ADs may have buggered boilers but we haven't got the clap

[BogRollBOGOF]

The saga continues to continue with more sequels than a trilogy of trilogies...

@smallandimperfectlyformed thankyou 😘 all good in that respect! Xx

Dd and I were out driving today (animal welfare so perfectly in accordance with rules/roolz/guidance/law) and there were near-normal traffic levels. There is nowhere near the level of compliance or fear as in March ... lockdowns are a very blunt tool that should be used sparingly, wisely or not at all

I’ve been on the government website trying to work out if DH can travel up to MIL’s and stay there so they can support each other. My dad’s death was sudden (he had Alzheimer’s, but died unexpectedly in his sleep) but within an hour or so of my mum calling to say he’d gone my brothers and I were on various motorways to get to her so we could be together. It seems fucking mental that that probably isn’t “allowed” now.

Hi. Im a nurse. Until last month I worked in A+E (im now a GP nurse). Its NOT as busy as the media is making out. The scaremongering is ridiculous.

Checking in. Great title.
DS2 is going to school full time from next week. I am doing my best not to feel guilty. I did a great job teaching him last time but it nearly broke me and in school he will get teaching from trained professionals, additional support and interaction with at least some of his friends.

I would say MiL mental health needs count as care and he would be fine to travel for that reason.

This week does feel emotionally draining, as BogRoll put it so well.

The lockdown & schools announcement knocked the stuffing out of most people I know. IRL I know 6 people who have had bad news (bereavements, job losses, health bad news), all the usual rotten life stresses on top of this, which posters on this thread are also experiencing.
@Wishfulthinking1977
you are right when you say it's the not being able to access support. It's making a tough situation far more difficult.

It's also miserable January.

We're having a beige tea tonight. Got to have some small pleasures (I might shove some cucumber on the plate, to be fancy).

Don’t whatever you do venture onto the thread about The next announcement from Boris, people’s cruelty disgusts me, they are slavering over the ramped up restrictions and their thoughts on what lockdown measures should be next would drive many people to mental breakdown or worse, they sicken me they really do.

Someone I know has taken to wearing a mask whenever she leaves home, even outside. But it's not because of Covid - she had most of her front teeth removed before Christmas and has to wait for dentures😊.

@Taswama

Checking in. Great title. DS2 is going to school full time from next week. I am doing my best not to feel guilty. I did a great job teaching him last time but it nearly broke me and in school he will get teaching from trained professionals, additional support and interaction with at least some of his friends.

The feeling guilty is crap isn't it, should not feel guilty for sending my son to school but I do. Doesn't help that we aren't what people classically see as keyworkers (we are on the list) so suspect we are getting judged. Really hoping they don't change criteria, his school is a long way off 50% full.

Rationally I know that we're at a tough phase of this, but emotionally I'm still drained because restrictions were too tight in June, July, August

Yes, that sums up the problem with me. Combine it with the constant mental torture of being threatened with further restrictions too.

Thing is, I can’t really imagine any extra restrictions being put in place on top of those already there. My understanding is that the general population are being less compliant than they were last March. Making lockdown even harder will make people less compliant.

I keep seeing people outside wearing masks. It’s weird because it is proper countryside and they’re walking dogs so probably not going in and out of other people’s houses (unless those people are very understanding about mud).

Someone shared a thread on Twitter from some academic arguing why it was wrong for him to take a keyworker place for his kids, with the implication that everyone else should agree wth him, though then turns out his wife works part time to look after them. What a load of virtue signalling shite, just do what you want mate but don't give away everyone else's rights in the meantime.

Furries don't be put off, our discussions are eclectic with varying viewpoints.

Oh I think Sadiq Khan called for masks to be worn outside but only in crowded places.

I've started to feel wrong going out not wearing a mask now even in the street I've got so conditioned to them, though I hate the bloody things.

I wear a mask because I have to . I don't think that a piece of what is essentially a piece of t shirt material will actually protect me from a virus. I don't know why people have such blind faith in them.

If masks are brought in outside, might I suggest the Viking ski mask

On a more serious note, I walk some pretty quiet routes sometimes and I'm just imagining masked, hoodied or hatted men coming toward me and trying to work out from body language along if it needs to turn around and run or not.
It's happened a few times on the street and I've gone into instant flight or fight mode.

On my walk today I noticed far more people wearing masks outside (and leaping out into the road/into hedge bottoms to get out of the way of oncoming pedestrians)

Just been reading some other threads, honestly it feels like self flagellation!
And the Guardian very gloomy as always, almost a bit misleading in talking about school places for key worker kids and new d of e guidance

@Funkypolar

Mumsnet is going batshit crazy again. I went to Starbucks today and thought there would be Mumsnetters sobbing and shaking over that!

We drove to McDonalds last night, sat in a retail park to eat it in the car. Then because DS2 had been pratting about in the Karate zoom session, DH dropped me and DS2 in the neighbouring village to walk home.

Fortunately the local police force were too busy eating Humble Pie at that point to pounce on us for not being local on a 2k walk in the next borough.

It did me good. It was not a good sign that I hadn't exercised in 3 days.
It was nice being 1:1 with DS2 too. He just chatted for 35 mins about the cartoon he's currently in to without DS1 butting in on him, and I made vaguely interested noises back.
We need to do a bit more divide and conquer. It's great that they are close in age and interests, but it can also be stiffling for them, especially with no external life.

Long time lurker here, just to say you are all keeping me sane!
I have been reading since the first threads, I think it's really getting aggressive on here , more than the first stage of March lockdown lunacy.
Live out in the sticks but we are in no way rich, and furious at the minute that some posters can't comprehend that driving over 10 miles just to get anywhere that has a shop is necessary. No public transport and we don't have pavements in the village or to the nearest A road which has no verge or pavements either. No one walks on these roads unless they have a death a wish, but that would not be counted in the 'sadly statistics' but go forbid you drive out of the 'local' area. I must just live on carpet dust and toe nail clippings, or would that classified as shock horror 'picky bits'

Place marking - thanks for the new thread.

And welcome to new posters

On a more serious note, I walk some pretty quiet routes sometimes and I'm just imagining masked, hoodied or hatted men coming toward me and trying to work out from body language along if it needs to turn around and run or not.
It's happened a few times on the street and I've gone into instant flight or fight mode.

Yeah I had that with a bloke with a black woolly hat pulled down, dark glasses and a black mask, it was pretty scary.

I also noticed people jumping into traffic to avoid us when out walking, surely more risky than just walking past us on the pavement!

Welcome Fennella!

Or walking on the more slippery bits ... If I have to scrape you off the pavement and we have to wait for an ambulance, it's going to be a lot more risky than just walking past me.

Actually I felt really bad in the first lockdown when my daughter fell off her bike and an elderly couple went straight to her. Lovely humane people. I hope they weren't worried afterwards.

Now. I wish there was a known signal for saying that while I'm happy to distance from you, I'm really not overanxious about us passing each other, so please play it how you want to.