we started fostering dogs. it’s fun. right now we have two 6-week old puppies that will be up for adoption in a couple of weeks. cute as hell, but watch out for the needle teeth.
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Right now I’m basically hibernating, I try and get a good 8 hours sleep and just be calm and not over think things. Keep my days simple and and thankful for what I have. Pretty glad I’m not in my 20s rn tbh! Oh and I’ve mastered making an old fashioned 
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Hi. This is nice. I like the forum idea. So yes walking here too, reading lots and music always. I’ve also taken up playing the cello again after a couple of decades off. I was going to say early nights, good sleep and less social media yet here I am on a forum late at night, but I am actually waiting for some varnish to dry. Creative projects for learning and sharing skills, despite being curtailed with work. Listening to Hugh Fraser reading Agatha Christie on Youtube (there’s so many!) but having read the podcast section on here there’s many of interest to try, to bring me into the 21st century. Keeping connected to good people and interesting things.
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A true reflection of modern society 
-get dressed in clothes you would conceivably leave the house in
-brush your teeth in the morning
-pay that bit extra for express post
Note: Perth didn’t have the long/extreme lockdowns of the UK or Melbourne but I am currently on Day 14 of my state-mandated 14-day self-quarantine so have only been as far as the letterbox.
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this is inspirational
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- Going for walks
- Buying the most records I have got in years as I am putting the money I would spend on lunch/beer/rubbish into my record collection
- Watching films blind without checking Guardian reviews etc, my partner has good taste in films which is helpful so she chooses a lot of them
- Watching Winter Watch, it’s very grounding that life continues to find a way without our worries. Chris Packham is a complete saint.
- Not drinking in the week, a few shots of Mezcal at the weekend and the odd decent can of beer
- Reading a lot
- Keeping a journal and making plans etc/writing about the odd thing that comes to mind and needs remembering
- Cooking well and eating well
- Putting together a fortnightly radio show at home, doing the planning/listening and prep for that has been very helpful
Most of all blocking all social media apps/doom scrolling news sites and keeping my 6pm news schedule to just that, as a result I am still in touch with day to day media but not at the level where I am stuck in a doom scrolling/confirmation bias loop. I have a tendency to worry about things so this helped dramatically.
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Digitising my records has filled a lot of time.
Although I’m not sure it has cheered me up much, discovering just how many i’ve trashed over the years
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Well done 
I started a morning journal this month writing the first morning thoughts. And not reading them back. Social Media and TV news are definitely to be banned for everyone well-being.
Deleting the instagram app from my phone has done wonders, too.
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Hi. Nice to be here!
I was lucky enough to buy a bike shortly after the first lockdown and have been taking it out once or twice a week ever since. We’re pretty close to the forest and that’s been really helpful. I’ve developed a massive appreciation for an environment I never paid much attention to beforehand. Absolutely love it.
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Yeah I’m still marking stuff up and there’s all those little things like “this means play tube next down a full octave”
I thought 25 years of beat matching I’d be good at keeping time but apparently not
Beem practicing Love Is The Drug for a while now which has come together
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I’ve also done some of this, I’ve got a rega turntable but it’s still a belt drive so when mixing them you have to stay on top to keep them in time. It’s actually more fun! Just need a Kam made2fade to complete the full 17 year old me effect!
Most of them had been stored flat at my parents for about 15 years though so there was a lot of ruined stuff despite carefully cleaning 
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I’ve started a sporadic online music club: meet friends via zoom and spend a couple of hours chewing the fat, laughing at each other and sharing tunes via the screen & sound sharing functions in Zoom. We end up compiling a collaborative spotify playlist together over the evening. It’s like a mini-version of the TP forum, and keeps us all from disappearing into our own musical vortexes.
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Bought The Necks - good excuse as its bandcamp friday today. Ruffy is playing it in full and had to think where I had heard about it, turns out it was here. TP forum already paying off. Thanks for the rec
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oh that’s great, yes my bank balance is suffering since the start of this forum😀 No regrets!
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Also on the subject when the first lockdown happened here in Ibiza I started to a daily live stream of chilled music and random shit chat from myself, as time went on and I learnt more about OBS streaming software and I hijacked a beach webcam here on the Island and linked to that and kept things moving with the chilled selections. Fast forward to now and I am still doing it, only once a week but to be fair, it has kept me kind of sane I guess, plus I have connected with loads of ace people via the chatroom, and I have had good, positive feedback… Next session is Sunday morning…
9am kick off UK / GMT
10am CET
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Walking. As much as possible. I was living in Edinburgh up until a few weeks ago and was close to the sea. A walk in the morning before work and another after.
Wild swimming. Only during the good weather we had right enough. Nothing makes you feel alive quite like the North Sea. A 5-10 minute dip and then enjoy the glow with a good single malt & spliff.
Being creative. Finally got a small studio set up after years of neglect (kids, work, studying, etc). Best decision I made. Even just an hour in the evening messing about worked wonders. Made me realise just how much I had missed it over the years.
Meditation. I have a very simple, 10 minute meditation routine that I can do anywhere. Recommend the Headspace book & app.
Plants. I’ve always loved plants and had many over the years. I started growing them from seed last year. Grew around 30 in total from March last year including 10 avocado plants. Very satisfying seeing and nurturing new life and became quite obsessed with the whole process. They also make great gifts for friends & family.
Study. I’ve been studying in my own free time for a few years now and it keeps my head ticking over. There’s loads of good free courses available now. I’m doing my degree with the OU and they have some great free options here
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Is everyone keeping alright? It feels like you need to properly keep tabs on making yourself do the stuff that keeps you happy or you slip into lazy and then it can get a bit sludgy… Anyway, just a quick one to say hope you’re all doing alright. Pub gardens soon in the UK. Something to look forward to. x.
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Thanks @Apiento for checking in with this. It’s a good shout and much appreciated.
Personally feeling good that we are seeming to be moving towards more of a “normal” existence again in the U.K. but also conscious we aren’t there quite yet and on that basis it can feel like a really frustrating time.
You are right: stay focused on the simple stuff that makes you happy and soon come the pub gardens!
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