Are we there yet?
As conditions regarding Covid 19 gradually improve I am fielding lots of questions about when the club will return to its normal operations. When will we return to the Northbrook Library for our VE exams and open up our newly established ham station to the public? When will we get back to group meetings at Heller? Is the Fox Hunt going to happen later this summer? Are we going start Hams in the Park soon?
As more and more of the population gets vaccinated and as the positivity rates continue to fall in the Northern suburbs, I can understand the anxiety over returning to our former state of normalcy. My quick answer to all these questions is we are slowly coming out of our lockdown, but problematic variants of the virus requires us to proceed with caution and until we have more information, I cannot provide a definitive answer; but we are moving toward a “yes” once there is consensus for all authoritative sources.
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Marching into Spring
March brings with it thoughts of Spring projects like launching antennas into trees, inspecting coax for winter damage, and improving upon an already great shack setup. As the snow melts, and the days start to warm, we can once again dream about events such as Hams in the Park and getting mobile with our equipment. With social distancing, all of this will be possible. We may even be able to conduct VE exams outdoors for the first time in months. (even if has to be the throwback to paper and pencil testing).
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February 2021 Leisure Time - How do you spend yours?
Every February reminds me of the Ground Hog Day ritual and now, more than ever, with the Covid 19 pandemic, I am reminded of the Bill Murry film, “Ground Hog Day “ where a weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again. So what’s my point? Time is a gift. How we use it or abuse it affects us in many ways. We all know how to waste time. Given 1440 minutes in a day and 525, 998 minutes in a year, how many of those go toward productive or personally satisfying endeavors vs. wasted minutes and wasted time?
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Jan 1 2021 Timing is everything
2021 is here. So when will our club get back to normal operations and when will in-person meetings begin? I get these questions a lot. All I can say at this point is try to have patience and understand that we will move just as fast as it is safe to do so. With vaccines promised and hopefully coming soon, now is a great time to plan ahead and get our collective house in order.
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Reflections on
Reflections on the year that was and predictions on the year to come.
To quote a common expression from 2020, “it is what it is” and now it “was what it was.” If you choose to focus on the negative, I guess you can bemoan that the facts that this year we had no Hamvention, no formal Field Day as in the past, no fox hunts, no Hams in the Park, no meetings at Heller post March, and no in-person auction. Bummer, right?
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Do You Feel Lucky?
With the increased threat of the Corona Virus spreading throughout the wintertime months, it’s easy to think that it’s not going to touch your life in some way. After all, you have chosen to wear a mask, social distance, and avoid crowds. You wash your hands, don’t go out to eat at restaurants, and basically either work from or just stay at home.
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