The sun is shining. It’s still cold but we will settle for this.

So it’s almost official. School has emailed parents to say that looking at the latest government guidance – which apparently isn’t much – only some Primary pupils and those sitting final exams next year will get any direct teaching over the next few months. The earliest Son will be back in school is going to be September. So it’s time to get our heads round this.

Looking at the government’s plan for the economy – doesn’t take long as it’s basically wrote on the back of the PMs hand – probably means the company I work for won’t be operating anytime before September. That’s being extremely optimistic and requires an awful lot of good fortune. Being realistic there is a high probability it will not survive. So it’s time to get our heads round this.

It’s also time to get my head round the likelihood that I won’t be seeing my brother and sisters much in 2020. If things improve then maybe visits at Christmas might be a possibility. Realistically meet ups are not happening anytime this side of September. Already one Government official has said Summer family holidays and meet ups are cancelled, as these are unsafe – but apparently getting on a packed bus and going to work is completely safe.

AND WE HAVE TO GET OUR HEADS ROUND TWO EVEN MORE PRESSING MATTERS.

  • How are we going to celebrate my partners birthday in just over a weeks time. We had been planning on doing a camp fire party. Unfortunately the fire pit didn’t survive the Yorkshire winter. Yesterday I tried to pick it up to clean and the metal just crumbled, leaving me holding just two wooden handles. At least they can be used as fire wood. The other idea was to have my partners favourite meal – Chinese. Unfortunately the local takeaways are still closed and the local supermarket is completely sold out of Chinese food – apart from crispy seaweed. Which brought the response “well the gerbils will eat well then….”. I did offer to cook Chinese from scratch, but that brought the response “I’d rather suck on a gooseberry….”. So we are in plan F territory.
  • “Dad I am so missing not going on my trampoline.” A couple of months back our garden pigeons decided to nest right next to the big bouncy thing (thats not my tummy before you say anything….). When I say right next to, I mean within 10 centimetres (not using inches will really upset Boris). Well the pigeons and chicks are showing no sign of moving, so I have two options. One is to dismantle and then rebuild somewhere else. Problem is that it’s in the only flat part of the garden and it’s like trying to assemble a Super Tanker. The instructions helpfully explained that you will need three reasonably fit adults to assemble. They failed to mention at least one of those adults must be an expert in structural engineering and the other two will need to have the strength of The Hulk. The other option is to try and drag the complete trampoline. We tried yesterday and after 30 minutes had shifted it 1 cm (up yours Boris). So we are also on Plan F here as well.

But at least the sun is shining.

87 thoughts on “Get my head round”

  4. We can mix with dozens of people in supermarkets, but we can’t meet up with our own families- or is it one person from each household at a distance of 2 metres? Not clear!

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  6. I’ve still done no school work. I can’t think about anything but cats w/illnesses. I woke up after an hour of sleep and now the sun is up. I have no job, prospects thinned when a law intended to help “gig” workers (uber drivers; bartenders) didn’t exclude contractors & consultants so positions dried up. And over the weekend the govenor enacted a new rule that all expenses for covid healthcare must be paid by worker’s comp, which is paid by employers, rather than insurance… regardless of how a person caught it. So now I REALLY have no chance of getting a job because it’s too much liability for employers, esp small consulting agencies.

    Since I can’t stand for hours, retail & food service are out (assuming they rerurn). I’ll be labeled overqualified for entry level office work but underqualified for skilled positions (everyone expects you to already know how to use their custom proprietary system). I’ll be out of money soon. I’m freaking out But tons of people will be broke and jobless too… I have to take comfort in knowing I won’t be alone.
    /end rant

    Good luck moving the trampoline. I feel like the babies should fledge soon.

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    1. It’s so tough for you. Tough for so many. People in charge aren’t thinking things through. Sometimes they are clearly not even thinking. With what’s going on in your life this is the last thing you needed now. Don’t know what else I can say apart from I really hope a better path opens up for you. Sending hugs. x

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  7. Maybe you can move the nest. We had a lost baby bird once and we were worried about picking it up…scent and all that. The local wildlife people told us that birds dont smell like other animals and to put the baby up somewhere high and the parents would find it.
    It worked🤷🏼‍♀️ the ex got dive bombed by Mockingbirds, it was very funny.

    Firepits… dig a hole… not much chance of wildfire in soggy yorkshire, is there?

    Chinese… do they have frozen options? Our stores have lots of frozen “chinese” meals. We actually had Panda Express last night. Veggie Spring Rolls for me.

    💌💌

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    1. The thing is that it’s so brilliantly sited. I can’t get to it through the think hedge. One small gap which the birds come out from but to get to that I need to move the trampoline. No all the Chinese food has been sold out for weeks, even the frozen stuff. x

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  8. Up yours Boris – hahaha – that cracked me up 🙂 This sounds like a possible SpongeBob movie – Plankton: “We’ve tried every plan from A to Y – I’m finished!” Karen: “Well, what about Plan Z?” At least there is always good old Plan Z if all else fails 🙂

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  9. That fat git Johnson also said to use common sense despite having none of it. Up here where we don’t have the fat git’s dictates that is however basically what is happening, espesh where those we want to see are concerned. People are taking back control of their own lives. Even the shops today were another world from a week back. No queues and sod all social distancing too. ‘I feel good’ playing in Home Bargains. One guy singing it to his wee girl as they sailed round. It was like everyone was thinking one thing. Just let the idiots bang on in front of their little podiums and leave the grown ups to take the lead. We’ve looked at the figures and we’re done on the scaremongering bullshit. SO? Sept is good re the school for your boy. Cos frankly the mess up the idiots are making, the nonsense they are coming out with re that… he’s better in the environment he knows, till that lot get over themselves. The job alas… alas.. That is a more difficult one right now. The trampoline? I’d leave it. Get some big stones, dig a fire pit, come on!! Get some home made garden decs, Have a camp out. Don’t matter if the food gets burnt or the heavens open. Fun is fun and I bet your partner would be cheering you every inch of the way.

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    1. The lax situation you are describing surprises me considering that Nicola Sturgeon was so against, and rightly so, against easing the lockdown so soon.

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      1. Well I guess some folks are not buying everything written in newspapers, preferring to read the breakdown of figures and statistics released up here and are not terribly enamored with the fact that many of the vulnerable with the virus were sent back to carehomes to become one of these statistics rather than overwhelm the NHS either.

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      2. Covid patients released back to care homes from hospital is ludicrous and immoral, but I don’t see how a number of other members of the population flouting safety procedures helps the situation.

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      3. Well, I’m just going to beg to differ with you on your use of the word flouting and simply add that a number or people feel this is becoming between preachers and being preached at, especially when you really study the figures.

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      4. But if various supermarket chains decide they now want to let people in without queuing, that is surely their affair and if someone doesn’t like that then take it up with them or go elsewhere. Also if a store decides it wants to play music and dad decides he wants to sing along with his little girl, what particular rule is this flouting?

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      5. I didn’t realise the rules were different up there. I thought we were still a united kingdom. Sorry. 🙂

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      6. As far as I can see, Nicola Sturgeon has not eased up on any restrictions. If this shop you are talking about is not adhering to the social distancing rules, then they are flouting it.
        https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/lockdown-rules-scotland-latest-advice-exercise-social-distancing-and-visiting-family-government-update-guidance-2849157

        By the way, I’m a Glaswegian. Conversation over. Hubby’s gone fishing and I’m off for a game of golf.

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      5. No cos we were always grateful for what we got… which wasn’t much..that even if you thought… hmmm, you didn’t dare say it. But my kids and certainly the wee grandie? Oh yeah. What you think is a brill idea they kind of soon diss.

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  11. I love your sky pics. I’m sure someone else will have already suggested that you could write a book about your covid period or your whole experience since losing your partner. It would be so inspiring for someone in similar circumstance.

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  13. For what it’s worth, as a single mom I’ve had to come up with some makeshift ways of moving heavy stuff alone and I find if you can put a heavy enough tarp under things on damp grass, it makes it much easier to pull it along a few inches at a time.

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  14. The sun is shining here, as well, and nobody has a clue what changes will be coming. Confusion is everywhere. So you’re right, at least the sun is shining. I’m going to make a note of how many plant pots I need to fill and a list of the plants I need. Then perhaps tomorrow we can get everything I need and pot some flowers.

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  15. Beautiful photo of the blue sky and clouds. You will come up with the perfect plan to celebrate your partners birthday and it will be special for you both. I am sure of it. Life is so up in the air for many of us right now but your post reminded me how precious it is. X

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  16. I don’t know if they sell it there but we like Wong Wing frozen Chinese food. It’s really very good. Not as good as authentic Chinese, but a decent substitute. As for the fire pit I have seen the tubs from broken down clothes dryers used for that purpose. Is there a recycling center that is open nearby? Just a couple of suggestions from way across the pond.
    Wow, work woes continue everywhere. This virus is really taking a big bite out of life isn’t it? I will be praying for that aspect of your life to be resolved in a positive way.
    I have no idea what to do about the trampoline, but the advice from King Ben’s Grandma seems pretty reasonable to me.

    Wishing you the best of luck.

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  17. How about writing her letters and sending them up in the sky in one of those 🏮 lantern things made of tissue paper that you can buy online? Call it a reverse Chinese fortune cookie?

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