MARCH 2022

Wednesday 2 March 2022

Worked in Wilkies 9.30-1.30. When I first started in November, I was told that the door always had to stay open for ventilation. OMG! It was cold today. I'm sure there is a law that says what the minimum temperature is for a working environment, Covid or no Covid? I bet if I were working in a shop in England I'd be allowed to have the door closed. I came home absolutely frozen and I was wearing a sweater and a cardigan.

Friday 4 March 2022

Looking back on my FB memories from last year and it would seem that we were on day 59 of second lock down and I felt like I'd been in 'prison' forever. And yet here we are, one year on, and I'm actually choosing to stay in home alone on a Friday evening. It's all psychological isn't it? A year ago everything was closed and I could only meet my support bubble. I did actually meet a few other people outdoors and to be honest, I can't remember whether that was allowed or whether I was breaking the rules. A year ago spending a Friday evening home alone was the worst thing ever. But here we are, one year on and it's what I'm choosing to do. The difference is; this year I have a choice. Last year that choice had been taken away from me.

Last year Ukraine wasn't in danger. Last year Covid was still headline news. Last year we had hope that life would be back to normal by now. Last year we didn't expect to be facing another world crisis. Last year we were filled with hope and optimism................... It now seems that just as there is light at the end of the tunnel with regard to Covid, the troubles in Ukraine are affecting the whole world.

Friday 11 March 2022

My birthday isn't until Monday but last year I couldn't celebrate it so this year I thought I'd make a weekend of it. Today it was pizza and Netflix with my friend K.

Saturday 12 March 2022

Continuing on with the birthday celebrations, just because I can. Dinner at the Steak House with S&G

Sunday 13 March 2022

…..............More birthday celebrations, just because I can. An early dinner at the Merlin with my friend, I.

Monday 14 March 2022

It's my birthday. 63 years old today and I feel like I've missed out on two years of my life that I'll never get back. After celebrating my birthday all weekend, just because I can; today I went out for lunch with four friends. I've had a lovely few days of celebrations. It's lovely to be almost back to normal. Just need to get rid of these bloody masks now!!!

Tuesday 15 March 2022

Day 5 of my birthday celebrations. Keeping them going, just because I can. F popped round for a Chinese takeaway.

Covid restrictions were due to be lifted on the 21^st March. Now that's not happening until at least the 4^th April. Honestly what is wrong with Nicola. Is she really on so much of a power trip that she wants to control us forever. England ended all restrictions weeks ago. Surely it's time to put all this behind us and get on with our lives. To say I'm angry is an understatement!!!

Life is not a dress rehearsal!!!

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Something bizarre has happened. Late last night I got a notification from the NHS Covid-19 app to say that I'd been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid. This had apparently had occurred on 13^th March.

The only person that I saw on 13^th March was my friend Iain (and he hasn't tested positive for Covid). We went to the pub together (which wasn't busy) and sat in a booth which was separated from the people in the next booth by a perspex/plastic screen. The rest of the pub wasn't busy and no way were either of us in contact with any other people for more than a couple of mins.

When I checked the notification thingy it said that all Covid-19 guidelines have changed for positive tests and if you have any of the main symptoms of Covid-19 or a positive test result, the advice is to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. But this is the English app. I deleted the Scottish app in November 2020 when it told me I'd been in contact with someone that had tested positive and I knew that I hadn't seen a single person on the day in question.

I'm not actually going to worry too much about it, because as far as I'm concerned these apps are a load of rubbish. And also I'm pretty sure that I haven't got Covid. I did a test on Saturday because I went out with old people and I did a test on Monday because I went out with old people. Both were negative and I feel perfectly well. I've just done another one now because the app has made me paranoid. No wonder everyone has so many mental health problems. It was negative.

The whole thing is just bizarre. I really don't know where these apps get their information from. We all need to go back to trusting our own bodies.

Having said that, because the app has made me so paranoid, I've just popped to the local chemist to get another box of LFTs because I seem to be going through them at an alarming rate. They didn't have any in stock.

Thursday 17 March 2022

Managed to pick up two boxes of LFTs today.

My friends in Cornwall keep telling me that the Covid cases in England are rising because all the restrictions have been lifted. Well they're rising rapidly in Scotland too and restrictions here aren't going to be lifted here until at least the 4^th April so what does that tell you?

Thursday 24 March 2022

2 years on....................... And what a lovely warm evening it is in Edinburgh. Sitting on my balcony. #Bliss Two years ago was the first day of lock down, when everyone in Edinburgh invaded the most popular dog walking routes and made them so busy that I used to trek 'Trixie the collie pup' around the city centre streets in the afternoon because the centre of Edinburgh was like a ghost town.

….....Well, Boris had addressed the nation and told everyone that they had to go out for an hour's exercise a day............. So go out for a walk they did??!!

Two flu vaccines, two Covid vaccines and a booster jab in the last 14 months..................... and I'm pumped full of 'who knows what'???

…..........All restrictions lifted in England and the Covid nos are rising. But they're rising in Scotland too.

Just watched the 'NEWS' which said all restrictions in Scotland have been lifted, apart from wearing face masks? Seriously? Duh! No way have all the restrictions been lifted in Scotland.

1 Can anyone actually get a face to face appointment with a doctor?

2 Can anyone actually get a complete scale, clean & polish at an NHS dentist?

3 Can anyone actually go into the consulting room at a vets with their pets?

NO they can't!!!

And these are only the 'important things' to me................................ These are only the things that I want to do. I have absolutely NO experience of visiting relatives/friends in care/hospices which I believe are still very, very, restricted.

I was out with friends last night who seemed to think 'life was back to normal'. But they are friends who don't actually socialise much anyway, so if you only go out as a couple for a meal or to the cinema or theatre, then obviously the lock down rules aren't going to affect you.

Even wearing a mask affects me.................

Wearing a mask, whilst working in a shop for a 4 hour shift is an absolute nightmare. Apart from anything else, it's really difficult to breathe, really difficult to understand what anyone is saying to you and really difficult to have a proper conversation with the customers.....................

And, the minute you take it off, your whole face is covered in lipstick. And over the last couple of years I've lost at least 8 ear-rings and I can only believe that it is because they've fallen off my ears whilst putting on & off my mask???

Life is NEVER, EVER, EVER, going to go back to how it was two years ago..............................

Friday 25 March 2022

Most people in Scotland have now had two Covid jabs, plus a booster and yet Scotland is recording the highest level of Covid cases ever. And England is recording the same. In England all the restrictions have been lifted so is there really any need in Scotland to keep us locked up? What's the point? Masks/self isolating rules etc. Are they really necessary any more?

Thursday 31 March 2022

All the chemists in my local area now have signs on their windows saying that they no longer stock LFTs, even though they are still supposed to be free in Scotland for the next few weeks. I can't find any info anywhere (Scotland or England) that tells you what to do if you think you have Covid once you no longer have any LFTs. Is Covid now just considered to be like any other infectious illness. Who knows?!