What are you doing to keep busy at home?

J

Joyful Uke

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I arrived at work this morning to discover that they forgot to tell me not to come in today...or for a while. Not surprising, though, since the virus is in the area. (Also not surprising that they forgot to tell me, but that's a different story. Communication isn't their strong point.)

With more time at home for a while, (still have a part-time job that isn't closed down yet, though), what ukulele related things might you all recommend?

Any good videos? Or other suggestions, other than just getting more practice time in there? (And if you heard me play, you certainly would recommend more practice time. LOL.)
 
check out Gordon Mark ukulele videos on YouTube for easy listening music.

Gordon is a living treasure in Hawaii and if you don't already know about him
and his music, be prepared to be soothingly entertained.

and keep uke'in',
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
check out Gordon Mark ukulele videos on YouTube for easy listening music.

Gordon is a living treasure in Hawaii and if you don't already know about him
and his music, be prepared to be soothingly entertained.

and keep uke'in',
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not familiar with him, and will check out his videos.
 
Trying to find ELO play alongs...
I am now quarantined by the state of Washington, over 60s have been "asked" to shelter in place. Who's gonna get my beer? :mad:
 
My Uke DVD care package just arrived. Should keep me busy.

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I had an idea a few days ago, but I’m not sure I have the courage to do it. We’ve had a few warmer days lately & many people are out walking in my neighborhood. I thought about setting up a chair in my driveway, plugging in my uke to my amp, and playing/singing. Some fun, popular, uplifting songs. Maybe folks could stop for a few minutes & listen or join in. As long as they stay 6 feet apart. Right now it’s cool & rainy, so I can work on some songs & work up my courage.
 
RafterGirl said:
I had an idea a few days ago, but I’m not sure I have the courage to do it. We’ve had a few warmer days lately & many people are out walking in my neighborhood. I thought about setting up a chair in my driveway, plugging in my uke to my amp, and playing/singing. Some fun, popular, uplifting songs. Maybe folks could stop for a few minutes & listen or join in. As long as they stay 6 feet apart. Right now it’s cool & rainy, so I can work on some songs & work up my courage.
Click to expand...

I had the same idea. In my case, no amp, and I’d do it on our front porch. But we’ve had such an uptick in pedestrians on our street this week, it just seems like it would be a fun thing to do. If I can get them to sing along with me, all the better. It’s a toss up between that, or some out-of-season caroling - from the sidewalk, of course, so that it would be at a CDC-approved distance. :)

Like you, I’m working on the courage part...

Jan
 
First things first: Taxes.
 
Using this down time to polish my skills with the harmonica in combo with with dulcimer/and or/ukulele. Also, have a goal of learning 10 new songs in the next 60 days. Music and memorizing words. Also, practicing through some old songs I used to play, but placed on shelf for several years.
 
Keep busy! Not a problem. The DMV thinks my car isn't insured, and they suspended my registration. I got two piece of mail from them yesterday, and I'm getting another one today. I went through this a year ago, and it took months to settle. I just hope they don't send the police to confiscate my license plates.

A deer ran into my son's car last week. He bought it new a year ago when a pickup ran into him and three other cars that were stopped at a construction site. First, it was going to be repaired. Then they found more damage, so it was totaled. I've been dealing with insurance, the bank, the car dealer, and the body shop. I made two trips yesterday to swap out the new snow tires and remove floor mats, seat covers, dash cam, etc., from the wreck. Hopefully, he'll be able to find a new Honda Fit when the check from insurance arrives.

I haven't even started my tax return yet. Then there's the regular housework.

In the meantime, I'm driving my son back and forth to work every day, where he deals with several hundred grouchy customers on a daily basis.

I spent a few minutes with a uke yesterday, and I'm looking forward to ninety minutes of a group online jam tomorrow.
 
Noodling to backing tracks or YouTube videos to help with my improv skills. Also playing the same tune in many different keys or up the neck.
 
Good question. I am very much driven by playing with and for other people. Everything I do or was going to do has been cancelled. I find it hard to motivate myself to play for the entertainment of my walls and right now the weather has not been good for sitting on my front stoop and playing for people walking by on the sidewalk. But I've been playing it every day a little, if just to give my hands something to do. Like twiddling my thumbs, except twiddling my strings. I'm playing guitar a little. My wife and I are also tap dancers, so we've been working on a routine that our adult tap class is going to do for recital in June. That hasn't been cancelled yet. On the positive side, I write novels, the G&B Detective Agency series of anyone is interested, and I have been getting a lot of writing done.
 
As I look around the house, it should be cleaning, however I run an assisted living and I'm on conference calls and writing policies dealing with COVID19 madness all the time. CDC had good info out for hospitals and skilled nursing out quick, but for assisted living they've been slow and just catching up.
If you've bought a ton of masks, drop a couple of boxes at your local care home if they need them. In my area (CA) we're all screaming for masks and gowns.
Luckily no one in my place is sick yet. I don't want to think about a house full of 90 year olds catching this.
Everyone stay safe. Now, go wash your hands.
 
As I look around the house, it should be cleaning, however I run an assisted living and I'm on conference calls and writing policies dealing with COVID19 madness all the time. CDC had good info out for hospitals and skilled nursing out quick, but for assisted living they've been slow and just catching up.
If you've bought a ton of masks, drop a couple of boxes at your local care home if they need them. In my area (CA) we're all screaming for masks and gowns.
Luckily no one in my place is sick yet. I don't want to think about a house full of 90 year olds catching this.
Everyone stay safe. Now, go wash your hands.
 
Regarding ukulele: working on Artist Works lessons and building YouTube lessons for my mom to learn ukulele, too.

Guitar: I strung up my ES-125 with flats and need to transcribe the lessons from a couple jazz DVDs.

Life in general: unfortunately talking my wife down from panic attacks and trying to distract her with TV shows and video games. Animal Crossing came out today and I'm hoping it'll do a lot to calm her down.
 
The last couple of days, I've been chatting (online!) with luthiers about a custom-built ukulele. I've been wanting one for a while, but now seems to be the right time to throw some business to an independent builder. I've got time on my hands, a decent tax refund, and nowhere to go, so the stars are all in alignment.
 
I'm playing my new Aklot all bamboo tenor cutaway uke with new D'Addario black strings because I'm really liking it. Also playing my new mini bass that I had converted from a short scale guitar, locking in the bass arrangement I did for the Sinatra/Basie version of "Fly Me to the Moon" doing straight ahead walking style, it's more intricate than I realized.

(I'm also making my own chicken sausages, faro and black beans, avocado and green salsa, and many other items low sodium because in the last couple of years my blood pressure has gone up due to gaining too much weight, which I'm in the process of loosing.)

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This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 6 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 41)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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Well, I hear that we're going to have a shelter in place starting tomorrow, so there goes my 2nd job as well, for now.

I'm reading through the ideas that you all have, and am sure that I can keep busy.
Some of you have mentioned cleaning, which is something I should be doing, and who knows, maybe I'll get bored enough to do that, too. :)

Had to have the plumber come out again today, (got a new sump pump last week, have a battery back up sump pump, but still had water in the basement this morning....) Old habits are hard to break. His hands were full, so I went to go open the door for him. He stopped me, reminding me that I'd be closer than 6 feet if I did that. He was right, but instinct was to go open the door for him.

Getting used to what will be the new normal for at least the short term is difficult.

Glad that I have ukulele to help out. :)
 
I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. All childcare now closed and we're in self isolation as the 1 year old has a high temperature and a cough. How am I keeping busy? By trying to work from home as well as provide full time childcare! I'm also keeping fit as their favourite activity is to be zoomed around the garden in the wheelbarrow.

We start every morning with a singalong, so I'm getting my uke time in too which is nice. Am even mastering playing the uke whilst carrying the 1 year old around. Skills I never thought I'd learn...
 
Pirate Jim said:
I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. All childcare now closed and we're in self isolation as the 1 year old has a high temperature and a cough. How am I keeping busy? By trying to work from home as well as provide full time childcare! I'm also keeping fit as their favourite activity is to be zoomed around the garden in the wheelbarrow.

We start every morning with a singalong, so I'm getting my uke time in too which is nice. Am even mastering playing the uke whilst carrying the 1 year old around. Skills I never thought I'd learn...
Click to expand...

Hope that all will be well with the sick 1 year old. You've got your hands full, for sure.
 
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