Despite quarantining, have you made any positive difference lately?

Figured a positive thread might be a good one to have around here with all the crap that is going on in the world.

I can't go into it that much as the project is still in development, but I work as a defense contractor.  I, along with a few others on my team, met with the troops last summer and saw them using our products in the field while doing a semi-annual training.  While we were there we noticed a few things we could do to make their lives easier and hopefully make them more effective in their jobs.  I took the lead on it and have developed a plan to present to the govt for approval.

The project is still in the early stages, but it is making its way through the US govt and seems to be a very popular idea.  It looks like it should be in the field and helping the troops in the next two years or so.

I taught my daughter’s boyfriend how to repair his car’s exhaust system, so that has to count for something.

Today I'm helping my son replace the power window regulator in his E39 BMW 530i. 

It ain't much, but it's somethin'.

I haven't killed anyone. Even if they deserved it.

Taught my nephews how to drive a manual yesterday.  They both knocked it out of the park.

Cleaned out the house and donated a ton of stuff to Salvation Army.  Nothing individual was worth much, but total it was probably a couple grand that can be passed along to someone for pennies who actually needs it.

Donated blood

Helped a buddy with Cancer build a deck

Finished a go fund me campaign that snagged $3300 for my neighbor who needed to cut down some massive maples on her property, then I cut, split, and seasoned about 9 cords worth of firewood and sold it to add to the pot. (of course, as some of you might remember, I did keep enough for 290 sf of T&G flooring, so not entirely altruistic)

Now I'm doing selfish me-things.  Installing a fireplace and the maple flooring, catching up on my Netflix queue, traveling.

• Taught wife how to drive manual 
• fed 1,145 nurses/physicians a meal at the hospital 
• sewn 822 masks and donated to children's hospital 
• helped grocery shop for 7 elderly households last 3 months 
• sold 3 cars on BAT (lowered my carbon footprint) 
• bought a new car (stimulates economy) 
• Build a sunroom and finished my rear deck
• forced my dad to take a flight from vacation to come back to USA. He was reluctant, but did it, and that country's airport shut down the next day. He would have been stuck there 4 months 

I've been really trying to complement and talk with general people far more; midwesterners are weirdly isolated despite cities even pre-COVID, so if I ever see someone doing something that I even *think* should be complemented on I do it without pause. I'm also trying to not give a canned response either; all these people say "I'm sorry" after I excuse myself for crossing in front of them, as if they are my peons who can only look at canned goods for a few paltry seconds. I'm the one in YOUR way berkeleyer! I SAY SORRY! Funny stuff like that that stays front-and-center in my brain after I learned in EMS how rarely the elderly see and talk to people.

Probably be donating a 2-stroke snow blower soon-ish. Masks keep being made, though we've really dropped off. I've also been a bit of a rock/center for some.

Took care of a few friends in a bind financially.  Have had the chance to spend a lot of great family time.  Managed to take care of a bunch of my team at work.

I have learned how to ferment and distill alcohol, i truly am enjoying this new hobby.

First trditional corn liqour, now have a rum wash working off and a Caraaroma mash going, cant wait to see how these turn out.

I have gone mountain biking 88 out of the last 120 days. 

Storm blew up the east coast on Monday, my son is in Norwalk, CT;  has no power and won't for 8-11 days.  He does have city water & sewer and natural gas.  The other side of the street however is on wells with no natural gas. 

Ian's clever enough to sort out car and house issues but admits he wished he paid more attention as a kid, but compared to his friends he's Bob frikkin' Villa.  Neighbor Jeff doesn't know which end of the hammer to hit his hand with.  Oh, and Jeff has a 3 year old and a 2 1/2 week old with no water or power to the electric stove..

Ian invited them over for dinner (pizza on the grill & wine). He offered to leave his back door unlocked so they can use the shower.   As there are no generators for miles around, I am headed to Harbor Freight this morning to pick up two 4375 watt generators, one for Ian, one for Jeff.  It just sux when you can't even flush the toilet for days!  Also dropping off two ugs of gasoline, no power, it stays underground.

I understand the outage goes for a 15 mile area, up to Westport.  Woody, you OK?

What's this "quarantine"?  "essential" employee here since the beginning. 

I have made Mister McCormick and Mister Phillip Morris wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.

Hmmm made two new Star Wars costumes that hopefully I'll get to do an event in soon, helped SWMBO get her jawa costume approved, bought a cheap Miata after having to sell the WRX, built a Gonk droid that's pretty cool.

Helping various DoorDash drivers make $ getting a Five Guys burger and fries every Sunday.

No real quarantine here, but I continue to serve our congregation as a deacon, which means a lot of different things I have done. I serve on the committee for our Trail Life troop, which again, means a broad range of things. I helped a buddy fix his YJ and voided his check. I started early-morning bike riding with my #2 son. There's more, but I consider this stuff a bare minimum.

Jokes aside, I have helped a couple friends out, and while being a part-time unpaid teacher has been a challenge, it's been good for me and the kiddos.

On a whim started a program called Noom. I am down about 9 pounds in about three weeks.   Was skeptical about a "program" as I have never tried anything like this but so far so good. 

For others, no. 

But I'm really trying to focus on developing good, healthy habits vs sitting around with a bottle crying in my cornflakes. Just assembled our new rowing machine last night as part of that.

I've been keeping 2 3d printers running almost continuously making ear savers and headbands for face shields.  It feels productive to be doing something to help out the people still out there interacting with others every day.

In reply to z31maniac :

Which rowing machine did you buy ?