# How to Stay Sane While Homebound **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540 "2004-11-13T05:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/41 "2004-11-15T15:12:37Z")
How about learning a new language? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/42 "2004-11-15T15:39:08Z")
I speak English well enough and consider myself above average in its usage but if my three years of learning Spanish in high school (two of which were the same class) are any indication, learning a secondary language is just out of the question. About the only thing I remember is “Hi, my name is Robert; I am 22; and I am from the United States”, and “I have a cat in my pants”. I intentionally did not quote anyone suggesting learning a language. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/43 "2004-11-15T15:51:08Z")
guitar ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/44 "2004-11-15T15:57:42Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Well, I would but 1) I might send the woman who is helping me after some books at the library tomorrow but I’m pretty picky and have no idea what to tell her to get me, if she’ll even agree. > > I can ask but I really have no idea if she will or not. There may be a community service that will make the library run for you. You can look on Amazon for books that look interesting, and send someone with that list. Get your hands on a scrabble game. Maybe the helper will sit and play a few rounds with you. See if the community center has a visiting companion program. Can friends or relatives visit periodically? Listen to music or talk radio. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/45 "2004-11-15T16:04:49Z")
I live about 3,000 miles from my closest relative and of the five people I know in this area, three (\*\*Gr8Kat \*\*being one) are similarly disabled. The other two ( **Kallessa** and **Master Control** ) have jobs and limited time to visit, even if they wanted. I imagine they have stuff they’d rather do than watch me surf the net. 🙂 Good idea on the Amazon thing though. I just wish I lived in a larger city so I could reasonably expect to have some of the things I’d like to read in stock. I doubt this tiny town has a very good anthropology section. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/46 "2004-11-15T16:18:14Z")
By the way, after rereading some of my posts, it looks like I might be coming off as dismissive or ungrateful and just wanted to say that I’m reading every post and considering every idea even if I’m not commenting on it. I know how annoying it is to be asked for help and then be ignored and I apologize to anyone I may have given that impression to. It is not my intent. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/47 "2004-11-15T16:54:43Z")
Build something. Build a model, do some cross stitch, sew a stuffed animal, create a photo album, build a scale model of your apartment, make a quilt out of old clothing scraps, build a birdhouse, paint a picture, do anything where you can create. If you start a project and work a little every day (between the books and the SDMB), you’ll be able to see it grow and have something to work for. I hope you heal quickly. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/48 "2004-11-15T17:23:53Z")
**Aesiron** , I can sympathize with being _stuck_ in your apartment, rather than choosing to stay in. When someone mentioned Scrabble, I remembered this [site](http://play.games.com/playgames/home.jsp) on the web where you can sign up for a free account a play against up to three other people at a time. The site isn’t the best - it has problems with crashing, I’ll admit, and sometimes you will meet jerks, but on the average it works fairly well, and most people there are cool. I’d also like to second the suggestion for [Baen’s Free Library](http://www.baen.com/library/). Also, Baen’s epublishing for new titles is very reasonably priced - $5-6 a book, or $15 for a month’s releases. If you get onto the publisher’s messageboard you could even find someone who might gift you a month’s subscription. It happens that each time someone buys e-books, they get a chance to send a gift copy to anyone who’s not already an e-book consumer. Good luck, and heal well. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/49 "2004-11-15T17:57:59Z")
Don’t know how immobile you are, but some of these suggestions, well intentioned though they of course are, may not be very practical. I’m in a similar situation right now–five weeks out from a crushed knee, at least 3 more weeks before I can start learning to walk again, and 7000 miles from home. I don’t live alone, but my wife is very busy, and I’m alone at home most of the time. If you’re as immobile as I am, lots of the above suggestions would be impossible. Even sitting at my computer is painful–I can only manage it for a couple of hours a day, and not all at once. I’m supposed to be on my back, with my leg elevated above the level of my heart, virtually all the time. Even reading is difficult in that position, though I have made it through several books by holding them above my head in such a position that the pages are in shadow. Audio books are good, but hard to get where I am. Sleeping sounds great to me, but the pain and the position I’m forced to be in make it almost impossible. It’s now 3am in Korea, and I took a strong sleeping pill at midnight. Made me groggy, but did not make me sleep. I have stacks of CDs that I rarely get the time to listen to, andl now I just can’t seem to find the interest. Ordinarily I constantly long for free time, to do what I want or nothing at all, to be alone with my thoughts, to write. I’ve almost never in my life been bored. Somehow nothing is appealing right now. Mostly I lie on my back, try to ignore my swollen, throbbing leg, and think about what a mess I’ve made of my life. Not cheerful, I know. Sorry. Not likely helpful, either. But you did ask for experiences, and I’m in the middle of an unpleasant one too. I reckon the only thing for me to do is develop patience, and to realize that this will pass. Not quickly enough, but it will pass. I’ll be able to walk again, probably almost normally, and plenty of people aren’t that lucky. Best of luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/50 "2004-11-15T18:08:00Z")
[Popcap Games](http://www.popcap.com) Great timewasters and free to boot. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/51 "2004-11-15T19:21:45Z")
Accuradio has some good free radio stations you can listen to. You get a little self-promoting commercial every now and again, but it’s pretty painless. I also subscribe to Rhapsody for $14.95 a month. I get to listen to unlimited CDs, and have found some new artists to like this way. Hope you’re feeling better soon!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/52 "2004-11-15T19:40:17Z")
:::looks at thread title, looks at previous posters user name, shakes head::: ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/53 "2004-11-15T21:23:05Z")
Diablo 2 is an over-the-shoulder isometric game, not a first-person shooter. I’d link to some screenshots, but just google for “diablo 2” and you’ll see a lot. It’s a fun game; I played it some years ago. **clairobscur** ’s comment about old games is a good one, too. I’d love the opportunity to catch up on the games that I never completed (or shamefully, never even opened! But it was in the dollar bin, honest, it’s not as awful as it sounds…) Or join Nanowrimo. Do what I’m doing – write about zombies. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/54 "2004-11-15T21:44:30Z")
Oh, one more idea: Since you’re concerned about finances, and the holiday season is coming up, you might want to consider selling, via the internet, some useless alleged product. My personal favorite would be Oxygen Permits. 😃 (Each permit is good for one person for life plus 30 days. Our Oxygen Permit won’t expire until after you do!) Hey, if they can sell star names, why not Oxygen Permits? Just an idea for idle moments. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/55 "2004-11-15T22:21:04Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Good idea on the Amazon thing though. I just wish I lived in a larger city so I could reasonably expect to have some of the things I’d like to read in stock. I doubt this tiny town has a very good anthropology section. **Aes** , a lot of public libraries have online catalogs. Some will even allow you to reserve items online. It won’t give them a larger selection but it should reduce the disapointment of asking for a lot of things that they don’t have. BTW, if you don’t have a TV, how do you watch the tapes that **Viva** sends to you? Do you have a VCR hooked up to your computer? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/56 "2004-11-15T23:02:07Z")
I watch them while at work but, being disabled, I’m not working and so can’t watch them for the time being. Ironic, eh? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/57 "2004-11-16T00:37:54Z")
a box of cheer is on the way to you, thanks to an assist by gr8cat. now that i read you are into anthr. the next box may be more interesting. bios? hist? arch? any interest in those? i’ve got about 3 shelf units here of those subjects. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540/58 "2004-11-16T01:51:44Z")
I love all those, actually. Social studies and science were always my favorite subjects in school… especially European studies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stay-sane-while-homebound/274540.md?page=2)