Lockdown 2020 and on

I really should check my e-mail far more frequently!! Dear Mr Hancock has decided I need to re-enter shielding for my own safety. My main reaction to this is that I'd be much happier to do this if everybody else was doing what they are asked to as well as me staying put!  Before I read/checked my e-mail this morning I nipped to the local Co-op. Most of the staff were masked or wearing a visor (except 1) but the same cannot be said for all customers. The manager did appear at one point to stock shelves (not that I've ever seen him do anything else!!) but as usual no none mask wearing people were challenged. While people take such a fluid reaction to what we are asked to do for everyones safety   it is not foing to improve. Thanks to Michelle Taylor I now have loads of wool so my shielding is going to be spent mainly knitting squares ready to then try to create a blanket! The cats have now discovered that chasing balls of wool can be fun...so I guess I'm going to be chasing...

 Just a quick one...the news is still going on about most of the UK being moved into Tier 4 and schools not going back in January... Much as I love my son there is no way I can cope with trying to get him working at home again. Poor Andy is not able to help out as he has mastered working from home so is busy all day. I'd have a better chance if I could just have a couple of hours a day when I dont feel totally dead. It would also help if Maths etc was done in a way I understand at my great age and English used language I actually understand and hasnt been invented by Dominic Cummings and Michael Grove.  I am not qualified to teach and get him ready for his SAT'S so I can't/won't do it and mess it up. Plus I know that most of the stuff he is doing is just not needed in real life. I have never used algebra, fractions or worried about fronted adverbial so why does he have to?? Why don't we teach useful stuff at school? People would put more effort into stuff they enjoy...

I've been feeling decidedly reflective over the last few days... Finally 2020 is nearly done! Kent has now been pushed in to Tier 4 and meeting anyone is verbotten!! The Christmas relaxation where people could meet up is now off in Tier 4...there is no mixing of households which has helped cheer me up as now Mikey will not be vanishing anywhere over Christmas and then returning laden with yet more plastic tat! But is also means I can't see anyone either, and the mood Andy is currently in having just got home from work I can't guarantee he will survive Christmas... Looking back over 2020 my main memory other than feeling totally isolated is possums!!! During the first lockdown I heard about a woman in Australia posting about a possum who lived in her garage. He is named Pandy (obviously) and gets treated and spoilt! She has bought him a cat bed to sleep in and now it is getting warmer he now had a mattress covered in blue satin to make sure he doesn't over heat! I never ...

I am feeling even more dead than the end of last week...I think it is safe to say that  my antibiotics are not working and I just want to sleep for as long as I can.  Mikey has decided that his Christmas holidays have started and is refusing point blank to do any of the work set for him. I know I should insist on him doing the work, but I just don't have the energy to argue with him. But I have talked to the head of Upper School so she and the FLO are aware that I am not in a fit state to force him to do anything! My only aim right now is to stay out of Hospital for Christmas. As Ashford's infection rate is 590.8 per 100,000 people I don't want to be anywhere near a hospital! Andy is so fed up with me feeling so rough he is now calling the Drs tomorrow to try to get me a Dr to talk to rather than a practice nurse...They are far too keen on just sending me into A&E rather than trying to help me beat whatever is taking up residence in my body.  The current news about va...

 I have reached the end of my fast unravelling patience today. The rates of Covid in Kent are going through the roof and nobody living here seems bothered in the slightest. I am scared. There is a report today referring to how many Kidney patients have died in the pandemic so far and it is horrible numbers. Apparently we are at higher risk than the 80 year olds who are the first to get the vaccine. I am still determined to be around for my family for as long as I can, although home schooling this time is going even worse than the first time - which I didn't think was actually possible. Mikey is currently hiding in his room to avoid doing any school work and I am still having frequent temperature fluctuations which are not fun and are leaving me feeling even more exhausted that I normally do; and again I didn't think that was possible either! Sleep last night was broken to say the least  and I was wide awake from 4.40 am it took a really long time to get light and light enough ...

 Here we go again, is something I really hope is not true... I am back on antibiotics for yet another kidney infection, but my Nephrologist is not going to be impressed that a culture is not being grown/looked at (yet again) as I didn't get to speak to a Dr, just the practice nurse by phone. He was more concerned that I might have Covid, even though every symptom is CKD and I have a wierd taste in my mouth, not a loss of taste. In my mind they are 2 very different things!! After the lecture I got from the nurse I was sent a link to book tests for all of us, but when I went on line, the closest centre was Manston!! So I decided to try speaking to a person as I felt it may be easier as I know the centre at William Harvey is very under used! I spoke to a lovely lady called Carol who quickly established that none of my symptoms fit their criteria and so she could not book a test for any of us! Apparently GPs are using covid testing to palm off patients on a regular basis now! I have a ...

 Yet again it has been proved to me that I was not cut out to be a teacher. So far no work has been set by school so I decided that it was a good chance to start on the infamous homework trail. Unfortunately Mikey does not agree with my decision and has retired to his bedroom! We are not helped by the fact he is not meant to get close to me at all and Andy is still working from home so is busy! (Although at the moment he is sorting out my printing issues!!)  I have also have an interview with a research student today about how CKD patients have felt during the pandemic. It was actually nice that someone was aware that we have been affected due to out health - both physical and mental, I just hope I can read her paper once she has finished and handed it in! My knitting project is currently on hold as I can cast on but then seem to hit a complete block and end up destroying what I'm doing!! I'm hoping a break my reset my brain and let me carry on with my square production - alth...