Can't/won't get that any more

[dixonge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeBear I never was interested in high density housing, but I'm even less interested now. Forget about downtown large-city livings. No high rise condos. Delay assisted living or worse as long as possible, esp. if high density and shared dining. I'm an introvert at heart and this is a good excuse as any. The news that some places were essentially confining residents to their rooms made me anxious. I can shelter in place on my outdoor patio with a mountain view pretty much year 'round. I can also bike or walk for miles without getting close to anyone. 24/7 indefinite confinement indoors? Sounds like prison.

From a societal viewpoint I think future novel viruses will be greeted with massive testing and quarantine, maybe not so much lockdowns. But that won't keep you from dying if you get it (depending on the virus). I think the long-term trend of moving from rural to urban areas might shift backwards. More sprawl, more cars, but more safety. This might appeal to us older folk more than the young, but we'll see.

Not too long ago we decided we liked towns around the 150,000 mark or so. Good balance between urban options and size/density. It is possible we will shift towards slightly smaller population ranges.

One major issue that comes to mind with all of this is that at a certain point an area's population density can overwhelm hospitals in a pandemic. Part of the solution involves thinning the density. Part of it is probably more universally available, cheaper health care. Finding the sweet spot will be the challenge going forward.

[dixonge]

One thing that COVID-19 has achieved is to highlight just how deadly the regular flu is, and how indifferent we've generally been to it. Hopefully we'll see a 'universal' flu shot in the near future so we can move beyond this like we have so many other viruses. Until then, masks will be common in airports/airplanes, restaurants, etc. Disposable gloves too.

Remember when people who always wore gloves and masks were just hypochondriacs? LOLOL

[blueskyk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl This is a link to an article about the danger of being TOO clean. It says you need regular exposure to germs to keep your immune system working properly. I believe it. I'm going back to my life as it was- cruises and all! https://health.usnews.com/wellness/a...st-your-health It actually suggests reducing use of chlorine based cleaners, skipping antibacterial soaps, and having closer interactions with people

I’m in this camp so I didn’t have (and generally don’t buy) Clorox wipes, hand sanitizers, strong disinfectants, etc. And now, these things are unobtanium. I do have a little bleach on hand.

So, we are proceeding with regular hand soap, fabric gloves we had around the house and fabric masks we made. That’s it. So, we’ll see...

[ugeauxgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirrel Thanks for that ... my MIL was a home ec major. My standards are not as high.[emoji23]

Mine either. Which is fortunate as I have teenage boys and a husband who works in the woods. They are always tracking something through the house. If I were a neat freak it would drive me crazy.

[garyt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Frank and I plan to age in place, in our houses right where we are. But before the pandemic, my Plan B was to move into a CCRC or some similar facility if/when I needed additional care. My mother did that in Hawaii, and it worked out quite well for her during her last decades. I had already researched local facilities here in New Orleans, and the facility at the top of my list to investigate further was Lambeth House which appeared to be an excellent choice. However 19 Lambeth House residents (out of about 200?) have died from COVID-19 in the past month or so and many more are ill with it. I just couldn't bring myself to live there, or even visit that facility after all this. In fact, given that many other similar facilities have been so badly impacted by COVID-19, I think Plan B has been eliminated entirely from my planning.

That's a good point. I figured we move into a snior housing type facility somewhere down the road, but now? You have to wonder how they will be affected in the future. Some could struggle financially with lower occupancy rates.

[spncity]

Quote:

Originally Posted by statsman I have to reconsider our reliance on re-use grocery bags. Ours are all from Trader Joe's. Cheap ($0.99) and they last a long time.

Love those bags.

If you have the ones that are more of a cloth material - not plastic - can you wash them in the washing machine.

[RetireAge50]

No planned changes. May go on more cruises—buy one week get one month free.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50 No planned changes. May go on more cruises—buy one week get one month free.

I'm guessing that includes the three weeks of quarantine before you are allowed to disembark?

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixonge From a societal viewpoint I think future novel viruses will be greeted with massive testing and quarantine, maybe not so much lockdowns. But that won't keep you from dying if you get it (depending on the virus). I think the long-term trend of moving from rural to urban areas might shift backwards. More sprawl, more cars, but more safety. This might appeal to us older folk more than the young, but we'll see. Not too long ago we decided we liked towns around the 150,000 mark or so. Good balance between urban options and size/density. It is possible we will shift towards slightly smaller population ranges. One major issue that comes to mind with all of this is that at a certain point an area's population density can overwhelm hospitals in a pandemic. Part of the solution involves thinning the density. Part of it is probably more universally available, cheaper health care. Finding the sweet spot will be the challenge going forward.

Massive testing and quarantine with continuing damages to the economy, or a general long term shutdown of international travel? I'll take B every time.

[RetireAge50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I'm guessing that includes the three weeks of quarantine before you are allowed to disembark?

Exactly! And actually probably all my money back plus free future cruise.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireAge50 Exactly! And actually probably all my money back plus free future cruise.

Just saw a headline that CDC has increased the cruise ban for another 100 days. I mentioned somewhere that I thought the cruise industry might have killed itself after their bad judgement and got some pushback, but it's not looking good for them.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyt That's a good point. I figured we move into a snior housing type facility somewhere down the road, but now? You have to wonder how they will be affected in the future. Some could struggle financially with lower occupancy rates.

Senior housing developments were already taking a beating before this virus as more and more seniors decided to 'age in place'. Today Well, let's just say I won't be investing in senior housing builders any time soon.

[JoeWras]

We have some good friends who just moved to a CCRC and were real happy.

Until this happened.

Now they are under virtual lockdown with all kinds of restrictions. The amenities they loved (clubs, pool, hair salon, etc.) are closed. Dinners by take out. Nobody but residents and employees come in. Residents can go out, but they have been "schooled," for lack of a better term, as to what they can do when out. (Hint: don't visit the grandkids. Groceries only.)

[ugeauxgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras We have some good friends who just moved to a CCRC and were real happy. Until this happened. Now they are under virtual lockdown with all kinds of restrictions. The amenities they loved (clubs, pool, hair salon, etc.) are closed. Dinners by take out. Nobody but residents and employees come in. Residents can go out, but they have been "schooled," for lack of a better term, as to what they can do when out. (Hint: don't visit the grandkids. Groceries only.)

All my "amenities" are closed too, and we don't live in a CCRC .

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl All my "amenities" are closed too, and we don't live in a CCRC .

Ha ha. Good point. Us too!

[davebarnes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncbill Still looking for an unpowered basic washlet on Amazon that doesn't have a "it leaked" in the reviews...

Don't waste your money.

Get a Toto toilet with washlet.
You will have to install an electrical outlet behind the toilet.
We bought one in November and installed it in January. Amazing.
Worth every $ of the $2000. Nexus® WASHLET®+ S500e One-Piece Toilet - 1.28 GPF

[friar1610]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides Yeah the gym... I don't know that it will ever be worth it for me, as where I live I can exercise outdoors almost any day.

That's not the case for me here in New England. But I've been finding that my older gym equipment (a Nordic Track, a rower and weights/bench), cardio videos from the web and long walks/hikes (weather permitting) have kept me quite satisfied and fit. It remains to be seen if this wears off and/or if I will come to miss the social aspects of the gym as things return to normal. But I have indeed been wondering if I can do without the gym and its cost.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebarnes Don't waste your money. Get a Toto toilet with washlet. You will have to install an electrical outlet behind the toilet. We bought one in November and installed it in January. Amazing. Worth every $ of the $2000. Nexus® WASHLET®+ S500e One-Piece Toilet - 1.28 GPF

We have one of those and a bidet toilet seat as well. But not everyone is prepared to spend $2,500 on a toilet plus another $500 to install an electrical outlet next to the toilet. The basic non-electric bidets that sell for around $40 still work fine. They just don't offer all of the high end features of the electric models. But water is still the best way to clean down there.

You have to ignore the reviews on Amazon about leaks. Every product that involves water is going to have some percentage of people who either did not install it correctly or got a bad unit and will write a bad review. In general those units are fairly reliable and at under $50 a good value.

[friar1610]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 Never have gone on a cruise, for sure off the list now. Also was never much a buffet fan, prefer sit down service restaurants. Probably limit buffet to only when no choice, like at a wedding reception or similar.

If you really want to live dangerously, go on a cruise and eat exclusively from the buffet!

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by friar1610 If you really want to live dangerously, go on a cruise and eat exclusively from the buffet!

And don’t forget to go for a massage afterwards, and then get your nails done.