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I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

I think it's a mixture of both. My wife said we needed stuff from the store and did I want to add anything to the order. I said don't order it, I'll go to the store. I don't mind going and I don't like the deliveries. Always errors and substitutions I wouldn't make, etc. I also don't think its cool to make someone experience stores during holidays for a few items.

I insisted I would go and she said it would take two hours and she'd rather I be home. I said let's all go then. She said no because she was already in pajamas.

Our instacart order came at 10:15pm last night with the wrong kind of sausage for her recipe. Guess who is going to the store today?

Socnorb11 wrote: ↑

December 23 21, 8:09 pm

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

Believe it or not, I don't go to church or service on Sunday mornings for the same reason. For me, it's more important to play with my kids at home and spend time with my family then get ready, commute, etc. and sit in a building with semi-strangers singing songs to God.

Having cut these things out, is a good thing for me and my family and gives us time to do projects at home together, something fun or just being together. We would literally spend about 2 to 4 hours running around on a Saturday shopping, errands, etc. We don't do that anymore. I hope that doesn't make me lazy or entitled.

I have to many "friends" or acquaintances who still run around like crazy and dump their kids off on the weekends worrying about everything that doesn't matter.

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 9:19 am

Socnorb11 wrote: ↑

December 23 21, 8:09 pm

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

Believe it or not, I don't go to church or service on Sunday mornings for the same reason. For me, it's more important to play with my kids at home and spend time with my family then get ready, commute, etc. and sit in a building with semi-strangers singing songs to God.

Having cut these things out, is a good thing for me and my family and gives us time to do projects at home together, something fun or just being together. We would literally spend about 2 to 4 hours running around on a Saturday shopping, errands, etc. We don't do that anymore. I hope that doesn't make me lazy or entitled.

I have to many "friends" or acquaintances who still run around like crazy and dump their kids off on the weekends worrying about everything that doesn't matter.

I'm with you.

Side story. My wife was always the type of person who thought we should try to do all the fixes, home maintenance, etc, ourselves. Because "pride in home ownership blah blah blah". Well, I'm no handyman. I learned long ago that it just always works out better if I have someone more qualified do it. About the only thing I am capable of doing competently is changing out the guts of a toilet. And mowing the lawn. But even that I hated. Our yard is pretty big and I used to have a riding mower. And even with a rider, it would take me a few hours on the weekend to mow. But then the rider went caput. We had an old push mower that I used sometimes to get the hard to reach spots. So when the rider died, I was ready to call a service. She said, "Use the push mower. Pride in home ownership. Blah blah blah." I did the whole lawn ONCE with that push mower. 4+ hours in the heat. I said never again. She said fine, she'd do it. So I let her. It only took a few weeks of her having to do that and she gave up. We now have a lawn service.

Another way to look at it. It costs us $35 a pop to have our yard mowed and trimmed. If I were consulting, my time would be worth about $200/hr to my clients. So my time, especially time with my kids, is worth WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY more than that $35. Plus I don't have to spend 4 hours every weekend (or even 1) in the heat.

GeddyWrox wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 10:13 am

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 9:19 am

Socnorb11 wrote: ↑

December 23 21, 8:09 pm

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

Believe it or not, I don't go to church or service on Sunday mornings for the same reason. For me, it's more important to play with my kids at home and spend time with my family then get ready, commute, etc. and sit in a building with semi-strangers singing songs to God.

Having cut these things out, is a good thing for me and my family and gives us time to do projects at home together, something fun or just being together. We would literally spend about 2 to 4 hours running around on a Saturday shopping, errands, etc. We don't do that anymore. I hope that doesn't make me lazy or entitled.

I have to many "friends" or acquaintances who still run around like crazy and dump their kids off on the weekends worrying about everything that doesn't matter.

I'm with you.

Side story. My wife was always the type of person who thought we should try to do all the fixes, home maintenance, etc, ourselves. Because "pride in home ownership blah blah blah". Well, I'm no handyman. I learned long ago that it just always works out better if I have someone more qualified do it. About the only thing I am capable of doing competently is changing out the guts of a toilet. And mowing the lawn. But even that I hated. Our yard is pretty big and I used to have a riding mower. And even with a rider, it would take me a few hours on the weekend to mow. But then the rider went caput. We had an old push mower that I used sometimes to get the hard to reach spots. So when the rider died, I was ready to call a service. She said, "Use the push mower. Pride in home ownership. Blah blah blah." I did the whole lawn ONCE with that push mower. 4+ hours in the heat. I said never again. She said fine, she'd do it. So I let her. It only took a few weeks of her having to do that and she gave up. We now have a lawn service.

Another way to look at it. It costs us $35 a pop to have our yard mowed and trimmed. If I were consulting, my time would be worth about $200/hr to my clients. So my time, especially time with my kids, is worth WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY more than that $35. Plus I don't have to spend 4 hours every weekend (or even 1) in the heat.

This is where I'm at in life. My late GF and I remodeled our house and completely finished out the basement on it. I hated every second of it, but at the time I was definitely on a tight budget. Now though if something needs fixed I'm just hiring it done. I don't have time for it and I don't want my house a mess for the six months it would take me to do whatever it is. As for the yard, I hired that out a few years ago. It's great. You come home to a nice looking yard, all trimmed and everything. Well worth the money. It's a couple hours a week freed up for me to do more productive things, or to do nothing at all.

GeddyWrox wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 10:13 am

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 9:19 am

Socnorb11 wrote: ↑

December 23 21, 8:09 pm

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

Believe it or not, I don't go to church or service on Sunday mornings for the same reason. For me, it's more important to play with my kids at home and spend time with my family then get ready, commute, etc. and sit in a building with semi-strangers singing songs to God.

Having cut these things out, is a good thing for me and my family and gives us time to do projects at home together, something fun or just being together. We would literally spend about 2 to 4 hours running around on a Saturday shopping, errands, etc. We don't do that anymore. I hope that doesn't make me lazy or entitled.

I have to many "friends" or acquaintances who still run around like crazy and dump their kids off on the weekends worrying about everything that doesn't matter.

I'm with you.

Side story. My wife was always the type of person who thought we should try to do all the fixes, home maintenance, etc, ourselves. Because "pride in home ownership blah blah blah". Well, I'm no handyman. I learned long ago that it just always works out better if I have someone more qualified do it. About the only thing I am capable of doing competently is changing out the guts of a toilet. And mowing the lawn. But even that I hated. Our yard is pretty big and I used to have a riding mower. And even with a rider, it would take me a few hours on the weekend to mow. But then the rider went caput. We had an old push mower that I used sometimes to get the hard to reach spots. So when the rider died, I was ready to call a service. She said, "Use the push mower. Pride in home ownership. Blah blah blah." I did the whole lawn ONCE with that push mower. 4+ hours in the heat. I said never again. She said fine, she'd do it. So I let her. It only took a few weeks of her having to do that and she gave up. We now have a lawn service.

Another way to look at it. It costs us $35 a pop to have our yard mowed and trimmed. If I were consulting, my time would be worth about $200/hr to my clients. So my time, especially time with my kids, is worth WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY more than that $35. Plus I don't have to spend 4 hours every weekend (or even 1) in the heat.

Holy cow. This is me. I am not handy at all. And I don't try to be or have an ego about it. I just hope to be able to find reliable people / companies to take care of it. It can be a challenge now too. I need a tree trimmed by our pool fence and am having a hell of a time finding a tree cutting service that will return my call or show up to give me a bid.

I actually like cutting my lawn with the rider because I'm particular and like to keep it like a park. But, the riding lawn mower needs maintenance and I am not handy at all. I'm considering buying another nice used one or trying out a service.

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 27 21, 9:19 am

Socnorb11 wrote: ↑

December 23 21, 8:09 pm

Fat_Bulldog wrote: ↑

December 22 21, 2:40 pm

I love that we can get groceries delivered now. I can spend more time with my family and entertain loved ones on the weekends vs. spending half a weekend day shopping for food.

I'm glad that you're spending time with your family in lieu of grocery shopping.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I don't think that most people are secluding themselves because they want more family time. I think we're a lazy, entitled society.

Believe it or not, I don't go to church or service on Sunday mornings for the same reason. For me, it's more important to play with my kids at home and spend time with my family then get ready, commute, etc. and sit in a building with semi-strangers singing songs to God.

Having cut these things out, is a good thing for me and my family and gives us time to do projects at home together, something fun or just being together. We would literally spend about 2 to 4 hours running around on a Saturday shopping, errands, etc. We don't do that anymore. I hope that doesn't make me lazy or entitled.

I have to many "friends" or acquaintances who still run around like crazy and dump their kids off on the weekends worrying about everything that doesn't matter.

I get that we're all different. I think a healthy balance is fine. Sadly, I think we as a society are angling toward complete isolation. I don't think that's healthy, even if your family is there with you.

For my wife and I (and our kids when they were still living at home), running errands has been good times. We see people that we know, laugh at different things that we see, have goofy, experiences, etc. In your case, I think you're probably doing what works well for you, and that's fine. I think far too many people are at home sitting in the same room, staring at different phones, believing that their life is complete. Then when they're forced into society (for reasons that IMA mentioned in the original post), they have no idea how to gracefully handle it.

Again, I'll admit that I'm getting cynical as I get older.

I think you might be on to something with the increasing isolation Socnorb.

One of the things becoming very troubling here is the threats of violence. I know we have talked about it before in other threads, but if something like another Jan 6th happened and wasn't stopped quickly I do have some fear for myself and my family. I'm starting to see black flags being flown in front of houses and behind trucks. In case you don't know, that means no quarter, prisoners will be killed. That's quite the escalation from "[expletive] your feelings" or whatever it was a few years ago.

I think that's a result of a few things. I do think that isolation Socnorb talks about, if these people hadn't gone and hidden in their bubble they probably would talk to the other side in day to day life and not feel that way. I also think it's lack of education (not meaning they need to go to college), and lack of any perspective outside of our little town. Things are fairly dismal here and they aren't going to get better. I think a lot of people put on a brave face, buy that new house, get that ten year loan on the car so they don't look like they are drowning, but a lot of people here are drowning. They've done things "right" for the most part, they work hard, they go to church, they love their family so in their eyes they are the good guys, but it's still not working out for them. So they need someone to blame. I used to think I knew how to fix that by getting invovled in the community. I realize now it's just best to stay out of it.

I agree with the isolation point you are talking about Socnorb and IMA. It is almost like a shock to the system for some folks going out and about in public now. Behavior is much worse than it used to be.

I think extremism is an effect of this.

We are not isolated, we go out and do things. We just don't have to do some of the things we don't like anymore.