It doesn't have to be boring...

But it mostly is, we have to admit that. Luckily Belgium has a lockdown "light" in place. It still is quite severe. We can only go outside for sportive activities like walking, jogging and cycling. And this only with members of the family, no outsiders. We can go out for groceries and for work if we have a job that qualifies as "essential". Apparently, being an insurance broker is essential in Belgium, so I can go out to work. But that's about it for going outside. For the rest we have to do inside the perimeter of our homes. And this is quite the burden. Not being able to do spontaneous things, like doing a small road trip or visiting a playground with the kids really stumps off the mind. But we can challenge that!

So, various things have been done the last few weeks that weren't on our usual agenda. We rediscovered the board games with the kids, which is a revelation. We eat together every night with a bit of candle light and try to make it our own restaurant experience. And personally I try to find my relaxation in using my "Oklahoma smoker" for slow cooked food. Because, if there is one thing we have right now, it is time, and slow cooking takes patience and precision, which is not always possible if things are normal. So, what has passed the our plates the last few days? Low and slow ribs (6 hours at a temperature of around 115 to 120 °C), pulled pork (9 hours of patience and precise temperature depending on the thickness of the meat), and "la piece de resistance" brisket, 14 hours of discipline with a very delicate piece of meat!

My lovely little smoker!

Ribs low and slow

Côte à l'os, reverse sear!

Financially, is a big question

@theycallmedan was wondering how this quarantine is effecting us financially. That is for us still a big question. As an insurance broker, I have an income from all the policies that are already under my management. So luckily, that is my buffer. But of course, new business has to come. And that has been quite slow at the moment. I try to make my business, but you can't force people, and in these days of very low social contact, it is quite hard to make contact with new people or businesses. So the impact is not yet measurable, but it will have an impact, for sure. But hopefully, when the measures are loosened, we can make up for the lost time and work a bit harder when we are allowed to.

So, even though, we make the best of it, and it isn't the end of the world. This situation doesn't need to take another month or two. It wouldn't be healthy for our mental self. And it would kill hundreds of businesses in my neighborhood, which would have also an impact on my business.

Thanks for the initiative, @theycallmedan!

This post was prompted by the @theycallmedan inititiative that can be found here.

Sincerely,

Pele23