What have you been doing with your lock down time?

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Hoddy

General lurker.......
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So what have you been doing with your lock down time? Have you just been brewing? Or have you started that DIY task youve put off for ages? Or have you been learning a new language or instrument?

I started building myself a cold frame using old materials I had. I’ve gone full apocalypse prep with the veg growing this year and there just isn’t the space in my poly tunnel. It’s not prop level but I’m pleased with the outcome.

The bricks are there as the sealant sets to hold the glass.

EF3E95D5-0226-4AD9-948D-987E9A02D70C.jpeg

As the pic shows. I need more seedling space.

67741F84-8CE1-4588-81B6-BBD1A4741E33.jpeg


post yours in the thread below.
 
I'm still an essential worker but the missus has been sidelined for the 12 week isolation and has been decorating but also pointing out other jobs that nerd doing but not right AWAY...
So have done a few brews, dismantled the garage to repaint and put back together.Weeded the garden, pruned the roses, apple trees and the rest of the bushes. Creosoted the Arbor, sleepers and swing.
Went out on Wednesday to oil the garden seat which was a wedding present coming 21 years and ended up putting a coat of oil on the wood but then taking it apart to sand the wood and metal, respray, paint and put it altogether over a few days whilst she was asking what I was taking so long at but after it was put together today she tells me Awe that looks like new. Hmm I wonder why.
Can't wait to go to work..
 
My bones are aching. I've done so much during lockdown, even though I'm still working 7 hrs a day from home sat in front of a desk. Most spare time has been put to good use and the weather has helped immensely.

  • Sanded repaired and painted fascias and soffits
  • Replaced old guttering with new
  • Gutted and redecorated my son's bedroom
  • Cleared and cleaned an old greenhouse, ready for tomato plants
  • Cut back a climbing rose that had taken over the garage wall
  • Cleared moss from garage roof, scrubbed and repaired cracks, I'll probably paint this too if I can get hold of supplies.
  • Dug out 2 compost bins and rat proofed them before putting compost back in one (not such a nice job)
  • Finished painting the front of our house which I started in Sept last year and was curtailed due to winter weather
  • Cleared half the garage and made a rack for hanging bikes on the wall from some leftover wood and drainpipe
  • Replaced a rotten joist on our decking steps, which was a bigger job than it sounds
Oh, and I've managed three brews too wink...

There's always more to do.
 
Been working so pretty much as normal been doing work in the garden when the kids allow. The main job as been digging away a bank that runs along the edge of part of the garden. It was full of grass, stone and I discovered, building rubble. The plan was to use a digger but could get it because of lock down. A lot of digging later it's nearly complete. Built a dry stone wall to retain what is left and that will be used to plant some fruit bushes and trees. Happy with the result and didn't cost anything. Stone from a 19 century cottage that has been knocked down and compost from the garden will be used.
 
Cleaning up the house, cleaning up the garden. Things which have been neglected in the previous years.

The weird thing is that I currently still not feel refreshed for intellectual tasks. Some programming projects of mine, and designing beers, and other theoretical work, I can't go forward with. My brain really needed a long rest, and it seems still not long enough.
 
The weird thing is that I currently still not feel refreshed for intellectual tasks.
I know that feeling. Doing manual labour with a bit of problem solving feels like therapy, whereas bulk loading ideas in my head and trying to compute many variables isn't working well right now. You need to be in the right frame of mind for that. I read something recently about an author who was struggling to write during lockdown despite his writing space being much the same as usual. It's the external context and background uncertainty that stops us doing the deep thinking.
 
I've mostly been lying in my hammock in the sunshine.
A bit of brewing, A bit of drinking, a bit of running and a bit of volunteer work. But mostly taking it easy. It's going to come hard when I have to go back to work.
 
I’ve been in lockdown with the missus, stepson, two sons, daughter and two friends who are mid house move so I have been brewing to keep us in stock plus I set up a ‘pub’ at the end of the garden. It has been a big success as people feel they have had a break if they head of to the pub for an hour or so.

Also been rebuilding an old motorbike and building my 70L three vessel rims system.
 
I’m still working except everything has had to be delivered at full-on emergency planning pace - great progress made in next to no time, but exhausting.

Apart from quite a bit of brewing I’ve not had to do a lot domestically. I completely revamped the garden two years ago and it’s still in pretty good shape. I did hoover the grass 😂
 
I have just brewed my fourth beer since the start of lockdown. I've not found the motivation to pick up a paintbrush yet, although I have treated the woodwork of the shed and refelted its roof. Jetwashed the drive, paths and patio and tidied up the garage. Last week after trimming my leylandii, I was left with the quandry of how to dispose of the trimmimgs (with garden waste collections suspended), until I noticed some dead space beween two of the trees and a pile of old paving slabs and edging stones, left by previous owners. :?:

I managed to use the slabs to construct a compost heap, roughly 3ft square and completely invisible from the house. It's already had the tree trimmings, grass clippings and one load of spent grain.
 
Looks like most of what I’m doing is covered by you’s lol.
• painting old radiators.
Paint the dining room-hallway and most of the landing.
• baking bread for the first time.
• a few spag bols/curry/soup making.
• cut the grass once.
• just about to clean car inside n out.
• a few brews and few to do ;-)
• Re-learning pc things/video editing.
• made **** vids for my channel (my mam daughter etc love to watch them lol).
• Had the first RONA test (our lass ) phew it clear-but she back nursing tomorrow.
• saving housework every other day.
But I can’t sit and read a book (need to listen to the story on my mobile etc)
Need to keep what’s left of my brain ticking over.
Finally PRAY for the numbsculls that flaunt danger (social distancing etc) wake up and see there no cure....yet!
And pray of you you keep safe.
We’re used the one word we use in h’brewing TIME...fingers x’d we’ll get there.
Respect to you all going through this rough time together.
Bri
 
Painted my decking
Painted the shed
Painted the fence panels
Got some paving slabs to paint
Only brewed once but need to change that as I have two kegs that need filling. Did brew some kits for a mate but that doesn’t really count as brewing.
 
Working even longer hours on 20% reduced official hours and 20% reduced money🤔
 
Got my 25kg bag of grain from Brewuk (at last) and brewed 5 brews in 5 days! (All the same brews, our go-to favorite - Summer Lightning, what can I say, stocks were running low)
The allotment has never looked better!
I have given up resting between days of running (used to go to the gym on rest days), and now run 7 days a week
My tan is looking great
I have read more books in the past few weeks than in the past few years
My job list from swmbo is almost complete (she does keep adding to it though)
I have been taken off furlough and now need to justify my existence , working from home at present, but may need to start traveling back to work. All in all it wasn't to difficult, but I do have sympathy for those stuck in flats or limited gardens with children etc
 
Moved shed from one part of the garden to another. Means I have more fence and decking to paint tomorrow.
 
Just generally: farting in my garden (not in my FV I hasten to add)
cycling
shopping (I'm the designated shopper) - to keep our crusties safely self-isolated
brewing
bits & bobs
 
Today I was cleaning the burnt wort off the cooker top (again) from yesterday's brew day,with barkeepers friend and wondered what else it would clean....I spent a couple of hours cleaning the inside glass on one of the oven doors...that misty,burnt in haze...shifted the lot!
 

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