Ads crave a night on the tiles; vintage chicken, avocado or contemporary stone effect?

[BogRollBOGOF]

We might be craving tiles, but we'll leave the woodchip and artex alone unless we're feeling very brave...

Welcome into another thread covering the whole range of life and death, novelty vegetables, DIY, any other randomness and musings about a certain pandemic.

Sonic thank you

Morning all.

I think the sun might be trying to emerge...

The sun is just starting to break through here. It really helps. After DS has waded through his homework we're going to cut out some snowflakes and make chocolate orange brownies. And try to get through the day without another massive meltdown... the stress of everything is definitely being felt in this house.

My handwashing and sanitising is back to normal and has been for some time. I'm rarely touching something when out so there's no special point.
When I go for a run, I strip and shower within minutes.
When I go to a supermarket, I wash my hands when I fetin as they always feel a bit grubby and dusty anyway.
I haven't been anywhere else that requires touching since October.

Although DS2 saw a big red pump in the zoo cafe and ran off to squirt "ketchup" on his chips and I managed to stop him applying alcohol gel on them in time

Now it’s raining. Sigh.

Yes kind of back to normal here really, just wash hands when get in. Use the sanitiser in shops when they ask for it but that's about it.

Keep trying to remember to get the DC to change the masks for school as they can end up keeping the same one in their pocket for days (lovely) they seem to go missing a but like socks I find. If you forget them the school charge 50p for disposable one use ones which get charged to Parentpay so want to avoid that- they spend enough on school dinners as it is.

Have to try and source Christmas jumpers for next week now!

I don't like the one in some shops where you have a foot pump- seems to cause queues as takes ages. It is a faff. DH had an argument with them as they ordered him to use it in the shop.

Anyone who proffers sanitising gel at me gets my best bitch face and a sharp 'NO'.
There was a Victoria Wood sketch in a department store where the perfume counter woman launches herself at customers, squawking, "Would you like to test?" before squirting them with perfume as if it's pepper spray. Hand gel in shops reminds me of this.

Although DS2 saw a big red pump in the zoo cafe and ran off to squirt "ketchup" on his chips and I managed to stop him applying alcohol gel on them in time
We stopped FIL from pouring horseradish sauce into his coffee once, in a similar situation.

Braving the shops as the DCs need to do some Christmas shopping/ choose their own presents. DS wants aftershave for the first time but needs to sniff them first.

I may end up losing my temper. I am getting irritated with DH. It isn't his fault, it's the result of not having enough time apart & no social life in a tier 3. Also difficult to have "date nights" at home when your kids live there & are adults. It's not like we can send them out for the evening to stand in the cold outside.

I've been out for a bike ride - it was very cold, a bit slippery and very foggy in parts. But I'm glad I did it especially as my OH (who has moved in for a week or two to help his mental health!) is now cooking me sausages and scrambled egg 🥰before we carry out our illegal journey out of tier 3 to watch some rugby/do a mental health welfare visit on my daughter 😉

Ha ha, I'm wondering whether having alcohol gel with chips might improve things...! A nurse on my DF's ward last year said occasionally they'd get a patient who'd want to drink the alcohol gel and they'd have to remove it from everywhere, which is tragic really....

Morning all, just trying to catch up.

@Reedwarbler so sorry to hear about your FIL.

Having a bit of a ‘meh’ day here. Full of snotty sneezy cold and Ds3 has produced the Christmas list from hell, everything on it is difficult or impossible to find. Fortunately dh is the master of finding random surprise gifts that will more than make up for things missing on the list and save Santas reputation.
I also need to to go to argos to pick up one of said gifts but really can’t be arsed to queue. On the other hand it’s right next to Hobbycraft and I have a really really really strong urge to go and mooch around and spend a fortune on non-essential Christmas crafty stuff.

@TabbyStar

Ha ha, I'm wondering whether having alcohol gel with chips might improve things...! A nurse on my DF's ward last year said occasionally they'd get a patient who'd want to drink the alcohol gel and they'd have to remove it from everywhere, which is tragic really....

I can remember "not for consumption" signs on public gel pumps back in the summer. Although if you need to be explicitly told, I doubt the signage is that effective.

Shit, I'm almost fondly remembering July/ August compared to now. Do you think it's some kind of Stockholm Syndrome thing kicking in.
At least there was mind numbing tedium with better weather and a few more choices of places to go.

Not notices anyone waxing lyrical about autumn leaves for a while...

@Reedwarbler

Anyone who proffers sanitising gel at me gets my best bitch face and a sharp 'NO'. It plays hell with my skin. Tesco's have suddenly started doing it after all this time. I can tell you, I have trained myself very well over the years never to touch my face after touching their trolley handles. I remember that tv programme a few years ago when they tested all the various supermarket's trolley handles and found all sorts of horrors on them, including faecal matter on Tesco ones. (plus of course things like MRSA and strep.) Funnily enough, Waitrose were the cleanest.

This is one of my bugbears: all this sudden cleaning of all sorts of things like public transport. Apparently it involves restricting use of toilets because of the burden of cleaning them.

What sort of cleaning (or not) were they doing before when we had the risk of a whole lot of pathogens, as we still do, many even nastier than Covid?

Picking grand kids up it is so cold now so hat, gloves, coat, boots it is if they shoved gel in my direction I would say no, I aint taking my gloves off for anyone. I have about a dozen pairs, they go on from November until the weather warms up. They go in the washing machine historically to prevent passing on norivirus, flu, now covid.

Not notices anyone waxing lyrical about autumn leaves for a while...
Maybe that's because all the autumn leaves have turned to dirty mulch. I defy anyone to write a whimsical poem about that.

What sort of cleaning (or not) were they doing before when we had the risk of a whole lot of pathogens, as we still do, many even nastier than Covid?
I have huge respect for cleaners because I did it as a job once. But I worked in an office where the evening cleaner used to mop the carpet. (I know there's moppable floor coverings Flotex for one but that carpet really wasn't made for liquids).

We tried to have a day without mentioning Covid today but it has filtered everywhere and we failed. I just want it to end, to go places without feeling anxious everywhere, to have libraries back and all that. Every time I read an article that says 'X is back to normal except for masks', it makes me want to shake the author. As long as there are masks, nothing is even close to normal afaic.

But DD1 had a nice birthday on Friday so there's that. I baked her a two layer cake and DH did the icing. We gave her her own sewing box and we had takeaway pizza for supper. She seemed pretty happy. She's a good lass.

Orchid “Maybe that's because all the autumn leaves have turned to dirty mulch. I defy anyone to write a whimsical poem about that.”

Red rag to Acorn...

Oh dirty mulch
Once you were soft glossy leaves on a tree
And in a way, you will be
This way again

You will, hopefully
Be composted
And in this way
The seasons turn
The flowers for which we yearn
In coming years
Will grow, nourished
By wet dirty mulch

So as such
I shouldn’t be so cross with you.

ISaySteadyOn “ Every time I read an article that says 'X is back to normal except for masks', it makes me want to shake the author. As long as there are masks, nothing is even close to normal afaic. ”

Same for me!

Glad your DD had a good birthday.

Can I have a bit of a non covid rant?

I have arranged a gift for a friend. From a few of us. Its a lovely gift. I agreed the gift and contribution with all parties. In order for it to be here on time, I'm getting it tomorrow. Out of 6 of us, only 2 have contributed so far. I've a lot of "I'll transfer it tomorrow" and then nothing. I've messaged and a few peoples messages have gone unread.

I can't give too much away but we can't not send it. So I'm going to have to get it.

I know people are busy, but for fucks sake so am I...I work a stupid amount of hours a week, I'm doing a degree and raising a child and doing all the house gubbins that comes with being a grown up.

I know there will be an element of people thinking "well, its only 7.50 it won't hurt if I'm late" but for me now that's over an extra 20 quid!

Sorry for the rant, I'm just really pissed off and never doing this again.

There's some normality, Livin . How annoying for you. I hate when people don't follow through.

Love the poem Acorn.

@ISaySteadyOn

There's some normality, Livin . How annoying for you. I hate when people don't follow through.

Love the poem Acorn.

My dh actually did say "least there is something other than covid to moan about now"

The next chapter of utter stupidity in the Covid saga.

People over 80 in Braintree are being told the vaccines are being administered at Basildon Hospital. There is a thread about it in a local fb group.

a. a lot of ppl over 80 dont drive so will be reliant on public transport. Travelling from Braintree means getting on and off three buses. (my mum wouldnt be able to do that) and as its two jabs people will be expected to do this twice?
b. faffing about like this puts them at risk while travelling surely.

Braintree and Basildon are both in Essex but miles from each other.

If you forget them the school charge 50p for disposable one use ones which get charged to Parentpay so want to avoid that- they spend enough on school dinners as it is

That's a really good idea as DC school has been asking again that all pupils have masks as they've spent nearly £6,000 on disposable masks since Sepetember.

LivinLaVidaLoki That's poor behavior sadly not uncommon - that and the "forgetting" to mention gift is from us as well that's aslo IME common I tend to avoid joint gifts where I can.

MercyBooth - There might be hospital transport that can be booked.
Might be worth talking to PALS seeing if it's an option.

Thanks @LadyOfTheImprovisedBath i will check. Parents are still saying they dont want it but will check this out further just in case

I was wondering about the logistics of getting 1,000s of over 80s to hospitals for the jab. Normally there are volunteer car schemes, but they're not all running at the moment because of risk to volunteers. I haven't worked out the qualifying criteria for hospital transport, sometimes my DM gets it, other times she's told to take a taxi (about £30 each way!)