Unexpected benefits of living through the pandemic era?

[Ultralight]

Hi All, I was thinking this morning as I bake my Irish soda bread that there have been some unexpected benefits to living through the pandemic. So I thought I'd list off a handful of mine, and maybe you'd like to share some of yours too. In no particular order:

- Masking prevented me from catching many colds and flus that I likely otherwise would have gotten.
-I have eaten healthier over all because I am not going to restaurants and eating their enormous portion sizes.
-I have learned to cook a few simple but infinitely useful things from pantry staples (like Irish soda bread)
-I have become a more efficient grocery shopper
-I've been able to spend so much more time with Harlan during his golden years.
-I can work from home almost every day!
-I started playing music again, picked up guitar after 15 years of not playing, then learned the bass guitar, which I really, really like
-I watched all of Star Trek OS and TNG
-I took roadtrips for my vacations instead of going to other countries; this helped me to appreciate the American landscape and experience more!

That is a pretty good list.

Your turn!

[catherine]

From NASA:

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting limitations on travel and other economic sectors by countries around the globe drastically decreased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions within just a few weeks. That sudden change gave scientists an unprecedented view of results that would take regulations years to achieve.

However, the study conclusions state:

Notably, emissions returned to near-pre-pandemic levels by the latter part of 2020, despite reduced activity in many sectors of the economy. The authors reason that this rebound in emissions was probably necessary for businesses and individuals to maintain even limited economic productivity, using the worldwide energy infrastructure that exists today. 'This suggests that reducing activity in these industrial and residential sectors is not practical in the short term' as a means of cutting emissions, the study noted. 'Reducing these sectors’ emissions permanently will require their transition to low-carbon-emitting technology.'”

Kind of like we're back where we started.


Personally:
I didn't have to travel for business, something I thought I would miss but don't.
I got to meet clients with my pajama bottoms on.
I learned my relationship with DH can sustain itself in constant close quarters for two years.

[rosarugosa]

That's a good point about the lack of colds/flus.
My list:
Haven't had a cold or a bug for at least a couple of years now
Have adopted practices that increase or sustain happiness from the Coursera class The Science of Well-being
Avoided many social obligations, lol

[happystuff]

Although it is a job I dislike intensely, I now have only a 10 minute commute.

I have grown to appreciate phone calls, skyping, etc. as contact methods for family and tend to reach out more often through these channels than I did pre-pandemic. I think I have learned to value my family and friends more.

I've lost close to 35-40 pounds and, so far, have been able to keep it off. (one of the few positives to the last two jobs since losing the 16-year position due to covid.)

[Simplemind]

Saved a lot of money by not traveling, not going out for entertainment/restaurants, having groceries delivered.
Initially gained weight in the "Lets hunker down and make bread" phase but through concentrating on eating cleaner have lost 30lbs.
Put in double the veggie garden and preserved a lot of it. We are just getting to the end of it now.
Stopped going to the gym (miss the pool) but have a stationary bike, treadmill and weights which I have used religiously.
Worked on reconnecting and staying connected to extended friends and family through calls and sending fun and lighthearted snail mail.
Expanded our TV viewing into foreign series that we have really enjoyed. We refer to them as our soaps.
Continued to camp since we weren't flying anywhere. Joined with other family members after being vaxed and had great moments of closeness and appreciation.
Lost a dog that we grieve deeply and gained a dog with personality plus that keeps us highly entertained.

[Ultralight]

Saved a lot of money by not traveling, not going out for entertainment/restaurants, having groceries delivered.
Initially gained weight in the "Lets hunker down and make bread" phase but through concentrating on eating cleaner have lost 30lbs.
Put in double the veggie garden and preserved a lot of it. We are just getting to the end of it now.
Stopped going to the gym (miss the pool) but have a stationary bike, treadmill and weights which I have used religiously.
Worked on reconnecting and staying connected to extended friends and family through calls and sending fun and lighthearted snail mail.
Expanded our TV viewing into foreign series that we have really enjoyed. We refer to them as our soaps.
Continued to camp since we weren't flying anywhere. Joined with other family members after being vaxed and had great moments of closeness and appreciation.
Lost a dog that we grieve deeply and gained a dog with personality plus that keeps us highly entertained.

You went through it and made the best of it!

[iris lilies]

The pandemic killed major programs of two organizations I work in. These programs were bloated, resource sucking events that were difficult to pull off. But they WERE the major funding sources for these organizations.

My neighborhood association held two house tours a year and it had been said for a decade that “this is not sustainable. “. And yet the things kept going on (because where was funding coming from if not this?) and getting more bloated and more complex. Because the humans involved can never scale back they always have to add on add on. I see this in many other aspects of life.

my neighborhood association pivoted in the pandemic and did a few things to raise funds in smaller events, had a big fundraising campaign, and had an online tour that didn’t really raise much money. But the association is still chugging along.

We are talking about $100,000 annually in lost revenue.

My iris society ground to a halt during the pandemic and since we are tied to Missouri botanical gardens which essentially closed its buildings, we couldn’t have meetings anyway even if we wanted to. All of our events take place at MO BOT. We did have a good time meeting up in other people’s gardens outside. But the iris Society manages a huge dig and sale from Missouri Botanical Garden‘s‘ iris garden. It generates $12,000 a year. That takes more than 1000 man hours.

Well the pandemic killed that iris dig/sale. And here we are two years later with some of the elderly members now incapacitated or literally dead. I can’t see that event being resurrected and I’m certainly not gonna load it on my back to make it happen.

[Teacher Terry]

I lost 50lbs and quit drinking because I was afraid of getting Covid and dying because of being fat. I have managed to maintain both new habits.

[iris lilies]

I lost 50lbs and quit drinking because I was afraid of getting Covid and dying because of being fat. I have managed to maintain both new habits.

i lost 25 lbs, gained it back, just lost 10 and am unhappily not drinking much wine at all these days. With ongoing sinus problems, wine usually does not taste good and I dont want to waste $$ on good bottles of wine if it will just go bad after opening. Also, the calories.

Once the weather turns warmer I plan to go to a nice wine bar and have an expensive glass of wine, testing the waters for taste.

Some years ago I developed a bit of a taste for Scotch, but that didnt “take.”

[Teacher Terry]

What I have found is that when you don’t drink wine regularly you lose your taste for it. I have not lost my taste for beer but Athletic Brewing company makes great non alcoholic ones that are only 70 calories.