Lockdown Check-in and Roll Call!

[johnnyboogie]

Thanks Johnny! She's quite sick. But with a positive test result the French health service kicks into action very quickly. They call her twice a day to check on her condition, she says the people are incredibly helpful and reassuring. But even if she gets through the next week or two OK, the recovery can be very long. She may not be back to full strength for quite some time.

Thanks for laying it out Kev. It seems that here in Greece the worst has been avoided (100 deaths give or take) but it's way too early to celebrate anything. It would be a grave mistake. I keep reading about the situation in Italy, Spain, France and England and it's heartbreaking. My impression is that governments did not want to halt the economy and now innocent people are paying the price.

 

[johnnyboogie]

I am very wary of these vaccination trials here in the UK. We have been accused of (by our own people) of not acting sooner so i and a lot of others feel this is a rushed trial to try and safe face so to say. As you say Johnny its far from over. Please stay safe all and hang in there, we can beat this together.

I get it Jamie, let's hope it's something more than just saving face.

 

[DrKev]

Good morning from Paris!

I just deleted two tweets that, while both were well meaning, was gonna lead to a heated discussion or argument. I'm a moderator, I have a sixth sense for this kind of thing. So I moderated.

Let's please stay to the following topics...

How are you doing?
How are you family and friends doing?
Guitars.

Thanks everyone. You all rock.

 

[Lax]

All the best and a quick recuperation Lax. It's great to hear you fought and beat the virus.

Thanks for your kind words, we are days frop going back to work and it feels really strange, since the situation isn't clear at all.

We are enjoying our microcosm now.

The best for you

 

[cbc83]

Check in from Denmark. Been quarantined for roughly 5 weeks, started work monday. I'm a high school teacher (so is the GF), and they sent the oldest students back this week, only for Danish and English classes. It's a mess - they still have to keep 2 meters distance, so my students sit in three different classrooms.

All in all, we're very fortunate; teaching has been fairly easy to do from home, we're in no danger of losing our jobs, and we have a garden and access to forests and lakes nearby (we are allowed to be outside, just have to keep our distance).

My uncle contracted the disease earlier this month and was in critical condition, but he bounced back. The mortality rate in Denmark is low, but it's scary to follow the way this disease hits the world. I hope you'll all get through this.

Thoughts and prayers from Scandinavia!

 

[johnnyboogie]

Thanks for your kind words, we are days frop going back to work and it feels really strange, since the situation isn't clear at all.

We are enjoying our microcosm now.

The best for you

Thanksa lot Lax!! Stay strong!!

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hiya Dr K. I too pop by every now and then ... I spent too damn long on this forum to give it up, besides I still have 2 of my 5 original balls - THE best guitars I have played in 40+ years of playing.
I'm learning silly little licks e.g. Dire straights Money for Nothing .... some reggae songs ... cos that's what I'm playing live ... well I was until this all kicked off.

One year into retirement, and the Delorean is being dragged kicking and screaming back on the road after a 30 year hiatus. (See my avatar).

Finally, I'm listening to my wife telling me everything I've done wrong for the last 40 years ... oh, and pleased to have beaten a bout of De Quervain's tenosynovitis in my left hand, no pain at all now (Thanks to Pete Mathieson, ex guitarist with Ray Davies(Kinks) and .... Freddie and the Dreamers !!! who helped me beat it)--- beware you Young Thumb Texters" - you are not invulnerable after 60, and things come back to bite you lol.
Stay safe knuckleheads.

 

[banjoplayer]

Great Thread DrKev, thanks!

Hi there from Germany,
my family and me are well. I know only one person so far who had and gladly recovered from Covid-19.

I work everyday in the office and am very fortunate as it is just a 20min walk or 10min bike ride. No public transport. As I am doing social work and organize assistance for handicapped people we prefer to go to the office as it would be a weak message to our staff if they had to go outside while we were doing home office...
My wife has short-time allowance and is able to do the tough part (home schooling).

I´m living in a German suburb, having 5min to the forest, even the way to the office goes over grassland.
Our lockdown is relatively soft over here in GER. We are allowed to go outside alone or with members of our household or with 1 other person (considering 1.5m distance). In consequence I can do my runs as usual. Other than that we are very strict with social distancing. Even with the parents-in-law who are living next to us.

Positive side is that our family really got closer again and we enjoy it. We have two daughters, 9 and a 18y. The older one is more at home than most of the last years. We spent quite some evenings together so there is not more time to play guitar. Who cares...? Life in general got slowed down which I take as a benefit from this whole BS.

In a negative way I am concerned about the complaints here in GER about "our" lockdown (as it is rather soft compared to some other countries) and the demands to relax it (which is happening from 4/27 on). I would prefer to do it a bit longer. German virologists are saying that we risk a very though second wave with what we are doing right now.

Stay safe and health and let´s contribute to this thread! It is a good thing to hear voices from other countries directly and not over the media.

 

[kimonostereo]

Finally had a moment to sit and write a bit. Thanks for the thread Dr. Kev!

Things are as good as they can be here on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. The state is in lockdown as with other places, but the rules are different for the various counties. There seems to be a rift between our Governor and the Mayor of Oahu, but nonetheless, people are doing what they can to stay home.

I think things are going to hit Hawaii a lot harder as the state relies heavily on tourism, and the hotels and hospitality industry has taken a nose dive here. Waikiki is a ghost town… even though there are still idiots traveling here for who knows what reason. At least there is a 14 day required quarantine for all those flying in. I also think we're going to have a harder time because we're an island in the middle of the pacific and just about everything is imported in.

I've been working every weekday, as being the IT director at a Pre-K-12 school is considered essential. I'm not going to complain. I'm really thankful to have meaningful work that makes a difference for folks. Overall, I don't necessarily feel like this has affected my life in a huge way just yet. My wife works from home and we're pretty much homebodies a majority of the time. No kids, but we're always busy with various projects.

I was really hoping that I'd have more time to learn how to play guitar, but finding time has been tough. I'd really like to get better at the instrument LOL. I hope all of you knuckleheads stay safe. I'm so thankful to have this online family.

 

[roburado]

Checking in from the Detroit area. Been a long time since I have been back to the forum. Years, literally.

Essential worker here in Detroit, but oddly under-employed at the moment, which I think is a good thing from the standpoint of avoiding exposure. Thankfully, my wife is a homemaker at this point, which also limits her exposure. our pandemic case numbers are still on the high end. We're flattening the curve a bit in our area, and I can kind of feel it subjectively. Sadly, other parts of the state are seeing their numbers on the rise.

Haven't played any of my guitars in what feels like years, and quite possibly it has been years.

Good to see some familiar forum members still posting. Glad to see that many familiar users are still around. I lost a good friend earlier this year due to what was most likely unrelated to the pandemic, but in retrospect, I don't think it can be ruled out. Not sure what brought me back to check in with the forum. Maybe, my friend's passing (he was a forum member too) had something to do with that. Maybe, the social distancing also had something to do with it. Maybe, it's because EBMM have continued to put out compelling products. In any case, it's good to be back, if only to say hello.

 

[bearreport]

I have a job where I'm constantly on the road, so I really am enjoying this time with my family and getting to play guitar for a change! Doing my best to support local businesses which mostly means expanding my waistline with delicious good. Everybody stay safe out there and do your best to support those who need it.

 

[Smellybum]

Best wishes to all of you live from Scotland- am actually enjoying the lockdown part -playing more guitar and speeding time with the family which has been very rare over these last 5 years.

Take care and keep playing balls at home

 

[billpepper82]

Central Texas here, doing well thanks, playing so much guitar learning some Buddy Holly music family is well also hope all is well with everyone else

 

[RAIN27]

Hey everyone... Checking in we're here in New York... Spending lots a time with my wife and our very spoiled dog..
Who would've ever imagined such a calamity... Playing lots of guitar and recording and producing our original music for release remotely.. Working through my Honey-Do list..

Stay safe everyone and God Bless

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Checking in from the lovely locked down Connecticut!

The family and I are all healthy, so we are happy! We have had a skeleton crew of part-timers holding down the store for the past month. I've been able to do a few projects that needed doing around the farm, and look forward to going back to the store the first week of May. Right now CT is closed for walk-in retail until at least May 20, but we can do online and curbside sales, dropped off repairs, etc.

...and the new Sabre is incredible, btw. It has been an instant sellout for us so if you see one grab it!

 

[johnnyboogie]

Curfew is being lifted on Monday here in Athens. The death toll so far is 140 people and 2500 people who have contracted the virus. Kids will return to school and certain businesses will start operating. Let's see how it goes...

 

[TripHazard]

I’m late to the roll call...
Checking in from Notts in the UK Midlands, alive and well. Lockdown is not bad for me in theory - I’m an antisocial git at the best of times LOL
I am however finding it emotionally difficult having to be separated from my partner. We live between each other’s parents house ordinarily (the house we own is a building site that has taken a year to get planning permission sorted on, but that’s another story), 26 miles apart. When lockdown hit we were apart and travel restrictions mean we can’t see each other in person, which was then doubled by the medical quarantine conditions required at her parents due to the rare form of cancer her dad is being treated for and the extent of the compromise to his immune system.
So, emotionally it sucks balls. I miss being with her, and our three cats there (there are two here as well so not entirely without animal companionship).

Aside from that work has been a nightmare. Working from home? No problem. transforming face to face curriculum content for HE students into alternative format that won’t bore the pants off them and have them baying for refunds, for which, naturally, the lecturers would get the blame = epic level of arse ache. My working days having been running to 2am.

Sorry to have a whine but utterly hacked off. I am however very happy to not be exposed to crowds of folk on a daily basis. So, this is not an anti-lockdown rant, it’s just a reflection of some of the associated realities - the majority of which are really a reflection of my employer institution’s failure to manage risk (our IT infrastructure can’t actually cope with this change - and not entirely without coincidence they canned the university risk manager a few years back. Guess crap comes home to roost in the end!)

Anyway, moaning aside, glad to see you all on here.
Is it acceptable to pimp my monthly radio show on here? I only have about 9 listeners I reckon, but if anyone is interested I’ll put up a link - it’s an hour of country, southern rock and Americana. With a few gags thrown in.
Stay safe, stay home, stay well!

 

[e.mate]

Thanks Dr.Kev for the great thread. Late for checkin, as I only come by the forum once in while...

So, a warm hello to all of you guys from Bremen, Germany...far up in the north of the country. I'm in home office since more than six weeks now, and though it works really well and I am loaded with projects, I'm beginning to feel pretty much annoyed with not being able to meet my colleagues and customers. However, we are all well...and basically that's what counts. A bit worried about my mother who suffers from a very rare autoimmunity sickness and therefore is a high-risk category person, yet she is doing fine.

As banjoplayer mentioned before, there are really moderate rules and regulations going on in Germany, but (as usual) many people are complaining. Some people and businesses are really hit hard by shutdown rules, especially in tourism or restaurants and bars. On the other hand, there are really some great ideas about how to survive economically. While Germany is perceived as well organized (some say over-organized ;-) throughout this crisis in the majority of the world, many people here are still considering this being chaotic. I don't get it. But I decided to keep being positive!

Sending out a great bunch of love to all of you guys....stay safe, wherever you are <3

 

[jones4tone]

Great thread here. It's good to see how you folks are doing.

I've been on the forum far less than usual the last three weeks or so. Everyone is healthy in my family, and while I've been able to work from home, I learned recently that I'm going to have an opportunity to find a new organization for which to practice my craft, so we will see how a job hunt goes in the midst of a major recession. Thankful for health and a bit of a cushion to fall back on, though.

I've spent some time with my EBMMs, but not nearly as much as I'd like. I'm still a hack on the guitar, but slowly learning more about what to do with them.

It's good to see spirits generally up, and that most of you are healthy. My prayers are with those of you with loved ones recuperating.

 

[mb99zz]

Spud, I haven’t been on the forum in about 9 years. So great to see your post and others from familiar posters. Hope retirement treats you well.