What 'normal' things have you done recently and how has it been?

[Destinysdaughter]

In the last 3 weeks I have:
Been round the shops in 3 towns/cities
Had my hair dyed
Been on the train
Been on the bus
Had a massage.
Had 2 friends over in my house to watch a film.

The first time I went round the shops definitely felt v weird as a lot of the shops were shut and there weren't many pp around, but this week it felt much more like normal, although the social distancing signs and instructions can be quite confusing and you have to pay attention and be aware of the signs and how different shops do things differently.

It's not enjoyable but I do want to get over my fear and start living again now.

How about you, how's it been?

Been to the hairdressers, the pub and out for a meal. All different than before covid but equally as enjoyable

I went shopping before masks were compulsory- pretty normal just having to put on sanitizer and not allowed to try stuff on.

We have been to our local farm park which had slightly different timings for the events and more hand washing, a few indoor bits closed. But otherwise normal.

Local theme park everything was more or less normal except a queueing app and markings for queueing 1.5m apart.

Our favourite cafe had the tables turned so you had to face the wall but otherwise normal.

Staff wearing masks in all of the above places

Been to a couple of different pubs. Used the bus. Took DS to the cinema and on a play date at the park with a friend. Been to my aunt's house and sat in the garden. Haven't really done much shopping (other than food shopping) but I don't need anything at the moment. Next week I'm going out for a meal with friends and getting my hair and nails done.

I'm enjoying getting my life back.

We went to the seaside and ate fish and chips in the car on the sea front. It felt lovely and normal until a group of people dressed in black with an ALDI bag came along, read from a bible and scattered ashes into the sea at which point it became a bit surreal.

DH has said that since I love the ALDI middle aisle of crap so much he will do exactly the same thing when I die.

Had my hair cut.
Been out for dinner twice.
Play date round a friends house.
Been to a National trust place.
BBQ for my birthday.
Took DS to a toy shop this morning.

Having my nails done next week.

We've been on holiday. English seaside town in a haven caravan. The beach and caravan felt normal. Water sports hire and beach cafes very busy, crazy golf, donkey rides and go karts all available. Toilets open. No funfair on the beach.

Haven was quieter (much nicer for it) but the pool was shut, and odd rule interpretation changes during the week about whether our children could use the main playground in the complex (in short, no. Owners only. Possibly!).

Good weather helped though, if it was wet it would have been different. No cinema, arcades were open, soft play shut. Shops would be rubbish with kids.

We also did a theme park last week. No crowds was lovely. Some rides unavailable, no indoor eating.

I've realised places are better with fewer people. So stay home folks! It's a virus petri dish out there!

I went to an art gallery - it was a lot more vigilant than the supermarket.
You have to book a slot and wear a mask and your temperature is taken on arrival via an Ipad face recognition thingy. All the staff were wearing masks or visors. The gallery seemed busy for that time on a weekday.

I went swimming today, and jumping in that pool felt amazing!

In the last few days I've:
Been on a train
Visited someone in a care home (outside)
Been to the shopping centre

They were all fairly miserable experiences and not at all normal.

We've

• been shopping
• had my hair done
• been to safari Park and zoo
• been to national Trust
• had friends round
• been to a restaurant with friends
• been to a pop up outdoor restaurant with family

Not the same, but making the most of it!

Tomorrow we are going to church for the first time since March (had to book in advance!) and ds7 starts swimming lessons again.

Visited a friend in her home. We’re both quite high risk. It was great then I came down with a bad chest and was burning up the next day and convinced myself I’d given her Covid and would cause her to lose the much longed for last chance saloon IVF baby she is in the very early stages of carrying. A negative Covid test later all panic was over and I was fully recovered from what ever it was in three days.

Been back at church. Going to weekday services that are poorly attended. It’s been wonderful. Only a dozen or so people there.

Shops in the city centre today. Absolutely horrendous. People smoking and vaping in your face. Wearing masks just round there mouth or on their neck or in their hands. One boy about twelve watching his younger siblings had one end in his hand and another in his mouth chewing on the thing like it was a teething ring. People coughing and sneezing and neither wearing masks nor covering mouths. One woman, red faced as anything, coughing her guts up and someone asking why she wasn’t wearing a mask and offering one - “ahhhh thanks love but I can’t, I’m full of a cold or summat and got a really bad cough or summat so I can’t wear a mask!” Then coughing all over the nice person who offered her the mask. She was stood right next to a “STOP. Do not enter if you have a fever, persistent cough etc etc” Shouldn’t have been out should she?

Totally ignoring social distancing, reaching across you, standing right next to you or trying to squeeze you out the way, entire families 4 or 5 abreast going the wrong way round the giant arsed arrows that you can’t bloody miss and then expecting elderly people who we’re really struggling to get out the way.

Won’t be visiting shops for a while tbh. Too much ignorance and selfishness.

I'm mainly feeling like week 5 of the summer holidays... a bit burned out by the time off, too long to go and trying to spread out the activities... Hypothetically, school broke up this week...

Zoo x2
Local museum
Town x2
Pub meal in the beer garden
Social in friend's garden
Outdoor fitness class (weekly)
DCs did karate in the park
Booked UK holiday albeit caravan not tent, something last done when DCs were infants.
Been to umpteen playgrounds.
Had DS1's best mate over to play at long last.

I've been doing food shopping throughout and increased my repetoire as more activities have become avaliable. (This is partly why masks feel like a regressive step as they've become less used in the last couple of months as the risk has plummeted. Life was feeling like some kind of imitation of normal by early July. I have plenty of other reservations too.)

Been in a bank...awful and weird
Been to the garden centre....ok without masks before not so nice with
Been in clothes shops....ok with sanitizer until I heard the fat face assistant tell a customer she couldn't touch anything
Going back to work this week so that.Will be a whole.New normal.

Work
Swimming in my parents swimming pool
Hair dresser
Cancer screening appts
Partner had surgery
Shops other than supermarket
Pub
Restaurant
End of term party at work
Weekend away to Cornwall
Picnics in the park on way home from school
Partner and child have been to stay with his parents
Had my parents round for lunch
Had his parents round for dinner
Had my parents 50th weeeing anniversary party with my brother and his kids

All socially distanced and mostly outside (some sitting in open patio doors due to the weather)

It feels as if we only really had about 6-8 weeks of completely weird, and even then I was going to work a fair bit. I also shopped for my parents in that time, so saw them in their garden. After those 6-8 weeks I just did what I wanted or needed to do.

I got my hair cut today - absolutely fine.

Went to the dentist to get impressions for a new mouthguard - bit sci-fi, tbh.

Had my eyebrows done - completely fine.

Got my glasses adjusted at the optician - also fine.

Have had friends round for drinks, lunch, coffee - that felt most normal of all.

Not up for restaurants, browsing in clothes shops or anything really, but supermarket shopping has been fine.

I’m in Scotland so quite used to wearing a mask now, and have a load of them to mix and match with what I am wearing. #pandemicbutmakeitfashion

Went to the shopping centre. Half of the shops were closed. The rest were only allowing limited numbers inside so you had to queue for every single shop. There were marshals in high viz directing people where to queue and telling you off if you stood in the wrong place. I gave up after two shops when I’d bought the essentials that I went for. Normally I’d have stayed for 5-6 hours browsing and spending, and probably had coffee and cake too. Won’t be going back unless I have to. The high street is finished imo.

Went camping
Had a reflexology session
Had a pub meal
Visited in-laws
Coffee date with a friend

Nothing, still shielding...

Had my hair done (trim and root touch up)
Had gel nail polish
Both fine and felt safe but not overly restrictive
On the other hand my dentist has just cancelled yet again (only a check so nothing invasive)
Need an eye test but my usual optician is closer

Closed not closer

I’ve been getting the train throughout fir work - it remains quiet and feels safe. The first week of lockdown felt unsafe in London with deserted streets apart from aggressive begging .

Been out for lunch and dinner - all felt very safe.

I went into a local pub tonight to pick up takeaway good - first indoor place I’ve been in since aldi on March 16th - and I hated it. Everybody else in there seemed to be behaving “normally” and there was zero social distancing and I was the only person wearing a mask. Felt very odd and not very safe so I don’t think I’ll be doing it again any time soon!

*food obviously. Damn phone!

Have been on holiday in touring caravan, been to Cotswolds and down to South Cornwall, used facilities at caravan sites, been in lots of cafes and to National Trust places, before holiday went to hairdressers.

Not much,

Been to NT places which on the whole were normal and wonderful. Apart from one place that was weird, but it was a one off and I won’t return.

Been for a takeaway eat outside at my favourite restaurant. In beautiful gardens so we had a picnic with our food. Fabulous and not weird at all.

Still haven’t been to a big supermarket yet.