Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 18: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Here is the link to the prior thread:

Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 17: Calmly through the day

My apologies for letting the prior thread fill up before opening this one.

Start of a very busy week chez Helena. Secondary school tours x 2 for DC3 (plus one adult each time). Physio appointment for DC2, a DC birthday towards the end of the week. On top of all the usual extra-curricular, school and work. Muchos gin if I make it to the weekend!

Sorry to hear you are ill Frogs Its hard to know what is covid and what isnt early on but ours has been both sides and no swelling so different and gastric symptoms but not everyone has those. So think as you havent got testable symptoms yet and a negative lateral flow then its OK to go for bloods, but would wear a mask, normally quick in there and nurses will use gel etc. Sounds different to covid to me but its difficult to be certain. Dd said everyone in her year is sick with same symptoms, half testing positive and out, half negative and in school swapping illnesses.

The weather was lovely yesterday and when DH got back (from a university reunion) we sat outside in the warm September sun, reading.

This morning I woke up to the sound of torrential lashing rain and remembered the roof-windows were open on the garden-room so had to rush downstairs and close them before the floor was awash.

Now it's fine and sunny 🥴

The internet is broken again after a couple days of intermittent connection.

We now have a nice lady who is "handling our case". This is helpful as I no longer have to do the chasing, not so helpful as she's got nothing helpful to tell me

@Champagneforeveryone sounds like you need plenty of that Champagne today!!
My last experience with a call centre I shamefully lost my temper a little bit when keep saying 'I do understand' it was quite a large issue and I snapped saying oh that's all fine then if you understand and apologise but it's not resolving my issue.

I’m currently very cross with O2 customer services. They don’t know this, because they are bloody uncontactable, which is part of the reason I am cross.

Angry horse but me this morning. Then we had a really good lesson and he was very happy. He has a lot of feelings.

Bit me.
Stupid autocorrect.

Champagne, that is deeply annoying when something as critical as internet service is out, gets fixed, then goes out again. I am fortunate to live in an area that has two internet service providers, so we switched last year after a prolonged outage.

Squirrel, your tail tale of equine aggression reminds me of the old Mills Brothers Song, You always hurt the one you love

You always hurt the one you love
The one you shouldn't hurt at all
You always take the sweetest rose
And crush it till the petals fall

All quiet here. A mandate for all healthcare workers in NY to have at least one covid jab or go on unpaid leave goes into effect tonight and there is much concern about understaffing as a result.

@MissConductUS
Can I ask an opinion? Do you think tourism in New York will be possible next February time?

@Pheebs2021, I'm fairly sure it was recently reopened for UK and EU passport holders with proof of vaccination and a recent negative test. Unless things take a serious turn for the worse, yes, I would expect us to be welcoming tourists next February.

Indoor dining is back on, Broadway shows have reopened and most museums are open with advance reservations. Vaccine uptake is pretty high in NYC.

That's music to my ears sang in a Broadway dramatic way

@Pheebs2021

That's music to my ears sang in a Broadway dramatic way

If you are planning a visit, please let me know if I can provide any advice about places to go, hotel options, etc.

It'll be lovely to have the tourists back. Now that most offices have reopened, the restaurants and shops are doing much better.

There’s a really interesting documentary on TV at the moment here about the Metropolitan museum of art in NYC and how it coped when Covid struck. The last part is tonight. I have very fond memories of visiting there myself a long time time ago.

The horse definitely doesn’t love me. He quite likes the treats, and he likes it when I make him do work that makes him feel good, but on a personal level he can take me or leave me. That’s OK. He’s just being a horse.

(The dog neeeeds me. Does he love me? Hmm…)

Hilda, we are blessed with an abundance of great museums, large and small, in New York. The Met is arguably the crown jewel, though the science nerd in me has a soft spot for the Museum of Natual History and Hayden Planetarium, just up 5th Avenue from the Met. I'm so glad you visited the Met and enjoyed it.

Here's a bit of Met trivia. It's owned by the city and the admission fee is actually voluntary, as it's charter says it can't require the public to pay for entry. The city did this as at the time NYC was full of private museums full of fake exhibits that were sometimes referred to as cabinets of curiosities. The Met does not go out of its way to make clear that the admission charge is actually a suggested donation.

Squirrel, I don't think our cats actually love me either, but they are pretty morose when I leave in the morning. That's something, I guess.

DH went to his piano lesson in a different town with almost no petrol and most stations have run out here then forgot his glasses there so drove back. He is still not back and hoping he isn't stranded somewhere.

DD was very grumpy this morning but off out with friends this evening.

I feel really rough.

Sorry to hear that Silkie.
Was a bit worried about getting petrol but it turned out not to be a problem this afternoon - I now have enough to get into work and back home for a week and a half.
Makes you realise how tenuous things can be though.

@Silkiescatz hope all well

Silkie, did you ever get a covid diagnosis? Have you seen your GP? You've been poorly for quite a while.

The last time we had petrol queues here was during Hurricane Sandy. Power outages meant that many petrol stations couldn't operate their pumps and most didn't have generators. The distribution terminals with no power also couldn't pump into tanker trucks.

@Silkiescatz hope you are ok and that you feel better very soon.

@Champagneforeveryone so frustrating not having internet again!

@MissConductUS would love to go to a Broadway show one day. I miss the theatre quite a bit. Two things I have seen in London that stood out are Lion King and The curious incident of the dog in the night time. Both were amazing in my opinion.

Don’t think I’ll get to a pantomime either this year.

Thanks very much everyone.

DH got home OK in the end and with 20 litres of petrol which he said will last him 3 weeks, very relieved to have him back and that he has petrol as so many are shut down or emergency vehicles only and DH always leaves these things to the very last minute.

DD also back and in much better mood. She has orthodontist tomorrow so at least has a reason to be late to school tomorrow. She offered to get me something from the shop so think she is no longer angry with me for trying to get her to go to school on time. DS is still missing all science lessons, argh, he is in exam years though doing 8 subjects, one normally taken at 17 and a double one, and going off happily at least.

I haven't seen GP, you can't see GPs here with covid symptoms, you are only allowed 111, I can e-mail GP and they will call me back but there isn't much they can do - they only say go to hospital, you will be better next week or have some antibiotics and its not bacterial. 111 you can do online and it says call an ambulance but I don't want an ambulance. I can try and call them but it is hard to get them to not send an ambulance as they always work on worst case scenario, even when I lie and say I don't have symptoms I do its saying 999 call an ambulance. The hospital is saying they are full so I don't want to go there unless I have no choice. Last time I went when they were full there was a man lying on the floor his wife was screaming he was at risk of a heart attack and begging for help but they just said wait and they wouldn't let me give him my bed. I think it will just take longer DH is only just getting better after 4 weeks and DD was ill for 2 weeks and she is much younger and fitter than me. I think its as I have had gastric symptoms and dizziness for 2 weeks as well as the cough, heavy cold, blocked ears, low oxygen levels sometimes, now that I am getting very weak and leg cramps but someone suggested rehydration sachets on MN - I did not know about those but that might work.

The 1st carpenter finally replied, said he can come next week but says prices have risen a lot esp timber but we knew that and he was very cheap to start with.

@Silkiescatz - I very much hope you feel better soon. I am not a doctor but usually appropriate hydration is a good thing . I do wish you well & good news re petrol.

Thanks very much. I am sure I will be fine again in a week or so which is a good job as this was the hospital last night and its only September. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-58707225

DD has orthodontist first thing then school.

DC2 has physio first thing and then school, must be the day for it!

My brain is functioning very slowly this morning. Have achieved one work-related task. Have also been paid, but that didn’t require any effort on my part.