Anti-Dementor Alliance Thread - learn how to produce your patronus here

[Tappering]

New thread!

This made me chuckle!

I agree Psycho.

I talked to my 85 year old uncle yesterday. He said he is firmly against lockdown easing and doesn't like the idea people are mixing. Except he's just arranged for his cleaner to go back in because he's struggling too much on his own. Ok so she's going in to help a vulnerable person but the point is I think we'll see more and more of that - people saying they feel very firmly things should be a certain way but bending the rules to suit themselves which means lockdown has essentially eased further than the official rules say it should have done.

@psychomath The best post of the thread. I've been feeling similar.

The things that keep us going (not an exhaustive list) as a successful species are our inherent sociability, which helps us care for other people and find partners, instinct to trade, help others and curiosity about the world. The lockdown might be helping others on a limited scale but it's absolutely killing everything else.

I just got a group WhatsApp from a mum who has a kid in DS's reception class. She won't be sending her child in, it's not safe. We can't be expected put our children at risk like this. How would we ever forgive ourselves if they all died? She's starting a petition to the school.

I shouldn't have, but I bit and said that we are having a really hard time as a family right now and my children are having a lot to cope with. I told her I didn't want to be part of this negativity and it's really concerning for our own and our children's mental health that people are reacting like this. And I asked her to take me off the group chat.

No response yet! Perhaps I was a bit harsh. But I have had enough dementoring. And I am a bit preoccupied by chemo tomorrow. You know, I worry about a lot of things. I worry about my children being distressed by seeing their mum unwell; I worry about them falling out of trees and breaking arms (this has happened!); I worry about not getting better and my children having to grow up without their mum (although I try not to think those things). But I have to confess, I'm no more worried about them getting coronavirus than I would be about them getting chickenpox

Can we just agree that seeing close friends/family in a social distancing way is fine? It wasn't even mentioned on the Peri-Ometer. Surely we're not expected to wait until lemon and herb to see our families in 3D again.

@heroku - I’m sure Boris will be asked and expand on this more tomorrow. I agree though - I’m not sure I can wait until Lemon & Herb stage to see my family again!

Can I add Nando’s on to my list of shit I really miss now? Along with proper Costa and McBreakfast and not shit “socially distanced” telly with presenters stood awkwardly 2m apart even though they were probably shagging backstage before they went on air?

I can't believe they didn't cover things like nurseries open, mixing with our families

Me too: I was hoping for the ten-person bubble. My bubble would be seven people and 190 miles wide.

You can drive where you like and for whatever reason now ?

It looks like it's "Drive to do exercise if you want", which is either permission to drive as far as you like, take a little stroll then drive back or just a slight clarification of the previous guidelines that you can drive for exercise as long as the exercise is for longer than the drive.

Jourdain you weren’t harsh at all, no one needs that kind of crazy in their life.

Sorry, what’s lemon & herb stage please?

@LilacTree1 the covid alert chart looks like the Nandos Peri-Ometer (see upthread)

Well, I cried today.

I've been sticking to the rules and doing my best. I'm a single parent so have been doing handovers but it's meant I've seen XH more than I've seen DP.

I don't have it anywhere near as hard as many people -my two boys are 12 and 24- but I've suffered depression several times in the past and my mental health is now taking a battering. I've had insomnia again (first time in over four years) and today , like I said, after that shitty PM message, I cried.

So DP came over for a short while. And I feel a bit better.

And I don't care if anyone has a problem with it.

heroku thanks

I half think the PM will never give a green light to see loved ones so we’ll just have to take the risk (of the fine) if we can afford it.

I think ten person bubble might come at the start of
June so they find track and trace easier to do.

Just been chatting to my deputy head at school. Poor guy is already receiving lots of emails from angry parents. Bloody ridiculous.

Track and trace sounds like what you use to find out where Hermes have abandoned your parcel this time

It's a step forward, if a miniscule one, and that makes me feel happy. We've broken the back of it.

Am also very happy that, all going well, my reception DC will be able to return to school in June. I wish we'd been given the go-ahead to see family outdoors but I think that's going to be impossible to prevent and thus start tacitly happening all over soon.

My patrons is a local bird called a cassowary. It has mastered the FU dementor death stare but also could kick them to death.

I agree with the fuck it approach.

How can it be right for me to work in a still fairly crowded (nhs) workplace but not be able to see my family?

The dementors who live in touristland are having several fits all over the site. They need to watch it. People won't forget being held in contempt.

Well, Boris left more questions than answers as usual. He is utterly incapable of being clear and succinct.

It's a step forward, if a miniscule one, and that makes me feel happy. We've broken the back of it.

Yes, that's cheered me up a bit.

I was hoping against hope for a bubble tonight so that we could see our daughter who is in a flat right across London and struggling a bit from lack of human contact. She can't move in for good as she is finishing off her degree in painting and all her stuff is there. She just needs a weekend of fun and family, but we will have to wait. I'm feeling a little bit low, and a bit concerned for her.

Small Dog is going to be my patronus. He is ridiculously happy and very good at letting me know when threats are approaching.

heroku
Their biggest worry right now is that the golf courses will reopen which will ruin their social distancing walks.

I have to admit that being able to take long walks round the local golf course has been a bright silver lining. We did six miles over two and a half hours this afternoon, taking in the local nature reserve as well. On the down side, Small Dog has discovered the gourmet delicacy that is goose poo.

I'm already seeing family outdoors. We sit in my parents garden, over 2m apart. I don't see the problem; it's no worse than a supermarket queue. Actually it's better as I would be stood next to two people from two different households in a queue. That's a three way mix, this is only two. We've been getting online shopping, if I've needed to top up I go to Aldi at half nine in the evening when it's practically empty, and I'm pretty sure I had CV right back at the end of March, did the full two weeks isolation, so potentially immune anyway. The risk is miniscule.

I'm happy about the exercise thing, especially driving. We can now drive a bit further and get to the cycle paths near us rather than being on the roads all the time. Better (and safer!) for DD1 riding her own bike and dd2 on mine. Very happy about schools as dd1 is year 1 so as soon as she can get back in, I'll send her.

Hopeful that the social bubble thing will be introduced in a couple of weeks. Would really like to be able to join up with my mum and dad and let the dds hug their Nanny and Granddad again. Fingers crossed!

Pink from people who are angry that schools are maybe slightly opening in June in a very limited way?

Shodan, in real life, most people don't give a rat's arse. Good on you .

@Shodan 💐 I know a little of what you mean.

I'm on my own (widowed) with 2 dcs (younger than yours). I only see anyone in the flesh if I happen to be in my front garden as neighbours pass, which is rare. I am lucky that I have MIL and SILs in walking distance, so we have waved through the window, and had a few socially distanced brief chats at either end of the drive.

This week has been tough, and to top it off, it should have been a close relative's funeral (only middle aged and not c19). Yesterday I video called my best friend, and couldn't stop myself having a bit of a cry. We have both been entirely alone apart from shopping and so have decided that we would get together, come what may. After the way I have felt this week, i think it might come under support for a vulnerable person.