Resting and fingers crossed

 

Not the greatest start to the week, no not the burning aftermath of last weeks post but in a more general sense with having a sore throat, temperature, woozy head, fatigue and aching bones.

Basically I'm having to stay around the curtilage of house in uniform to sit out for sunshine and fresh air a bit while resting with painkillers, those pick me up tablet things you dissolve in water and try to stay cheerful.

In more normal times - can you remember when we had them? - you'd put it down to something like a bad cold or flu but because the symptoms are similar to Covid infections for those of us who have been vaccinated, twice in my case.

That means you need to be careful for other peoples sake and not just be concerned with yourself, keeping near enough isolation for around ten days at least.

I know what Covid is like - I got it late February last year and given how I felt when it struck genuinely don't know how I got home and even survived given how I felt it's not something to take chances with.

Look after yourselves, ignore the conspiracy stuff and if you haven't been vaccinated yet - get it done as it isn't too late and we'll see you around.

All change!

It's a bit of a different post than I'd normally make on here as it's raining cats and dogs here as I type this but as of Monday we can do more NOT that all restrictions have gone away, they haven't but in what ought to had been a moment of celebration that we'd got to a point we could do that, there's a fly in the ointment.

It seems a fair number of people had brought into the UK  a Covid variant from India, highly likely to had been people from that sub continent by not taking tests and if positive self isolating compounded a lowish vaccine uptake in come communities that simply cannot be down to not being able to be vaccinated.

This means the authorities are running round like scolded cats testing and laying on more inoculations, even vaccinating all  17's and over  in households that might have almost adult children, parents and grandparents all under the same roof  in certain areas of concern to both bring down transmission rates with the risks of hospitalization and to try to keep the date we can ease all restrictions around the expected one of June 21st.

It's annoying as many people with physical, mental health needs and issues have struggled through this pandemic, grappled with our own issues around things like generalized anxiety, struggle with social situations with lots of people and noise  to get ourselves vaccinated and it appears others who could of too, did not.

The price of such behaviour is that normality in terms everyday social interactions may be delayed a week or two and for what? Thinking what everybody else was doing didn't apply to you and risking everyone's lives.

Getting out of this thing needs all of us pulling together with no ifs, buts or maybes.

Because we need it

We're getting towards the point in which the next set of restrictions to be lifted are being evaluated which is kind of relevant for this blog and aspects of my life because as they applied here staying overnight with people unless to use the queer terminology of this pandemic you were in a 'bubble' wasn't really possible and even daytime meetings in peoples houses and the like were off.

That meant chunks of life such as group meetings where we'd have fun playing games, visiting places, making things in arts and crafts were suspended although having spoken with the owner of a place we use, they think our planned visit at the end of July *should* still be on and are certainly looking forward to our return.

That is when we've passed the full restrictions being lifted with the exception possibly of mask wearing in public spaces stage by June.

The one single negative about the place is the rooms are both more spaced about the building with inevitably stairs and close together which isn't ideal when it comes to keeping the noise low with others when it comes to administering spankings.

Given the nature and differences between people it's not unlike some events a setting where everyone is used to and is okay with seeing or hearing people being spanked publicly so any is discrete and in private with consents just between those in it.

Last time we didn't and that was literally last time as lockdown started just a few weeks after so it may not.

Given how this pandemic has messed my head up, I may be looking at some point a weeks before going over to the person who normally would for a few spanking sessions to get me back on track.

Paws crossed the next step happen.

March Wednesday round up

This week I've done some tidying, not least straightening a pile of records and while I was at it removing any that were worn and to which had been replaced and been for a number of walks.

That's beside doing some colouring after having my covid jab at the weekend  and chatted with someone else at Tumblr for while.

 Millicent Bunny is the guardian of my stairs - yes really - making sure nothing happens that could be painful in her dress with frilly bits on.

I've had her for over fifteen year where I spotted her on a craft store loving her appearance although she does weigh quite a bit which you soon notice picking her up to vacuum the carpet so perhaps she oughta be on a diet?  

I should be studying this weekend unless anything happens in the meantime which should be fun as I believe Math is in this week coming.

New Year Covid Changes

There are reasons why I do get cranky which does tend to lead to the ow ow ow posts on this blog but sometimes its a less personal thing that really messes my head up and that's a topic I'm returning to today.

Many of us are familiar, perhaps too familiar with the Covid-19 pandemic that's in much of the World and while the accompanying restrictions do vary depending where we live but the basic principals are the same: keep your distance while interacting with others, wear a face covering in shared often indoor settings like shops and keep strict hygiene with your hands including visiting a shop.

After an increase in the infection rate otherwise known as "The R number", many of us in England (the different parts of the UK such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules) found ourselves put in areas with greater restrictions following the relaxations from around Fall.

One problem has been the discovery of not one but two variant strains that are more adapted to increase the rate of transmission and following a short-lived change as of today we're being told in effect to stay at home followed by a series of permitted exemptions and breaching them will break civil law so you may be fined and ultimately sent to prison if you don't pay up.

Nothing in this is remotely perfect take for instance the substantial closure of schools open only for "Key Workers" like people in the health service so parents can still work while children are looked after or children who would be more at risk of parental abuse without someone keeping an eye on them.

For all others "Online learning" is meant to be offered of which the quality of teaching varied hugely and over a third last time were not able to learn due lack of equipment, internet connections or a suitable space to learn without detractions apart from how adults told to work from home are supposed to do that AND supervise children at once? 

The other thing with these restrictions concern being out of doors as we've been told we "should" only go out to exercise for no more than an hour once a day which doesn't include walking the dog and say powerwalking or cycling.

For many of us being out of house, away from the constant messaging, mentioned endlessly on tv and radio being able switch of is vital not least if like me you have anxiety issues rooted in childhood incidents and abuse and yet it's to be rationed in a crude way.

Of course trying avoid busy spots and times matters to cut person to person potential contact down but if you can't shop by yourself why should you be restricted to being out once when a person that can (and people in shops don't always follow the rules like being only two inches away waiting at the tills with no mask on!) can be out to shop and out to exercise on the same day? 

Are we not capable of making sensible decisions?

Covid and I

Within the last couple of weeks, there's been a number of things that normally would of happened such as going to friends for a Halloween party bash for littles where we can play, make things like lanterns and finish off with a big bonfire that haven't happened thanks to covid that took out summer LG camp for good measure.

It may not of helped with us going into Lockdown 2.0 again on November 5th in England but even if we'd of stayed within the tier system, the venue was in a Teir 2 high one as all of Staffordshire and my district was so meeting up in houses overnight was out of the question.

I am struggling pretty much with this pandemic - I'll admit it - with the uncertainty about when and even if it will be over anytime soon, frequent rule changes and changed routines in the shops and even in travelling.

One example of how much even the mundane has changed is on two occasions of getting things on Ebay, I've had messages to say the people were now self isolating so there would be delays until they were better before things could be posted out.

Then there was a major outbreak in one sorting office nearby that resulted in industrial action delaying mail.

Then one relative contracts covid from working in a Care Home but is recovering and then only this Saturday I am phoned to say my Aunt is in bed laid up with it too.

Thus you really begin to wonder when it is gonna end. 

Going back down to the start

 It's been a week of decisions of sorts  most of which ties into things we have talked about on here before one being this pandemic.

It is hard to believe we were only about two months ago pushing for getting people back into offices and allowing this years 18 year olds start their university degree courses mainly on campus and yet this week much of this is upside down.

It seems to me as if we're playing a big game of snakes and ladders as allow both of things seems to have upped infection rates to the point we're going back down the ladder to quite severe restrictions in some instances.

Liverpool and surrounding areas are set to be on lockdown in all but name just as we were at the beginning where I am on the High medium level tier unable to have anyone come see me at home, supposed to avoid peak time travel and unable to sit at a table in restaurant with a family member.

Actually there is very little covid here at all because by a quirk of political map drawing we are drawn in on a map that has the top part next to a area that has a high infection rate next to a major city while ignoring the fact this is part of another city's travel to work area where it is very low where we shop, work and socialize.

This means that even if the Halloween Party and Bonfire had gone ahead which the organizer of had announced had been cancelled, I could not of stayed indoors there.

Their county is exempt from any special measures unlike mine even though two out of three districts neighbouring it are on the same middle High tier as I am which goes to show the flaw in this approach - they are not going by where people live, work, shop and socialize only the political units that have different reasons for being lumped together usually based on petty political battles between individual towns.

Thus I can rule out having any family members come see me at Christmas and seeing my friends this side of 2021 and even then some are saying this will last until June of that year.

I think we'd of all gone stark staring bonkers with massive amounts of anxiety and mental health issues by then not least from people facing losing jobs and homes.

Covid is serious but not the only major issue we're facing.