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...

@Worldgonecrazy

All good thanks, just a scare.

During lockdown 1 I was in and out of A&E in less than an hour for broken finger. It almost (almost!) felt good to see things back to normal.

I have a new found appreciation for traffic jams

Enjoying this press conference

Stupidly logged onto Facebook and saw an old school friend who thinks the government is stupid for unlocking as cases are rising so high and despite wanting normality doesn't want deaths to happen. She, naturally, will still be wearing a mask in public places. She is doubly vaccinated and yet still has covid and is unwell - I am sorry she is poorly and don't believe she is lying but I knew as soon as I logged on that she would be the person complaining about things reopening. I am afraid that I haven't even wished her well yet although I probably will, I would in any other case. I just find her a bit insufferable- this is why I was pleased to find you lot here as I wasn't sure I could moan about it to other people elsewhere. Sorry for grumbling, am in a bad mood today!

I get it. I have friends in the States a bit like that. It's very difficult. and if you want them.

Hate hate hate the narrative that ‘you do not have to wear a mask but it would be selfish/rude/impolite not to”

Fucking societal manipulation still ongoing

Afaic, either you believe people have the right to breathe freely or you do not. If you do not, then you are free to stay home away from all the disgusting freebreathers or cover your face. But no making anyone breathe less freely outside your door just cos you're afraid to live.

Thank you ladies for understanding me. I really am not horrible, honestly!, and do wish her a speedy recovery but it is just so dispiriting. Tbh the rest of my Facebook is mainly talking about the Euros and whilst I don't like football I am enjoying seeing everyone all excited! I am a proper sheep so if everyone else is wearing a mask I will probably do it but around here more and more people have stopped wearing them. She's actually the only person I know who has said they will be, I don't know what everyone else thinks..which is another sign that we are all bored of it!!

DH just showed me this.

@Worldgonecrazy

Hate hate hate the narrative that ‘you do not have to wear a mask but it would be selfish/rude/impolite not to”

Fucking societal manipulation still ongoing

That's the one bit of the conference that I did not like. I've got a lot more confidence in the vaccine and the rates of it than the reused random face-rag that the person next to me pulled out of their pocket just to quietly comply.

I find it much more considerate when people can communicate clearly. The thing I've found most irriating is the old minimising trope about it not being that hard and it's just a little thing to do. Stop minimisimg the social costs FFS.

Well I have honoured something I said a year ago about going into shops. I have not set foot in the big shopping centre. I have been to the little shoe shop (and loitered in their doorway with my bare face) and did go to Waterstones before Christmas (It's a very calm, quiet shop so easier to handle). A few shops on retail parks, mainly Decathlon. But by and large, I have swerved places that require masks.

I suspect that most shops will be glad to see the back of them for security reasons.
And pubs/ restsurants because they're not condusive to a social atmosphere and are a ridiculous token gesture.

I can understand people with specific health concerns being more cautious, but I do hope that the generally anxious or sanctimonioud types pack it in pretty quickly.

Hopefully I can plan a more exciting summer holiday for me and the DCs so it doesn't feel like lockdown-lite.

Another really good interview with Laura Dodsworth here. Sound quality is good too.

I've a friend who posted "your freedom day is my shielding day 😔😔" last night.
She's not cev and is in reasonably good health but is still convinced that covid=death.

So what does she expect people to do then? Stay locked up forever?

The Government need to use those psychological techniques to start de-programming the fear levels they have created.

@Worldgonecrazy

The Government need to use those psychological techniques to start de-programming the fear levels they have created.

Agreed. Although, coincidentally, I'm just at the bit in the Dodsworth book where it's becoming clear that no one considered how to bring down a nation of people who'd spent the last 18 months being deliberately scared. Reversing the effects doesn't seem to be in the playbook.

I honestly think deliberately spreading fear is genuinely evil. And everyone who colluded in it should take a good hard look at themselves plus they should never ever be trusted again.

With anything.

There's a good article on the Telegraph website - "The terrifying truth is that millions do not want lockdown ever to end".

We are about to see the public divided between those who advocate for zero-covid no matter what the cost (socially, economically, mentally, physically) and those who want to get their lives back to normal and learn to live with the virus.

I think it's going to be unpleasant out there for a while...

@RockaLock

There's a good article on the Telegraph website - "The terrifying truth is that millions do not want lockdown ever to end".

We are about to see the public divided between those who advocate for zero-covid no matter what the cost (socially, economically, mentally, physically) and those who want to get their lives back to normal and learn to live with the virus.

I think it's going to be unpleasant out there for a while...

You are right. People are scared, and people behave irrationally when they are scared.

People can and do change their minds though thankfully. My best friend is very medically vulnerable and I'm afraid covid hysteria for a while turned her into a complete idiot, devoid of any kind of reasoning. She posted things all the time about staying home, wearing a mask etc and 'we've got Netflix' - to an extent that wasn't healthy, as I know lots of people were at first. I was at one point not sure I even wanted to be her friend as I really found it difficult to hear from her. Now she is saying she can't wait to work back in am office, we went to a wedding recently and she still wears a mask in public places but is also open about the fact she doesn't like them herself. I hope a lot more people will find themselves going back to normal- but as I always say I can understand if someone is chronically ill and feels more at risk than someone else.

@smallandimperfectlyformed

People can and do change their minds though thankfully. My best friend is very medically vulnerable and I'm afraid covid hysteria for a while turned her into a complete idiot, devoid of any kind of reasoning. She posted things all the time about staying home, wearing a mask etc and 'we've got Netflix' - to an extent that wasn't healthy, as I know lots of people were at first. I was at one point not sure I even wanted to be her friend as I really found it difficult to hear from her. Now she is saying she can't wait to work back in am office, we went to a wedding recently and she still wears a mask in public places but is also open about the fact she doesn't like them herself. I hope a lot more people will find themselves going back to normal- but as I always say I can understand if someone is chronically ill and feels more at risk than someone else.

There has been a lot of that since Easter. Quite a lot of MNers set Easter as their best before on complience back in the winter, and that has come to fruition. Plus more will have followed the trend. The general vibe is wanting to live again rather than last summer's caution.

I've found myself agreeing with a beautifully written post written by someone who I generally firmly disagreed with about 3-4 months ago. They're now ready to understand more nuance in the situation and the balance of Covid vs the Rest of Life. I respect that people can change their attitude in a changing situation.

It is weird with so much talk about being 90% normal in weeks, when I'm pretty much stuck in with a healthy child. In nice news, his class starts swimming next year and I've jumped in to help, I enjoyed doing it with DS1's class. It was amazing the progress that they made. The year above have been short-changed, they'd not long started when lockdown#1 started, and have been back since Easter, but if they'd completed their full run, it would permanently backlog the programme and make it less effective to many of them as we have a strong core who get good on private lessons. It needs to be done around age 8 while there's still a good middle ground before the gulf opens up between the beginners and very competent. It'll give DS2 a good boost.

I think my family are really lucky living in a low density area in n Wales our nearest high density neighbors Liverpool and Manchester. Whenever you put too many folks together individuality humanity is threatened. Son is back from Leeds, his girlfriend is here her home a rural village in yourkshire. They're both relieved and happy to see trees, fields and sheep again. They're on a train now up to see waterfalls, and womble around in peace. This university generation are going to be different aren't they

I have student memories of waterfalls... that guy had an interesting time explaing how he got concussion down at A&E
I blame the Women's Institute for being inspirational!

My appreciation of outdoors is creeping back towards more normal levels now people are back in their shops, pubs and gyms.
I normally love spring but I found it hard seeing nature resetting back to how it was in lockdown#1 this year and just felt totally indifferent to it. Summer is going better because I was bored of it by this point and tried to fill my time with other crumbs of freedom.

My mood is better this week. Better times feel more tangible and DS1 is back in school so only DS2 to deal with.

I’m not wearing my mask, once it’s not law, they can fuck off, then fuck off again.
I listened to the radio on my way home from work, told the radio to fuck off a few times. I’m going to be selfish.
If masks do come back to being law, I’m getting a lanyard, because having a hot flush and panic attacks and not being able to see, I’m done. So I’m going to hell because I don’t care anymore.

Also was so proud of my DM she went to the shops herself . First time in nearly 16 months.

Well done to your mum.@MrsEWeatherwax

Anyone else wondering what happened to epsilon, zeta, eta and theta? How come we are at lambda already?

Oh how lovely MrsEWeatherwax I hope she enjoyed herself. That must have been a massive step for her after having not been inside one for so long.