are definitely other things I will eventually do like replace the cranks, as they are a bit bent, and possibly add some nicer fenders, but that will be further down the road.

All in all, a great day.  I'm so grateful that I have hobbies that help to keep me busy and fulfilled in these trying times.  That's all for now folks.. see ya soon.

Corona Virus Lockdown Day 17 - Ghetto Charcuterie and yardwork

Pretty good day yesterday with lots of activity.   Here's what I did..

• Made pork chops, eggs and grits for our breakfast
• Worked on my blog and social media channels for a couple hours
• Mowed, edged, and weed whacked the front and back yard
• Cut up the mountains of Amazon and shipping boxes for recycling
• Installed a new toilet seat in the guest bathroom
• worked on my one of my bikes for about an hour
• Installed a new side mirror on my son's car
• Prepped my brewing equipment for a new batch of beer

I haven't been as active physically for the last couple of days, so it felt good to be busier.  I actually didn't break until 2:00 which put me in a predicament. I was hungry, but didn't want to eat a lot of food that late in the afternoon.  The solution was what I've come to call my "Ghetto Charcuterie Board"..

Not the most elegant Charcuterie Board obviously.  Charcuterie snobs may smirk at my Ghetto Charcuterie Board, but hey.. it was tasty and the protein kept me filled up for hours.    

I'm a little closer on taking the Old Schwinn out for some rides.  I found an old bike rim up in the attic that will work perfectly on the front of the bike, until I can do a proper rebuild of the hub on the original rim.  The tire was shot, but the inner tube was perfectly fine.  I cleaned it up and repacked the wheel bearings, and it now spins like a charm. I had to order a new whitewall tire for it, and as soon as it arrives, I will be taking the old girl on some trips around the neighborhood.

Not much planned for today, so maybe I'll get a nice ride in.  Stay safe folks and be good to yourselves.  Try and do one nice thing for yourself every day, no matter how small it is.  See you tomorrow.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 14 - Blogging and creating content

Wow.  It's been two weeks since I've been off of work already.  If it weren't for this blog, I'm really not sure if I would even know what day it is.  I can't say that this time off has been dragging for me.  In fact, I've kept so busy with projects around the house, it has truly helped me to keep my sanity.

Yesterday is what I'm calling my first '"Down Day".  Here's what I did..

• Went on an early 2 mile bike ride with my Bride
• Made cheese grits, eggs, and biscuits & gravy for breakfast
• Worked on redesigning my blog
• Worked on my social media accounts
• Took a quick dip in the pool at around 5:00

I spent hours tweaking the blog and writing yesterday.  I also spent a lot of time reading up on new SEO methods as well as Instagram and twitter algorithms.  I spent the first half of the day exiled to my garage because my wife wanted to paint around the area I normally sit and do my computer work.

It was actually incredibly peaceful and relaxing out in the garage. It was cool in the morning, and I ran a fan to keep the air circulating in the early afternoon.  I had a comfortable chair, Bluetooth Speaker, and was 10 feet away from my beer fridge.  It was so quiet, I got a ton of writing and work done on the blog.

I'm the kind of writer that needs peace and quiet to be productive.  Not necessarily silence, as I can be super productive in a coffee shop with soft ambient noise.  Maybe it's more about a peaceful vibe for me.  For a fact, it's nearly impossible for me to be creative and productive if I'm not in a good place mentally.  Interestingly, the words DO flow freely if I'm angry.  However, anger and stress is something I don't like to nurture, which is why my 'Retro Dad Rants' are far and few between.

Not sure what today holds for me.  I feel the need to do some work outside, but may wait to do a couple big projects later in the week when it starts to cool down a bit.  I do believe I will spend the afternoon on the blog again.

Take care friends, stay busy and try to keep your spirits up.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 13 - Busy work and bike building

Had a good and active day yesterday. Here's what I accomplished..

• Went for a walk with my Bride before 8:00am
• Made Banana Pancakes for breakfast
• Treated the sidewalk for weeds
• Treated problem areas in the yard for weeds
• treated the yard for fire ants
• fertilized the yard
• Installed a wireless touchpad for the garage
• Tuned and got my Son's bike roadworthy
• Took an hour swim
• Went for a two and a half mile bike ride after dinner

All in all, a very busy day that was book ended with some great exercise.  I also managed to get a fourth bike tuned and roadworthy this week!  It's my Son's bike that has sat for three years, and it just needed to be cleaned and tuned, as well as some bearings repacked with grease.

I really have found peace and comfort tinkering with my bikes over the last couple of weeks, and now I get to reap the rewards by riding them.  I'm not hitting up the bike trails like I originally planned on doing.  I simply ride around the perimeter of the neighborhood, winding through the side streets.

I actually rode 2.5 miles after dinner yesterday in about 15 minutes.  I worked up a little sweat as there are a couple long inclines in the neighborhood I'm still getting used to.   A far cry from the 15 and 20 mile rides I used to take on my one speed Beach Cruisers in Colorado, but it's a lot different in Florida in regards to bike riding. There were thousands of miles of paved bike trails in Colorado, and I would spend what felt like endless hours on them whenever the weather permitted.

Here in Florida you can ride 11 months out of the year pretty much, there just isn't many places to go on those type of rides. I sure as heck won't venture onto the streets, because I don't fancy taking my life into my own hands, or rather.. putting it in the hands of distracted drivers who simply aren't used to sharing the road (or caring to share the road) with cyclists.

When this is all over I may try to join some type of classic bike or beach cruiser enthusiast club in the Orlando area. Not sure if any exist, so maybe I can start one if that's the case.  I don't know how I'm going to spend my Sunday yet, so I'll update you tomorrow.

Cheers friends!

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 12 - Another trip into society

So while I had every intent of taking an early morning walk or bike ride yesterday, I ended up deviating from that plan, because I once again had to venture out into the unknown.  I got an e-mail from Lowe's that they couldn't deliver my items I ordered online, and that I had to pick them up at their store.

I headed out before 8:00 a.m. and thankfully there was virtually no one there. I smelled the scent of chlorine as I walked through the doors, obviously from the cleaner they have been diligently sanitizing with.  Sneeze guards were in place by customer service now.  Messages played over the store's P.A. system that repeatedly explained steps on how to avoid the virus.  Many workers were wearing masks and gloves, vigorously cleaning everything in sight.  The cashier sanitized the credit card reader and keypad both before and after I was done using it.  Like so many other things I've experienced this week, it was all utterly surreal.

I got home, unloaded my items in the garage, sprayed Lysol on the bottom of my shoes, and headed directly to the shower.  I then made a breakfast of corned beef hash, eggs, and fruit salad for me and my bride.  I was definitely on track to a much better mind set for the day. 

Here's how I attacked the rest of it..

• Pressure washed the sidewalk in front of my house
• Worked on another one of my bikes for about an hour
• Took a short bike ride around the neighborhood
• Worked on my blog and social media accounts
• Went swimming for about an hour
• Made chili dogs for dinner
• Went on a bike ride after dinner with my wife

I must say that today was a much better day for me. I didn't watch the news at all today, only checking in on an occasional news story that popped up on MSN or social media. I filled my ear holes with my favorite music and podcasts as I worked around the house.  Any exercise I get helps me immensely. Whether it's endorphins, or something like that I don't know.  I just know it always puts me in a better place mentally.  It also helps though when the form of exercise you perform, is something you truly love like swimming or biking.

Comfort food was the theme of the day, and while lunch wasn't as exciting, it was still good.  I had rice and beans which were leftovers from a meal earlier in the week.  We're being really attentive to what's in the fridge so we don't waste anything, or have to throw anything out.

Now it's once again the weekend, and it seems like the days are all blending together. It would be much worse if I didn't have this blog to actually make me reflect on what I did I am doing everyday.  It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment to look back on what I've done.  Not sure what I've got lined up for today, so I'll just wing it rather than plan anything.  There is still plenty for me to do, and I'm sure I will figure it out.

Take care and keep yourselves busy friends.  It really does help.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 11 - Energy running low

Over the last week and a half, I've tried to keep busy and have successfully done so for the most part
until now. Yesterday was totally a 'Meh" day.  Nothing I did really brought me any joy.  I felt no zest for life, and felt drained mentally.  Dang.. and at the very least we have two more weeks of sheltering in place.

I woke up to a Corona virus count of 69,000 cases and 1000+ deaths in the U.S.  Eight hours later, the evening news was reporting 80,000 cases and 2800+ deaths and.. we are now leading the world in confirmed cases.

Who on God's green earth can say "this isn't so bad" or.. "the media is just making a big deal out of this".  Oh.. there are plenty of people, especially some in Government, which ticks me of to no end.  There is actually a local sheriff who says imposing a curfew for his county is ridiculous because there is no data that proves there is a risk.  Holy Moly.

Having long periods of inactivity is my worst enemy right now.  The things I'm hearing and seeing are really what's draining me to be perfectly honest. I'd love to go on a media blackout, but I simply cannot do it.  I tune in to watch the news two to three times a day now, and the words that come out of a lot of these politicians mouths gets my blood boiling within seconds. I really need to de-stress somehow.

Here's how I spent my day..

• Drove to the post office before it opened to drop off an envelope
• Combed through our finances and paid bills
• Finished repairing the grout in our pool
• Spent the afternoon tweaking the blog and social media accounts
• Made hamburgers for dinner

I know myself, and I can tell everything is starting to really weigh on me.  I also know however, that the more active I am, the better I usually feel.  I'm sure part of that is a diversion tactic, but things like biking, walking and swimming really do make me feel better.  So why am I slacking in doing any of these now?  I'm not exactly sure, but I am committed to fighting it.

First thing tomorrow, I'm either going for a bike ride or walk.  I think I'll have a nice breakfast, and then tackle a list of a few jobs and activities I just made a few minutes ago.  Perhaps that's what I need right now.. a daily plan. It's getting to the point now, where if I don't feel right mentally, I just sit on the couch and then do nothing to try and pull myself out of that funk.

Through life I've found you really do have control of your attitude.  Whether you take the reigns and steer yourself towards happiness or negativity is totally up to you.  I will try harder today to readjust my attitude, and will let you know how it goes.

Hang in there friends.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 10 - Going shopping

Yesterday was a weird day.  Just when you think you are getting used to this new way of living, ten minutes of watching television can knock you right back down. Mandatory shelter in place orders go into effect tonight for my area.

We have already locked ourselves down for the mostpart.  For health reasons, my Bride has already been locked down for over three weeks, only going out to the backyard, or for walks with me.  I assumed that with the new shelter in place mandate, there would be a run on stores.  Therefore, I decided to go to the local supermarket and restock on a few items like meat so we are absolutely ready for the next two to three weeks.

Upon getting to the store at 8:00 a.m., tons of older folks were already leaving, as this store is allowing senior citizens to shop for one hour before the general public starts showing up.  I was expecting a huge line outside and there was none.  Honestly, I'll bet there was about 30 people in the entire store.  I was actually the only person in the checkout lanes when I was paying for my groceries.

I'm sure other stores in more densely populated areas are worse, so I'm blessed that I live a little bit out of the way, and.. only a mile from the market.  They were running very low on many items like certain meats and canned goods, and of course, they were still out of toilet paper.

I got home and the items I didn't put directly into the freezer were all wiped down with sanitizer wipes and left to air dry.  I immediately took a shower and changed clothes as an added precaution.  Watching the morning news both irritated and depressed me, so I didn't watch it again for the rest of the day.  I'll have to watch it shortly this morning.  I'd rather not, but honestly.. I'd rather be informed than in the dark (even at the risk of getting a bit depressed).

Here's how my day went..

• Hit up the grocery store at 8:00 a.m.
• Spent several hours working on my blog and social media account
• Worked on my Schwinn for a few hours in the afternoon
• Made dinner (Burritos smothered in Pork Green Chile)

My shortest list yet since I started logging my daily activity nine days ago.  I can feel my energy level depleting, and must fight the urge to succumb to this.  It's mostly due to mental anxiety, but also because I went so hard on knocking out projects in the beginning.  I have more items on the way from Amazon and Home Depot, so various home projects are in the works.

On a lighter note, 'Olga'.. my 1963 Schwinn is all put back together! Check her out..

It's almost done and only needs a few finishing touches.  I took it for a quick ride, but realized the axle on the front wheel is bent, and it very quickly started trying to grind the bearings into dust.  I'm currently looking for another rim online to swap it out with.  I'd like to find another axle for this rim sometime as it's the original rim that came with the bike, but for now I want to quickly obtain a new one so I can start taking it on rides.

That's it for now friends.  A mandated shelter in place order feels different than a self imposed one for sure.  I already know myself, and need to find ways to keep myself motivated.  Will check in tomorrow.  Until then.. take care and try to keep your spirits up friends!

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 9 - Eating like crap

So I took it a little bit easier yesterday.  Here is what I did..

Went for a short morning bike ride

Installed knobs on the kitchen cabinet doors

Spent the afternoon working on the blog and social media accounts

Worked on the Schwinn rebuild

Popped a couple frozen pizzas in the oven for dinner

Went for an after dinner bike ride

More of a chill day than previous ones I've had over the last week.  The seat came in for my bike, so I should be able to finish it all up now. If I do, I'll post pics tomorrow.  First thing I may have to do today however, is hit the supermarket first thing to buy a few things.  Orange County has enacted a shelter in place order starting Thursday at 11 p.m. so I'm thinking I'd better get what we need before the next run on the stores.

I was eating so much healthier before we started to self isolate.  I was eating tons of fresh produce, lots of protein, and plenty of healthy fats.  Now.. I'm eating more carbs simply because of the type of food we've stocked that is cheap, and has a long shelf life.  More pastas and starches dominate the meals lately.  Quick and cheap items like frozen pizza have also been used more.

IF.. I can find flour, I think I will start making the pizzas from scratch, which is a pastime of mine anyway.  We'll see just how much stock the stores have shortly when they open up.

Will share how it went tomorrow.  Take care friends.

Retro Dad Rant - Covid Idiots

I like to try and keep everything light and positive on this site, but from time to time, things just irritate me and I have to open up the pressure release valve.  Today is one of those days.

Some idiot on a local radio talk show in Orlando was denouncing a possible Countrywide shut down due to the Corona virus.  He was screaming that we simply cannot shut everything down for another three weeks, and that just staying inside won't stop the virus.

Has this guy seen the numbers I've been seeing every morning for the last week?  Check out what I've been waking up to see on the news for the last several days..

U.S. Covid-19 cases

Friday 3/20  14,000 cases

Saturday 3/21  19,624 cases

Monday 3/23  35,000 cases

Tuesday 3/24  46,168 cases

What I'd love to tell this idiot, is that a lockdown is not going to stop the virus.  Who knows.. we all may contract the virus eventually.  However, a lockdown will slow the spread and make it more manageable for an already overloaded healthcare system where hospitals already can't keep up.

If we keep exponentially spreading this virus and continue flooding the hospitals, more people will die, plain and simple. Hospitals don't have enough of the basic supplies they need like gloves and masks, not to mention ventilators and test kits.  And if the staff gets sick.. then we're really screwed. 

So many people are just plain selfish.  It's all about how this affects them personally.  Dollars to Donuts.. that if their lives were touched personally by this virus, whether by them or a loved one getting infected, they would be singing a different tune. 

Personally, I'd much rather be inconvenienced for a while rather than seeing the death toll skyrocket.  The economy doesn't even come into play when I say this. We're already going to be hurting for a while because of this pandemic.  The entire World will as well.  We'll make it through this, but we have to look at this long term.   

That is all.  Rant over, pressure release accomplished. 

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 8 - Venturing into the unknown for the 1st time in a week

As you've noticed by my blog post titles every day, My family is pretty much locked down. My Bride has already been locked down and isolated for three weeks due to health risks. The rest of us have been locked down for one week now. We go outside for a walks, and have been spending lots of time in the pool to get fresh air and exercise.

Well yesterday.. I actually ventured out of the neighborhood for the first time in a week. I had to drop off a package at the post office, but I bought and applied postage online so as to expedite my trip. When I got there, I saw a line stretched outside of the door.  They weren't allowing more than 5 people in line at one time and also had tape on the floor in the shape of an X every six feet for people to stand on to keep their distance from other customers.

Half of the people I saw were wearing gloves and masks. The other half were reading the warnings and instructions posted everywhere with attitude, rolling their eyes at the inconvenience it was going to cause them. Some people were even purposely ignoring the designated spaces to stand on, noticeably irritated. It was all quite surreal.  I stepped inside, tossed my package into a bin slated for packages with prepaid postage and made haste getting back to my car.

I had originally wanted to stop at the convenience store to pick up some Ben and Jerry's for me and my bride, but the whole scene at the Post Office only made me want to get back home and away from the public.

Here's what I did with the rest of my day..

• Conquered the cloudy pool water problem. (too much pollen.. not enough chlorine)
• Installed new toilet seat in the spare bathroom
• Oiled squeaky door hinges throughout the house
• Installed hooks on the garage ceiling to hang bikes from
• Spent the afternoon cleaning & tuning up our Beach Cruisers for me and my Bride.

My Bride's Schwinn LuLu and my 2000 New Belgium Fat Tire Bike

I spent the whole afternoon getting our Beach Cruisers in shape and ride ready.  Today I will begin breaking my legs in around the neighborhood.  Once I can go on half hour rides with ease, I wanted to start hitting up bike trails, but now I've changed my mind on that.  Aside from its obvious benefits, exercise in any form is also incredibly good for your mental health, so I plan on kicking up my activity levels even more starting today.

Take care friends, and be good to yourselves.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 7. - Big Fat Calzones & Stress from watching the news

First Sunday of the lockdown is in the books!  It was really weird to say the least.  Normally I always work weekends and never have a weekend day off with my bride.  On the rare occasion that I do.. we usually fill our day with fun activities, or plan lots of things to do.  After our morning walk today, we went back to the house and proceeded to fill our day with tasks to keep ourselves busy/sane.

Here's how I spent my Sunday..

• Noticed some slightly cloudy water in the pool, so I re-cleaned the filter and adjusted the chemical levels
• Helped my wife with some interior painting, getting the stuff up high for her
• Installed some handles/drawer pulls on the kitchen cabinet drawers 
• Spent the better part of my day and afternoon organizing the garage
• Made Calzones for dinner Check em' out..

Not the prettiest Calzones by any means, but they tasted great

The Calzones were a hit with the family tonight.  I just used a pizza dough recipe of mine, and it equated to 8 huge calzones.  I stuffed them with Italian Sausage, thick cut Salami, Mozzarella, and some sauce. I will be doing these again, only next time with some peppers, mushroom, onion and olives.. all of which I was out of this week 

I killed about an hour after dinner playing Minecraft.  I needed a diversion to help me zone out after watching the evening news.  At this point, I am watching the cases of Covid-19 double on a daily basis in most places (our town included).  It's reaffirmed that I am doing the right thing staying put and limiting contact with the outside world as best as I can.  

There will come a day soon when I will need to venture out and restock our food stores and supplies, but I've already decided that I will 100% be by using curbside pickup.  When I get the items home, I will give the groceries a quick wipe with some sanitizer wipes. I think we're good for a few weeks still, but I'd like to get to the store before we start running too low on supplies.

An epiphany I had today, is that I really need to limit my exposure to the news.  I may check it two to three times a day from here on out.  That being.. morning, noon, and after dinner.  Heck, maybe not even after dinner.  Having the news going all day long is wearing me down and it's affecting my stress levels.  

I'm on the verge of beginning daily bike rides.  I will be tuning up my Brides bike, and another Beach Cruiser I own tomorrow, so I can start getting some more exercise.  Bicycling is one of my favorite hobbies, but have hardly ridden since moving to Florida.  The infrastructure, for lack of a better term.. Royally Sucks!  It's one of the absolute, if not now.. the most dangerous place to ride a bike in the U.S. in fact.  However, there are a couple trails nearby, and my neighborhood is pretty safe.  I need to ease back into riding anyway, so the neighborhood will serve as a good training ground at first.

That's all for now friends.  I will let you know how trying to limit my media induced stress works out for me. Cheers!

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 6. Biscuits, Gravy & Bacon Pancakes

Well, I set out to take it easier today, but still had a pretty active day.  First thing in the morning, I got the craving for some Biscuits and Gravy, so I whipped some up for us.  I do believe this is the very first time I've ever made both from scratch actually. Check it out..

The only thing I will do different next time, is 1.) add more butter to the biscuit recipe, and 2.) add seasoned salt to the gravy.  A biscuit tip for you though..  get the butter as cold as you can before mixing it into the biscuit mix.  You actually want to see chunks of butter in the dough before you go to bake them.  I'd also not roll them as thin as I did. However, I did roll them out this way so we'd have more of them to go around.  In the end, we had plenty to douse in gravy, and even more to spread butter and jelly on.

Here's what I accomplished yesterday.  A shorter list list for sure than previous ones from this week, but it still kept me busy..

• Went on a morning walk with my bride after our carb laden breakfast
• Spent a few hours washing both of our cars and then hand waxing them
• Light pressure wash on the driveway
• Added water to the swimming pool and treated it

MORE COMFORT FOOD..

So I kept with the breakfast theme and decided to make pancakes for dinner.  But not just any pancakes mind you.. Bacon Pancakes!

Needless to say, these were a huge hit with the family.  I added some cinnamon and vanilla to the pancake batter, so it low key tasted cake-like.  The maple bacon added some nice saltiness and maple flavor that worked perfect with the pancake.

So these two meals accomplished exactly what I wanted for lockdown meals.  They were cheap, filling, and tasted great.  Any comfort you can get during this crisis is key, and these meals definitely were comfort food for us.

I do notice that the type of food I am consuming as of late has way more carbs than I'm accustomed to eating, so I'm really going to have to kick up my exercise regimen.  This shouldn't be a problem with the pool and several bikes for me to ride.  My swims are on hiatus for another day as my sunburn finishes healing, but I do believe I'll set out for a bike ride tonight around the neighborhood.

See you tomorrow friends.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 5. Yard Work, Sunburn & Bike Building

So I woke up today feeling the impact of the last several days. Muscles all over my body were tender and sore. I think it's mostly from swimming and working out more than I'm normally accustomed to. But hey.. 'Pain is just the weakness leaving your body' right?  Still, I decided to ease off a wee bit today. Well.. That's the plan at least.

Here's what I did yesterday..

• Mowed, edged and trimmed the front yard.
• Mowed & trimed the back yard super short and tended to my baby lime tree.
• Scrubbed and cleaned part of the patio by the pool.
• Began grout repair to the tile on the pool
• Worked on my Schwinn a bit more

I didn't expect the grout repair to take so long, and ended up only finishing half of the pool.  I wore a hat, but my shoulders ended up getting burnt because I lost track of time.  I guess I'll finish up that project in a couple of days (next time with sunblock).

The Schwinn rebuild is coming along nicely.  Again.. working on the Schwinn has served as a nice release.  Ever since I was a kid, building bikes has always been a very zen thing for me.  Any problem I may run into never bothers me or stresses me out, because I know there's there's nothing I can't handle. Here's a peek at the progress I promised yesterday..

I'm at the point now where its all little touches and accessories I need to finish up.  Here's what's left to do..

Clean, polish and install chrome fenders

Clean, polish and install chrome rear rack

Install seat post and seat (that's arriving next week)

Fine tune the electric horn

Install kickstand

Install hand grips, bell, and retro wheel reflectors

There's a couple other little things I want to do, like maybe add a front basket, and new Schwinn badge for the head tube.  Will keep you posted on the progress, but I expect to have her on the road by midweek or so.  Maybe I'll film the inaugural ride.

Cheers friends, see ya tomorrow.

Corona Virus COVID-19 Lockdown Day 4. SCHWINN-ing

Another day in the books.  Here's what I did yesterday..

• Treated weeds in back and side yard
• Cleared home AC drip pipe
• Fixed slow draining bathroom sink
• Treated one of my trees for fungus
• Cleaned pool and added chlorine
• Worked on my Schwinn for a couple of hours
• Made dinner (Macaroni and Cheese with pork chops)
• Swam with my bride for about an hour after dinner

The work on my 63' Schwinn American Deluxe Cruiser went great and was even a bit therapeutic.  This was my late Brother's bike that has been sitting up on my garage wall for the last three years.  In actuality, I repainted the bike in the fall of 2018.  However, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I kept putting off finishing the project and never began reassembling the bike.  

I guess it was simply too hard for me to move forward on putting it back together until now.  I have no idea why dealing with my pain manifested in procrastinating for this long.  To tell you the truth, I don't even feel the need to understand it.  On day one of our self quarantine, I simply looked up at the wall where the old gal sat and said to myself "That's it..  it's been long enough".

Today I polished the cranks that you see in this picture, packed the bearings, reinstalled them and attached the pedals.  I mounted the tires and installed the wheels, cleaned & installed the chain as well as the chain guard.  And then suddenly, right before dinner.. the bike was rideable!  It actually is starting to look like a bike again.  All it needs is a seat, and a couple little odds and ends, but after tomorrow.. it will be 95% complete.  I will add a picture tomorrow of what she looks like, and will post several pictures once she is finally complete.

I got a lot done today, but this bike project has truly taken my mind off of my problems and has been an incredible escape from reality.  I look forward to sharing the progress with you here soon.