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Original poster

2020 just a blur.

51 replies

FridaKahlosearrings · 04/08/2020 09:45

This year has dragged, yet at the same time, I can't believe that is is August. I was looking for an email in my sent items and started reading emails I'd sent back in December. It feels like a completely different world - so much I took for granted.

OP posts:
eggandonion · 04/08/2020 17:41

I'm in Ireland, where pubs are not reopening next Monday. I'm getting fed up with socially distanced coffee.

ElleyBear13 · 04/08/2020 18:14

I gave birth on march 12th to.my third baby- it was so bizarre the first week was relatively normal - a few visitors as we planned to have the two week parental leave for just us before hubby went back - those few visitors wore masks and were quite jovial about it...we didn't realise the seriousness of it. A week later hubby and I went to asda for our weekly shop and everyones trolleys were piled high most folk were frantic. We couldnt get loo roll or chopped tomatoes- we came home in a daze. Picked the older two from nursery and school and then we went into lockdown. I just remember coming home with the kids and we all sat in front of the tv watching the announcement...the babys met grandparents, aunties & uncles through windows...the children havent been back to school or nursery. My husband hasnt gone back to work It feels surreal.

dementedma · 04/08/2020 18:19

We have the heating on today in Scotland - it just adds to the confusion of what day, what time of year it is. My mental health is becoming increasingly fragile, though i tell myself to count my blessings and there are people worse off than me etc but.....it’s like being in a shifting grey fog. I feel disoriented and lost.

TW2013 · 04/08/2020 18:26

Realised in July that I hadn't turned the calendar over since March. To be fair I tend to use my phone calendar, but even so.

eggandonion · 04/08/2020 20:27

Our diary has nothing in it in April apart from paying car tax; we didn't buy any petrol in April. Not much in May and June, a couple of coffees and a picnic in July.
It's a horrible wet evening here. And pubs aren't reopening, nothing is changing apart from our green list for travel now excludes San Marino, Gibralter and Monaco.

KitKatastrophe · 04/08/2020 20:40

Every day is the 23rd of March forever
I was in labour on 23rd March so I could do without going through that every day forever Grin

I do think this year has been so weird. Because there was nothing to look forward to and no events to mark the passage of time. I can tell you vague things that happened but only as "before lockdown" "during full lockdown" or "during lockdown when we could meet 6 people" etc

Ineedtobecalm · 04/08/2020 20:41

All those lovely rainbows the kids made and stuck in the windows are all sun bleached. I haven't got cash out of the ATM since mid March.

MargoDurrell · 04/08/2020 20:42

Even my 6 year old says he wishes it was 2021 Sad definitely a Groundhog Day kind of blur.

Still, we’ll come out the over side more humble and more resilient than we were and we’ll take less things for granted Smile

MargoDurrell · 04/08/2020 20:44

Look at me being all positive Shock i had a breakdown recently and I’m beginning to feel small glimmers of hope.

Can’t believe how optimistic I sounded!! That’s a big thing for me SmileWine

Taswama · 04/08/2020 21:04

I agree with you. My kids are school age and we’ve had some time off for each of the school holidays - Easter, May half term and now the summer hols. So there were a few days in April and May that weren’t a total stressful mess of trying to home school and work. As lockdown eased, we managed to do a bit more each time. But I didn’t have a single day off in June or most of July and it’s just a complete blur. I gave up on doing online Cubs with ds1 in early June, so stopped knowing what day of the week it was a lot of the time. Just hoping it was nearly Friday.

I’ve just had another week off and been away, to somewhere we normally visit in May, which obviously doesn’t help with the feeling of disorientation!

Moresandwiches · 04/08/2020 21:15

FGS don't look forward to next year. Brexit starts for real on 1st Jan and it's all downhill from there.

Wecandothis99 · 04/08/2020 21:18

Thing is, next year isn't going to magically make some good shit happen, we will likely be in exactly the same boat (to those wishing the year away).

I'm lucky as being pregnant I'm finding something to look forward to (although obviously it's also a nightmare at the same time).

Hope everyone is doing ok

lovelemoncurd · 04/08/2020 21:21

It's memorable for me. I turned 53. Got flu and two months later got coronavirus and it's knackered me. Would rather it was not memorable!

GinJeanie · 05/08/2020 06:14

@MargoDurrell 🥀for you... Optimism is very important (and certainly not misplaced). I think it's part of being resilient tbh. I believe the same as you - we will come out the other side, as awful as this all is. I often tell myself "this too will pass" (through gritted teeth!). Take care ❤

GinJeanie · 05/08/2020 06:22

Also, check these links about the Solutions Journalism Movement - a friend put me onto this. So true that we are fed a diet of incredibly negative news/media which can impact on our mental health/world view. The starter kit gives lots of suggestions for publications, podcasts etc which give a more constructive and balanced view.

jodiejackson.com/the-movement/

jodiejackson.com/starter-kit/

Mindymomo · 05/08/2020 07:18

A crap year all round.
Father in law died end of Feb, heart related condition, not covid.
Husband had heart attack and needed a triple heart bypass. Really stressful time, trying to find a hospital that would do operation. He was away 15 days, but felt like forever.
All cars still have 3/4 full of petrol from March.
But it’s the elderly I feel most sorry for, we can muddle through and get on with life as it is and we have a full household and a dog to take on long walks, which has been our life saver.

MargoDurrell · 05/08/2020 07:56

@GinJeanie thank you so much! x

Your second post reminds that back in February (pre UK Coronavirus meltdown) there was an article online about how 2020 was a terrible year. Keep in mind that it was written and shared in February!

The bush fires upset me too. We were due to go to Australia and I was worried about my family who had to evacuate their homes Flowers

Patbutcherismyhero · 05/08/2020 07:58

Yes it feels like time has lost a lot of meaning. Summer holidays don't really feel like summer holidays. We missed Easter.
We haven't had a summer trip to look forward to. It's been one shit year.

Socialdistancing · 05/08/2020 08:01

I was having a clear out yesterday and found last year’s calendar. It was quite dizzying to see the amount of stuff written on it compared to this year!

Mothermorph · 05/08/2020 08:01

We went away for a short break at new year, and to the theatre in January (belated christmas present) . Both events seem about 3 years ago!!

AuntieStella · 05/08/2020 08:12

Middle of February- Storm Ciara and Dennis, floods (remember that? Shock )

Yes, because I was booked for two running events - the CRUK central London 10k, and a local half marathon, and they were each taken out by one of the storms.

I havent done an actual real life race since 1 March, or a parkrun since 14 March, and last run with club was between those two

beela · 05/08/2020 08:14

It's just weird, as though we are suspended in time.

There have been no markers of the time passing, like Easter, gigs, festivals, summer fetes, sports day, birthday parties, holidays.

And we can't plan anything to look forward to because we don't know what the rules will be.

Part of me is shocked that we are so far through the year already, and the other part is surprised to find that there is still 5 months to go! I think I've just mentally written off the remainder of this year and quite a bit of next year too

Mothermorph · 05/08/2020 08:27

*Yes, because I was booked for two running events - the CRUK central London 10k, and a local half marathon, and they were each taken out by one of the storms.

I havent done an actual real life race since 1 March, or a parkrun since 14 March, and last run with club was between those two*

It seems mad that we had to cancel races due to storms and weve had some beautiful weather since and nothing could be rearranged. Our club are starting small group runs again.

Frouby · 05/08/2020 08:27

I've had a good year to be honest.

Coronavirus is fucking awful. Lockdown and financial worries are awful. Dd didn't sit GCSEs or have prom, we pulled them out of school the week before they closed. We lost FIL to CV on Easter sunday. Been desperately worried about ageing relatives like everyone else.

But I have really enjoyed spending 6 months with my kids. We've enjoyed being outdoors more than ever, we've found loads of new walks and trails locally. Started and completed c25k. Ran 50 miles in july for charity. We have an allotment and it's never looked better. Redecorated nearly all my house. Decluttered and reorganised everywhere. Eaten nice food I wouldn't normally have time to cook. My dd and ds have never been as close (10 years age difference). We have seen more of friends in the garden. Had BBQs. Been out for a few meals. Had days just dossing around and enjoyed them. Also since restrictions eased gone back to watersports and tried new things there and the kids have too.

There aren't that many things you can't do now. You can visit a cafe or pub, have a meal out, shop in nonessential shops, meet friends and family. Even in the at risk areas cases aren't that high, and its summer so there are loads of things to do outside.

It has been tough, especially for the shielded but for the vast majority of the population there is no reason to be stuck indoors denying yourself pleasure.

MrsFoggy · 05/08/2020 08:29

It's certainly a weird one! On 17th March I took my two year old out to a role play activity centre, determined that at 7 months pregnant I would continue to keep the world normal for him... now we're in August I have a second son that has met no one, been held by no one apart from us, DS1 hasn't returned to preschool and we're contemplating him not returning until next year...

Life is now early morning trips to the park when no one is around and days in the house or garden. Skype calls with a dementia ridden grandpa and constantly explaining why I don't want to go to the pub. A husband who still grieves for not being able to be at the birth of DS2 as we had no childcare and I terrified that as a front line worker he will bring this bullshit home to us once a second wave hits...

And yet, we've had some amazing family time, having no way to entertain ourselves we've become quite the Pinterest parents at times, although I still draw the line at baking and homemade play dough!

Everyday I hope for the news to announce we have a vaccine ready to go and normality is around the corner though! Because I actually miss softplay centres, trampoline parks and dancing to shit bands in my crappy local pub in a fog of jäger that I'm way too old to drink but... you know, kids 😬

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