The Giraffe had had the first of his two Covid tests needed before as a student he can come home. He was negative, and now has to isolate till the second test on Monday then come home within 24 hours. Beloved daughter is also at that stage but has no intention of returning home within the 24 hours, and as she is not in official university accommodation and has her own transport, that’s fair enough.
I had my flu jab on Friday - I usually get it in early October, but had to wait this year as I'm not in a priority group. Woke up yesterday feeling rough, and with an intermittent cough. The NE Man is convinced that I'm just having a normal reaction to the flu jab (and the injection site is red and slightly raised - about the size of a 2p, so I've clearly got a reaction) but I got tested anyway. I would feel incredibly stupid if I ignored a cough on the basis of a self-diagnosis of flu-jab reaction.
Not sure which will be worse - a positive result or the NE Man's reaction if I'm negative
(Background - the NE Man doesn't get a flu jab. For the last couple of years I've had a headache afterwards, which the NE Man has taken as vindication of his decision not to get a flu jab. So in a non-Covid year, he would be extremely smug about me feeling rough.)
(He did drive me to the test centre, and has been solicitous in a smug way over my "flu-jab reaction")
My son, in Heidelberg, is a nurse and tested positive last week. He was very poorly with the fever and headaches. He’s over that but remains tired and still has no sense of taste. His partner is now poorly and very much in the worst of the fever stage. Made harder for her because she is still breastfeeding.
My granddaughter, one year old, is coping really well being stuck in one room with an exhausted Papa looking after her. We had a zoom call yesterday and she was her usual happy and hyperactive self.
We keep sending them money for take-aways so that at least cooking doesn’t have to be done.
One of our local ministers also has the virus, as does his daughter, and I learned today that our area is now the Covid-19 hotspot of England....O Deep Joy (not).
And yet Our Place is planning an indoor Christmas mini-market. Folly. Sheer folly (IMHO).
Someone just posted on a friend's Facebook page, " Thanks for the wonderful Christmas party, we had a great time greeting old friends and making new ones." I guess the friend knew better than to have invited me. We on almost at a point of new stay at home orders, because of the increase in cases and people are holding parties. It boggles the mind.
Our village is now a Covid hotspot and two neighbours are in hospital on oxygen, not doing well. I'm hoping our precautions (only shopping once a fortnight, the usual masks and distancing and hand-sanitising) are enough to keep us safe. Library closed, most shops closed, restaurants closed, local clinic closed.
Thanks NEQ and Ethne Alba. We're lucky to be in summer so people here aren't getting flu but the municipal offices, post office and police station have closed for decontamination and sanitising.
My Pilates instructor (via Zoom today) was marginally less pi**ed off than I thought she might be - BOTH her kids (primary school age) are now self-isolating, so no school run is needed...
@Lamb Chopped I tested negative in the spring, but at the time the test had an inaccuracy up to 20%. I ticked so many of the boxes (and had some 'novel' symptoms) that I and a doctor friend of mine are convinced that I was positive. My brain fog lasted about six weeks. It was very strange, and slightly worrying. It did clear, just required patience. Good to hear that LL is on the mend, and EATING.
@Boogie I've been following your reports. Good to hear that your family is making it through the crap.
@MaryLouise Poor Saffa. As if it doesn't have enough challenges, another strict lockdown. Ugh.
And a not very nice time in Rome either - on the afternoon of 8th December since time immemorial the pope would lay a bouquet of white roses at the foot of a column at the foot of the Spanish Steps in honour of the Virgin Mary. For the first time the ceremony has had to be cancelled in case too many people gathered. However pope Francis was out at 7 a.m. to lay the bouquet before celebrating Mass in the church of St Mary Major.
Glad to hear the positive news of @Boogie 's little family.
Such hard situations across the world; for all the good news of the vaccine (and it is most excellent news, amazing work by the clever scientific people) it feels as though we're in for a very grim few months.
Indeed, given the clowns *in charge* - in England, at least - not to mention the covidiots who will super-spread the pestilence over the Yule/Winterfest holidays.
And a not very nice time in Rome either - on the afternoon of 8th December since time immemorial the pope would lay a bouquet of white roses at the foot of a column at the foot of the Spanish Steps in honour of the Virgin Mary. For the first time the ceremony has had to be cancelled in case too many people gathered. However pope Francis was out at 7 a.m. to lay the bouquet before celebrating Mass in the church of St Mary Major.
And he carried his own umbrella! Brolly in one hand and the white rose wreath in the other!
Just spotted this - I daresay Our Blessed Lady understood why HH had to alter the tradition...and gave him extra Brownie points for celebrating Mass in the middle of the night...
We have reached top tier of cases, so more restrictions are in place. Guess who is complaining about business and bars being closed? Yep, the ani maskers.
Just spotted this - I daresay Our Blessed Lady understood why HH had to alter the tradition...and gave him extra Brownie points for celebrating Mass in the middle of the night...
Indeed - and I'm sure that Our Lord and His Blessed Mother are equally understanding of all the other alterations that have had to be made to the ways in which we worship!
Speaking of which, I've been visiting YouTube quite a lot lately, mostly to enlarge my knowledge of music - classical, folk, jazz - and this helps me cope with the very long and dark evenings of lockdown and/or Tier 3.
Music is truly international (don't tell the Brexiteers!), so I share with you a little clip from 3 years or so ago. The music is a Hungarian dance, or czardas (pronounced chardash AFAIK), written by an Italian composer (Vittorio Monti, who died in 1922). The performance was filmed in Germany by a German TV station, and the artistes are:
Accordionist - Latvian ( of Russian ancestry) and now living in London
Violinist - Franco-Serbian
Clarinettist - Austrian
I think the little orchestra/ensemble is French, or at least based in France.
Just received a loud alert on my phone from the governor of California's office. Stay home the virus is spreading rapidly. I have been staying home when I can but trips to the store and bank are required now and then. Wish I could always just stay home.
London and SE England (including mine own fair, but plague-ridden, county of Kent) are possibly about to be promoted to Tier 4 Covid-19 restrictions.
Quite how that will differ from total lockdown is uncertain, but our beloved Prime Minister is scheduled to explain it all carefully to us later today.
Going into Cynical Piglet mode, I can't help wondering if he's doing that so that he can undo it at the eleventh hour, and become The Man Who Saved Christmas. Which he won't be, of course, because everyone's plans will already have been banjaxed ... <rolleyes>
I'm in an odd situation: I'm invited to my brother and sister-in-law's for the weekend, but as I'm probably the most at risk of contacting infection (going in and out of Edinburgh every day on public transport), I felt I ought to offer to cancel. I spoke to them last night, and they're still happy for me to come. As they said, they were out and about a lot more than I was in the first lockdown (they were doing grocery runs for my sister and me each week), and it's not as if we're going to be a whole houseful of raving drunks.
I don't generally believe a word that comes out of the Prime Minister's cakehole, but he may be right when he says that some of the populace have common sense* and are prepared to use it.
* apart from the ones who voted for him, obviously ...
What is this bl**dy Christmas he keeps on about saving, and which it is *inhuman* to cancel?
Yes, of course, the family get-together aspect is very important, especially in an age when so many families are scattered, but for the majority of people, who don't believe in God, or Christ, there's surely no harm in postponing the winter festival to a slightly later date?
Why, even the few Christians amongst the population could equally well celebrate the Incarnation at another time (since no-one knows exactly when - or even if - it occurred)...
That's a fair point, BF, but Tradition dictates that the 25th and 26th of December are the days that those of us who work are given to celebrate it, and I can't see our Dear Leaders declaring extra holidays in May* so that it can be postponed.
* or August, or 2030, or whenever this bloody Plague is over
Well I'm totally confuse by Tier 4. Is our son who is in our bubble as he lives alone allowed to come home on Monday for the holidays or not. Both he and us are in Tier Four, but he's on one side of London and we're on the other. It'll be a total bummer if we can't see him in person.
Well I'm totally confuse by Tier 4. Is our son who is in our bubble as he lives alone allowed to come home on Monday for the holidays or not. Both he and us are in Tier Four, but he's on one side of London and we're on the other. It'll be a total bummer if we can't see him in person.
Comments
May his long covid be relatively short
Not sure which will be worse - a positive result or the NE Man's reaction if I'm negative
(Background - the NE Man doesn't get a flu jab. For the last couple of years I've had a headache afterwards, which the NE Man has taken as vindication of his decision not to get a flu jab. So in a non-Covid year, he would be extremely smug about me feeling rough.)
(He did drive me to the test centre, and has been solicitous in a smug way over my "flu-jab reaction")
The NE Man was delighted. No "told you so" at all.
My granddaughter, one year old, is coping really well being stuck in one room with an exhausted Papa looking after her. We had a zoom call yesterday and she was her usual happy and hyperactive self.
We keep sending them money for take-aways so that at least cooking doesn’t have to be done.
Glad to hear your test was negative, NEQ!
We've just heard that our minister's son has the virus and our minister has some health conditions which make that a real concern.
And yet Our Place is planning an indoor Christmas mini-market. Folly. Sheer folly (IMHO).
Our village is now a Covid hotspot and two neighbours are in hospital on oxygen, not doing well. I'm hoping our precautions (only shopping once a fortnight, the usual masks and distancing and hand-sanitising) are enough to keep us safe. Library closed, most shops closed, restaurants closed, local clinic closed.
((Everybody.)) May we all be safe.
🕯 for all dealing with this horrible virus.
🕯 for speed and efficiency in rolling the vaccine out.
My Pilates instructor (via Zoom today) was marginally less pi**ed off than I thought she might be - BOTH her kids (primary school age) are now self-isolating, so no school run is needed...
@Boogie I've been following your reports. Good to hear that your family is making it through the crap.
@MaryLouise Poor Saffa. As if it doesn't have enough challenges, another strict lockdown. Ugh.
Prayers for all.
Such hard situations across the world; for all the good news of the vaccine (and it is most excellent news, amazing work by the clever scientific people) it feels as though we're in for a very grim few months.
And he carried his own umbrella! Brolly in one hand and the white rose wreath in the other!
Very WWJD as well
I do miss the Hymns and other Musick, though...
Music is truly international (don't tell the Brexiteers!), so I share with you a little clip from 3 years or so ago. The music is a Hungarian dance, or czardas (pronounced chardash AFAIK), written by an Italian composer (Vittorio Monti, who died in 1922). The performance was filmed in Germany by a German TV station, and the artistes are:
Accordionist - Latvian ( of Russian ancestry) and now living in London
Violinist - Franco-Serbian
Clarinettist - Austrian
I think the little orchestra/ensemble is French, or at least based in France.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XIJM2kZgYiI
Enjoy, O Europeans all!
Quite how that will differ from total lockdown is uncertain, but our beloved Prime Minister is scheduled to explain it all carefully to us later today.
We must wait as patiently as we can for Boris to tell us what to do. Or what not to do.
I'm in an odd situation: I'm invited to my brother and sister-in-law's for the weekend, but as I'm probably the most at risk of contacting infection (going in and out of Edinburgh every day on public transport), I felt I ought to offer to cancel. I spoke to them last night, and they're still happy for me to come. As they said, they were out and about a lot more than I was in the first lockdown (they were doing grocery runs for my sister and me each week), and it's not as if we're going to be a whole houseful of raving drunks.
I don't generally believe a word that comes out of the Prime Minister's cakehole, but he may be right when he says that some of the populace have common sense* and are prepared to use it.
* apart from the ones who voted for him, obviously ...
Yes, of course, the family get-together aspect is very important, especially in an age when so many families are scattered, but for the majority of people, who don't believe in God, or Christ, there's surely no harm in postponing the winter festival to a slightly later date?
Why, even the few Christians amongst the population could equally well celebrate the Incarnation at another time (since no-one knows exactly when - or even if - it occurred)...
* or August, or 2030, or whenever this bloody Plague is over
*hic*
Meanwhile, I hear that Wales is going into lockdown more or less straightaway, rather than waiting until 28th December...