Aibu...how close to normal is life for you

[jeansandashirt]

Aibu to wonder how close to "normal" (as we know it) is your life right now?

Social distancing is pretty ignorable. People in town aren't really doing it, we met up with friends at a campsite this week and hugged as normal.

Oh, FFS.

DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE STOP DOING THIS.

People are still dying. The number of cases is increasing. People who don't die are still getting serious, long-term effects of the disease. STOP SPREADING IT. Stop hugging people. Stick to social distancing. Stop being so bloody selfish and stupid.

Everyone who is saying their lives are back to normal, or nearly normal - I've decided I just don't believe you .

@bridgetreilly

Social distancing is pretty ignorable. People in town aren't really doing it, we met up with friends at a campsite this week and hugged as normal.

Oh, FFS.

DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE STOP DOING THIS.

People are still dying. The number of cases is increasing. People who don't die are still getting serious, long-term effects of the disease. STOP SPREADING IT. Stop hugging people. Stick to social distancing. Stop being so bloody selfish and stupid.

Yes yes. I'm pretty much doing it. I meant it's ignorable as in you don't have to notice it in shops etc. People don't really get that close to each other anyway, never really did. Maybe queues are a bit more spaced out than they were but you don't have to see it you know? You can ignore the extra spaces as something weird becuase it's not that noticeable.

But yeah, a hug for people I've not seen in a year a and who we are spending a couple of days with isn't something I'm not going to do. Nor am I not going to hug my mum in 3 weeks when I see her for the first time in 8 months. Her mental health would be far more severely impacted by it than there is a risk of either of us having the virus. She's depressed and lonely. I'm not exacerbating that.

Very different. Both working at home instead of in London, son at nursery so protecting both sets of parents by only meeting them outdoors. No childcare, obvs, so no nights off, no gigs (my partner is in a band), no meals out. Rarely see friends as we used to meet in each others' houses as we all have kids - now we go for a walk in the park but still don't see the ones who live further away as we're avoiding using public toilets. Haven't been back to my home town since February, or seen my best friend.

I went in non-supermarket shops for the first time since lockdown today, and while it was ok I was very aware I could do everything from home and avoid the risk of the virus from aircon and contact with other people. It seemed a bit pointless, but good to feel a little more back to normal.

Our lives are basically on hold, because we are trying to avoid getting it. People who are bending or just plain flouting the rules obviously feel it's worth the risk - we don't.

Social distancing is pretty ignorable. People in town aren't really doing it, we met up with friends at a campsite this week and hugged as normal.

Needs to be a general Darwin award for all the huggers this year, a collective recognition of their refusal to listen.

I really want to thank all the huggers for collectively increasing the r rate.

Pretty much normal. The only difference is that I’ve changed work which I had no intention of doing and don’t go up town a few times a week.

I’d massively curbed my spending in January so was used to avoiding the shops

Pretty far from normal. Both working at home. I only have one bit of freelance work on. Only seeing very close family. Apart from one walk with 2 friends. No holiday this year. I work in the cultural sector so I do a lot of things with arts organisations I'm involved with. Going to events, professional development/ support, going to exhibitions and performances. I do these things alone as part of my art practice and my partner is into culture so we go to the theatre, cinema, galleries and museums a lot. We aren't doing any of that. Lots isn't open but I'm also not happy doing it even if it was.

We are shopping infrequently and have only done a few non food shops. We aren't going out to eat ( which we did lots). We had 1 drink outside a pub but this lunch time during the week so rally not busy! I feel a bit as doing y

I suppose a lot of this is about what you do with your time and job and how happy you are doing stuff.

That dodgy sentence was supposed to say I'm feeling a bit lost tbh.

EVERYONE where I live (rural south east) is almost evangelical about SD and mask wearing ...

100% not normal. At all

Nothing is the same

Mostly normal day to day but I haven't been able to have a holiday this year as it would have been in May and my children are home constantly whereas usually they'd spend more time staying with family in the summer hols while i'm working. I'm not going to the shops so much due to having to wear masks.

10% there?
Things that have not changed

I never liked shopping and buy my clothes, food and anything else online.
I worked throughout (transport).
I can now get my eyebrows threaded, my one beauty expense.

Things that did change

Dd was home grappling with distance learning.
Routine went out the window.
Cat went loopy for a while, now hates it if we're all going out.
Some work processes and regs had to change.
Wearing face masks. I hate it but do as I'm told.
My dad won't let me in his house because he's scared.
Sanitiser everywhere, in the house, on my work desk, in the tube station...
Undressing at the front door.
Cancelled our annual family holiday.
Husband did his back in, but GP refused to examine him and was sent to hospital instead. Ended up on strong painkillers and has been off work getting used to the pain relief and recovering from the back pain. He hasn't seen the GP at all.
My city is too quiet for the time of year.
I booked tickets for a gallery visit and hated it because before it was my sanctuary, and now you are forced to walk in a certain direction and the staff have got really snotty if you wander off. It was stressful.
There are two pubs I go to where I feel OK, the rest demand you sign in using an app (which you obviously don't have ) and if it needs to be downloaded there's never any 4 or 5G or WiFi to do so, and because it's all table service now the app puts an extra 12.5% service charge on top so you have to look carefully to untick the box. CF.
No cinema yet. I love the pictures.
Having to book everything in fucking advance. There is no spontaneity anymore.
Buses are actually very clean now, but much slower, despite there being no frigging traffic.
I'm thinking about buying a bike.

I have social anxiety which explains a lot of the above. I'm not scared of the virus, but the virus has put up barriers against my coping mechanisms.

Not normal and probably won’t be for ages. All my English Civil war re-enactments have been cancelled, can’t take communion or sing in my church choir and can’t go to watch live rugby. Working from home since before lockdown and probably will be until after Christmas (that I don’t mind as the commute is horrible). Not a great one for shopping though so wearing a mask for the supermarket isn’t a problem. Sigh

Not back at work till sept 7th so financially struggling and getting into debt.
Easier to get online delivery food slots.
Avoiding shops.
No social life.
Life is not normal for me and won't be for a while

Not much normal. Local lockdown, so can only see people outside, no hospitality sector open, and must stay within five miles from home. Working from home, which is set to continue for the foreseeable. DP made redundant too.

Not very at all. DH’s consultant recommended he remain shielding as particularly high risk. I’m still WFH, haven’t seen any friends IRL and only parents in their garden. Don’t go shopping or similar, holidays cancelled.

Not at all. WFH, following guidelines for local lockdown (although not sure many others are), still shopping as little as possible, but eating out occasionally and still walking daily. Gym is open which is good. Not hugged anyone other than DH or DCs since March

Yes and no. I don’t really feel as able to suggest meet ups as usual, which is daft really.

Not at all normal.
Lost all my freelance clients as I couldn’t work and homeschool 2 children and look after a toddler at the same time.
DH working from home at least until next year.
DC’s activities all on hold and will be for the foreseeable.
Trip to Spain to see the in laws cancelled.
No toddler groups... toddler struggling with the lack of social interaction and screams when he sees anyone outside of our household.
My gym hasn’t reopened as it can’t afford to (permanently closed).
Summer childcare not running in my area.
I can’t wear a mask and my mental health isn’t robust enough to be shamed (as per the advice of Cressida Dick) so can’t go in shops, museums etc.
My volunteer work has been paused indefinitely.

Oh and all my hair is falling out. Which the GP (via video call) has decided is either due to the suspected Covid I had in March or stress.

Not at all normal.
Kids social and educational activities massively curtailed.

Eldest waiting to find out how the GCSE result lottery has gone. No idea what her next step will be as performing arts courses are so up in the air. This should be their summer of celebration and music festival, instead it's a summer of loneliness and shit mental health.

Set off today without masks to find coffee and cake.. Ended up in a gin bar as they didn't require masks. I'd never normally do day drinking but what the hell. This is the new (ab)normal.

Dh camped out on kitchen table until at least new year.

Dh now doing the bulk of shopping as he doesn't get panic attacks in a mask. And don't even get me started on how mask wearing people have started featuring in nightmares

Being asked by people in hi viz jackets to follow the arrows ( in empty outdoor shopping areas)

No chance of going abroad as passports out of date and there's a massive backlog with people only being asked to apply if urgently needed.

No prospect of going to gigs ( we had 4 planned that were cancelled)

No spontaneity as everything needs booking

No point booking very much in advance in case of local lockdowns.

I've become very sweary and turned from a reluctant hugger into a hugger.

Very close.

I'm not one for eating out much, dislike noisy pubs and find shopping anything but an enjoyable activity. I'm also not the sociable sort so meeting a few close friends in their gardens is fine by me.

Almost totally normal.

Been on holiday to our caravan in Cornwall twice and both times eaten in cafes and restaurants.
I used hand gel all the time before this so that's nothing new. Couldn't care less about masks, I find them quite cosy and comfy.
DC are at private school so yr5 DS went back in June and both dc had online lessons and will be back full time. I'm not worried about them going back at all.
I go back to work in a school office admin and I'm not bothered.
Have met friends outdoors, had parents to stay and theyve looked after the children while we had a day out.
DH worked from home once a week anyway so he just here a bit more in our study so doesn't impact the family.
Dc have socialised with friends and are happy. I also took DD to the shopping centre for a New Look splurge and we shopped as normal.
Only thing I need is theatres to reopen and we'll be back in there like a shot.

Oh and all the gigs/theatre shows/ballets we had booked for this year are cancelled.
Need to stop thinking about how abnormal it all is as it’s making me cry.

I work in a school (Admin) so currently
On summer hols but have been working in the school office
Wear a mask to go shopping
Am eating in restaurants
Am socialising at our sailing club
Have children for sleepovers
Am Seeing friends and family
Have spent weeks on the IOW

In so many ways life isn't that different to pre Covid however, as a family we are religiously washing our hands and sanitising.

We are avoiding large groups
We only mix within the same group of friends
I work in an office on my own which I clean with Milton daily
I wash all the food in Milton ....

So yes things have changed dramatically but I think it's our new norm!!