JUNE 2020

 June 2020

Monday 1 June 2020

Took the car for a run on the bypass today. For the last couple of months it's hardly been out of third gear. I went to Musselburgh to walk Trixie, but that was definitely breaking the rules?! It's 6 miles to Musselburgh via the direct route, but 30 mins to get there. Or 11 miles on the bypass, but only 20 mins to get there. Here in Scotland we're still only allowed to drive 5 miles for leisure. Oh well, ho hum, who's going to know?

Unfortunately everybody else seems to be breaking the rules and now the news is full of Nicola Sturgeon saying that if people don't abide by the rules, then she will make the 5 mile rule law!

I really don't understand how it is OK for people in England to drive where they want as long as they return home in the same day. But, it's not OK for people in Scotland to do that. Surely it would be more sensible for the whole of the UK to be doing the same thing? Having said that, is it really essential that I took the car out for a longish run? Probably not. I actually feel quite guilty that I did that.

Tuesday 2 June 2020

Walked to S's this afternoon for a social distancing bottle of Prosecco. It started to rain so we sat in the garden with umbrellas. We must be mad! Would anyone have known if I'd gone into her flat and we'd sat at opposite ends of the kitchen table like we normally do?

Wednesday 3 June 2020

Now that we are supposedly coming out of lock all these adverts are popping up on Face Book for courses on how to ease one's dog out of lock down. Do people really need a course to teach them how to do that. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to work out how to ease my own dog out of lock down, thank you very much.

Thursday 4 June 2020

Went for a social distancing walk up Corstorphine Hill with 3 friends. Meeting 3 friends is not allowed. Here in Scotland we are only able to meet one other person outdoors. There were plenty of other people walking in groups of more than 2. Doesn't mean it's right though, does it?

Oh and has anyone else noticed how all the beggars/homeless people are making their way back onto the streets. I can't imagine that they're making very much money by sitting outside the supermarkets because hardly anyone is carrying cash these days.

Friday 5 June 2020

I was really depressed today. I thought I was getting used to lock down but I think I'm only used to it when the weather is good. And the weather has not been good today. After I'd taken Trixie out for her morning walk I took myself back to bed for a couple of hours. Well there wasn't much else to do!

Saturday 6 June 2020

Went on a 7 mile trek around the city today because I wanted to see if it were getting any busier. TBH it was still pretty quiet. There again there aren't many drive thru coffee shops in the city centre.

  

However, I'm getting absolutely fed up hearing about students who seem to think it's OK to move between households. I've heard so many stories about students who have moved back home but are then missing their boyfriend/girlfriend so go and live with them for a while in a student house with a load of other people. And then move back home again. This is not allowed but none of them seem to be getting caught and fined.

All I want to be allowed to do, is go to my own house in Cornwall, by myself (with my dog, obv) and spend time by myself there. Surely that's not too much to ask. I'm paying full council tax and I'm not even allowed to go there. If students can move between two households with no come back then why can't I?

This whole lock down thing is just getting a bit silly now. People are breaking the rules left, right and centre. I have a couple of friends in England (here in Scotland we can only drive 5 miles) who are visiting their parents (who live about an hour and a half's drive away) once a week. You're not telling me that in a 3 hr round trip and however long they spend with their parents (and I'm sure they don't just sit in the garden), they haven't been into the house to use the toilet?

This whole lock down thing is so unfair on so many levels. I'm getting really fed up of the number of people who have been furloughed on full pay but have then just gone out and got another job. I know at least three people who have been furloughed on their full salary but are now working in supermarkets. And apparently, it's perfectly legal to do that. And obviously as no one is spending as much as they normally would, these people are now talking about booking themselves a super duper holiday once this is all over.

Because my home is classed as a second home and not a business, I can't claim any government grants. And because I'm self employed as a 'meet & greeter', but my earnings aren't 'officially' (because I rent out my house in Cornwall, I but can't do that anymore) more than half of my annual income, then I can't claim anything, so I'm having to live off my savings, through no fault of my own.  It's soooo, soooo unfair!!!

Sunday 7 June 2020

Met F in the park for a social distancing sit on a bench. We watched at least 15 kids playing football. No social distancing going on whatsoever. Every time someone scored a goal (and there were a lot of goals scored) they all started hugging and kissing each other. I know the rules in England are different, but here in Scotland we can only meet up to 8 people from two different households. It would seem that parents are now letting their kids go out to play again, but they obviously don't know, or don't care how many other kids that they're mixing with.

And the other thing................ I've heard of quite a few people who have been getting into cars with people out with their household. Having said that, taxis have been operating throughout lock down, so what's the difference between getting into a taxi, when you don't know who's been in it before you, and getting into a friends car?

It's bit like toilets. I'd far rather go to a friends toilet than a public toilet!

Ditto staying at a friends house overnight. Loads of people are doing it and seemingly not getting caught.

It is so unfair on those of us who are trying to follow the rules.

The whole lock down thing is getting a bit farcical now.

On the one hand we're being told to stay at home and only go out for essential supplies and exercise. And on the other hand, every pub/cafe/restaurant is open for takeaways and every garden centre and DIY store is open because people's mental health is at risk and they need these things.

Then you've got the people with physical ailments who are too scared to visit doctors and hospitals in case they come into contact with the virus. It's all wrong! The people with mental health issues don't seem to have a problem queuing for their takeaway coffee, even though there's probably more likelihood of them contracting the virus than there is from visiting a hospital.

And the other thing...................... we've all seen the photos on social media of the hoards of people flocking to the beaches in this lovely weather. And yet a lot of these people are refusing to send their kids back to school (obviously not in Scotland because Scottish kids aren't going back until mid Aug) because they're worried about social distancing. It's mad!

76 days in lock down. Last year at this time the biggest problem in my life was how to toilet train a puppy in a 4^th floor flat. Who would have thought that a year later I would have been pretty much confined to my flat 24/7 for almost 11 weeks. Thank goodness I've got Trixie, the collie pup. She's the only thing that's kept me sane during the last few weeks.

This lock down thing is hard for everyone but there's got to come a point when we get back to normality. Maybe those of us who want a life, just go out there and risk getting Coronavirus and those of us who don't want to risk catching it, stay in.

Who knows what the correct thing to do is.

Monday 8 June 2020

11 weeks in lock down. 11 weeks and all I've done for 11 weeks is walk the dog and go to Aldi once a week. Is it even going to be possible to get back to a normal life and do all the things that I used to do, after being lazy for so long?

Just watching the news.............. Apparently Scotland MIGHT be able to move into phase 2 of lock down restrictions being lifted next Thursday (18^th June 2020).  At least that would mean I could have friends round for dinner. It's still 10 days away though. Anything can happen in 10 days.

All restrictions lifted in New Zealand. I wonder when the UK will get to that point.

Tuesday 9 June 2020

Today I went looking for the blue post box. Apparently five post boxes in the UK have been painted blue by the Royal Mail as a way of thanking the NHS workers for their efforts during the Coronavirus crisis.

The post boxes are located outside hospitals, where Coronavirus patients are being treated, in London, Manchester, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. ...........Except the post box in Edinburgh is nowhere near a hospital, let alone near the Royal Infirmary, which is where the Coronavirus patients are. The blue post box is more than 3 miles away from the Royal Infirmary.

Honestly, you couldn't make it up?! I'm assuming that someone, somewhere instructed a painter to paint a post box blue, but didn't actually tell them why they were painting a post box blue. The post box painter probably just carried out the instructions to paint a post box blue in the location he was given on google maps by someone who probably doesn't even live in Edinburgh.

This is just another example of technology thinking it knows better than humans. Do you think that if this lovely show of thanks from the Royal Mail had happened during World War 1 & 2 that this mistake would have happened. No it wouldn't. The post box painter would have been told why he was painting a red post box blue, and if he'd arrived at his post box destination and had seen that the post box was outside a block of flats and not a hospital, he would have realised he was in the wrong place. Just saying!!

I walked past Waitrose and M&S at 8.30am and again at 3.30pm and for the first time in more than 11 weeks, there were no queues. #thingscanonlygetbetter

Wednesday 10 June 2020

Thursday 11 June 2020

A lot of my friends (mainly the ones in England) are saying that life is getting back to normal. There's still nothing normal about my life! I totally agree that 'Nicola Sturgeon' is taking the correct approach to bringing us out of lock down, but it's still very, very, annoying that so many people are breaking the rules.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.......... I won't feel that my life is remotely getting back to normal until I can start working again, until I can start renting out my house in Cornwall again, until I can have my hair cut again, until I can have friends round for dinner again and until I can go back to my fitness club again.

All this meeting people outdoors and having to stay 2m apart is a bit tedious now. Mainly because if it rains no one wants to come for a walk with me.

I'm prepared to do another 20 days in lock down but once we reach 100 days of lock down I'm going to start breaking the rules. And I don't care who knows it. Lock down was initially for three weeks. If people had known that it was going to go on for more than 80 days plus, they might have made other arrangements for where they stayed and who they stayed with etc.

Humans weren't created to be solitary beings. And even those of us who choose to live by ourselves, never, ever, imagined that a situation like this would force them into the position of not being able to interact with another human being in real life.

Friday 12 June 2020

Saturday 13 June 2020

Sunday 14 June 2020

Has anyone else noticed how much the 'Just Eat' bikes are being used in lock down? Just a thought. I wonder if people are wiping down the handle bars before they jump on a bike that has been used by the rest of the world.

Monday 15 June 2020

84 days, 12 weeks, 3 months. Whatever you want to call it.

On day 6 of lock down it was reported in the news that lock down could possibly go on for 12 weeks. 12 weeks seemed like a life time away. Well we've now done our 12 weeks and it's still not over. I can't say I've made any lifestyle changes since day one. All I've done for 12 weeks is walk the dog twice a day and go to Aldi once a week. OK, I am starting to meet friends for a walk but to be honest, when I meet friends I don't actually do that much walking because most of my friends don't do walking. We just do strolling about and chatting. Still it's better than nothing I suppose.

What I'm finding really annoying (and I'm talking English rules here because in Scotland we still can't do anything!) is the fact that single people don't seem to have been thought about at all in the plans for easing out of lock down. For example, I could form a 'social bubble' with my sister's family where there are five adults living (mum, dad and three grown up kids). These five people are all going out and about doing their own thing – working, shopping, etc. Meanwhile I can't have single friends round to my flat, even though my single friends have been out even less than me. But hey ho, it's perfectly acceptable for me to go and social bubble with 5 other adults who have been out here, there and everywhere. Nor can I go to my Cornish home by myself and spend time there. The rules are mad!

I totally understand that the government can't make rules for everything, but for myself and my single friends...................... 12 weeks is long enough to be isolated. I'm going to try to stick it out for another couple of weeks but after that I'll be breaking the rules. Enough is enough.

Went to Portobello Beach to walk Trixie today and there was absolutely no social distancing going on at the little coffee van. #justsaying

Tuesday 16 June 2020

First time on a bus in more than 12 weeks and I wore a mask because I thought it was the correct thing to do. However, masks aren't mandatory on public transport in Scotland and about half the people on the bus weren't wearing one.

I have total admiration for all the NHS/key workers who have to wear these all the time. What a horrible experience. Within seconds my glasses had steamed up and I couldn't see a thing so I had to take them off. And then when I got off the bus and took it off, it was really wet (and my lipstick had smudged). That was quite interesting because I guess if I hadn't had it on, all those droplets of breath would have been circulating around the bus.

Because the buses aren't doing their normal routes I had to walk for about 40 mins first before I could catch a no 41 to Cramond. I was a bit worried that Trixie would be a bit hyper on the bus because she hadn't been on one for so long, but she was absolutely fine. Her behaviour was impeccable and she just lay down in good dog mode until I told her it was time to get off. Walked from Cramond to Leith which was about 6 miles and then jumped on a no. 16 bus and came home.

Wednesday 17 June 2020

Thursday 18 June 2020

Well it doesn't look like Scotland's going to change much for me as we enter phase 2 of coming out of lock down. ...........This is never ending.

Whilst I think it's probably better to take a more cautious approach to avoid a second big wave of Coronavirus; it's very, very, annoying seeing everyone in England doing things that we're not going to be allowed to do for weeks.

There's got to come a point when business's re-open, otherwise there's going to be no business's left to come back to. I feel so sorry for all the pubs that have been working towards re-opening their beer gardens this weekend by putting in social distancing measures and taking bookings for their outdoor tables. Now they're going to have to phone all these people and cancel them. To be honest, what's the difference between people sitting in a beer garden and people sitting in a park?

Oh well, ho hum, at least if I go round to a friends house to sit in the garden I can drink more wine because now we're allowed to go to the toilet in someone elses house. Whoopeee doo!!

Friday 19 June 2020

Another day when I've been totally unmotivated. Nothing new there then. I'm totally unmotivated every day. The days are just so samey. There's a limit to how much day time TV one can watch. I've got a whole list of stuff that I could be doing from completing my tax return to cleaning out the kitchen cupboards but I can't be bothered. I just fritter the day away until I think it's an acceptable time to have a glass of wine and then I fritter the evening away as well.

I'm obviously not very good at managing my time constructively. The only thing I've done today is sort out all my make up and throw most of it away. Has anyone else found that all their mascara's have dried up due to lack of use? The only make up I've worn for the last 88 days is lipstick when I take the dog out.

This afternoon I had planned to have a social distancing sit in a garden with three single friends because we thought that this would be allowed in stage 2 of exiting lock down, but the weather wasn't very nice. Also four single people from four single households still aren't allowed to meet each other outside. And we're still not allowed to go into anyone else's house, except to use the toilet. The rules are stupid! Eight people from two different households can meet even though all of these eight people may be going out and about and coming into contact with loads of other people.

For single people in their 60s the rules are just a joke. I don't have parents or children to 'social bubble' with. I don't want anyone to come and stay overnight. I just want to be able to have 2 or 3 friends over to the flat, to sit and have a glass of wine or a meal.

Thank goodness I've got Trixie, the Collie pup. She's the only thing that is keeping me sane.

Saturday 20 June 2020

Went to Fs house for a social distancing sit in the garden and went into the house to use the toilet. I didn't really need to use the toilet but it's been so long since I've been in any one else's house that I thought I should. Lol!

Sunday 21 June 2020

It's the longest day of the year today. The nights will start drawing in now. What a depressing thought.

Monday 22 June 2020

Broke the rules today and met up with 3 friends in a garden for lunch. The weather wasn't that great so we actually sat in the kitchen for part of the time, but we were 2m away from each other so I don't really see that we put ourselves in any danger. F had made us pasta carbonara & pizza but L brought her own sandwich because she's a bit paranoid about touching things that other people have touched. She didn't seem to realise that buying a sandwich from a petrol station shop probably carried just as much risk. She wouldn't go to the toilet in Fs house either.

Just watching tonight's news. It seems like England is pretty much aiming to be back to normal by 4^th July. Looking forward to seeing Boris's report tomorrow. Pubs, restaurants, hospitality, hairdressers all opening up soon. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Who knows?!

Tuesday 23 June 2020

Boris has spoken and it seems like the whole of England will be open from the 4^th July.

I don't really understand how England can be opened up and we're so restricted in Scotland. Does Coronavirus spread differently in different countries?

Anyway I'm off to England tomorrow. I have essential work to do on my Cornish home before I can let it out again to holiday makers from the 4^th July. Will be social bubbling with my sisters family overnight on the way down. That's always assuming that I don't get stopped trying to get out of Scotland as we still have the 5 mile rule here.

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Made it out of Scotland without getting stopped by the police and told to go home. Now I'm social bubbling with my sisters family. It's so nice to be able to talk to people in real life.

Thursday 25 June 2020

Lovely first evening back in St Ives having a BBQ with friends. This is what I would be doing in normal life!

Friday 26 June 2020

It's so lovely to be back in St Ives. I haven't been here since December and I'd forgotten how much I love this house.

 Unfortunately I can only stay until the 11^th July 2020, because from then I'm fully booked until the end of September. Obviously that is good from a financial point of view, because I haven't had any income for three months, but it would have been nice to have stayed for a bit longer.

The town is very quiet. ..............Bet that will all change on the 4^th July 2020. I popped into the Co-op and the post office. No queues at all. Then I went to Tesco and there was no queues there. It's like a different world here. Lock down in a small English seaside town is certainly a lot different to lock down in the capital city of Scotland.

Spent the afternoon doing various jobs that needed to be done to get the house ready for letting and then at 6pm I popped to my friend, H's house, for a few glasses of Prosecco.

A lovely first day back in St Ives and it didn't feel like I was in lock down at all. So happy to be in St Ives.

Saturday 27 June 2020

My latest problem is.......................... trying to find out what cleaning procedures I should be putting in place for my holiday let changeovers. Obviously as a 'holiday let owner' I have a responsibility to keep my visitors and my housekeeper safe.

However it would seem that every holiday letting agency is working to a different criteria. The more I read, the more confused I'm getting. At the end of the day, if a visitor is panicking because they don't know who has sat on a sofa before them, they shouldn't be coming on holiday. I think there's probably more likelihood of them contracting Coronavirus when they're wandering around the narrow streets than they'll have by staying in a self contained holiday let.

I haven't a clue how the town is going to cope with the huge influx of people that are predicted to descend on the 4^th July 2020. The town is always rammed in the summer and there certainly won't be any room for anyone to socially distance.

Sunday 28 June 2020

What a lovely afternoon. In England, up to six people can meet outdoors. So that is what we did.

Monday 29 June 2020

Tuesday 30 June 2020

Apparently 20,000 holiday makers are due to arrive in St Ives on 4^th July 2020?!

The rules and regulations regarding cleaning of holiday lets are very, very, confusing. Everyone seems to be doing different things. Some people say you need to wait 3 hrs after the holiday makers have left before you can go in to clean, some people say the holiday makers can't go in for three hours after the cleaner has left. Most of the holiday let agencies have changed the 'getting in' time to 7pm instead of 3pm and are asking that guests leave at 9am instead of 10am. Some people are saying you have to spray all the soft furnishings with some sort of stuff that kills Coronavirus. And you have to take away unnecessary cushions/throws etc. Some of the letting agencies are even taking out the information folders and putting everything online instead. Most of them are also going to be paying their cleaners at least 50% more due to the extra time it will take them to clean.

It all seems a bit over the top to me. Anyone who is that paranoid about touching something that someone else has touched, really should not be cleaning or should not be coming on holiday. And if the cleaners wages are being put up by 50%, it's going to be very difficult to then reduce them once this is all over.

I had a meeting with my housekeeper, who is the 'bestest cleaner in the world', and she convinced me that all that is needed is a bit of common sense. I'm not going to give her any more money because in my opinion the cleaners in this town get paid way too much anyway and if they're cleaning properly, then there shouldn't really be too much extra to do. I will give her a bonus at the end of the summer.