sad St Patrick's Day

[OC Richard]

I could say "happy St Patrick's Day" but there's not much joy this year.

Locally all events have been cancelled and the pubs will be empty. Actually the ordinances vary from city to city but I know all of my Pipe Band gigs and Irish band gigs have been cancelled. My Pipe Band's pub crawls, which were going to take place on Saturday, Sunday, and today, are cancelled.

Normally I would be spending today, all day, kilted up with pipes in hand but I sit at home with little to do.

My workplace is closed until further notice. My daughter's University is closed. Happily my wife can work her tech job from home.

My one bright spot today is that I have one solo gig that is still happening! A very small house party I've been playing at for 20 years. The host says they're only expecting a half-dozen people this year, but they're still hosting the gathering, and they still want me to play. (I sit in the corner and play uillean pipes, Scottish smallpipes, and whistles.)

[John_Carrick]

People seem positive here that the current restrictions will save lives and we'll get through this crisis.

If anyone is on Twitter and wants something to smile at, here's a couple of hashtags
#RTEVirtualParade
@sportingtipp

[ibrew4u]

Yes Colorado and City of Denver have suspended all sit down service at restaurants and bars, to include brewery taprooms.

[Jock Scot]

I think we are going to have to get used to cancellations and disappointment over the next few months. It is inevitable really.

[Tobus]

Yes, the world is going to change for all of us in short order. We'll all have to find new ways to celebrate, new ways to visit others and socialise. It will be interesting to see what sort of permanent changes happens as a result of all this.

Richard, maybe you could just stroll around town playing the bagpipes in empty streets? That would be kind of cool, actually.

[Father Bill]

Hey - we can still socialize and observe social distancing and self-quarantines... Right here on XMarks!

That makes a happier St. Paddy's day than we'd have otherwise. Thanks Steve, for keeping us "open for business".

[kilted redleg]

I agree with Fr. Bill we still have each other here and Tobus is quite correct in his assessment but it remains to be seen how much we will change!
To OC Richard and my other piping brethren who frequent this site, https://pipingpress.com/ has a list of cancellations in the piping world. The British Championships normally held in May have been cancelled and there is talk of cancelling the World Pipe Band Championships in August. But if we all stick together we can make it through this, after all people in kilts have made a significant contribution to the history of the world. I'll end this with a quote from my senior drill sergeant in boot camp Sgt. First Class Irwin Birchard " We stick together and we win - NEED I SAY ANYMORE."

[Pleater]

We are certainly living in interesting times - my longsword, Cotswold Morris and Border Morris practice evenings are all cancelled, the Sunday afternoon folk club has closed down, I expect the Sunday evening music sessions will not go ahead, dance outs and weekend events are cancelled right through until May already and I expect more will go as the days pass.

I am going to have so much more time to knit and sew and crochet - I might even have to resort to housework to stave off boredom, though my son and daughter in law will be adding their fifth child to the mix in the next day or so - we might become involved in child care for the older ones.

Fortunately I filled up the car then stocked up the freezer and the fridges before most people realised just how things were going - any illness which is infectious before the symptoms appear is going to be problematic.
We can only try to stay safe and well, and wait for things to get better.

Anne the Pleater

[OC Richard]

What I was just thinking about was how much more impactful staying at home would have been at any time prior to now.

Many have been lamenting people shopping online and the decline of neighborhood shops, or the way so many young people do their socializing online rather than in person.

But now these things are positives.

And I think more people are able to work from home from ever before.

My sister, a retired teacher, was saying that this crisis is forcing Education to do what they could have done years ago: shift to online classrooms.

[kiltedcontractor]

Having just watched 2 Irish bands stream concerts.... enjoying both immensely... I'm sure you could gather a greatful audience here if you chose to play for us.