Author Topic: Diary > Tuesday 31st March  (Read 817 times)

Offline trystan

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Diary > Tuesday 31st March
« on: Tuesday 31 March 20 16:39 BST (UK) »
I heard a lone bird chirping quite slowly, just a little faster than once a second. I was lying in bed, pitch black outside. Only the occasional traffic went past, perhaps every five or ten minutes. I tapped my alarm clock to see the time. It was 5:40. I dozed off again. Waking again, an hour later, and I could hear the same birdcall, but now it was faster and more elaborate, occasionally slowing down to the chirp. I dozed off again, so quiet on the road.

I was brought up a cup of tea, and I sat upright reading today's paper on my tablet.

Showered and ready for the day, porridge for breakfast. I think it's funny how some days porridge almost tastes like rice pudding, other days it tastes quite bland. Today, no, it's definitely like rice pudding.

I read more of the online paper, and try the concise crossword. Not much of an inroad into it today, but still enjoyable. I then completed the 'Codewords' puzzle which was fun.

I did some work. Yesterday the banking site didn't work, I must try it again later.

Lunch, home-cooked ham and to tomato sandwiches on wholemeal bread.

We went for our allotted one form of exercise walk. We went the opposite way round on the route today, so we noticed different things. It felt like more of a workout too with steeper inclines. We stopped and nattered briefly with a lady we saw the other day. We kept to opposite sides of the road to speak to her. She told us of cutting short her visit to Brisbane to return home. Her neighbour opposite her has lost her husband to Covid-19, very tragically. It was shocking to hear of a death from it. The widow won't answer her phone now apparently. Perhaps she is ill with it too.

More people walking today. Most kept sensible distances, but one couple were a bit like lemmings which we had to avoid more purposefully. We saw tiny bees going into holes in a mud bank. Fascinating. Cows munching away happily on their sileage. A strong smell of pig manure in the air today. Glad my sense of smell is still alright.

We got home, had a brew and I've started on a book to improve my chess. It looks a bit too advanced for me though at the moment, which might not be a bad thing.

We had salad last night so I'll make a Chicken Dall Curry tonight I think. If this curry doesn't kill us, my cooking might.

Over to you.  :)
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Offline Roobarb

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Re: Tuesday 31st March Diary
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 31 March 20 17:00 BST (UK) »
After my usual morning fix of two large mugs of tea I got around to washing my hair. I'm going to have to cut my fringe myself, I'm currently rockin' the pit pony look! Faffed about. Waited till after lunch to go for my daily walk as it rained last night so I wanted to wait till the grass dried off a bit. Did my usual circuitous route around any dog walkers, across to the woods where I noticed that although the trees are still quite bare they're getting greener every day.

Returned home and phoned an elderly friend to see how she's getting on. Considered doing the Pilates video that I tried out yesterday but decided instead to do the hoovering that I hadn't been able to do yesterday when my vacuum cleaner battery went flat. Dusted. Tried to work out how to do a further connection between my TV and HDD recorder, flummoxed by the manuals.  ???
Learnt how to spell flummoxed.  ;D
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Online KGarrad

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Re: Tuesday 31st March Diary
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 31 March 20 17:11 BST (UK) »
Slack sort of day!
Breakfast was a cuppa and a toasted hot cross bun.

Got the slow cooker out, and prepared a beef stew. That's tea sorted for a few days ;D
Can of soup for lunch - leek & potato.

Received a delivery today from a mate who runs 2 pubs.
4 pints of dry cider, and 2 pints of perry.
That has cost me about £20.

Cloudy and chilly all day, so didn't venture out.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline stoney

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Re: Tuesday 31st March Diary
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 31 March 20 17:23 BST (UK) »
Decided to set the alarm for 7.15am and make a proper start to the day, instead of the lately-acquired habit of getting up 'at some point' and just muddling through the days with very little structure.

Pre-breakfast cuppa with daughter (temporarily resident with us through the lockdown) then showered, dressed and fed before Mr Stoney surfaced!  Todays 'excitement' was a trip to Tesco to do the shopping - only one person per trolley allowed in the store so he stayed in the car and read his newspaper while I went in. Most things available (apart from 'domestic paper-goods'; didn't even bother to check on that other missing staple - pasta!) so not too bad, got enough bits and pieces to avoid going out again for a week. Social distancing of 2mtrs seemed to be being practiced by the vast majority of customers, less so the staff pushing the online-shopping carts! A few times I found my way blocked and had to retrace my steps and go another way, when other shoppers were dawdling along or just staring at the shelves like they had all the time in the world - not me, I'm definitely one of the 'get in, get it, get out' brigade at the moment.

Home again - one neighbour had a skip delivered this morning and having part-filled it he invited anyone else (lot of DIYers here) to pick out anything they could make use of, or dump stuff they wanted rid of. Not a great deal of social distancing being practiced, as far as I could see! Hmmm?!

Usual household chores, then added an update to the Mass Obs Covid-19 diary before getting lunch.

Daily phone call to the hospital to check up on Mr Stoney's elderly Aunt who had a massive stroke last week - no change. It seems so odd not being able to visit her, or his Mum who is in lockdown in her carehome on the other side of town - realise now just how much of our week was usually taken up with visiting them or taking them out or to hospital appointments.

A spot of gardening, mainly dead-heading some of last years shrubs, then a walk along the canal towpath with daughter. Less people walking dogs and no road traffic. There were about half a dozen narrow boats moored up but apart from smoke from one chimney there was no other sign of life.

It was nice to hear the birds and there was something splashing about in the water where one of the willow trees hung over the edge of the canal - I hope it was a duck and not a rat!

Home again by 4.15, in time for a cuppa before I get started on prepping veg for tonight's meal; plan to watch a film later and open a bottle of wine; knitting project going well - and so another day passes.

Stoney
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Offline Spidermonkey

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Re: Tuesday 31st March Diary
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 31 March 20 17:36 BST (UK) »
Quite enjoying the shortened commute to my school (took me 30 seconds to walk downstairs and log on to Microsoft Teams instead of a 45 minute drive!).  Spent the morning trying to set online work and  mark some submitted assignments whilst also encouraging my boys to get some of their work done.  May have also nipped onto Rootschat for a bit of light relief..........

Lunch was mashed up sardines in salad cream on crackers.

Ventured out to the supermarket this afternoon - first time that we had needed to go shopping in 2 weeks, so have been quite pleased with how well we have rationed our food.  We still have quite a few tins, but we had run out of fresh stuff.

A positive that has come out of this situation is that I have found a local milkman, and so we get our glass bottle delivery twice a week, and I have also found a local butcher who will deliver too so have placed an order with them for next week.  Before COVID-19, as a family we had been talking about reducing food miles and trying to support local businesses, so this has really given us a kick up the bum and made us do something about it!

Will do a bit more of my new Future Learn course - about learning how to write fiction.  It's not really something that I am thinking about seriously, but it is helping to fill the time.

I'm still trying to crack the brickwall of my gt gt grandad's father.  Not really knocking it down though at the  moment  ::)

Offline Caw1

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Re: Diary > Tuesday 31st March
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 01 April 20 00:20 BST (UK) »
I had a restless night waking at about 3am so I did what I normally do on these occasions and read for an hour. Finally woke up at 9am 😱... but then I thought what does it matter I've nowhere to rush off to, noones going to call.

After a leisurely breakfast of granola, fruit and yogurt I got changed into my keep fit gear, got out my mat and switched on to my Yogalates teachers video on FB and did an hours exercising in the hall.... my OH wandered in and out on his way into the kitchen giving me all sorts of funny looks.... I felt much better and reinvigorated.

Had a message from my son in Brisbane to check that we were ok and telling about his trip to local shop and how efficient they are with taped distancing and one way round round the store. Then driving past the local golf course which was choka block with cars and people!

Lunch was a toasted sandwich watched the news and then it was old kit on and out into the garden to dig and weed the last flower bed. We trimmed a viburnum that had grown madly out of control bagging it up to put.... well who knows where for the time being! The rest is still sitting on the lawn to be dealt with tomorrow as there's no need to rush as we've plenty of time.
By this time it was almost 6pm so we finished the day off sitting outside with a glass of wine before showering and having dinner.

Watched some tv and got on with knitting baby blankets for local hospital ICU ... don't know quite when I'll get them there but I enjoy doing it... only trouble is I'll probably run out of wool if this crisis continues for some months to come!
So another productive day in isolation,

Caroline
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Offline sugarfizzle

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Re: Diary > Tuesday 31st March
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 01 April 20 05:36 BST (UK) »
With the warmer weather, we had been gardening nearly every day.  The laundry was piling up in the airing cupboard, husband remarked on the diminishing supply of 'work about house and garden' shirts, so I stayed inside in the morning, sorting and ironing.
At lunchtime our very first home delivery. Well done Asda - acceptable substitutes and long dated produce.

Some parsnips in the fridge and found an out of date tin of mixed beans whilst sorting through the cupboard. Parsnip and mixed bean soup for lunch, with 4 portions left for fridge and freezer.

Afternoon Mr S always has a nap, I close my eyes but don't often go to sleep.

Will go for a local walk tomorrow, get a few steps in.

Regards Margaret

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Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Diary > Tuesday 31st March
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 04 April 20 01:49 BST (UK) »
Walk in morning. Everyone careful about distancing. Fortunate to live in a neighbourhood which doesn't have crowded streets. I don't like the term "social distancing". Socialising continues at a distance. "Physical distancing" is more appropriate.
Hospital late afternoon again. Washed hands before leaving house. Blew nose. Washed hands again.
 New, additional Covid-19 notices on hospital entrance doors + other places. Hand sanitiser on a table immediately inside entrance with a person ensuring use. Extra barriers in front of reception desks + more prominent "keep your distance" notices. Was asked usual questions at both reception desks: "Do you have a cough or fever or high temperature? Have you felt unwell?" Radiographers don't wear masks. They are all young women. I hope they stay healthy. Obligatory sanitising again before leaving.
Called in at a little grocery & newsagent on way home for milk + tins. Arrived home. Washed hands. Washed milk cartons (plastic) in soapy water. (Am I over-reacting? Probably.) Placed tins in 72 hour quarantine cupboard, having moved previously purchased tins from quarantine cupboard to top shelf of main tin cupboard. A tin fell out of quarantine cupboard and landed on lid of ceramic bread bin, cracking it. Really annoyed. It's a very pretty bread bin and I haven't had it long. (Last week I broke lid of a sugar bowl, part of a set. I seldom break crockery.) Washed hands again.
If this was normal life (i.e. without the 2 big C's) I would be going to an evening meeting. 
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Offline Erato

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Re: Diary > Tuesday 31st March
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 04 April 20 02:10 BST (UK) »
"Washed milk cartons (plastic) in soapy water. (Am I over-reacting?"

I dunno.  When I received my 30 k plastic sack of dog food yesterday, I stood well back while the delivery man placed it down on the driveway.  After he left, I turned the hose on it and thoroughly swabbed it down with soap [while wearing gloves and a mask] and then left it out in the sun to catch some UV rays [can't hurt]. 
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