Chickens Against Dementors!

[psychomath]

New thread!

Chicken ads for anyone who missed them.

Anyway have fun everyone, I'm off to sit in the park now that it's allowed.

Well went out Asda queue was snaking around the car park so drove off. Went to Wilko, small queue the atmosphere was so different, people smiling, the security guard in a good mood, had a good look around bought plants and other bits and pieces. Some toys for grand kids and sweets.

Went home washed everything shot round to grandsons to leave stuff for them they saw me, presents and sweets the oldest put his arms around and whispered you bring the bestest things I love you. I hugged him back. We then sat in the garden cursing Drakeford and his socialist doom mongering. He said he is in talks with the unions about schools going back, we all know that means September.

Scottish Anti Dementors... what do you think is going to happen up here?

@Waxonwaxoff0 Yes, and I've HEAVILY judged my colleagues who've shared memes like that. I suppose it's technically true, as in there is capacity within ITU IF a) you caught Covid, b) you became unwell, c) you became sick enough to need hospital admission, d) you became more unwell and needed ITU admission, but that's a lot of 'ifs' which, chances are, won't happen.

I've been told I can take up to 20% of my staff back into the office from mid-June! Hoorah! I now need to work out some kind of complicated rota system. I'm going to consult with my management team on how this can work for everyone, including those who are so desperate to get back they 'will chain themselves to their chair if the office shuts again' and those who would rather not go back in at all just yet. We have a range of views and no one will be forced to do anything they don't want to.

The quick straw poll shows about 70-80% would go back in one or two days a week, provided good hygiene is in place. Many of the others are only saying they won't because schools aren't back yet and they have no child care.

The hygiene thing is particularly important as our offices were totally minging pre-lockdown - I and many others complained regularly and bitterly about the state of the loos in particular. I will want to be sure myself that the place has been deep cleaned (and I am told it will be) before venturing back in.

So it appears my colleagues are generally pretty non-dementory. Given we all assess degrees of harm and risk for a living, that's not entirely surprising.

I fancy a Wilko's trip. Maybe tomorrow morning.

My family that lives in Scotland aren't expecting schools to go back before August.
They are really hoping some kind of summer clubs for dc will be allowed because of work issues.
They are hoping for some social easing soon, boating etc to be allowed.
Family spilts into group 1, no lockdown is strict enough and group 2, we need to work and dc need school.
Group 1 are happier at present.

Oh and my MIL has had a positive antibody test for CV19. Totally asymptomatic, and she's 76, though fit as a fiddle. My FIL was negative, and there is no way he would have avoided catching it, they are inseparable. He's 79 and in poor health - diabetes, all sorts.

wax Oooh that would have been good if Butlins had waived the extra cost, but we are changing our date from a term time weekend in June to New Year. Its double the cost. I'm happy to pay the difference to be fair. With my fuel cost going down from £200-£250 a month to less than £25 a month I have already saved up the extra cost.

heroku That does sound harsh. I dont know what the answer is, but it seems really unfair. If I knew I was likely to die (obvs someone with dementia probably doesn't) then I wouldn't want to be stuck inside.
Hope you come to some reasonable solution.

Oooh the Memes. Another reason why its good to have left facebook. Nearly went back on it today, just out of habit though. I'm determined to have a proper break from it.

I have decided with FB that I am not going to argue, but instead post positive developments to try and get a balance.

Hartlepool BC have said No to schools opening on the 1st June.

@heroku that is the saddest thing in all of this. I just heard on the radio there is a plan to test everyone in care homes. Doesn't help you right now but I hope this helps overall. I don't know what to say. It's unjust. I normally try to find words to help someone struggling but I have none. Let me get you a cup of tea and we can plan an imaginary scenario where we bust her out and take her to Whitby and have fish and chips on the beach.

Let me get you a cup of tea and we can plan an imaginary scenario where we bust her out and take her to Whitby and have fish and chips on the beach

That's such a lovely image. Thank you for that

www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-52646388 - there's a couple of cheerful pictures here (not the transport ones!). I want to be with the guy in his beach hut!

@TooManyButtons Yep. I'm a HCP (not the kind that people clap for, I'm the kind that are always shit on MN ). Utterly despairing at colleagues who share any dementoring memes so there's been a fair bit of unfollowing.

@Orangeblossom78 See you there! Although we're in nothing as fancy, just an inflatable rib that's almost as old as me. Means we can navigate all the fun bits though. Looking forward to doing the harbour then pulling up at the back of Shell Bay for a pint.

The thing about having these scary sounding things without any symptoms just really does show how things get somewhat overhyped.

My mum is a carrier for MRSA - umpteen decolonisation programmes and they never did manage to get shot of it - in the end they did major surgery following precautions and isolating her afterwards - and she came through it just fine (OK so we take the piss and shout unclean unclean after her at times).

Yeah, but 79yo doesn't die of virus, is not news though is it

My cleaner came back to work today - it was bliss! I’m sure that’s probably worth two children and a granny 🤨 . She asked to come back - I’ve been paying her since lockdown started - and she did such a good job I almost felt like banning the dc from going into the kitchen ...

@heroku, depending on how far her dementia has gone and whether she has any quality of life I think it would be kinder to get her out and make her happy in the short term, and risk what might happen.

For myself, I would rather be dead than live a bewildered and miserable half-life, and I have an Advance Decision that says so. I watched my Grandad die of Parkinson's, my Grandma with dementia and my Gran some months after a stroke left her immobile and uncommunicative and I would take pneumonia and good drugs any day. What would your GMIL feel, do you know?

I foolishly ducked into the AIBU thread about the incredibly low number of new cases in London &....Dear Lord. It reminded me of Mrs Doyle darkly muttering "Maybe I LIKE the misery!" to Fr Ted.

Given that children are not super-spreaders, and indeed seem to get CV-19 very mildly if at all, I'm very interested to see whether tests show that they're building up antibodies without any symptoms. If they are, it will have implications for herd immunity and it'll mean that the disease will age out of the population in the long term.

Evening!

Had an email from school today to say all being well they are partially opening from 8th June for year 10 and 12. My daughter will get 1 day a week in small groups of 15.

I’m really pleased, DD’s mental health is fucked and I really think it’s something positive for her.

Been for a lovely walk on the beach with kids and dog and feel quite chill now.

Heroku that sounds awful. My grandmother-in-law’s care home is isolating them in their rooms but a carer takes them for a mooch around the grounds 1 at a time every day. Not great, but better than nothing.

They haven’t actually had a positive test there. One of the residents died a couple of weeks ago, he was 103, had no symptoms and had no test but Covid was included on his death certificate so they’ve had to lock the place down.

If there is no spike after VE day celebrations and the R stays below one, it seems like some people are going to be very disappointed.

One of the residents died a couple of weeks ago, he was 103, had no symptoms and had no test but Covid was included on his death certificate

Wait... what? Why?

Rubberdinghy ours is an ultra cheap kit boat from the 1970s! It's beautiful round there isn't it.

My little niece and nephew went back to school in the Netherlands this week. An international school. They are 3 and 5. It has gone OK, they were worried to start but the children are settling well, just mornings for now. They are getting met by the key worker outside and apprently this is working better than taking them in as they used to make a bit of a fuss but this seems to work better!

They even have a specific toilet to use they proudly mentioned

Thanks for the Scotland thoughts. I'm feeling really down. My poor child.