Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

That should have said DD, whoami and Volterra.

Thanks you @mummabear74 - feeling a little paranoid that DD hasn't received it!

Harry Potter fans here Monkey 😀 at the foe glass. Now we have the small matter of working out what on earth to do from here.

So pleased DH can come home Piccolo.

@Decorhate @Delphigirl @Wheresthebeach DD got email from Southampton re offer and offer days and the link to book is https://www.southampton.ac.uk/offerholder?utmsource=ug-transactional-email-03&utmmcampaign=UG2022&utmmedium=email&utmmcontent=applicant-day-booking-link-button

Fingers crossed for your DS, whoamitojudge, and yours Volterra.
DH is due to fly back from Dubai tomorrow. On Friday, one of the orchestra tested positive and has to stay out until 28th, so I’ve been panicking about his fit-to-fly PCR, taken yesterday, but it’s negative, thankfully.

Wishing your DD a safe journey home @whoamitojudge x

Hope you’ve got dd back safe and sound @whoamitojudge

@BlueMarigold - re Ucas - some of the services are down (was yesterday too) someone said on WIWIKAU that it was planned maitenance.
This service is unavailable until 18:00(UK time) on 19 December 2021.

@Volterra I don't know whether you are a Harry Potter fan, but sounds like your foe glass would have figures getting more distinct in representation of your Covid risk!

On top of waiting to hear result of my friend’s PCR, DD’s housemate has just tested positive on lateral flow, DD due here tomorrow.

@BlueMarigold
I'm a bit slow with this but yes I get the same thing from UCAS. I think DS's form might have finally gone in so keep trying to check, very frustrating.

Hi sorry for my absence but it’s been a hectic few weeks.
After having covid at the end of last month and the added stress of Dd being away. I had a huge wobble about going back to work ( I work in retail) as it’s getting busy I’m still convinced that I’ll get it again.
DD had to go to Germany for part of her training (cabin crew) and she’s done all her covid tests which thankfully are negative I’ve been really worried about her.
She’s due back tomorrow morning which I’m so happy about.
I’ve not done much Christmas shopping as my heart hasn’t been in it until I know Dd is home safe.
So irrational I know seeing as she’ll be travelling across Europe for her job but they only spend up to 30 mins at their destination before coming back
Please someone give me a kick up the backside and tell me to man up 😂😂

@ExquisitelyDecorated yes...He's had 2 vaccines. Second early nov. We will keep doing LFT's then. Thanks. I don't know how good they are at showing covid, especially if no symptoms. I'm worried about DH getting it. But we aren't seeing elderly relatives or going anywhere particular over Christmas. So will just carry on. I am amazed we have come this far without getting covid. Or at least knowingly. Ds1 is coming home Tuesday. He's still got a bad cough. DH picked up his laptop yesterday, then I emailed him his dissertation stuff from the laptop. So I hope he's getting it finished. I'm assuming he can still come home if ds2 tests positive. He will just have to stay here then and test like the rest of us. I wonder if it will be announced for whole houses to isolate if someone has Covid. I think not going into crowed places, schools etc if someone in the house tests positive is sensible. But I'd like to able to walk my dogs (I can avoid people) if I stayed negative.

No more offers. Just the one Ds wanted. I'm assuming he won't get any now until next year.

Monkey speaking to his mum yesterday he is hoping to get one this side of Christmas as he hasn't been able to get one easily as not at school now and literally out in the sticks. Had a friend die after having vaccine so was understandably scared to have it but knows he should have one so def not a denier and knows we feel happier if he has one so is doing his best to get one. All his family are either triple jabbed (parents) or jabbed according to age.

Close contacts do the 7 days worth of LFT now instead of PCR, only need to do a pcr if the LFT is positive or symptoms develop. Assuming he is jabbed.

@ExquisitelyDecorated I wasn't sure if Ds counts as a close contact.

@icanbewhatiwant If DS2 doesn't have symptoms LFTs are all that is required now though, PCR is for those with symptoms. If he does need a PCR is there a drive-in or walk-in pcr centre near you? We had ours back in 24 and 36 hours from those this earlier this week. I agree the self-isolation while you wait for results is off-putting though..

We have unvaccinated family coming Boxing Day. They had covid back in Oct. They are very anti taking any medication that doesn't need to be taken. So won't have vaccines. They are eating with us boxing. They only eat organic (I'm ignoring as can't afford everything organic) they don't eat grains (not allergic) dairy or anything sweet. So I'm struggling a bit.

Ds2 is doing daily LFT's. Is that enough? Should we book a pcr? He sat next to a lad all day weds who had a cold. Next day he was off as worse, then did pcr which was positive. The thing putting me off pcr is the fact ds1 sent his off on the Tuesday and results came Sunday eve. That is a very long wait if isolating. A friend's dh and Ds sent one off a week before ours and waited 6 days for results. Dh has had a cold and has done 4 LFT's. All negative. He is almost better now, I'd like to hope they'd pick covid up when there's symptoms.

Ds2 has just asked for tickets to see Harry Hill for a Christmas present. It's not until Nov. 2022 he will hopefully be at university then, so will need to travel home. I didn't know he was that much of a fan of Harry Hill.

My London family seem to think it is inevitable that everyone will get Covid and it is not worth trying too hard to avoid it, so they are encouraging my parents to spend Christmas day with my brother and family although they will be on day 8 of isolation. We country folk don't like them taking the risk!

@AnneOfCleavage why is the BF unvaccinated? I would not have him to stay until he is vaccinated unless there is a good reason. I would say a vaccine denier is not good BF material!

Ooh I do love a super bright kid.What are McGill and UBC? Ahh British Columbia. Our girls been doing Cambridge Foundation stuff today. Quite personal, and therefore difficult. I felt a bit cross, and disinclined to help because my tablet had to be replaced yesterday and she implied that we spend the allowance we get for her on ourselves, and we do not. But then I reminded myself that our birth children could be equally entitled if we bought anything for us. Teenagers can be arses.

Thank you for kind comments about DD! She has everything all planned out (I keep telling to keep an open mind but hey ho). She has GCSEs this year, then is going to do geography, politics, economics and Spanish A levels plus Arabic ab initio on the side. She is also a good coder and does those Cyberfirst summer courses which she will probably keep up. She then wants to go to McGill or UBC and focus on social sciences.
After that who knows. She is a great problem-solver who always measures off the charts for spatial ability, but I don’t know where all that will lead. We joke that she will end up running Mi5.

Oh no Anne, that’s horrible - always happen at the worst possible time. Interesting the LTF didn’t pick yours up. She was doing a haircut so we did have masks on which is something. She was saying the mask was making her throat really dry and I did for a moment think, oh...

DD coming tomorrow as long as her PCR is clear that she did as friends on her course went down with it. Dad coming next week, no idea what they’ve been up to. We’re doing Christmas on 22nd which seems a bit so near yet so far at the moment !

Just logged into the UCAS page and it says the application is currently unavailable. Is anyone else getting that?

I got sent home from work after literally one cough on Weds as a precaution. Even with pcr negative they don't want me back in till I'm completely better (understandably) because if you catch this off me you then have the stress of pcr and the wait for results. Yesterday the DCs wanted a lift to nearest big town for Christmas shopping so I took them but grabbed a coffee and sat in a wide open bit of shopping mall away from everyone else, didn't go in any shops. I'm going into our town shortly but haven't really coughed since getting up today, I will still get in and out of shops as fast as possible.