ADs shelter in The Sleeping Swans and have a group hug

[BogRollBOGOF]

Another installment in the saga.

Maybe following up with an Indian, Korma please, but protect the naans...

No pressure Piccadilly but after I had dd I nearly died, I had emergency surgery and 2 blood transfusions . As you say people need the blood. I am so grateful we live where we do and have life saving medical procedures for free, that so many people in other countries die because of lack of treatment or funds for the treatment.

Happy Birthday Mercy. I hope you have a lovely dementor-proof potato to put your candle in so you don't risk blowing your disease-ridden breath over the cake
That was a corker from lockdown #1 easing!

I tried giving blood a few times but kept going faint so was asked to come back when I'd put some weight on as I was a pretty small adult. My poundage has been relatively kind over the years and it doesn't take much to make my head swim. Ultimately it's bodily autonomy. Giving blood is a gift of yourself to help others. If you're not in the right place for that, there's nothing wrong with that. Plus not rushing to deplete yourself when you have a baby is sensible.

Happy birthday MercyBooth! We’re birthday twins!

Happy birthday CruCru hope you have a great day as well
1110APicadilly it is up to you whether you want to give blood or not, I would love to be able to and as my blood type is O Negative I am a universal donor. However I am not allowed to give blood because my ex husband is African and they have a stupid rule that if you have had unprotected sex with someone from Africa and various other countries (India and Brazil I believe) then you cannot give blood due to high AIDS/HIV infection rates. It makes no sense to me - they explained that if he gave blood himself then they would screen it and if it came back infection free then they would then accept and screen my blood!

Happy birthday Mercy, happy birthday Cru

Happy Birthday @CruCru

Happy Birthday @MercyBooth. I see you over on the dark side fighting the good fight and feel that you deserve a birthday cheer up present.

rumble.com/vifrwz-12th-june-us-senate.-you-must-watch-and-share..html

The public fight back and calling out of lies and cover ups has officially begun!! Apologies to any Americans on this thread, I love you all really, but the end of the Independence Day movie has always slightly irritated me when the British soldier’s line is “The Americans have come up with a plan, about bloody time” But, in this instance ABOUT BLOODY TIME - Go team USA, you might be about to save the world for real!!!

Happy Birthday @MercyBooth and @CruCru!
🎉

I am consoling myself with the fact that there are several beautiful spaces within walking distance of my home and I won't let anyone take my love of those away.

Lastly, spot the kitty 😸

💐 and 🎂 for the birthday girls, hope you are having a good day

Thank You so so much

Happy Birthday @CruCru

Happy birthday to everyone xx

…. well not everyone, just @CruCru and @MercyBooth

Hope there is cake 🍰

Happy birthday @MercyBooth and @CruCru . Any cake left for me?

Yes. Mary Berrys Lemon Yoghurt Loaf Cake.

Happy birthday 🎉🥳 Mercy and Cru

@CruCru missed this yesterday, happy birthday!

Hello all.

I'm in a right grump today. Sorry for slinking on and sharing that but I know you lovely lot get it, even though it's not anything new.

I'm thoroughly fed up of this half-world, where you can go out, to certain places, but there are all kinds of conditions attached and endless kerfuffle to navigate. Scan this, register that, don't breathe here. Test testily testy test.

And I'm also expected to be sobbingly grateful for the 'freedoms' we do have, and further relaxations seem ever more nebulous. Sigh. They've got the power now, and they're not giving it back, are they? There's always going to be a scary chart, or a vaccine wobble, or an NHS beds crisis, or a nice little racist narrative about other variants comin' over 'ere and stealing our public health.

Anyway. I consoled myself by making soft amaretti biscuits. They came out really well. (They're ever so easy, the recipe is here if anyone fancies trying them.)

The downside to this is that I have now eaten about 10 of them.

I think that it won't last forever but that it is going to take time and it is indeed really annoying. But I think anger will grow even if slowly.

Also, that recipe looks awesome and has no milk in it so I can eat them!

@BogRollBOGOF

Why does there need to be any kind of measures outside? Why can't outdoor events resume at this point? Pissed off it's another month without parkrun as too many councils/ NT won't operate until SD is scrapped.

As Delta is "sweeping" through the young, unvaccinated people, it's going to inevitably dwindle pretty rapidly on avaliable hosts to infect anyway, even without the delay.

Will Andrew Lloyd Webber live up to his promises?

The trouble is it's not something you can really do to defy the rules, other than having the audacity to have a face in public. I can't really protest by holding a run for a few thousand people. I can't put on a stage show or festival.

And the twats saying that it's pretty normal now, what are you moaning about, are not the ones making the sacrifices, yet happy to morally impose on other peoples' lifestyles and income.

So with you on this. It is infuriating.

Had a letter from school this morning saying sports day might not go ahead (parents were already banned from attending) as rates are so high, bubbles mixing blah,blah, blah. The whole event is outside. It's absurd to suggest it's a transmission risk.

DD should have been on a residential tomorrow that's cancelled. She won't be happy if sports day is cancelled too.

I wonder how miserable the lives are of those who say 'it's fine now, what are you missing?'

Also having a down day.

Local area has been added to special measures but the figures behind the move don’t make sense, and the increase is markedly postcode driven in those areas of high poverty/deprivation (just for a change).

It feels like the highs towards the end of last week have been well and truly squished.

I'm feeling that disconnect between life and the political world at the moment. My friend is out of her shell and we've had a lovely walk and pub lunch today because we chose to do it like that. Not because it's "exercise with oneperson". Not because indoors is banned.
I saw my first family member since September at the weekend and people are ready to hug again.
I am missing my events. Looks like I've got two big races in November now, one's just confirmed a new date, but I am getting more "normal" days. Then other moments that things are not normal and more awkward than they need to be.

I really hope that this 4 weeks is the last of it. The appetite for real normal is growing.

At least I'm getting good days amongst the fed up crap too.

twitter.com/Mark_J_Harper/status/1405183844098191366?s=20
Mark Harper
@MarkJHarper
Documents I have seen confirm that work is underway in Govt to plan for Covid restrictions this autumn and winter…

…once people (who want it) are vaccinated, we must have an open society and proper ability for individuals to balance risks. We cannot hold society captive

Three hours in the hospital yesterday mask on. Came home with a sore throat now coughing up gunk. They really don't suit my lungs

@justasking111 Ridiculous