Thing is Andy, money is tight for everyone else as well. I’ve seen other people in various lines of work trying to drum up business for whatever they do (understandably), but as everyone out there is worried and many on reduced or no income, I don’t think advertising for paid services looks great.
What I am already doing, is offering online help for mathematics, music theory and bass playing for FREE. This I feel is more in the spirit of us all “doing our bit” in these testing times. Should any of that morph into paid traditional tutoring at a suitable point in the future, then all well and good, but I am making it clear that it is offered with no obligation.
I’m not at risk of being homeless, cold or hungry, just a bit skint for a while. So I can afford to spend my time doing a bit of prep work and housekeeping to maximise the chances of the work flowing back in the future.
That sounds a decent-ish plan. People are going to remember who tried to gouge in times of need and who stepped up to the mark. I have been trying to buy from my local shops rather than just going to the supermarket. We need keep putting money into local environment.
I’ve just got back from my local independant shop. They have stock that isn’t available at a nearby Tesco, things like baked beans and toilet rolls. I shall remember that if and when things get back to normal.
Well done Jimmy. I have worked at home since the crash in 2008 and it takes discipline. Keep an eye on him though Tom as working through meal times and into the evening is a very real danger. I found getting out for half an hour of exercise before lunch improved my work performance in the afternoon, so he might consider that as part of his routine. Maybe an opportunity to take the handheld out or go together to get some quality time in?
Whilst I do live within spitting distance of a few summits, the weather is not good for the rest of this week. Here in Austria you are not technically supposed to go out everyday, so even when the weather improves, I can only go out every 3 days or so. Besides which, I decided to use this time productively and fast for a week or so. That means I’ll be too weak to activate. So, sorry, but I’ll be off the air for a while myself too.
73 de OE6FEG
Matt
I am currently right now taking a half hour break to have lunch and I only intend to work my normal 7 hours although I might work an hours overtime if work is busy this afternoon, but probably won’t though.
Used my daily allowance for leaving house… drove down to shops to minimise outside time to get loaf and milk for my immediate neighbours who are both 90. Their son is handling their main shopping but they’re have a little trouble adjusting to psuedo-rationing themselves and ensuring what they have will last. Left the goods on their doorstep.
My niece is a Doctor on the Air Ambulance. They really do not want work resulting from people walking in the hills. If you seen the gear they have to wear now and the effort it takes to get around in it.
She sent me a photo and her comment “ There’s 10kg of gear and approx 10kg of sweat too… nice”
When I took up serious hillwalking there were very few mountain rescue teams. Outside of the main honeypot areas we were effectively on our own. It didn’t stop us, and why should it!? If the worst should have happened we were all versed in self rescue and first aid, and note that if anything had happened there were no mobile phones, if you needed help someone had to descend and find a phone box. Possibly modern technology has made us less self-reliant, but on the other hand there were fewer of us in the hills, because of that, too, accidents were rarer though the low tech clothing made exposure a greater risk, but we knew about that.
What it comes down to is that I see no reason to censure people self isolating on grassy pimples, and lets face it, that is a good description of single point and most two point summits!
Well yes, nobody would call Stac Pollaidh a gentle stroll of a 2-pointer, but a lot of those SS bumps would be trivial if it wasn’t such a pain getting to them!
Perhaps, as a substitute, we could have GOTA - Gardens On The Air? Maybe walk up and down your garden several hundred times (extra point if it’s raining) then scale a garden wall and sit atop for a couple of hours operating? If no garden, no problem, there is always Balconies On The Air (BOTA) or Windows On The Air (WOTA) - where you stand at an open window until you’re freezing and feeling a bit miserable before you operate sitting on your shack floor with a thermos and a couple of sandwiches?
I thought they were still encouraging allotment diggers. And until very recently my home shack was in my shed. Sadly the current restrictions struck before I managed to get the pole erected on top of the house, so I’m shackless
Both BOTA and WOTA are amateur radio programmes already.
Wainwright’s On The Air (WOTA) - The official website doesn’t seem to be there anywhere and cannot seem to find their new official website, but here is there latest reflector http://discourse.wota.xyz/
The site is normally at https://www.wota.org.uk but HawkHosts have moved it onto a new server and something has borfed. I have a ticket raised, I would expect whatever the problem is will be resolved shortly.
Just for reference we have followed SOTA in halting Wainwrights on the Air whilst we are on lock down for COVID-19.
Perhaps, as a substitute, we could have GOTA - Gardens On The Air? Maybe walk up and down your garden several hundred times (extra point if it’s raining) then scale a garden wall and sit atop for a couple of hours operating? If no garden, no problem, there is always Balconies On The Air (BOTA) or Windows On The Air (WOTA) - where you stand at an open window until you’re freezing and feeling a bit miserable before you operate sitting on your shack floor with a thermos and a couple of sandwiches?