New Fred. It nearly ended in tiers.

[Cismyfatarse]

Sorry. Lost track of what was proposed. Hope this will do.

It sounded a bit snotty, like 'well you clearly have limited imagination, but I want more from life'

Fair enough if that wasn't the intention, it's how I read it.

I'd give a lot to be going away this year; this time last year I was in America on business and the photos are making me sad. I've cancelled two holidays. I was meant to have family from overseas staying with me but can't.

There are lots of things I'd love to be doing. But I can't, so I'll enjoy what I can every day until I do them.

Tbh IncludeWomen your post sounded snooty too - very precious moments mama ish, like folk who are struggling just don't appreciate their family enough or something. It might not have been meant but it had that tone.

Many people are not doing well, are exhausted and utterly fed up.

And re vaccines, the SG got it right to focus on care home residents first. Our other Gov saw an increase in care homes deaths of 46 per cent in January. This could easily have been the case in Scotland if they hadn't done care homes first.

I feel like I'm just existing, and I think I'm the rule rather than the exception. My father has had major surgery, recovery and other ongoing issues including Covid but is in another continent so I can't go there to help or support. DH hasn't worked properly in around a year, with the exception of a few months last year. Which puts enormous pressure on me. I've not seen more than one friend / family member for ages. It's just pure shite.

@Cismyfatarse

After chasing and chasing via Twitter, e-Mail and phone DH has a more formal job offer, with paperwork about getting paid. They have not yet measured him for high viz or discussed clipboard requirements but things are moving.

I have taken to calling him THE VACCINATOR in a voice like from a game show.

I may be in a meringue induced sugar high.

But, things are happening.

The vaccinator 😂

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

It sounded a bit snotty, like 'well you clearly have limited imagination, but I want more from life'

Fair enough if that wasn't the intention, it's how I read it.

I'd give a lot to be going away this year; this time last year I was in America on business and the photos are making me sad. I've cancelled two holidays. I was meant to have family from overseas staying with me but can't.

There are lots of things I'd love to be doing. But I can't, so I'll enjoy what I can every day until I do them.

I liked your post and thought, what a great attitude to have.

Hahah precious mama. Very good. My son is crying behind the couch because I won't let him play FIFA after 7pm, and my cat just pissed on the carpet because he's too scared to go out in the snow to pee.

My point was that I don't feel lm just 'existing'. I don't. I've had a really rollercoaster year; I've been furloughed twice, made redundant, and various other unpleasant things have happened.

I've got through it, in large part, by enjoying the wee things and not overthinking. I keep my head down because if I think about it all too much I feel a bit overwhelmed.

Sorry if that makes me a precious mama

I realised last week that I needed to adapt to the life I'm currently faced with rather than what I would like. Yes I've been teetering since October but now it's time to just relax. I need to get the heater on in my play/summer house and just relax.

You’ve certainly been through a lot. Hopeful you @Would & your DP’s life back to what it was, isn’t too far away. I agree with @Statis life has been kind of Groundhog Day; this lockdown in particular I feel. Think it’s the winter, dark days isolation and little to do outside the home. @kurtrussellsbeard apologies.

Thanks @StarryEyeSurprise

My point was you were reading snottiness in to another person's post when it sounded just as present in yours - one saying "your life is too small for me" whilst the other is saying "you're just not appreciative enough" when it's probably not what either of you meant

And one of my cats pissed in the shower. At least it's easy clean huh.

I'm just glad he didn't do it where he's been sleeping all day - under my son's duvet!

I'm surprised by all these indoor cat pee incidents. Don't they like going out in the snow ?
l saw the cutest mini dachshund puppy hopping through the snow today as she was too small to walk.

I'm quite jolly these days. The St. john's wort has really helped

@rookiemere

I'm surprised by all these indoor cat pee incidents. Don't they like going out in the snow ? l saw the cutest mini dachshund puppy hopping through the snow today as she was too small to walk.

Mine is indoor anyway, he's just a funny old lad who occasionally decides the tray isn't to his liking for no apparent reason.

But they have just started being allowed out since we moved (cat proof garden) and none were impressed with the white stuff

The snow days have been high points in an otherwise fairly undifferentiated sea of mud and stress this winter.

I don't see how you can call this current situation anything other than severely limited - glad for people that have managed to pull their socks up.

I met a friend to sledge with and we said you know, there have been some upsides to lockdown, spending more time with the kids. I said I just wish we'd had a bit more control. So many choices removed over the last year and no sight of them returning yet.

Talking of cat's, one of my mums escaped while I cleared her drive way. She said I drove off and he sauntered back in wet and hungry 🤬

How could it possibly be worse to live with total freedom (apart from travelling abroad) in New Zealand than total lockdown (also no travel abroad) in U.K.?

@rookiemere

I'm surprised by all these indoor cat pee incidents. Don't they like going out in the snow ? l saw the cutest mini dachshund puppy hopping through the snow today as she was too small to walk.

He seems freaked out by it. But then it would probably come up to his nose now so I wouldn't want to go for a pee in that either.

He hasn't used a litter tray in at least a year; I put it out for him today and he just stared blankly at it...

My old history tutor said when she was asked what being in the Soviet Union was like, in the post Stalin part, she likened it to being pregnant and waiting for nhs appointments.

All this has reminded me of that conversation - permanently waiting for the government to decide things for us.

It's me back again to stress some more You may remember me as the one with the Scottish boyfriend whose plans were scuppered over Christmas (we are technically each other's support bubble and weren't going to go out anywhere while he visited etc etc but all the flights were unilaterally cancelled and it was probably the worst Christmas I've ever had all alone in my house after the beating my mental health had already taken this year).

ANYWAY, we have managed to complete on a house since I last posted and I am due to fly over this Saturday, the 13th, to live there permanently. I'm taking a flight from Belfast to London and then on to Aberdeen (this wasn't done purposely but moreso because it was the only flight to Aberdeen I could find that day which didn't have something like a 20-hour stopover!). As things stand I know this is all "legal" and fairly likely to go ahead (I am entirely willing to/plan to stay in our house for 10 days or however long when I get there but I wouldn't really be able to afford that insane hotel fee, how are they actually justifying that?) but I'm still terrified something will go wrong. I'm not holidaying (I don't think most people visiting Scotland right now are doing it for a jolly tbh), I'm travelling to my now-permanent residence, but they hardly see things on a case-by-case basis.

I've just been in such a constant state of stress and anxiety over all this for months, our worst fears were realised when we had to spend Christmas apart. I'm terrified something will go wrong at the last minute.

I agree with the just existing comments btw, I did okay in first lockdown staying positive but I’m so struggling with that this time. It’s just relentless and I feel sad and angry all the time for no reason

It's all relevant to what you find hardest isn't it goodname ? What if you have family outside of New Zealand? Some people spend most of the year looking forward to their two weeks in the sun in the summer.

Don’t get me wrong @anon444877 I am an insane holiday planner. Actually nothing I like more than organising a holiday (esp a bargain 😀). It’s just if I could do everything else instead I would.

Anyhoo it makes no difference I guess, not allowed to travel in either place 😭 just also not allowed to do anything else here

I'm sure most people would choose New Zealand if we could've chosen at the outset - I'm not convinced it could have ever worked in Scotland or mainland Europe with porous borders though (leaving aside the cross border daily family and people with family all around the UK).

NZ has hard natural borders, there's a lot of geographical luck there as well as a lucky politician who hit on a good strategy early.