Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Now that's a good idea, SA. I could demolish a salad sandwich right now! I'm not sure whether DS2 buys fresh food much - I know it's in the house as they feed some to his flatmate's rabbit! I've sent him a care package with hand cream, moisturising soap and shower gel today so that at least his skin will get some relief from the constant washing.

Other than that I had a lie in due to staying up late last night, which in turn was due to the luxury of a bath after a few days of showers. It's been cold and grey but at least we've had a hour of rain so the garden will benefit. I went for a run just before the rain started then talked to a neighbour who commented that the farmers must be worried as crops aren't sprouting evenly, and some not at all. I've seen this while running: the middle of a field can have the crop in bloom while at the side just a few plants have come up and are very small so they won't be ready when the rest is. So however grey the sky is, I'm glad of the rain as otherwise food prices will increase.

However, nine degrees when it's nearly May? No thanks.

Testing for frontline staff may be officially happening, but we can't yet get it here unless we have symptoms. I checked. Otherwise I would have been down at the mobile testing centre this afternoon. It's not that I think I have Covid, or that I can even find out if I've had it (which would be helpful) but I do need to know if I'm likely to infect anyone, and even if all it does is help inform strategy, that's something useful. However, I think if I were infectious, either DH or someone at work would have had symptoms by now.

I've spent the evening ironing and texting people. Those working from home seem to be struggling with the isolation. I hadn't realised how much it helps me that I at least see colleagues in real life. I'm back into work in the morning.

Spending today: gift (£15.68). Not much money-saving though I have a few items to mend and might do some more baking (or DH might). We actually put the heating on this afternoon, but I'll turn it off again before bed. We're good about layering up clothing but it didn't seem quite enough.

This evening I'm thankful for the rain, for tuna pasta for tea (and we have pasta!) and for hearing from all sorts of friends via text, including the colleague who has probably had Covid but is now recovered.

Cherryfudge

The news seems slightly better today, what with hospital deaths decidedly down and the PM saying the peak is over... still a way to go of course. I've done my bit by getting tested now that frontline workers don't need to have symptoms to be checked. It was a palaver as the website still has guidelines that are a few days old so we were advised just to turn up, and when we did we found a pen and some hand sanitiser would have been useful but I think we both managed to do our swabs okay, and the military had it all well organised and were very efficient and helpful. Of course if it's a negative I'll be no further forward but the main thing is to find the asymptomatic carriers.

Other than that, work was... quiet again. I heard that the equivalent service in a smaller town nearby is busy, so the system is working but they have a different background to us which may be why people are being referred there. At our place, I was encouraged to go and do some gardening as there was nothing else for me to do and the gardener isn't coming in, and a manager has offered to find a donation of plants so the sheltered housing overlooking the gardens will have a nicer view, and it will be a nice entry area for the usual service users when they come back. I think it's important we try to keep it bright and cared for, and there's a really well set out little area that wasn't in my remit last year and won't take much to look lovely. Intermittent showers have made the grass too wet to mow but the weeds come up easily.

I can start slightly later tomorrow as there's no one in overnight.

DH has done the shopping and went to two supermarkets to get everything. Still no flour! I haven't baked for a while so we still have some left. Total housekeeping = £45.61. I have my salad items so I can have a crunchy sandwich tomorrow! He did treat us to salmon tonight, which is expensive (for us) but also yummy and very good for us, so we had a lovely meal with baked potatoes, a jar of sauce and peas.

Tonight I'm thankful for some slight positives in the national news, for DS2's run of night shifts being over for now and for the 'right sort of rain' and the chance to do some gardening at work..

Sun_Addict

Glad you had a test but what I don’t understand is you might test negative now but you could still get it unless you’re immune. Is it so they can release negative tests back into the workplace?

Anyway hope it’s negative 🤞

Cherryfudge

Sun_Addict said:

Glad you had a test but what I don’t understand is you might test negative now but you could still get it unless you’re immune. Is it so they can release negative tests back into the workplace?

Anyway hope it’s negative 🤞

I haven't heard from them yet SA, but results take 48 hours or more and I feel fine! I think they want to get an idea how widespread the virus is and obviously find people who have the disease without symptoms so they can be kept away from others! People who test negative but are needed for frontline jobs can carry on but of course it's a bit like a DBS: only valid at the point the test is done. People who test negative still need to look out for symptoms in case they've subsequently caught it.

So work was quiet again. We were all geared up for someone to arrive but at the last minute it was found he has needs we can't address so that's all fallen through. My colleague and I spent some time weeding in the garden...

DH texted me to say he'd gone to get a new phone socket and did I want anything form W!lkos? I put in my little order and at last I have moisturiser, so the online order for toiletries won't be happening in the near future. The spending looks something like this: toiletries £5, pets (bird food) £1.50, household (phone socket) unknown.

I worked out that I might dodge the rain by taking my running stuff to work and going for a run straight from there, but I was wrong and got drenched! When I got back DH was still out on his bike and he came back soaked to the skin so there will be a lot of washing tomorrow. I did the hot wash of work clothes and towels but had to put the dryer on for an hour rather than make the house all damp. Nice to have fluffy towels though.

Quite a few things to be thankful for this evening: Rain, even though it fell on us! Making sponge puddings for dessert and DH loved them (which will save us money but maybe increase our calorie intake). Getting my moisturiser. Getting wild bird food for those birds that are so much more in evidence this year. Weekend off and better weather forecast). Some good things on the news like the possibility that maybe people really don't get Covid 19 twice (a Korean study, but more studies needed), and that testing is at last getting going outside hospitals in England. 

in_need_of_direction

We got confirmation yesterday that staff are eligible for testing if they show symptoms or live with someone who does.  Glad it’s in place but ridiculous that it’s taken so long

Cherryfudge

in_need_of_direction said:

We got confirmation yesterday that staff are eligible for testing if they show symptoms or live with someone who does.  Glad it’s in place but ridiculous that it’s taken so long

Yes, absolutely.  I feel it's still far short of what's needed, though: unless we test everyone who is 'public facing', we will still have asymptomatic people inadvertently spreading Covid.

Cherryfudge

My test came back negative - not a huge surprise but nice to know.

I was really tired last night and slept in this morning, but this afternoon DH and I had a walk over to distance visit A (H was at work or we'd have seen her too). We had a nice long chat in the garden and were gifted some blondie cake he'd just made. DS2 texted while we were there to see who wanted to Z00m later, but nothing came of it because most people were either exercising or planning to watch Casualty. I was so tired again this evening that I went to bed for a while so I may have trouble sleeping tonight, but at least I've had a decent amount of exercise to help counteract the weight that's decided to creep in on my non-running days.

We have done some housework but nothing in the garden. There's a huge heap of laundry waiting to be ironed because I now have uniform to wash as well as going-to-work clothes and whatever else I might wear.

I haven't spent anything today but have been browsing catering suppliers looking for flour. Dh has made another Victoria sponge cake so our existing supplies are going to a good cause.

I'm thankful for seeing A, having a good walk and for a newsy text from a friend just now. 

Cherryfudge

I've been pretty well shattered each evening recently. I think I'm staying up far too late as it's certainly not about overworking.
Today was another no-residents day at work so we spent the morning archiving things that will be out of date by the time our usual group comes back. However the afternoon shift was stood down and my colleague and I were asked how we'd feel about working elsewhere. She isn't willing to but is on a different contract from me so she can make that choice. I think I might have to help at a care home locally but I've flagged up that I have DH at home and he's at moderate risk so I'm willing to consider it but am being cautious.

Yesterday I went for another C25K run and somehow mis-set the app so instead of running week 7 run 2, I did week 8 run 2 - which means I if I run tomorrow, I'm up to the full 5k! I'm happy with that.

The last few days have felt full of gifts and freebies. Firstly - and this is very strange - I have acquired a posh piece of kitchen equipment that had been dumped! It's not something I'd ever have afforded for myself and of course I made sure it really was dumped and also cleaned it very thoroughly. Work is still a source of calories as someone brought in a very rich cake and some shortbread, then we had a clear-out as fresh foods were going out of date due to lack of residents, so some colleagues and I were allowed to take things home. This afternoon J and L came past on their walk and dropped off some super-chocolatey brownies for us and we reciprocated with food for them and asked them to drop off some gammon for A who doesn't get it at home (we had too much and they had planned to drop brownies off to A and H too). So all in all, there has been plenty for all so long as we share.

Dh is going to have to go shopping tomorrow as he's out of the milk he uses and we need fruit and veg. I'm going to see if I can plan far enough ahead to save us going shopping again till early next week. My neighbour is getting a few items for us in her online shop but it's not at our usual store and there are lines we can't get there. Besides, it's more expensive.

I've also done five items of sewing, four of them successfully. Nothing major, just small mends but it's good to have those items back in circulation. DH's clothes had a sort-out too, resulting in finding the partners for several lonely socks. The ironing remains... maybe tomorrow's job.

I'm thankful this evening for some levelling off, even decline in the death toll from the virus and the progress being made in understanding it. I'm thankful, too, for the nice freebies and the chance to share things. And lastly, with a couple more days off about to happen, I'm thankful for those too.

Cherryfudge

A rubbish night's sleep last night, at least till the wee small hours. DH has ear problems as a side effect of medication he was on last year and that woke him just as I was getting to sleep. In the end he slept on the sofa and I read for a while to get myself back to sleep - then didn't get up till about 10! However today went okay: I had a longer run and DH went for the shopping. It's been on the chilly side but I was warmed up as the run progressed. How far I went is debatable: the C25K app says five km, Str'va says 4 plus five extra minutes running and a walk of about 10 minutes to cool down. Anyway I did it and have now downloaded the C210k app.

I suppose I should confess my weight is creeping up so I need to fit in a walk tomorrow even if it does mean going out. 

Food shopping was £33.76 plus £7.51 for the items my neighbour ordered for me.

This evening I had a video call with friends, only three of us turned up so I must find an excuse to contact the others and check all's well.

Tonight I'm thankful for these continued meetings with friends, for chicken and chorizo pasta for tea and for another free course which is looking interesting. And for a  warmer weather forecast for tomorrow.

Honeysucklelou2

Very impressed by the downloading of C210K. I hadn’t realised there was progression from the 5k app! Only on week 2 here ( of the 5k app) but amazing how quickly you can see progress. I didn’t think I’d manage the extended running time but it was ok🙂.