Thread Uimhir a hocht,, the Exit

[Carriemac]

Here it is!

[quote MissMaudSilver]@eggandonion
DH is fretting about his grass, he has only been off on rainy days lately. He would understand your delight and your need to talk about it totally.

The grass is currently long and full of dandelions, the bug population must be huge as we have several blackbirds and two pigeons in permanent residence.[/quote]
I think the weather is supporting No Mow May 😄.

On the HSE, I'd actually not thought about PPSNs and other details being together.

Also got this via WhatsApp:

HSE WARNING:
Just a heads up to everyone, people are getting calls from some Dublin number pretending to be from the HSE. They have all your details, contact, DOB, PPS and date of last trip to Hospital etc. They asked for bank details to give a refund for being overcharged. This is a result of the hackers releasing all the data. Be careful if you get calls no matter how real they seem.

Monotone I hope you get to see your family soon.

I saw DM for a couple of hours just before Christmas but I was afraid to hug her. No holding back yesterday!

We just kept saying how great it was to be together. She's lost her mojo (afraid to take the car on a long journey) but then she started saying she thinks she could do things. DS has gone from little boy to teenager since she saw him so I think that was a bit of a shock for her. But it was so so so lovely to be together again. I slept like the dead last night with just some kind of emotional relief that things are getting better and feeling more relaxed because I've seen her again properly.

You're all so lovely for understanding and being pleased for me.

Actually seeing people in the flesh is so much better than on a screen!
Is Tulsa using the hse system, that's got a lot of confidential info on it.
It must be a fascinating job, cybersecurity, I have trouble adding an attachment.

@Apileofballyhoo

Aww. Lovely posts. Your mum must be delighted.

We've recently had a new grandchild but she's in the U.K., so we probably won't get to see her until next year. DH was always nervous about flying and picking up an infection long before Covid happened (he has a blood cancer), so I think we'll just have to wait a bit longer.

Killa that's very hard. Would he be happier on a ferry or would the journey be too difficult? Or can you pay for your DC to come to you? Pandemic aside...

I feel quite horrified now that I didn't see DM for so long. I wonder are we all a bit collectively traumatised by the past year. It was great to feel normal yesterday but it brought it home how abnormal things have been.

@eggandonion

It would not be directly linked I don't think but I know we would use the same network ie if their networks are down so are we.

For any HSE staff worrying next week about getting paid its already rran.

Salary payment has been dealt with.

We have been updating HSE IT systems over the last few years, anyone who got laptops upgraded has been upgraded, there is/was a rollout of an updated system. This was stalled due to Covid.

Remember there are over 100000 HSE staff, it takes time to transfer that amount of staff.

Thanks Apileofballyhoo, I'd say it'll be August at least before I see my parents, which will make it over a year and a half since I last saw them.

My siblings it'll be later, as I'll have to travel to them, and that'll mean two years by the time I get to see them.

I'm not feeling the best today. I was sitting at my desk in the silence (working at home since March 20) and just felt I'm so fed up of feeling alone.

I'm so sorry to read that monotone and I hope you get to see everyone as soon as possible. My heart is really going out to you as I feel so lucky now having had a hug. I don't know if I realised how much I needed it. I have also been lucky enough to see my sister briefly as we were both one of the 10 allowed at my aunt's funeral. But that was all really weird with the masks and being afraid to be near my elderly relations - it was pre vaccination and everyone was anxious as well as sad, even though we were delighted to see one another too. My aunt had a great sense of humour though so she wouldn't have minded us being simultaneously sad and happy! Hadn't seen my sister since December 2019, and of course my aunt's hadn't seen their sister much, and we hadn't seen any of them and so on.

I can understand people going on about fear and civil liberties in a way I didn't before, as it seems kind of insane that I didn't see my mother in so long, especially when I can walk with friends and DS can mix at school and all that. Very envious of people that live in the same county as their families. I think I really feel like when you get through a crisis ok but when you look back you think God, that was horrific. I'll stop rambling now!

@Killahangilion I took the ferry to Dublin from Holyhead last year, got out of car and went straight o cabin, brought my own food, then cabin to car. Felt like a safe and clean way to travel compared to flying would you try that? You act get priority boarding etc with Irish ferries if you explain your circumstances, they’d usually v good.

It’s another possibility but I honestly don’t know if it’s feasible.
It’s a long journey travelling from the West Cork to London via Dublin and Wales. I’m the only one that can drive so I’d have to break the journey a few times and that adds to the overall length of stay and we have a lot of pets that would need to be professionally looked after too, so that adds to the overall costs.

It was certainly easier when I travelled alone and DH stayed at home to look after the animals.

@Apileofballyhoo I think I really feel like when you get through a crisis ok but when you look back you think God, that was horrific I know exactly what you mean. I got through the first lockdown and homeschooling (ds has asd and it was really rough at times) but nearly had a breakdown when the dc had their first midterm break after they went back. It was nearly like ptsd. Up to that point I couldn’t really empathise with the people who had been struggling but it was just a survival tactic to put the head down and just plod along, one foot in front of the other.

I’ve an appreciation now for the different opinions and attitudes now. Not that I don’t want to bang a few heads together occasionally, but we really do need a spectrum of people to dig our way out of this.

Oh West Cork Killa from where you have to travel 100 km before you even get close to the edge of the county!

We really miss the Swansea Cork ferry. The old one was not a lovely ship, dh was on the new one during the ash cloud. It was apparently nicer, but too big.

I loved that ferry route too - especially the Swansea to Cork leg. Going to sleep & waking up in Cork Harbour. I think all my kids were brought home for the first time that way!

Killa it is a terribly long journey to drive even sharing so must be very daunting to do solo. I hope your dc can visit you soon.

If we are lucky enough to go this summer it will be 18 months for me too. The longest gap ever.

I always find it a bit of an adjustment going from one “home” to the other & am expecting it to be even more so now.

I am thinking a lot about past generations who emigrated & maybe only got to go home once a year if ever. Some of my grandfather’s siblings never got to go home for a visit.

It was a nice length for overnight trip. Cork to Rosslare seems to take twice as it should.
There seems to be movement on the cyber crime, and a verdict on the desperately sad case in Dublin.

DH just said about that verdict. I can't imagine.

@Apileofballyhoo I think I really feel like when you get through a crisis ok but when you look back you think God, that was horrific.

I think once people start to think about how they've been living since March 2020 they will have a lot to think about.
It's time apart that we can never get back. It's hard to process it.
I've seen my parents now that county to county is allowed and it was so so lovely to see them in the flesh and not on a screen but if I stop to think about what they and I have missed out on I feel like my heart will break. So I try not to.

I really can't imagine last year really happened. I must rely on events like Wimbledon and cup finals to know where I am in the year. Eurovision not so much now.
The poor Dublin dad and husband, the mums poor family. Devastating.

but if I stop to think about what they and I have missed out on I feel like my heart will break. So I try not to.

That's exactly right @halfpasteleven. I actually went through a mini grieving process last summer when I realised DM was too scared to have us visit or to visit us. I kind of mentally prepared myself for the possibility I wouldn't see her again. But yes, generally it's just day to day, though I have a kind of tiredness I've never had before.

Sympathies, ContinuousMonotoneBeep and Decorhate.

For me it was February 2020 we were last home. I am sick of the uncertainty of not knowing if we will possibly be able to go in August (at the earliest) as my parents have months to wait yet for second vaccine shot.

Where I am there is quite a bit of opening up happening now but I feel a bit traumatised too. One of my DC is struggling socially and with friendships (or lack of) and no wonder, she was in school for a total of 2 days in April and 2 days in May. Other DC has had to put up with my frustration and snappiness at homeschooling (though he has learned to read in two languages since September!) and has had way too much screen time.

DP's just been away for a week for work, I would kill for a few days of hotel breakfasts right now

eggandonion re the " desperately sad case in Dublin"
Unbearable for the father and his family and for the mother and her family.
The little friends and cousins they had, how hard must it be for them to comprehend.
I couldn't watch the Prime Time programme about it. The piece on the News was enough.
May those beautiful children rest in peace and their family and friends find the strength to carry on.
It puts everything into perspective.

@LadyEloise "it puts everything into perspective"
It certainly does.
I hope he gets some of the answers he wants from the medical team assigned to her care.
RIP little ones.

Just read in the Examiner about the Bandon woman being remanded into custody for the week-end for not wearing a face mask in Court.

What a silly woman!

www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-40295051.html

*@halfpasteleven

@Apileofballyhoo I think I really feel like when you get through a crisis ok but when you look back you think God, that was horrific.

I think once people start to think about how they've been living since March 2020 they will have a lot to think about.
It's time apart that we can never get back. It's hard to process it.
I've seen my parents now that county to county is allowed and it was so so lovely to see them in the flesh and not on a screen but if I stop to think about what they and I have missed out on I feel like my heart will break. So I try not to.*

That's so true. My siblings live abroad and it's a longhaul trip so I don't see them frequently. I'd to cancel a trip to my brother and my sister cancelled her trip home last year. We don't know when we can actually travel, have given up for this year anyway. I've a nephew turning one tomorrow that I haven't met 🙁

I didn't stop seeing my mother but it was flying visits to drop off shopping and food etc. I can see such a change in her, she has aged so much and now looks every year of 78. I'm not sure she will be able to reactivate her previous life.

It looks like it will be nearly a year, 11 months, before we see DH's parents in Dublin. Both of us will have the jab by the start of July. My in-laws are in their eighties so we're lucky that they got through this past time without major incidents and are still okay.
I think we have to nearly pretend it's all okay during the time of not seeing our relatives in order to get through it, but I'm not surprised that you are feeling the after effects now @Apileofballyhoo.