Yay it's Friday!

Day 212...

Last day of the working week has come around once again.

A pretty standard sort of day with the usual admin to complete. This afternoon pre-school got dressed ready for our Halloween fun week next week and the team did a great job of making the room look suitably festive!

Once home I had a couple of emails to send and a few bits to sort out but then found out our prime minister was giving a televised press conference. So, with all the rumours and speculations going about at the moment  I thought it may be worth tuning into.

Well...did I learn anything new? Did I understand anything better? Am I any clearer on what their plan may be?...Err....No. All I learnt was that it was a chance to attack one region of our country who are wanting greater clarity and control before entering into the highest level of current restrictions. We were told about amazing new and quick tests that will be ground breaking and enable us to function so much better but that we don't know when they will be available and probably not for a while yet - oh!

And then, as it always is with these briefings, the finger was pointed at us, the great British public, to pull together and do our bit because that's the only way we will get through this...oh really? So being locked down for 12 weeks from March wasn't enough then? People losing their jobs and their businesses wasn't enough then? Not being able to see friends and family hasn't been enough then? And I could go on.

As a family I think we have been pretty good. All the way through lockdown we stayed home, Simon and I would go out for a walk each day and once a week I would collect my grocery shopping and that was it. When lockdown started to ease I went back to work while everyone else continued to work from home. We continued collecting our shopping and stayed pretty close to home. I have been in a supermarket once to complete a shop and a couple of times to collect something on behalf of pre-school. I have been to my local post office off and on to drop off pre-paid parcels. I have been non-grocery shopping once and only went in one specific shop. I have visited a coffee shop twice indoors but for take-away only. I have visited outdoor cafe's just three times and have visited drive thru' coffee shops perhaps four or five times. We have visited large DIY shops about four times. I have met only two friends, and just one time for each. We haven't been out for a meal anywhere and have had a take-away meal just three times. If I can recall all of this since March then I think that shows that we have been doing exactly what we have been told to do to the very best of our ability and where has that gotten us? Have we made any progress? I really don't know.

As far as I can tell we are now being told that if we don't do as we are told that things are going to be as bad as they were back in March. But is that right? Some would argue that is not the case while others would agree that it's getting bad again. Some would argue that a full lockdown for a few weeks would buy us the time to ease the pressure off the health service and come up with a better working test and trace system as our current one really is not working as promised. But others would argue that a lockdown only pauses things and that once lifted the numbers will rise again and that actually hospital admissions are no different to what you would expect to see at this time of year.

So where does that leave us, the general public? Who should we believe and what should we be doing? I think over the course of the next few days or weeks we will be moved from one set of guidelines to another which will only cause yet more confusion and annoyance. We want, we need, our lives back. We need to be living, to be enjoying, to be experiencing life rather than just going from one day to another not knowing when we will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And because of all of the above I have decided to embrace Halloween this year and have made a start on decorating around the house. Now this won't be a big affair (unlike Christmas) but I just felt the need to say fuck it lets have a little fun. We don't tend to go overboard on Halloween here in the UK but I have a few bits and so will do my best to invoke a little Halloween fun.

To set the right tone the music had to be right!

Outdoor pumpkin lights

A few decorative pieces

Outdoors....as one of my friends said....one way system must mean it's COVID safe!!

There has been more VR madness in the house tonight as Molly has had her turn and proven to be pretty good on the dance games! Me on the other hand has yet to have a go...I am sure I'll get there...at some point...maybe!

Anyway, just take care out there, whatever you may be doing and wherever you may be. Wash you hands, keep your distance and wear a mask.
xx

Welcome to the Weekend

Day 206...

A slightly later than planned emerging from my slumber this morning but once up and about it was on with the day.

One of our furniture sales was collected first thing so another satisfied customer. And then the focus of my morning was recording this weeks podcast with my fellow Disney Dream Girl Michelle.

We were both snowed under with work and full of colds last week so this was our first show in a couple of weeks. It was great just to catch up with Michelle and a bonus that we got to chat Disney as well.

We then decided to dodge the rain showers and go out for a walk, which ultimately ended up with visiting my Dad. I haven't been able to see him for a few weeks so it was lovely to spend a little time catching up and to see that he is well and getting on with life the best he can.

On the walk home we managed to stay dry and despite encountering rain it seemed to stop as soon as it had started. The afternoon has then been spent with both Simon and I sat at computers. Simon has been programming the sounds for his mouse droid project. He has been able to find a set of fantastic, authentic sound effects so all I have heard from the opposite end of the room all afternoon is clicks, beeps and boops...oh and the odd swear word when things haven't gone quite right. As I understand it there is programming and Arduinos and accelerometers involved!!

I on the other hand have been placing more items up for sale on various selling platforms. We also had another piece of sold furniture get collected and I managed to sell the buyer another piece to go with the item she was picking up!

Seeing a Facebook memory from four years ago I was prompted to update my car antenna topper! I have a fair few of these and do try to change them to match the time of year or just because I can! So we went from a Mike Wazowski...

...to a more seasonal Stitch as a Vampire..

Nice to have a little bit of Disney with me wherever I may go!

And to round out the day we decided on take-out from our local kebab shop...so while not strictly low carb they are very tasty and packed with lots of meat and salad...we just don't bother with the pitta bread and hey presto we have a low carb version!

Saturday is done, Autumn is well and truly with us so whatever you do take care, keep your distance, wash your hands and wear a mask.

xx