What did you learn from lockdown?

Same here.

Me too. Surprised myself.

I learned that even with multiple streaming services and huge swaths of unclaimed time, there still wasn’t much I wanted to watch. I just can’t stay interested in many of the shows. I wonder if the pandemic (or aging) has messed with my attention span.

I’m back to the easy chair with a book now. The TV sits idle most days.

I learned HTML, CSS (along with a couple of frameworks), Git, and JavaScript, and I’m currently learning how to make web apps using JavaScript’s Vue framework. I also resolved to lift weights and get ripped, but I ended up putting on about three stone and now I have body like a dropped lasagna :frowning_face:

Oh God yes.

Big crowd of random strangers, no, but I’ve discovered that despite finding social interaction incredibly awkward and draining I do need more face-to-face time with people other than my family than I thought.

Also, I learned that my work commute was actually a critical part of my creative writing process. Once that enforced time in mental limbo was removed from my daily routine, my creativity dried up. Now that I’m back in the office at least once a week, suddenly my brain is ticking over again even while I’m wedged in on the subway.

I don’t have a creative bone in my body. But you’ve reminded me that the commute time on the metro a few days a week actually helped me disconnect and problem solve technical issues at work while watching with amused detachment how everybody else is addicted to their devices. Literally nobody ever looks up from their hands or lap.

I learned:

  1. I really hate people.

  2. I also hate cooking. Like, a lot. I’m so tired of cooking for people.

  3. My family depend on me too much for their decision making, including my husband. I’ve started making them make decisions themselves and it’s like I kicked a damn puppy.

It may sound a little weird, but I mostly enjoyed the first six to nine months of the pandemic (sort of a self-enforced lockdown). It was a chance to get back to basics, so to speak. And a bit of an adventure in the sense of how to adapt to and overcome some of the challenges in sourcing various things. And figuring out that I like working from home a whole lot more than I thought I did.

Oddly, I’ve actually lost weight (~15 lbs) during the pandemic. Mostly because we’ve been cooking at home, and in general that turns out to be healthier than semi-regular restaurant/cafeteria food. That, and with the extra time not spent commuting, going bike-riding with my kids is a regular thing.

For me, the internet has shortened my willingness to watch something long. I can watch multiple short things, but can’t get involved in a movie or tv show. I watch a LOT of Tik Tok and youtube.

I learned French. Not well, but I’ve been at it for more than a year now, and it’s starting to take.

Also lost some weight and saved money, because I wasn’t out gallivanting at all. I learned that I spend a lot more on gallivanting than I realized.

I learnt that someone on the autistic spectrum with handwashing OCD could be almost completely oblivious to an external threat such as a pandemic.

Eh, redacted. Meant in good humor but unnecessary.

I learned that I actually like working from home. I used to think I preferred keeping work and home separate, but it’s really nice to not have a commute, and to have the resulting extra free time before and after work.

And I learned what my cat does during the day. Sleep, mostly.

Nevermind

Yeah. I try to find things to distract me while I’m on my treadmill, and it’s been much more difficult than I might have imagined. Movies are too long. I came across some documentary series that worked, but it’s gotten more difficult to find any that interest me. So much TV, so little worth my time…

I’m retired and I like being at home, so it wasn’t a huge adjustment for me. But my husband and I like having breakfast out, and occasionally dinner, and it was a while before we could and were comfortable. Once we both got our shots, that was easier.

But while we weren’t eating out, I rediscovered cooking, and often enjoyed it. If only the kitchen would self-clean afterwards!

Me three. I have zero problem being home alone all day. It’s great. It looks like I will be allowed to continue working from home. I’ve always wanted to. It’s stupid for me to go into the ‘office’, no need to.

The closest town is a ski resort town. Our county has 4 well know ski resorts. And we get lots and lots of summer tourists. The ‘locals’ are outnumbered by them. But in the ‘beginning’ it was wonderful, no traffic, no people just milling around town. Yes it hurt business badly, but it was great.

We are pretty much back to normal now. If may be more busy. Some folks are sick of being cooped up, and I also think people are forgoing other vacations and just driving up to the mountains.

That’s one of the many uses of TP.

My Wife and I started playing chess before the shut down. Now we play chess, cribbage or gin rummy a lot. I installed a Starlink satellite dish mostly for better connectivity to work. And now we can stream TV. We are still getting used to that, but don’t watch anymore than we did before.

I love that I don’t have to rush home to plow and shovel in the winter in the dark. I can handle that during lunch, or any time really. It’s great.

I learned I prefer working from the office. Working remote was OK for a bit, but then it became a drag. I was always at work. Now that I’m back, I feel I am more productive and get more done at home because I am no longer at work. Of course, I have a short bicycle commute to work and I’m also glad to be doing that again.

The best part about working from home: I was always caught up on laundry. We wore less clothes (not as much one set for work, one set once I get home), and it was so easy to start a load in the morning, move to the dryer, and then take care of at some point during the day. And I didn’t have to iron the entire period. Now that I’m back, I have to start ironing clothes again.

I learned more on who I would be without the influence of other people. I won’t give more information since y’all are other people.