How long to wait

[Moemg]

She is doing better but she says she misses the contact with family. So here I sit at home and make my calls to her and talk about old times. Since not seeing me for quite sometime, she says she forgets what I look like. This is really quite upsetting. It makes going to a restaurant or concert seem quite small in context what I feel about being hole up at home.

I know how you feel . This is the first year in forever that I have not seen my daughter or grandsons . Zoom is nice but I want to be with them .

 

[Eastbayboy]

Thank you harlee and WR2

Eastbayboy, so sorry you cannot see your Mom, I know you really miss her. Have you been able to do Zoom, FaceTime or something similar with her? My mom is 89, lives in a Continuing Care Community and they set up Facetime for the residents. I am fortunate my mom is only a couple hours car drive and I have been able to see her in person a few times out of doors, social distancing. My heart goes out to you and your Mom.

I have FaceTimed her but as you may know, she is built in the old ways of seeing her kids in person. For her, it’s like watching tv. You are fortunate to be closer and able to be with her. You only have one mother! Let’s hope for a vaccine to conquer this menace.

 

[LRDave]

We did consider it and it may well come back into play as we get closer to the event.

It is 4 more hard days of driving and two more nights lodging somewhere.

Tough decision....

Probably no one is interested, but we cancelled our flight and have decided to drive. The total travel time was only about 50% less flying instead of driving (counting the time spent driving to ATL, waiting on the parking shuttle, waiting around the airport, flying, waiting on rental car shuttle at DEN, driving rental car to final destination (Estes Park), driving BACK to DEN, returning rental car, waiting around DEN, flying, waiting on parking shuttle in ATL, then finally driving back home...). It will be a grind. DW has never driven across flyover country! Lots of audiobooks queued up.....

 

[LRDave]

Probably no one is interested, but we cancelled our flight and have decided to drive. The total travel time was only about 50% less flying instead of driving (counting the time spent driving to ATL, waiting on the parking shuttle, waiting around the airport, flying, waiting on rental car shuttle at DEN, driving rental car to final destination (Estes Park), driving BACK to DEN, returning rental car, waiting around DEN, flying, waiting on parking shuttle in ATL, then finally driving back home...). It will be a grind. DW has never driven across flyover country! Lots of audiobooks queued up.....

I will also note that Delta quickly refunded the ticket cost and restored the companion fare certificate we were using. I just had to say the cancellation was "Covid related" (which it was).

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Probably no one is interested, but we cancelled our flight and have decided to drive. The total travel time was only about 50% less flying instead of driving (counting the time spent driving to ATL, waiting on the parking shuttle, waiting around the airport, flying, waiting on rental car shuttle at DEN, driving rental car to final destination (Estes Park), driving BACK to DEN, returning rental car, waiting around DEN, flying, waiting on parking shuttle in ATL, then finally driving back home...). It will be a grind. DW has never driven across flyover country! Lots of audiobooks queued up.....

You might find y'all enjoy roadtripping. We do. Although we are more intentional now and bring out own food and carefully select hotrls. We used to eat whatever wherever and hotwire a hotel wherever we want to stop

 

[harllee]

Probably no one is interested, but we cancelled our flight and have decided to drive. The total travel time was only about 50% less flying instead of driving (counting the time spent driving to ATL, waiting on the parking shuttle, waiting around the airport, flying, waiting on rental car shuttle at DEN, driving rental car to final destination (Estes Park), driving BACK to DEN, returning rental car, waiting around DEN, flying, waiting on parking shuttle in ATL, then finally driving back home...). It will be a grind. DW has never driven across flyover country! Lots of audiobooks queued up.....

Where do you plan to spend the night while on the road?

 

[LRDave]

Where do you plan to spend the night while on the road?

Hilton property in KS on the way and a Marriott property on the way back. In Estes Park we will be in an AirBnB.

By driving ourselves, we can wipe down all the counter tops and night stands with a 70% alcohol solution when we arrive at all places.

We accept there is some risk involved.

 

[harllee]

LR Dave, sounds like a good safe plan. An AirBnb will be good since you will have your own kitchen etc. Good luck and a nice visit to your son(?) I think it was. We have to take some risks for some very important things like seeing family. I look at the risk v reward on everything I do now. Seeing family is high reward.

 

[audreyh1]

Hilton property in KS on the way and a Marriott property on the way back. In Estes Park we will be in an AirBnB.

By driving ourselves, we can wipe down all the counter tops and night stands with a 70% alcohol solution when we arrive at all places.

We accept there is some risk involved.

We just wiped down handles and switches with Lysol wipes, especially in the bathroom. Including microwave, fridge, etc. Didn’t wipe down counter tops.

Took our own pillows and removed the bedcover.

Stayed at Hilton properties.

Carried all our own food, dishes, etc.

 

[Golden sunsets]

sengsational, on the dentist question--to me it is a risk v reward thing. I had a tooth abscess about a month ago that resulted in a root canal. I was in terrible pain so I absolutely had to go to the dentist, in fact had to go 3 times, but it was absolutely necessary and worth the risk. I have a dental cleaning coming up in a couple of months--I will probably go to that also because I need to keep my teeth in good shape. My teeth are worth taking some risk. Plus I think dentists know how to keep everything very sanitized.

Similar story here. Root canal in April at oral surgeons. These folks were so PPE'd up I wouldn't recognize them on the street. Subsequent visit to my dentist in June for the permanent filling. We did postpone cleanings from July to September. We'll see at that time. I'd like to get them behind us before a possible second wave during flu season. Also our state has one of the lowest Covid rates in the country, so that influences our decisions as well. Keeping fingers crossed that we remain a state with the lowest replication rate (below 1).

 

[someguy]

I wonder if this pandemic has changed things at a higher level for those on a FIRE path. It's plausible that the changes most are voluntarily or involuntarily making to their regular routines might shift priorities underlying FIRE motivation. For example, I know a number of megacorp lifers used to spending 50+ hours a week in the office who have been "forced" to try working from home and now rave about it. Tie that into spending a lot more time at the home and possibly now wanting a nicer/bigger/etc home and being more willing to work a little longer (from home).

 

[ivinsfan]

We just wiped down handles and switches with Lysol wipes, especially in the bathroom. Including microwave, fridge, etc. Didn’t wipe down counter tops.

Took our own pillows and removed the bedcover.

Stayed at Hilton properties.

Carried all our own food, dishes, etc.

I don't know if this makes me weird or smart, but we do this every time we stay in a hotel. I've always done it....TV remote gets a double wipe....

 

[audreyh1]

I don't know if this makes me weird or smart, but we do this every time we stay in a hotel. I've always done it....TV remote gets a double wipe....

Well it was new for us! We were carrying a lot of groceries back and forth too.

But it did require some prep. It was really nice, however, to be able to enjoy remote picnic tables at the rest areas and not have to go out for meals from the hotels or seek breakfast.

We don’t wipe off the TV remote. Why? Because we never even turn on the hotel TV!

 

[Markola]

Well it was new for us! We were carrying a lot of groceries back and forth too.



But it did require some prep. It was really nice, however, to be able to enjoy remote picnic tables at the rest areas and not have to go out for meals from the hotels or seek breakfast.



We don’t wipe off the TV remote. Why? Because we never even turn on the hotel TV! [emoji23]

I agree it’s possible to get out and about a bit with precautions.

I just completed a little post-j*b/indefinite sabbatical personal celebration by camping for two nights in an RV resort on a beautiful river in southern Minnesota adjacent to a 60 mile paved bike trail. I was in my own tent but got a private, electric site for tremendous extra comfort and convenience. It was really pretty easy to feel Covid-save in all my own stuff and making all of my own food. Biking was physically-distanced, of course, and I swam and fished in the river when I needed to cool off. I seemed to be the only person using the immaculate showers and restrooms, since most people were using their RVs’ facilities and, besides, I camped on a Monday and Tuesday nights when hardly anyone was around (also luxury!)

 

[BigNick]

I wonder if this pandemic has changed things at a higher level for those on a FIRE path. It's plausible that the changes most are voluntarily or involuntarily making to their regular routines might shift priorities underlying FIRE motivation. For example, I know a number of megacorp lifers used to spending 50+ hours a week in the office who have been "forced" to try working from home and now rave about it. Tie that into spending a lot more time at the home and possibly now wanting a nicer/bigger/etc home and being more willing to work a little longer (from home).

That's one angle. In the other direction, you may have people who realise that if they're not going to have the social interactions that they were used to at the office, and be forced to spend time at home with their significant other, they can live without the rest of the BS. I suspect that your group is bigger than mine, but this pandemic has certainly been a golden opportunity for people to think about existential questions.

 

[oldphd]

In Estes Park we will be in an AirBnB.

Since you're visiting your son, he's probably told you about the need for reservations at RMNP. We're about an hour away and have visited 5-6 times since they reopened. I book the reservation well in advance, most days have sold out and not everyone is aware; last week I saw a guy hanging cash out the window, having a discussion with the ranger, before heading for the U turn to leave the park. You can avoid this by entering before 6 AM or after 5 pm.

We've found it to be a great time to visit with the limit on crowds. We go early in the day, 8-9 AM, avoid the popular trailheads, get in a modest hike, take a cooler with lunch, books, and enjoy the weather and views. We've seen an older couple (well, our age, maybe a little more) 3 times now at the same place. They're just kicked back and reading books.

I hear you on the drive... last year we relocated here from the midwest, not quite as far as ATL (maybe 150-200 miles less). I did 6 trips, couple flying and others driving, including one in a rental truck. One was I-80 for another stop, but mostly I-70. Although I've driven this route many times over the years, it was usually only once every year or two. Last year was a total of 3 round trips driving, and I took another vacation to northern MN, driving, similar distance. I put about 10K miles on my car in a little over 3 months, usually put less than that in a year, even with a trip.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[audreyh1]

I agree it’s possible to get out and about a bit with precautions.

I just completed a little post-j*b/indefinite sabbatical personal celebration by camping for two nights in an RV resort on a beautiful river in southern Minnesota adjacent to a 60 mile paved bike trail. I was in my own tent but got a private, electric site for tremendous extra comfort and convenience. It was really pretty easy to feel Covid-save in all my own stuff and making all of my own food. Biking was physically-distanced, of course, and I swam and fished in the river when I needed to cool off. I seemed to be the only person using the immaculate showers and restrooms, since most people were using their RVs’ facilities and, besides, I camped on a Monday and Tuesday nights when hardly anyone was around (also luxury!)

For sure. We remember our old full time RVing days, and that is indeed a great way to travel around in your own bubble.

 

[LRDave]

Since you're visiting your son, he's probably told you about the need for reservations at RMNP. We're about an hour away and have visited 5-6 times since they reopened. I book the reservation well in advance, most days have sold out and not everyone is aware; last week I saw a guy hanging cash out the window, having a discussion with the ranger, before heading for the U turn to leave the park. You can avoid this by entering before 6 AM or after 5 pm.

We've found it to be a great time to visit with the limit on crowds. We go early in the day, 8-9 AM, avoid the popular trailheads, get in a modest hike, take a cooler with lunch, books, and enjoy the weather and views. We've seen an older couple (well, our age, maybe a little more) 3 times now at the same place. They're just kicked back and reading books.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks! This is great advice, but this trip we will not be visiting the park.

 

[someguy]

That's one angle. In the other direction, you may have people who realise that if they're not going to have the social interactions that they were used to at the office, and be forced to spend time at home with their significant other, they can live without the rest of the BS. I suspect that your group is bigger than mine, but this pandemic has certainly been a golden opportunity for people to think about existential questions.

At least around where we live, home improvement firms are backlogged a half year or more, existing homes are selling like wildfire and at higher amounts, and new developments have just exploded.

I'd say our neighborhood is now 75% WFH due to covid (maybe 25-33% prior) and many I've talked to have mentioned how much less they hate work when WFH. Some of that may still be the honeymoon phase, and surely some is due to less work being required/done due to the slowed economy, but I have to think a bunch of the benefit is not temporary.

 

[gayl]

I'm taking the kids out to lunch today. Not take out. Sit down and eat [emoji16]

 

[Sojourner]

I'm taking the kids out to lunch today. Not take out. Sit down and eat [emoji16]

Just make sure you eat outside, not in the restaurant. Being inside around other people for prolonged periods, especially when mask-wearing is not ubiquitous, is one of the riskiest things you can do these days. I really miss the classic, pre-COVID restaurant dining experience, but there's simply no way I would subject myself to that degree of risk for what is essentially just "gastronomic entertainment". I can wait.

 

[Dtail]

Just make sure you eat outside, not in the restaurant. Being inside around other people for prolonged periods, especially when mask-wearing is not ubiquitous, is one of the riskiest things you can do these days. I really miss the classic, pre-COVID restaurant dining experience, but there's simply no way I would subject myself to that degree of risk for what is essentially just "gastronomic entertainment". I can wait.

Same here and very infrequently will even eat outside.