June 2020 Chat Thread!

[bazookagoof]

I figure whoever remembers should start the monthly thread, so here I go!

I can't believe it's June already, but as much as I dislike time passing by too fast, I don't mind in this particular case. 2020 has been a bad year so far, and we're only starting to reach the halfway point!

I mean seriously, has anything GOOD happened at all this year so far?

[Bean]

Oh yes, it's June! Well played, Baz.

I'm quite enjoying us all having some downtime. It's certainly not been an eventful or exciting year, but on a personal level, it's been a very pleasant one nonetheless!

[amber89]

Oh, Christ, it's June already!
I am still alive and kicking. Working 10 hours a day for my/our Tuberculosis vaccine. It's one big pain in the a**. The topic itself is very, very complex and plenty of reading is needed to only scratch the surface of the topic.
On top of the complexity of the topic, as usual, there is that one person in the group that is barely doing work and then tries to pass his share to us and still complain that we are behind.
We have time until Sunday to finish the project. I am really curious how this will end up.
At least there is the option to mention at the hand-in which parts were written by whom and then get individual grades.

The thing to look up to: after my project is done, hubby & me will visit his papa in the mountains for 4 days. The pigs will move to an aunt, that had herself piggies, and she will take care of them while we are enjoying a well-deserved vacation.

[3piggles]

That was the biggest problem with group projects, the one who didn't do his or her share of the work. I suppose group projects exist because most of us end up working in a group, and need to know how to do it. I hope you get a great grade, but as long as you pass, you can enjoy a well earned vacation 🤗

I haven't had a bad 2020. Obviously, there were some radical changes, but we adapted even took it as a challenge. I think hubby and I are closer than we've ever been, which is also good. The pandemic has gotten people outside, talking to neighbors, and meeting people who've been there all along, but we had no connection to bring us all together.

Sadly, I know the closeness has not served all families as well as others. Those struggling with no income are suffering badly, and for some, just having their movements restricted makes them feel they have to go where they're not allowed to go.

I'm sorry 2020 has treated you so badly, Baz 😢

[Bean]

Good luck finishing off the project, Amber, and it's good you can say who did what when you hand it in, as it's frustrating when people think they can coast on other people's hard work.

Great news that you and hub can get away for a few days too. We're still not allowed to spend the night anywhere other than home. It must be nice being back home with hub and the pigs, despite all the frustrations of your study.

That's great that you and hub have been brought together by the experience of being stuck in together too, 3piggles - I think it's been the test of many a relationship over the world, and it sounds like you've passed with flying colours!

[3piggles]

I do feel badly for everyone not having a good quarantine, and from all the public service announcements telling people how to cope, that's a large percentage of the population.

Obviously, it doesn't help if life wasn't cooperating very well before the quarantine 😢

Humidity and summer heat have arrived, but temps are still going to be in the 60s/15-20c, so that helps.

[bazookagoof]

The year hasn't treated me worse than anyone else, really- it's just that we started off almost with World War 3 when tRump assassinated that Iranian general, then we had the lockdown from the coronavirus, at which point the economy crashed, and now we have race riots.

It's only halfway through the year, too!

[Bean]

It definitely doesn't sound so rosy when you put it like that! We've had Brexit and Boris too, so I'm definitely retreating into my little bubble to stay jolly!

[3piggles]

I get angry, rant and rave, then try to put it in a box. I can't do anything until November, when I hope we can vote him out of office. PLEASE let their be enough offended people to oust him🤞🤞🤞

I've been fighting for women's right most of my life, and for equality for all for almost as long. Every time a woman is raped or abused, a black person is murdered or even had the police called on them for being where white people don't want them to be, an LGBTQ person is discriminated against or harmed, it's like a punch on the gut. Still, all I can really do is vote for candidates I hope will strengthen laws protecting all of us. Sadly, most of those laws do lip service to providing equality, as they don't remove the right to be a racist, bigot or sexist pig. How did a sexist, bigoted white supremacist get elected president, if we all have equal rights? 😭

My first harvest of red leaf lettuce, Asian dandelions, and Mesclun. The Mesclun looks as if it got a haircut, lol🤗

[Bean]

I have a window box of salad leaves that look very much like that - very tasty! Great to be able to pick them as you need them too.

My leek seedlings didn't do too much, which was disappointing as I use the greens in place of onion a lot. If I leave them in the ground, they just keep on churning our green for months. But my allotment owning friend has just been in touch saying she has spare leek seedlings, and can I use them? So all's well that ends well!

[3piggles]

I bought two leeks, and used one, then planted the root end in a pot with chives. Time will tell. I have one more I will probably use tomorrow, and plant that root end, too. I hope they grow.

I would probably go through a window box of salad greens in a day, lol. Hubby bought salad greens, so I'm a bit behind, but if I harvest carefully, I should have a lot of salad greens for a long time 🤗

[Bean]

I've had great success from getting loads of greens from replanted leeks, or even just with them sitting in water on a windowledge. I wish shrubs were as forgiving about being yanked out by their roots and having even the shrivelled ones regrow!

[3piggles]

This is New England. Weather-wise, we have Tropical Storm Cristobal about to clash with a snow-filled cold front. Talk about messy. Luckily both are missing us. Glad I don't live in Maine ⛈🌬🌨🌦❄

I bought some new summer tank tops, and the all came with this tag. I figure that's the manufacturer's way of say if I find as problem, they meant it to be that way. Sort how "rustic" for food means eh, so it didn't come out quite the way we planned, lol 🤗


On the Trumpvirus front, 5K new cases of the virus in the republican states that reopened at the Moron in Chief's instructions. Arizona said they've had so many new cases, it's starting to overwhelm their medical infrastructure 😢

[Bean]

That's not good. It was completely the wrong motivation for getting things running again.

All the news stories here are about how we're back to the levels we had in the days before we went into lockdown, like it's a great thing. Restrictions are relaxing more every week. But I'm thinking how little time it took to go from those levels, to over a thousand deaths a day, and wondering why we don't want to get them even lower. I think it'll be even harder to re-enter lockdown as everyone knows what's coming and loads of people know they've had enough of it, especially now they've been able to get out more again.

Like the tag!

[3piggles]

I think governments have trouble keeping a balance between economic growth and health safety. I just commented on the issue on a Facebook post. We don't need to be in lockdown. We need laws requiring us to wear masks, even clear ones for the deaf to read lips. We need laws requiring shields in all public places, the way we used to have privacy things between booths on restaurants. All lines need to be separated by shields. No riding mass transit without a mask. I think I've made my point. We can live without spreading the virus, just as they do in China. We need to get over our first world, everything is about us mentality, and start being responsible for our own wellbeing. Anyone who thinks that violates their rights can spend some time in jail or pay fines, until they understand it's not about their rights,but about human rights for all, equally.

I saw this tableau on my walk, and thought it was was quintessential rural New England summer 💝

[bazookagoof]

I noticed Shades had logged back in yesterday. I do hope it's him, and not his next of kin just seeing what his browsing history was.

If this sounds macabre, this happened on another board where we lost a long-time member in a car accident. about three weeks later after his burial, his account became active and people started to wonder what was going on- the administrator explained it was likely just family members checking his accounts.

Shades, if you're okay, please let us know- we've been worried. 

[Bean]

Shades posted a video in the music thread, and from the music choice, I think we can safely say it's him!

[3piggles]

It was such a relief to see him posting again. This pandemic has been a nasty one, and I've lost too many friends on social media not to worry that was why he wasn't on. Just glad to see he's okay

[Bean]

Hopefully we'll see him again soon.

It's turned really mild here after a much cooler couple of weeks. I went out for a walk yesterday and found myself massively overdressed. We had several inches of rain on Friday, so everything's had a good water too. I did a spot of gardening amid all the building gear yesterday and might do some more today if it stays dry.

[3piggles]

On our way home from swimming, on the back road, a chipmunk was sitting in the middle of our lane. We stopped, but he continued to sit there. Vic honked the horn quickly, and the chipmunk looked at us with a "You honked at me 😡" look, before trotting away. It was hilarious 🤗