Author Topic: Tales from the Lock-Down  (Read 77823 times)

pdm

  • Sheffield hills? Nah... Just potholes.
Tales from the Lock-Down
« on: 24 March, 2020, 12:22:29 pm »
Well, here we are, at last. In Lock-Down. It won't make that much difference to us - we are in a higher risk group and have been self distancing for a couple of weeks already..

However, I'm sure there will be quirks and incidents to gas about (qv)
I'll kick off.

Day 1:

Busiest morning for a long while, this one.

Gas smelt in kitchen. Turns out our stove (an old 1950's Aga, one of the originals?) is leaking naughty stuff. Our tame service engineer turns up fully clad is industrial HAZMAT to have a look - with us tucked well away in another room. Seems a new burner unit is needed but all the shops are shut so he's off out there trying to pull in favours... Meanwhile we are texting all our friends and local support group to see if anyone has a portable electric hob - none so far but its early yet... Maybe Amazon will deliver :)

Next get a call from a good friend - front wheel puncture. His bicycle is his and his wife's only form of exercise. They are also both "high risk" so we arrange a pantomime of leaving the bicycle in my drive for me to fix and then wipe down before leaving it out for them to collect again...

SWMBO then gets spring cleaning fever (perhaps HAZMAT induced??) so I get the pleasure of vacuuming the whole house from bottom to top.

Out of Milk so nip down to local Co-Op 800 yards away (thankfully) to not mingle with the sparse crowd and get the last 3 pints. Most of the shelves are empty but no matter: we have a rarity to look forward to: A Tesco delivery this evening (one of the last available when we booked it, it turns out) I wonder how much of our modest order will materialise? No, no toilet rolls on the order.

Its Noon now and I am knackered! An afternoon of relaxation beckons - perhaps with a bit of Zwifting later... (free trial to see whats its like in the event of not being able to go outside)

Be safe and well out there!

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #1 on: 24 March, 2020, 12:54:43 pm »
I'm just going shopping.  I may be some time...
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #2 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:03:49 pm »
Its 1pm and I'm still in my dressing-gown.

I have, however, done a full day's work.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #3 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:12:40 pm »
Barakta's decided to hang on to her broken hearing aid, rather than sending it to some postal service / NHS / manufacturer limbo never to be seen again.  They can't program the feedback elimination properly without physical access to her head, anyway.

ian

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #4 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:13:48 pm »
The street cleaning lorry came around. On a good working day it has to slalom in and out between parked cars and is pretty useless at anything other than making a wet stripe down the middle of the road.

I doubt it saw the gutter today.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #5 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:17:06 pm »
last Friday, we planned a virtual happy hour this afternoon, immediately after another of our regular work planning calls

Started on the garden yesterday, reducing the over population of thuggish red-hot pokers. Now wondering where i can get flower seeds from online?
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

ian

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #6 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:32:21 pm »
The skip *thunking* (and today bonus grinding) has yet to cease from the SMERSH HQ construction up the road. I think they're digging out the shark tanks today.

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #7 on: 24 March, 2020, 01:36:48 pm »
I have been mostly wrestling with Excel. And eating.

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #8 on: 24 March, 2020, 02:36:59 pm »
Went to the local preserved railway this morning to work with one other person to make everything safe and secure for an extended closed period (lots of safety related stuff to attend to), and filled up the car at the nearest (NOT the cheapest) filling station, and also filled a can for the mower, as the grass has decided its time to grow.  Back home and sat in the sun drinking coffee and wandering about the garden planning what we're going to do to it while my external activities are curtailed.  Luckily we have a nice big garden, plenty to do in it (mostly because the weather has been so crap for months that we couldn't do anything outside) and we're in a very rural area so being in the front garden doesn't put us at risk, because there's no-one to walk by (and the front verge is more than 2m wide anyway).

Hopefully now Wales won't get invaded by hordes of selfish twats intent on killing us with the virus many of them must carry. We have a minimal and thinly spread NHS round here, we already know that having a heart attack here could be fatal due to hospital transit time, we bought our home here in that knowledge, but we can't afford to have others that live in Surrey or whatever, overloading it.

People tend to forget that for us, there is no "nipping round to the shops", shopping is a major expedition, undertaken as infrequently as possible, so yes, we do need at least one monster pack of bog rolls, and 4 each of lots of normal domestic items.  it's a 70 mile round trip to the nearest big Sainsburys, and also my car's MOT and servicing place (booked for April 1st).  We knew that when we moved here, but its not helpful when other people stop us from getting food and necessary items because they want 14 years supply of bogrolls and other stuff in their homes 1 mile from the shops. 

Thankfully we are both healthy, and under 70.  Despite all this stuff, we're very glad we moved here 2 years ago!
Wombat

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #9 on: 24 March, 2020, 02:41:15 pm »
I've become one of those ghastly people that walks round with a Bluetooth earpiece.

Sorry.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #10 on: 24 March, 2020, 03:00:03 pm »
Wombat, what you complain of is largely true in bulk for almost everyone who wasn't an initial shelf-raider.  I live 400 yards from a supermarket and it's the same as living 15 miles away if there is nothing on the shelves.  On the plus side, we are much more likely to catch the virus than anyone living in wild Wales.

But, like you, I like where I live and I'm also starting on the garden, which, like yours, I suspect, has been pretty much a no-go area since last May!

Be lucky and keep safe

Peter


Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #11 on: 24 March, 2020, 03:17:27 pm »
I promoted one of my team and as of last Monday haven't been able to train him on any of his new responsibilities. I guess at least he's on the higher grade wage.
He's now volunteered to be one of the 3 people who man the office for the duration.
I'm sure this is nothing to do with his 2 bed house with Wor Lass and the Bairns. And the dog. In a terrace. In Stanley.


T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #12 on: 24 March, 2020, 03:24:08 pm »
El Prez recounts story of chum who cycled to baker's on his road bike on pretext of buying food. Stopped by police who looked in his bag, said "it's not full enough to justify the outing" and slapped him with a 135€ ticket.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #13 on: 24 March, 2020, 04:30:39 pm »
Wrangling medical appointments by email - cos phones aren't an option for this deafie.  One is being sensible, the other a bit less so. But unlike many friends, I won't die or get seriously ill without my care, just very pained and miserable.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #14 on: 24 March, 2020, 05:02:11 pm »
Got a dentist text this morning reminding me of the appointment I'd already tried to move to ~next next next... month~ and was certainly not going to attend. Called them. Oh we can't stop the automatic text system  :facepalm: but we've cancelled all non-emergency appointments anyway and will be rescheduling when we're told it's safe. So, partly good. Just remains to be seen what the official idea of safe is.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #15 on: 24 March, 2020, 06:48:08 pm »
I had some stuff to send by UPS. I paid the extra £2.40 to have it collected as I'm working from home and I can't drop it off on the way to work. I packed it up in an old Farnell box and left it on the doorstep.

A few hours later, it's back inside, on the table, with "Happy Birthday" and a flower drawn on it.

My wife had ordered my present from Farnell, saw the box and assumed that it was the present she had bought for me that had arrived.

I got the writing and the picture covered up and later in the day the UPS delivery man arrived and took one parcel and dropped the other one off.

Quote from: Kim
Paging Diver300.  Diver300 to the GSM Trimphone, please...

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #16 on: 24 March, 2020, 07:12:20 pm »
I had a call from the company doing my post-accident insurance medical today, seems to be still going ahead in a fortnight.  I'll wait and see.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #17 on: 25 March, 2020, 08:48:34 am »
Due to.my ENT outpatient appointment being cancelled I felt I needed advice and reassurance from my GP as I'm taking far more OTC painkillers for earache than I feel is good for me.
I got a telephone consultation first off - quick and efficient but she wanted to look down my ear (reasonably) so booked me an appointment yesterday (three hours after the phone call).
I cycled down there (quiet roads, but stupid drivers) and went into the surgery where the waiting room chairs were spaced out splendidly.
Once I was quizzed and my ears examined I was given (another) dose lot of amoxicillin and a very tentative suggestion that I might have mastoidosis, but the GP is going to talk to the ENT bods before I go back in a couple of weeks.
The pharmacy was busy with people collecting prescriptions, and yay! they had paracetamol - that plus ibuprofen is the only way I'm getting to sleep, so it's now on my essentials list.

The existential question remains, was my ride to the GP and pharmacy my single exercise of the day, or a healthcare journey, and could I have gone out again? Modern life eh!
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #18 on: 25 March, 2020, 12:10:25 pm »
having spent 14 days in a (voluntary) lock-down/social distancing, it's pretty safe to say i've dodged the virus so far, considering incubation period of 5-14 days.

i'll continue living that way until the situation improves, started getting used to it.

pdm

  • Sheffield hills? Nah... Just potholes.
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #19 on: 25 March, 2020, 12:21:43 pm »
Day 2:

Well, our Aga service man came up trumps and fitted (still clad in industrial HAZMAT!) a new burner (eye-watering cost, though  :P) and declared the 70  year old powder blue and black behemoth as good as new (or better even , given the advances in  gas burners). Need to bake some bread for the hungry hoard when its warmed up...

Went out mid morning for the allowed "exercise session" so as not to waste the summer that has suddenly appeared outside - did a short local loop ride on Lodge Moor - ~25km with ~350m climbing. absolutely gorgeous and pretty deserted. I will have to get the rest of the distance in on the trainer.

I think some lazing the garden with lunch is the next chore...

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #20 on: 25 March, 2020, 02:01:43 pm »
We are in the process of reclaiming our back garden from the wild garlic which has taken over. The soil is pretty good and I plan to put a load of taters in, as teh easiest thing that can go into soil that hasn't been cultivate for a bit. Will be going online to buy seeds & stuff fairly shortly.
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #21 on: 25 March, 2020, 02:02:17 pm »
... the hungry hoard ...

Maybe the hungry horde will want some of your hoard.

As long as the hungry whores aren't involved...
The loss of humanity I could live with.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #22 on: 25 March, 2020, 02:12:15 pm »
We are in the process of reclaiming our back garden from the wild garlic which has taken over. The soil is pretty good and I plan to put a load of taters in, as teh easiest thing that can go into soil that hasn't been cultivate for a bit. Will be going online to buy seeds & stuff fairly shortly.
Dig up the wild garlic and save it! If you don't want it, I'm sure others do.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #23 on: 25 March, 2020, 02:16:06 pm »
... the hungry hoard ...

Maybe the hungry horde will want some of your hoard.

As long as the hungry whores aren't involved...
Hmm. Got to wonder what will happen to street or indeed indoor prostitution. Presumably a massive fall off in clients and no chance of government support schemes for them, leading to... theft, robbery? Dunno. Also street drugs; presumably reduced mobility will cut down supply. Cue desperate addicts (and probably more robbery to pay higher prices for scarcer supply). OTOH these things might be unaffected by epidemics; there's a certain amount of risk to health involved in both activities anyway.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Tales from the Lock-Down
« Reply #24 on: 25 March, 2020, 02:48:09 pm »
Will be going online to buy seeds & stuff fairly shortly.

We should not be ordering ‘nice to have’ items online for the time being. It is forcing non-essential workers to have to go into work, possible travel on public transport etc etc.