ADs dream of 'bum' tomatoes, gin and tonic sorbet and next year's holidays

[RealityExistsInTheHumanMind]

New thread.

previous thread

The one with the phallic aubergines

Speaking of gin and tonic, you can get gin and tonic After Eights now.

gin and tonic After Eights now - just why.

Tell you what is nice Amarula Cream Liqueur - found it on amazon when couldn't get Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur which is like baileys but slightly different.

Excellent new thread etiquette there with the links, @RealityExistsInTheHumanMind, I never manage to do that!

Next year's holidays... I fancy a villa in Croatia somewhere. Currently don't have a passport as mine is in the wrong name, and neither do the dds. Probably need to get that sorted first! We've been too broke to go abroad since our honeymoon (baby, bought house, baby, constant house renovation) but I'm determined to get abroad next year after the shit show that is 2020. So long as masks are over with that is, there's no way I'm putting a mask on a six year old and a two year old for the flights.

I suggested Croatia and holidays to DH - all the people hurrying back to avoid quarantine made me wonder about it.

I think he's think last minute deals rather than booking now though - as so much is up in the air.

Evening everyone! Just been pondering over how covid is everywhere and so easy to catch and spread...

I've been back at work in a pub for over a month now. It's impossible to social distance between us staff so we don't, all we have to "protect" us and the customers are flimsy visors. Not one of us staff members have been off sick since we got back and we come into contact with so many people each shift. I've also been back at the gym for nearly a month, everyone does distance and the cleaning routines have been ramped up but I have yet to hear of any cases popping up. I live in what could be considered a hot spot too, not so much my specific area but less than a mile away and it's spreading like wildfire supposedly. We are being encouraged to go gets tests even if we aren't showing symptoms, as of yet I haven't gone and am unlikely to.

Does make you wonder...

Apparently Covid isnt serious enough not to pull this shit!

www.newstatesman.com/politics/welfare/2020/08/i-feel-completely-worthless-universal-credit-claimants-offered-two-weeks

"I feel completely worthless”: Universal Credit claimants offered two weeks of unpaid work
Claimants in Halifax, including a man who has been shielding, have been asked for a fortnight of free labour as unpaid “work trials” persist"

Thanks for the new thread, @RealityExistsInTheHumanMind.

Also thanks to everyone who reassured me that at least I'm not alone in having a feral child who's spent far too much of the last few months on screens. I'm just so tired of arguing with her, we get her off the computer and then the bad moods (mine as well as hers!) poison the whole day.

That's shocking, @HeIenaDove. But sadly not surprising.

Ah, thanks for the new thread.

@mightbealittlebitmad

Evening everyone! Just been pondering over how covid is everywhere and so easy to catch and spread...

I've been back at work in a pub for over a month now. It's impossible to social distance between us staff so we don't, all we have to "protect" us and the customers are flimsy visors. Not one of us staff members have been off sick since we got back and we come into contact with so many people each shift. I've also been back at the gym for nearly a month, everyone does distance and the cleaning routines have been ramped up but I have yet to hear of any cases popping up. I live in what could be considered a hot spot too, not so much my specific area but less than a mile away and it's spreading like wildfire supposedly. We are being encouraged to go gets tests even if we aren't showing symptoms, as of yet I haven't gone and am unlikely to.

Does make you wonder...

A combination of - someone has to have it to spread it, so it is likely that if a case does occur, there may well be a few in the same social group(s) - even the worst places have relatively few cases per population - there is 100% increase from 1 to 2 and if the 'one' passes it to 2 people then that gives it a 'R' of 2 - both mean very little but make good headlines

The other reason is that, it seems that so many cases now have low or no symptoms. That was probably also the case earlier, we had potentially at least twice as many cases as recorded (which coincidentally halves the fatality rate.) So many many people have already been exposed and their bodies have resisted getting ill. Yes we may well get it more than once but even IF we do, it is unlikely to be a worse case the second time and much more likely to be milder.

We could be well on the way to herd immunity.

The virus isn't 'the common cold' but many colds are caused by previous corona viruses which were highly likely to have frequently been fatal when they first arrived in humans. Viruses survive by NOT killing their host. When the host dies so do they. People with milder versions are more likely to be out spreading their variant so the milder variant 'wins' so to speak.

We could be well on the way to herd immunity.

Could be totally wrong but that is what the reading I have done has lead me to believe. I don't think it is over but I think it is less to worry about than flu for example and certainly Cancer, Heart Disease etc etc.

Thanks for the me thread. Hope you are feeling better Dowser. Well done livin. My Instagram and FB are full off sponsored ads for courses. I'm tempted.

Had a nice covid thought free day. Went mountain biking for the first time ever. Good fun but many moments where I thought my number was up 😃

Went to the hospital for an assessment yesterday. Apart from having to cover my face a la all those buses I get it was really normal. suddenly remembers perspex screen before surgery rooms or maybe my normal has just shifted now

@RealityExistsInTheHumanMind thanks for the new thread. Great title.

@ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson don't think I said my teens too. Two weeks to school when they will HAVE to do something else.

We have got our girls back. They had a brilliant time riding in North Yorks. So pleased for them to have some fun and more normailty. We'll definately be rebooking for next year.

Thanks for the new thread 👍. Feeling very despondent. Had coffee with a v good friend this afternoon. Actually got into an establishment on third attempt as anywhere we wanted to go was either shut or had no walk in tables left. Spontaneity has gone out of life. You can’t even get a coffee in a major UK city without planning it in advance.

DD starts back at school this week. Just waiting on the mandatory f#ce mask rule to come in for senior school pupils. Fed up with it all !

Found you all. The weekend has gone so fast. Did fuck all yesterday and went for a walk today with dp, Ds my parents and younger brother. That was nice. Back to work tomorrow. In a complete opposite to everyone else I shall be commencing working from home a couple of days a week soon

Did somebody say gin & tonic sorbet?

@RealityExistsInTheHumanMind ooh yes, I hope so too, with herd immunity & variant, milder symptoms. So we can dispense with all this craziness. I have just had a similar conversation with my very anxious DM, who is coming round to this way of thinking- but not quite there yet.

As for holidays, haven't had one for years. I have a big birthday next summer so that would be the perfect present. DS is taking A levels so I was excited about going away as soon as they're done in June. And then school said not to book any holiday just in case the exams get pushed back a month. Arrgh! Might need to book a second holiday in September just because we can!

@cocopops
DD starts back at school this week. Just waiting on the mandatory f#ce mask rule to come in for senior school pupils. Fed up with it all !

I really hope they don't enforce this & common sense prevails. If it's to work properly the kids should really be changing their masks every time they get wet or damp, & washing hands each time, & putting them in a bin or plastic bag. Can't see teachers being too pleased with the disruption that would bring. It would also require sending them in with several masks per day, which is expensive, & requires extra laundry. Stuff that!

So if the govt think it's ok to let a bunch of 11-19 year olds wear the same dirty mask for 5 hours in a row- which may also be the same mask worn on the bus to school- they are protecting no one. And they should have the guts to admit it would be a farce.

Just been pondering over how covid is everywhere and so easy to catch and spread

Yeah it does doesn't it? I think on the one hand, if it's this virus we have no immunity to and it's highly contagious, then the minute you ease restrictions, you should see a pretty rapid spike again. We didn't. People aren't that good at social distancing and we have been opening up quite a bit in the last few weeks. So something is going on there. Equally, 0.05% of people have it right now? So maybe the lack of spread is just a sign we are actually far better at contact tracing and hand washing than is generally believed and we are good at containing it atm. Both situations are positive, anyway.

I haven't popped into a thread for a while mostly because I've been busier. I am finding the relentless school threads, vaccine talk and recession talk is dragging me down massively and I am sinking so wanted to come and hang out with some friendly faces. It's so challenging keeping my spirits up. I am dealing with a very traumatic situation in my real life and it's hard enough dealing with that. I'm trying to remember my coping techniques like just focusing on each individual day rather than focusing too far ahead but I'm getting a lot of thoughts of ending my life and it's hard. I'm definitely not going to, but that doesn't mean it's not knackering. So done with 2020 and all the shite that's come with it.

@LadyOfTheImprovisedBath

gin and tonic After Eights now - just why.

Tell you what is nice Amarula Cream Liqueur - found it on amazon when couldn't get Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur which is like baileys but slightly different.

Hmm that is nice. Thats made from the fermented fruit that elephants eat and get drunk on!

Helena that's just anothet numbers altering/free labour scam by gov and big businesses.
Do they think we are daft? A guarenteed interview doesn't guarentee a job! Why would they when they have more free labour in the pipeline?

Stuffed full of Chinese takeaway. I have a love hate relationship with black beans! Love the sauce but those little feckers are hot!!!

[quote TheOrchidKiller]@cocopops
DD starts back at school this week. Just waiting on the mandatory f#ce mask rule to come in for senior school pupils. Fed up with it all !

I really hope they don't enforce this & common sense prevails. If it's to work properly the kids should really be changing their masks every time they get wet or damp, & washing hands each time, & putting them in a bin or plastic bag. Can't see teachers being too pleased with the disruption that would bring. It would also require sending them in with several masks per day, which is expensive, & requires extra laundry. Stuff that!

So if the govt think it's ok to let a bunch of 11-19 year olds wear the same dirty mask for 5 hours in a row- which may also be the same mask worn on the bus to school- they are protecting no one. And they should have the guts to admit it would be a farce.[/quote]
Unfortunately, a couple of schools have already mandated this (Scotland) and am fully expecting NS to do so soon (especially if England doesn’t ) (she likes to divide and try to conquer 🙄)....

Checking in.

Thanks for the thread @RealityExistsInTheHumanMind 😃

And I like your post about the current state of the virus. Been doubting myself today. I do love rates threads for some balance. Same goes fir your post @mightbealittlebitmad.

Love the thread title!

I let my passport expire years ago. Had been everywhere and thought it was all “a bit shit” - total ennui.

Now I’m dreaming of tavernas and warm crystal seas.

I’m so excited that my kids have been back at school a week and my brain works again!

I suspect we’re not in it (it = a functioning education system) for the long-haul though.

Make hay while the sun shines and all that.

Checking in.

Anyone who needs their passport renewed and worried about the dementoring headlines stating months of backlog at the Passport Office, you can relax. I had to do Mr Crazy and DD and both took less than a fortnight from sending off the application to receipt of the shiny blue-black passport.

I'm just back from my first "holiday" since lockdown - 3 days in London . It was great just to be somewhere else for a while but the emptiness of the centre of London freaked me out! I realised it would be quiet, of course, but it was far more deserted than I was expecting and that was pretty sad to see.

@TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair

@cocpops You have a point there about NS. Unfortunately.

Well, I have had a slightly tickly, occasional cough in the evenings this week, which is probably another seasonal allergy. I am doing weekly covid swabs for some research & I've just had a text back to say it's negative. It took 4 days to get it back & I didn't think it was covid, but I feel like doing the conga in relief.
I'll settle for a choc ice & Harry Hill on TV instead.