Thread 17 - Corona Cohort Summer Vacation to Yr 13, Finding Freedom?

[Orangecinnamon21]

PLACEHOLDER FOR NEW THREAD ...PREVIOUSLY TO BE FOUND IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

Yes, I've heard that about the doorstops.

Thanks @Oblomov21 we are heading home early fri morn. We went to Lyme Regis today. I think half the country went there too. It was packed.

Yes good news about vaccines.

DS1 is another who doesn't want to engage in visiting universities. He did the Warwick online open day but apart from that nothing. He wants to do a maths degree and has just chosen Warwick as his no 1 choice and isn't even considering anything else. It is all so frustrating when they don't communicate so you can't actually help them with any decision making.

Warwick is, and has been for ages, one of the best for Maths. I would also look at Lancaster, and Durham and St Andrews if willing to go that far.

Dd is only really interested in Southampton and possibly Liverpool for OT. She wants to visit Liverpool to see if she likes the city, but that will probably be it. There are fewer options for OT but actually I’m quite glad she’s got a firm preference.

I’m thinking if she doesn’t get offers from Southampton or Liverpool but does from her randomly chosen other 3 options, we’ll have to have a rethink, but at the moment she’s quite happy having a firm favourite. It’s very different from last year when she spent the second half of year 11 cycling through her 3 sixth form offers and changing her mind on a weekly basis!

DS not interested at the moment either Nard75, though to be fair I don’t think he is currently well enough so leaving him to rest. His predictions aren’t currently high enough for Warwick I wish he would drop an A level and if he takes ages to feel better might push that whereas before I felt it was something he should decide.

I think he’ll end up sitting another paper or two next term when he is hopefully a bit better and has extra time which was awarded after the exams and see what happens plus I am pushing GP a referral to a Consultant as friend’s DD with similar but less effected was immediately referred by hers and I want to check there’s nothing else we have missed.

DS tested positive, as did DS1

Oh no Piggy, so sorry to hear that 💐

@Piggywaspushed Sorry to hear that. Hope they both are not too sick & recover quickly.

I bought ds1 a door stop for university. His room was the last in the corridor so no one walked past. So never needed the doorstop. But we still have it incase Ds2 needs it. I had to go buy ds1 a bedside table the day I dropped him off, as there wasn't one in the rooms. So his lamp and bedside clock would have to go on the floor. I spent a while going round the shops, all the bedside tables had already sold out as everyone else had been doing the same. Eventually found one in B&M the only one left. A white wooden cabinet with wicker drawers. I repainted when it came home. So I will take that when and if Ds2 goes to university.

Oh no @Piggywaspushed I hope everyone is ok and not too ill.. (Your comment wasn't there when I posted mine)

Ha, don't worry : the doorstop was a funny non sequitur!

We got one when DS1 opened a student account btw.

Both boys are OK. DS1 being very annoying about it because he just in general has annoying attitudes.

DS2 was perking up yesterday. Main thing that was noticeable about him was his lack of breath. He plays the euphonium and we count how long he holds a note for. Before he was ill it was 40 seconds and it's gone down to about 30. He was also complaining of headache and dizziness so those are signs to watch out for.

Sorry to hear that Piggy. Has DS1 had a jab? I have lost track of holiday plans, hope the isolation does not impact on plans too much. Are shopping deliveries available these days?

@crazycrofter did your DS manage to get away to his camp?

www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-issues-updated-advice-on-covid-19-vaccination-of-young-people-aged-16-to-17

It looks like they are saying only the first dose for 16 and 17 years old (for now). Hopefully DD can can a jab before going back in September.

A member of JCVI was saying yesterday that is is not a single shot policy, the intention is that when more safety data is available they are expecting to approve 2nd dose at 12 weeks. They claim that is because of the effect on the heart, but I am suspicious about supply levels of Pfizer!

@Monkey2001 he’s supposed to be going on Monday, whole family has to test tomorrow night and then he tests when he gets there too. So far dd has had 3 negative lateral flows, but positive cases from the festival group are up to about 12 now. Hopefully we all still have our antibodies from Christmas!

Sorry to hear about the positive cases @Piggywaspushed. Is it a convenient time to isolate or have they got plans which will be scuppered? Dd hasn’t been named as a contact but she knows she was close to lots of cases over the weekend (albeit outside) so she’s testing daily and cancelled a sleepover with old school friends last night. As a compromise she met up with another friend who had covid 3 weeks ago as she felt that was safe! She generally has plans most days of the week through the holidays so isolations are annoying!

There's data from Imperial college to say that the pfizer initial dose is 100% effective for antibody production at post 21 days for 18-29 year olds. I haven't seen any data to say how long that lasts though. I'm another one thinking this is all more to do with supply issues.

I'm so looking forward to a year of hopefully more normality than last year.

@Piggy I'm sorry to hear of the positive tests. I hope it's a mild dose.

I've just looked up the cost of those cooking pans that do everything and are being heavily promoted on instagram at the moment. An eyewatering £140 😄

DS had a set of 3 saucepans from IKEA along with a small frying pan. Had a wok for Christmas after his first term. I think that gets used the most now, but pans useful for rice/pasta etc.

DS is moving from catered halls to shared house for 2nd year and he has bought one straight sided frying pan for stir fries/chiilies/bolognaise and one saucepan for pasta! Granny recently moved from a big house to a cottage, so he has his pick of a myriad of knives/spatulas/wooden spoons/sieves/colanders/measuring jugs (many dating from the 1950s).

Sorry about the boys piggy.

Piggy very sorry - hope you and your Dh ok. Maybe worth getting an oximeter if you haven’t already. I know people have found it useful just to reassure.
crazy fingers crossed for you.

It’s seems far too early to talk about Uni stuff but you can not beat the Wilkos black with white speckled pans. A deep frying pan and a smallish saucepan is all we got for Dd. I should have got shares in them as I now have bought a set, so has my mum (very accomplished cook) and her friends. They are indestructible and cheap and work on all types of hob you may come across.

Also if they are left handed, get a sharp knife for left-handers. It really does make a difference (and also means others tend not to use it).

I have oximeter and thermometer since my illness last year when I felt like I didn't know whether I was imagining I couldn't breathe. My temp and stuff fine so far.

DS feels a bit better this morning but still has a headache. Grumpy but mainly because DH is making such a scene...

Is it a convenient time to isolate or have they got plans which will be scuppered?

Yup, test match on Sunday and meet up with GPs next week . The latter can be rescheduled at least.

I know I would be giving the oximeter to Dh (and buying extra batteries for it to keep him quiet)!

For pan lovers, these are the 2 Dd has:
www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-20cm-aluminium-shot-blast-frying-pan/p/0468449

www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-18cm-aluminium-shot-blast-saucepan/p/0468456

Am barely speaking to DH...