Diary > Saturday 2nd January

[Roobarb]

The heavy rain that was forecast hadn't yet arrived when I got up so after I'd rallied myself round I thought I'd go for a walk before it did. No sooner had I thought that than it arrived - not rain but snow, getting progressively heavier. That was my walk snookered so I got another cup of tea and carried on with my reading. The snow continued till early afternoon after which it turned to hailstones, then later on in the day to sleet.

Put the Christmas decorations away, not that there were many, didn't seem any point this year. Sorted out the boxes they belong in before putting them in, then rearranged all the boxes in the cupboard so they're at the back. The ones with my holiday things in are now at the front, being optimistic. 
Put a second coat of paint on the inside of the vase and did some more sorting of the drawer I'd half done yesterday.
Phoned my friend in Kent, no snow there but very cold.

Didn't want to go out to the garage to get something out of the freezer for tea, it was now raining but the path there was still icy. Instead I just did an omelette with tomatoes and cheese, jacket potato etc. Ordered a rather expensive pastel paper pad, haven't spent on any nights out so may as well buy something that will give me some pleasure in a different way.
 
The rain continued all evening, at least it'll get rid of the white stuff. It seems to have been such a long day today, haven't been for a walk for three days in a row now, am really missing it. 

[Caw1]

Oh my you have had a terrible weather day... I’m sure you’re climbing the walls now... hopefully tomorrow will be a better day so you’re able to get out..
As you say you haven’t been out spending money so a little treat is always nice... mine are books! So many to read!
You’re making me feel guilty for not doing more tidying draws, cupboards etc... I’m not very good at it and certainly not throwing anything away.... dread the thought of moving it’ll take me for ever to decide what to get rid of!

Today was another cold day but it was dry and reasonably sunny...
When I got downstairs OH was already starting off bread making... not done any for a while as I’d bought rolls and a loaf so we’d been eating that... of course with the cooler weather it seems to take that much longer to prove....
I decided that the upstairs needed a good clean so set to and did that...
Had a phone call from the wife of one of my cousins with some sad news... he’d passed away in the early hours of Boxing Day at home... he had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone in 1996, he was a lovely chap with a great sense of humour and always kept people amused... sadly won’t be able to attend his funeral but she hopes that when this is over enough to be able to hold a memorial service she will do.... left me feeling very sad for the rest of the day....
we finally had lunch at 3pm! I have to say I was starving by then!
OH wanted to finish his jigsaw and it was too late to go out for a walk by then... good job we didn’t as had a message from our friends re the dogs..... they’d been walking back earlier today when they heard a lot of barking and growling quite a distance from the house where these dogs are...they turned round to see one of the dogs behind them and two cyclists peddling like mad being chased by one of the dogs... then it turned towards our friends and growled and barked before running off in the direction of its home... no owner in sight... so much for the new fencing... it’s had a massive effect... needless to say the police got another phone call... watch this space...
Having had a late lunch we just had a snack later on...
Not much to report today ... think it’s Saturday...

Hope the weathers been better elsewhere..

Caroline

[Mowsehowse]

Gosh Roobarb, all that tidying and organising. You are a marvel. Sorry you are having such awful weather. So cloudy here this morning it was pitch dark till after 08:00 and is barely light yet.
I am rather more like Caroline, and hate chucking stuff out, but when it comes to moving I end up wishing I could hurl it all into the garden and throw a box of lighted matches after!

Yesterday was Christmas.    Bitterly cold, but we had a date to meet my son and family at Teignmouth after lunch. As we drove I spied 8 birds of prey sitting on road signs and street lamps, which was an unsually high tally. Normally between 2 and 4 if I am lucky.
Thankfully it was not awfully windy and the rain held off, though that did mean the sea front was fairly busy. 
I phoned when we arrived as promised, but they were still along the road, then suddenly horn honking and waving as they passed us to look for a parking spot. 
We exchanged gifts, and walked around for a while, then sat at a table and my DiL produced scrummy cookies and special hot chocolate laced with marshmallows and squirty cream! What a luxurious surprise.
We sat for a while, catching up. I hadn't seen my son since June; the enforced rest over the festive break has done him good. He seems to have made a good recovery from the virus, and evidently DiL had it too, though thankfully it was mild, although she lost her sense of taste. She made light of it as she doesn't want to spook the girls!
By 3:30 it had turned viciously cold and was getting very dark, so we said our goodbyes, lamenting no hugging, and set off for home. Along the road we had sleet.
I doubt I will see them again before Easter, so I am very grateful for the time we had.
Gradually the days must, according to science, be drawing out here in Uk, so hang in there. Brighter days are coming.

[pharmaT]

Barely got above freezing today so roads were a bit scary.

Feeling really scared in general.  Between covid deniers picketing hospitals, covid deniers trying to find ways to film the quiet bits of hospitals to 'prove' it's a hoax. There are quiet bits in the hospital e.g. the corridor where the changing rooms are outside the 30min either side of shift change, out patients is empty at night and appears quiet at other times because patients  are not allowed to bring people with them unless someone needs to provide assistance and people are asked to wait outside in the car park where possible.  They're called in at their appointment time and shown straight to the room they will be seen in.  This makes the waiting rooms appear empty, especially when compared to what they used to look like.  On top of that Katie Hopkins has now made a video saying that there is no crisis other than staff have "decided to stay at home and eat quality street" and has called for us to be taught a lesson. So now I don't feel safe at home either in case someone takes her up on that idea.  I will probably get grief for this and I want to reassure you, I don't want to get adulation and be constantly praise but I do want to be able to go to work, come home and live my life without fear of being attacked.  More importantly I don't want people to take it out on my kids.

Watched Casualty which reduced me to tears.  They did it really well. Also planned my January cleaning while I did it.
 

[River Tyne Lass]

Not a great deal to report about my day yesterday.  Finished nightshift and went straight to bed after breakfast.  When I got up I looked out the window to see what the weather was like and saw it was raining.  I wasn't at all looking forward to heading out again the bus stop in that.
I got out my book to read whilst waiting at the shelter, but soon put it away again and put my gloves back on as my fingers were starting to feel somewhat numb with the cold.  Another, woman came along to wait.  It turned out she was waiting for the same bus as me.  She looked in her bag and told me she only had a note and asked me if the bus drivers still don't give change.  I said that is right but that I think they gave the excess payment to charity.  The woman seemed a bit put out that she would have to pay over the odds for her journey.  I couldn't help her out as I have a travel pass and had no change.  The woman said perhaps the driver might give her the change.  I thought, good luck with that one.  Sure enough, this passenger had to part with her whole note.
The bus driver seemed to keep getting ahead of time with lack of passengers to pick up.  She would keep stopping at various stops and each time she would keep the door of the bus wide open.  It was freezing, each blast of cold air, far too much ventilation for my liking!  I felt like saying 'shut that door' or 'were you born in a barn?' but of course, I wouldn't really say anything that cheeky.
The journey was quite relaxing (apart from the driver over ventilating the bus with freezing air) and I enjoyed looking out at all the Christmas light displays which a good number of houses and gardens still have on display.  When I got off the bus I still kept my mask on even though there was no one about.  This gave a little protection to my face from the cold until I was able to reach work.

I hope the weather might let up a bit so you can have your much missed walk Roobarb.  Courgette cake sounds interesting Caroline and that salad you mention sounds really good Mowsehowse.  I think I would like that too.

[River Tyne Lass]

PharmaT, I hardly know what to say to this.  I haven't seen anything about Katie Hopkins but surely she won't have meant people should be attacked.  I doubt anyone will seek to harm you or take it out on your kids.  I know this is easier said than done but try not to worry about this, I very much doubt such a thing would happen.

[pharmaT]

PharmaT, I hardly know what to say to this.  I haven't seen anything about Katie Hopkins but surely she won't have meant people should be attacked.  I doubt anyone will seek to harm you or take it out on your kids.  I know this is easier said than done but try not to worry about this, I very much doubt such a thing would happen.

It's not so much an issue of what she intended, she just likes to be controversial.  my concern is how militants may interpret it.  the covid deniers have become progressively more and more nasty as time goes on.

Seems a bit unnecessary the bus driver keeping the doors open when so cold, surely she could just open them if someone came along. maybe she was just trying to maximise ventilation.

[Roobarb]

Caroline, sorry to hear your sad news, not being able to attend funerals makes it so much harder to deal with.
As for the dogs, I hope the police take some action, it's ridiculous that people are being terrorised by them. I don't understand why people like that have dogs, if they're supposed to be guard dogs then they should be on a chain and if they're pets why on earth do they keep them outside instead of in the house. And if it's because they wreck the place then the owners should do something about getting them trained, in fact that applies even if they're guard dogs.

MH, I'm not really a marvel, I hate doing all this sorting of cupboards and drawers but because I haven't done it for a while it's all built up. I'm taking the opportunity while the weather is bad to try and streamline things then maybe when I get my life back I'll be able to find things instead of having to dig through every drawer! I'm with you on the chucking in garden with lighted matches 
Happy Boxing Day to you! Your afternoon sounds lovely and great to see your family despite the lack of hugging, you must have really missed them.

PharmaT, the name Katie Hopkins rang a bell but I couldn't remember who she is so had to look it up. Well turns out she's one of those wannabee contestants on The Apprentice and has gone on to be a newspaper columnist whose prime objective seems to be to offend as many people as possible. Please don't take any notice of people like her, she's not worth it. I came across this video of ten times Katie Hopkins got humiliated, you might like to watch it, it's quite funny. Just a warning, some people might find the final one a little offensive in terms of words used but it certainly puts her in her place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOEtwYamE-Q

RTL, your journeys must be more difficult when it's so cold. I can't understand why the woman didn't get some change before going to the bus stop if she thought there was a possibility of the driver not giving change. She could have bought a packet of mints or something, at least the outlay wouldn't have been as much!

[Mowsehowse]

   "Happy Boxing Day to you! Your afternoon sounds lovely and great to see your family despite the lack of hugging, you must have really missed them."

Thanks Roobarb.    I have really missed them all, though I was fortunate to meet up with the girls and their Mum in September for a couple of hours, but my son was working.

RTL, I continue to wish your life was less trying.