Things I have only done since lockdown

[DukeOfEarlGrey]

As a complement to our ‘things I haven’t done since lockdown’ thread. I’ll go first:

• Talked to all of my neighbours
• Walked someone else’s dog for them
• Phoned my (rather difficult) sister just for a chat
• Cried on the phone to my boss 😬

Phoned my (pain in the arse) brother for a chat.
Gone to the supermarket with no makeup on.
Eaten biscuits in the bath (why the fuck not?)
Done yoga in the garden.
Said hello to everyone I pass in the street.
Said ‘stay safe’ to checkout operators.

Ha! Yes, ‘stay healthy and safe’ has become my email sign-off.

Gone for a walk every day ... bored senseless with it.

Emptied cupboards and sorted and cleaned them properly .

Watched a film in the day time.

Yes! Daytime TV and daytime naps. So odd (getting v fond of the naps though).

Baked a loaf of bread

• been genuinely excited when someone knocked on the door (it was a delivery).

• joined a street WhatsApp group and become overly familiar with all my neighbours shopping habits.

• brushed up on my maths (to a yr4 level)

• written a haiku

• walked endlessly around my local area

Used click and collect
Disliked my children
Let my hair grow long and grey
Used clippers on the whole family
Had a dairy parlour in my fridge
Owned so many eggs!
Owned so many pencils!
Cried on the phone to my sons teacher
Really thought my child was going to hit me during one of his many many meltdowns.

Owned so much Dettol!

Drunk tea. And now I like it!
Made mayonnaise and coleslaw.
Trimmed DH's hair.
Spoken to all my neighbours.
Video called my parents. Usually I talk to two ears with a blank piece of wall between. They're still getting the hang of it 😂.

Had ( too many) meetings on zoom

Had an "at home" spa day

Injected my pet with antibiotics (on vet's instruction) (not that I ever did it before without vet's instruction)

Learned where squirrels sleep

Conducted my work by phone instead of face to face

Been redeployed in work

Exchanged vegetable seeds with neighbour

Read a book about pandemics

And I am (almost) at the stage of allowing my daughter to cut my hair

Gone for a walk every day after work and a longer walk at weekends. Was hoping to lose some pork but that hasn't happened!

Gardening. Our garden has never looked so good - and probably wont ever again. However I think I might have got a bit of a liking for it. I do wonder if I have been going a bit far as I have sieved all the soil. I now have about half a ton of hardcore to get rid of.

Done 5000 steps every day without fail - mainly because I am WFH and I have gained 2 hours of my life back without a commute. I hate walking but have got to know almost every cycle and footpath within a 2 mile radius.

Made hot cross buns, complete with cross. they were lush.

Learned where squirrels sleep

@Thecurtainsofdestiny please elaborate!

Scraped through Skype, Zoom, Webex, and Microsoft Team meetings.
Taught ancient history and war themed poems by Byron, Shelly and Owen (year 6 homeschool curriculum)
Cried a lot
Shouted at DD a lot
Cut DH's hair (god bless hairdressers - they are worth every penny)
Made face masks with a sewing machine (I can't sew for toffee)
Cried some more

www.whatdosquirrelseat.org/where-do-squirrels-sleep/

Exactly why I needed to learn this, I can't remember. But I've noticed nature a lot more since lockdown and got interested in the squirrels in our garden.

I have also learned why do squirrels squawk after being told off by one, one morning!

@Thecurtainsofdestiny - what books on pandemics sis you read? I'd quite like to read something that will make me feel better about now!

www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/8-books-to-read-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus

Good list here, I haven't read them all though!

Sat in my front garden on patio furniture talking to the neighbours and drinking cider.
Listened to podcasts
Cried over stupid things
Felt guilty over stupid things

Downloaded Houseparty.
Deleted Houseparty.
Downloaded Zoom.
Got to know nephew's fabulous girlfriend (over Zoom).
Worked from home.
Been a bit late for work every day.
Logged on for work in bra and pants.
Worn high heels "to work".
Not missed a single delivery.
Had breakfast every day.
Saved money.

Baked fucking cakes. Done fucking crafts.

Successfully baked sourdough boules, baguettes and focaccia (I had tried all these before but failed)

Given bread to the neighbours

Convinced/bribed the kids to go for a walk every day

Trimmed everyone else's hair except mine

Did zoom quizzes with work and family

Consistently done exercise and yoga classes at home, and used the elliptical that until now was our version of a chair-drobe

Indexed all my cookbooks and favourite food blogs on this online cookbook index and now I can basically google all my cookbooks for a recipe using any particular ingredient- great for using things up

Learnt what zoom is.
Cried a lot.
Undone 6 months of counselling.
Learnt I love my job.
Confirmed I really need time alone if I do not get it I lose the plot.

We sat down every day at one point as a family and went through the whole Star Wars films, one a day. We have a big age gap between our children so never find anything we all want to watch. And I very rarely watch telly before 9pm. . It was fun.

Oh and dug a veggie patch out the front. I have been meaning to do it for years and i was so pissed off that we didn't get our deposit back for a very long awaited holiday that i stomped outside and dug up the garden. No holiday but we now have potatoes and beetroot growing

Spoken to my dad on the phone for more than 30 minutes he's desperate to get peace away from my mother
Had a prescription couriered to me
Worn a mask
Received a government food box
Missed my colleagues
Worked from home in a job that isn't ever done from home usually
People watching out the window
Cried when I got a supermarket slot after over a month without one (no other way of getting shopping)
Been seen by my boss in pjs with no makeup when he handed a laptop over