While you’re in: Outdoors, socializing and sports of sorts — all without leaving home
Come on, get happy: Happy hour, that beloved time of day when bars offer discounted drinks and nibbles, is continuing even though the aforementioned establishments are closed. How? The same way you’re visiting with extended family, working out and attending classes — via such programs and apps as Zoom, Skype and Facetime. All you need is a computer or smartphone, your own beverage (alcoholic or not). Set up a time to meet friends for a chat. And hey, at this time when everyone is sheltering in place, why not have this event not just with local friends but with those far-flung folks you rarely see. They’re no more difficult to get to right now, after all. If you’re looking for a larger happy hour situation where you might meet new folks, Uncork and Unwind is launching Happy Hour Wine Not Wednesday. The Zoom event, launching at 6 p.m. April 1, invites folks to bring wine and talk wine. Get details at uncorkunwind@comcast.net.
Play by play: Missing your favorite sports commentators? Imagine how the people doing the commenting feel. British rugby announcer Nick Heath hasn’t stopped keeping fans informed during the current and very extended “halftime show,” so to speak. In the absence of matches, he’s offering #LifeCommentary on dogs, bees and amateur footballers. Sample commentary from the latter, filmed when restrictions were a bit looser: “This, the final of the Two Lonely Blokes in a Park Contest, and oh, that was absolutely terrible. It’s what we’ve come to expect really from these two.” Check out more of Heath’s wit at https://twitter.com/nickheathsport.
Up close: Not, of course, to other human beings, unless they already live in your house. (And some experts suggest keeping a distance even then.) One thing you can still get close to is nature — at least the nature found in your own backyard, since parks are closed. During what she’s dubbed “The Great Hunkering,” Olympia writer Maria Mudd Ruth (whose “A Sideways Look at Clouds” extols the joys of watching the sky, another pastime that’s possible while you shelter in place) is exploring her yard with a 10x jeweler’s loupe. It’s a technique used in forest bathing, which encourages greater presence through mindful appreciation of nature. That level of magnification makes everything look different. See more from Ruth at https://www.mariaruthbooks.net/author.