Unlike many people, I am still working. So despite writing a post about making use of my time, I don't really have more free time. What I do have is less things I can do with my free time. Although birding is not out of the question it is getting more difficult as more and more places shut down. There is a grey area in the rules where I can go to RI. You are supposed to quarantine if you plan on staying in the state (like if you have a summer house) but obviously a daytrip does not qualify. I have to work in Cumberland and Woonsocket anyway almost daily, so it is frustrating that I'm not supposed to go do the things I love, but am considered essential.
Anyway, this leaves me free most afternoons and it is getting nice out. Somehow, I am managing to stay busier than ever. I will tell you how I've kept busy, not because you care a rats ass about me cleaning out my shed, but hopefully some of these ideas motivate someone to try something new.
Lets face it, most people do have more free time because of their life being turned upside down over the last month. If nothing else, you're definitely not going grocery shopping as much. As someone mentioned, we may never have this opportunity again to be told to stay home for an extended period of time (again, not me, I'm "essential"). But since I can't go do what I want, I have had to get creative.
As you saw in the previous post I signed up for the Streaming Service called Curiosity Stream. I also signed up for a website called Great Courses. The site for $30 a quarter of the year (first month is free) you can take online courses. You don't get college credit but you do get college lectures by real college professors. It is a great place to self learn.There are a ton of courses to choose from. Although I haven't explored the entire site, the ones I've seen have between 12-24 lectures and you can download a course book. I signed up specifically so I could learn more about Astronomy. I've watched 7 lectures so far. Some of it is above my paygrade, so I sometimes have to go back and watch a topic a couple of times, for example how stars are charted. This is what I wanted, I know high school astronomy. I know where Orion's belt is, I wanted to be challenged academically. After I am finished with this astronomy course I will probably take another. However, there are all kinds of courses from every subject. Even fun ones on travelling to state parks or Paris. I don't see how these qualify as college courses, but you will learn something.
Between Great Courses and CuriosityStream that can keep me busy all day when the weather isn't nice out. But since the weather has been great the last couple days there was no way I was staying in the house, I did what I do when not chasing birds, I picked up my fishing pole. I went fishing the past two nights after work. I caught two trout last night. Tonight I got a decent pickerel and crappie, but I did go troutless. Still, being on the water (I used my kayak) was great. I'll be going fishing a lot more often. So maybe, just maybe, there will be a few posts on how to catch fish instead of where a White Pelican was seen.
Besides the fishing, I did clean out my shed. Whether you care a rats ass or not, it needed to be done. I have been trying to force myself to do a small project a day or a bigger one in fifteen minute increments. My goal each day was to fill up two boxes with crap I will never use. If it took me five minutes that was fine, but as I got near the end I had to go through stuff to see if it was worth keeping.
I also started my garden. The last couple of years, all I've had for a garden were tomato plants my friend Dave gave me. But this year I'm going to grow lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I also bought some flowers that should attract hummingbirds.
In case that weren't enough, I started jogging again. I figure it is best to be as healthy as possible just in case. So the last four nights I've went for a run. The last three of those were 2 miles each. As long as my foot holds up I'm going to keep doing it. Though once I am in shape, I only plan on going 3-4 nights a week to rest my foot, but I'll throw in a four mile run once a week.
Lastly, and this has been the hardest thing to do, I've been forcing myself to read a chapter of my book every night. Right now I'm reading a book by Hemingway about his time in Paris. I really can't get into it, but it is short and I plan on finishing it instead of putting it on the shelf.
I got home from work around 3 pm yesterday. I ate a snack and then went fishing a little before 4 pm. I did have to put the kayak on my car. I fished until about 6:30. I filleted my trout and cut up some potatoes to roast for supper. I put them in the oven and went for a run. Took a shower ate my potatoes while watching two lectures about the night sky. After that was over I read a chapter before finally going to bed. It was a little too much and not relaxing. It would have been more relaxing if I didn't go for the run, but that really is the most important thing. No matter what, keeping busy has kept me from looking at social media all day.
So there you have it, in the course of a week, I started watching documentaries, a garden, jogging, an astronomy course, small house projects, and fishing. Other than fishing, it may not be what I'd like to be doing (birding) but I have been productive.
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