ADs trying to stay upright in a muddy park

[BogRollBOGOF]

Another thousand posts filled and we're ploughing on through another weekend of squelching through parks before we hit the Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.

The AD chat continues...

Is it SAGE who said this? Quelle surprise.

There's a thread in FWR - and reading that SAGE were trying to acknowlegde the additional impact on women of lockdown but then ended sort of putting the emphasis on women to sort - and BBC reporting made it all sound worse.

I don't cook christmas dinner DH does - Sunday lunch as well. I found it very stressful and he enjoyed it - did recently do one when he was away and realised it was mainly as when I was cooking I had three kids - others claimed to be looking after - round my ankles and a DH wanting things while he tends to empty the kichen. It's like packing I got loads of teasing as I found it so stressful but when kids got old enough to do it suddenly realised why - I was packing and washing and drying for four people and DH just did him.

@Taswama

Did I mention I went to an essential food retailer yesterday and bought myself an advent calendar. The shop? Hôtel chocolat.

That’s my favourite!

I know it's usually women who "do"Christmas, & I imagine SAGE were trying to acknowledge it, but agree it has come out wrong.

I read the rest of the article- grandparents should only see grandchildren outside. How is it ok to make frail older people sit outside in the cold? What's the point of saying you can join with 2 other households if you then insist the guests have to eat lunch on the patio in mid-winter?
"What's that, Grandad?" (Shouted through the window) "You can't feel your feet & there's icicles on the gravy boat? Yes, but is the turkey moist? Isn't it nice that we're all together?"

If I do Christmas lunch it's often getting dark by the time it's ready.

@Orangeblossom7777

Why does bold / stars never work for me?

Has to be beginning and end of every paragraph - and make sure there is no space between the * and the letters this works this doesn't as there is a space between the asterisk and the letter (at both ends in this example)

There's a link on the BBC Christmas article a previous poster referred to that takes you to the actual SAGE documents. It's heavy going but an eye opener! Sounds like it was written by a Victorian telling us naughty children what we should & shouldn't be doing! I'm a long time lurker but new poster & found my people on this thread.

@veryveryfine
Nice to have you on board
Gladdening to see our numbers increase

Well I’m making my escape
Flights are booked
Tests will get booked this afternoon all being well
With a nice drive out to pick them up
Can’t wait

Oh and we had a turquoise bathroom suite at my mums In the 70s with gorgeous tiles, I chose
Very unusual and probably quite expensive. A bit Italian I think
In this house we had a blue suite
Now got white, and white walls, doors, pale floors
Whole house is white.
I need light and calm

@Dowser

Well I’m making my escape Flights are booked Tests will get booked this afternoon all being well With a nice drive out to pick them up Can’t wait

Go forth and enjoy!

Dowser, I’m the same re calm colours

Help, I’m stuck to the sofa and I need to clean.

I think I do well with Chirstmas overall as we don't wander over the country visiting which cuts down the stress - we pushed that to Easter- we visit or have family over and intrestingly DD1 least favourite holiday.

Hallowean - which I've also way stuggled with and we mainly end up baking is way more looked forward to by the kids apparently.

@Dowser hope you enjoy you're travels.

you're travels = your travels - sorry I'm doing typing practise and apostrophes are getting everywhere.

[quote Blobby10]**@DominaShantotto I don't know if it would help but I had a piece of advice that sort of worked. When the bully called me a name lets say baby, I repeated in a loud voice "Why are you calling me baby?" in a really surprised voice. I was a bit older than your daughter (early teen) but it worked some times - more importantly gave me the power to tell the teacher what was happening without being accused of snitching.[/quote]
That’s great advice
My teenage Dd was in one of the communal indoor hot tubs when she felt a young lad beside her touching her
She grabbed his hand stuck it in the air and shouted who’s hand is this?
Her brothers and their friend got him all round the pool area

Hopefully it taught him a lesson he never repeated

I wouldn’t care but my dd looked such a quiet mouse as well.

That’s fabulous advice though.

I used to do a lot of role playing with my children.

When my son had a chunk of his leg bitten off by a Rottweiler, at 10 years old he was made to go into the witness box.

There he was bullied by the barrister as they do but my son defended himself really well as we used to role play the scenario with him.
Saying, you’re a liar. You kicked the dog etc

Anyway he did amazingly well and won his case.

Thank you all.
Wish I could take you all with me.
Heaven knows Tenerife needs it.
The tests are an expensive nightmare we could do without but as we aren’t doing anything else, just have to suck it up.
Interestingly we are going to barnard castle , shall I look up Dominic Cummings and see if he’s ok? 😂

There is advice in this morning's Telegraph that includes, ' have your drinks and christmas dinner outside by your firepit'. I really can't decide whether that is a joke.
I've had a great idea though. Pubs should have a selection of 'stunt' meals. So, you order a pint, and the landlord says "You want a full meal with that?" (wink, wink). So you sit and sup your pint and leave the proffered meal sitting on the table. This can then be re-used for another customer. I bet the rules say nothing about actually eating the food you've ordered.
However, what I really think is that they have put some patently daft things in the regulations, so that they can alter them next week in order to make us believe they have made some concessions.
I have been out for a walk with the dog. It is a dank, dark, cold and drippy day, but there is still beauty to be found. Catkins and the sound of a bubbling stream really cheered me up. Of course a holiday in St Lucia would also cheer me up, but that will have to wait.

Oohh, Dowser! Lucky you! (Your great escape abroad, not Dominic Cummings). Have a fabulous time.

I think I do well with Chirstmas overall as we don't wander over the country visiting which cuts down the stress - we pushed that to Easter- we visit or have family over and intrestingly DD1 least favourite holiday.
Hallowean - which I've also way stuggled with and we mainly end up baking is way more looked forward to by the kids apparently.

Perhaps, if it's legal, Easter will be Christmas for many people next year?
I was nostalgic for Hallow'een the other day. It was only 4 weeks ago, but it felt like there was something to look forwards to. Then Boris made the announcement & it's got worse.

I am still not dressed.

@Reedwarbler
Loving the idea of Stunt Meals.
When I was a child there was a cafe in town (the sort with yellow cellophane in the windows) that had a fake plastic plate of cheese & crackers and a knickerbocker glory in the window. It sat there for years. I so wanted to eat in there but we never did because mum & dad were hard up.

There could be a whole market in stunt pub grub. But all it would take would be a covid marshall to stick a special Testing Fork into the roast potatoes. They'd shout, "Aha! Plastic! Out!" And you'd be rumbled.

(This is why I don't get dressed, my imagination is too busy to let me.)

Loving the reminiscing re the bathroom colours! I can honestly say I've lived in houses with all the colours mentioned apart from a black one, ah happy days!

On an entirely separate subject, I'd like to ask something, which I can do here without being shouted at.

If I get a cold, I always always always lose my sense of taste for one day on about day 2/3. (It's known as the "I can eat eggs" day, as normally I can't eat them. )

So..... should I get a cold and this happens, do I report it to work/NHS/ any other bugger you can think of? I've never taken time off for a cold that I can remember but if I get one, should I? Thoughts? Thanks

@Curlygirl06 if it is normal for you then I wouldn’t do anything different. I’ve had sore throats and headaches on and off for them past six months but they are my body’s normal reaction to increased stress levels and never last more than a few hours. I did read somewhere that it’s only if the symptoms are not usual for you that you should test but that may be from before total paranoia and panic kicked off! Beware that if you ask this question on The Other board you will be accused of killing people if you don’t test and faced with all sorts of ‘evidence’ from people with a sore throat who tested positive 😂😂

@Curlygirl06
The official answer to your question would be to self-isolate & get a test if you lose your sense of taste.

If you got a cold with none of the 3 main covid symptoms on day 1 or 2 you don't need to do anything. It's a tough one if you always lose your sense of taste though. I think I might get tested for that.

I always get a cough with a cold, but a few days in. It happened a couple of months ago. The cough wasn't continous & was only in the morning. So I risk assessed & didn't self-isolate. Also had a test for research & it was negative anyway. If the cough had been all day & much worse (I've had those) I would've been more likely to stay at home etc.

@Dowser

Thank you all. Wish I could take you all with me. Heaven knows Tenerife needs it. The tests are an expensive nightmare we could do without but as we aren’t doing anything else, just have to suck it up. Interestingly we are going to barnard castle , shall I look up Dominic Cummings and see if he’s ok? 😂

I’d love to go to Tenerife

I thought they were on masks etc outside though, have I got confused with another country?

Barbara castle actually looks lovely!

Barbara Castle? Thought she was dead! Lol

I'll just hope I don't get a cold!

I saw a calendar yesterday with beautiful pictures of Barnard Castle with a note on front cover, saying if you can read this then your eye sight is good it made me laugh.