The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

VJsmum

My sister has a few strands to her career - she began nursing as a teenager but gave it up when she became pregnant accidentally, she went to work in a prison when my niece was small and progressed to prison officer and even deputy governor!  The prison service took its toll on her mental health  so she quit and began training as a driving instructor.  A few years ago, she decided that nursing was still calling her and so began the training again - had to begin with an access course and taking her maths GCSE as she couldn't find proof of her 'O' level.  SHe's now been qualified for just over a year.  I trained as a quantity surveyor, working in many aspects of it before having DD.  i then decided to teach and was a University lecturer for over 20 years before quitting to do my PhD (passed this year).  i still teach but am looking for new opportunities that can utilise my research.  My point being that a career isn't one thing, it is the cumulative roles a person has.  I think it is relevant to prepping as you do have to plan if you're going to change course - will your income be hit, how can you manage that (my sister took a range of part time jobs - she was a single parent and a student - it's been a struggle for her).

Am thinking i might go to the farm shop today - torn between knowing that i am just buying my usual things a day or so early but wondering if that is adding to the 'panic buying'.

annieb64

DH and went to Tesco's  this morning  before we'd even listened  to the news so hadn't  heard about France closing the border. It wasn't  that busy. No more than a usual early Monday morning-which is when I usually go. Lots of staff though, more than I've  ever seen stocking the shelves.
No obvious shortages but then most of what I was buying was British except courgettes and they still had plenty of those.

walkers60

I worked at several jobs before working in a college as a learning support assistant which led to lots of other work in the college.  I had training in British Sign Language and also as a notetaker for students who couldn't take notes themselves in class.  This involved working with hearing impaired students, visually impaired, dyslexic, MS, to name a few.  The hours were flexible and term-time only so it fitted in with my family commitments.  

MingVase

Update from FluTrackers on what's going on with the new virus strain:

Scientists, meanwhile, are hard at work trying to figure out whether B.1.1.7 is really more adept at human-to-human transmission—not everyone is convinced yet—and if so, why. They’re also wondering how it evolved so fast. B.1.1.7 has acquired 17 mutations all at once, a feat never seen before. “There's now a frantic push to try and characterize some of these mutations in the lab,” says Andrew Rambaut, a molecular evolutionary biologist at the University of Edinburgh.

And on the food front:
... with 10,000 trucks normally crossing the Channel daily in the run up to Christmas - according to the British Retail Consortium - there are serious concerns within the food and drink industry.

jamanda

French are panicking too.  They have lots of drivers stuck here.

pollyanna_26

 lovely to see you GC. Like many others I do wonder how you are. Now you've had the op and are recovering it lifts that black cloud that hung over you knowing at some point in the future you'd need the surgery.

Have a restful break with the 'rents and your brother.

Good luck with Wild thing. We had a female rescue years ago who was lovely to everyone except me. She would lie in wait and pounce. She was fond of the colder months when I'd wear warm black tights.She shredded them and often  my legs. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

pollyx

Serendipitious

I'm wondering if the virus has somehow hooked up with the common cold virus, because that spreads fast and it is the season for colds. But I am not a scientist in any way, shape or form, just guessing.

Anyhow, there's nothing we can do about it except continue to be vigilant and sensible, as panicking will just make things feel worse than they already are.

Just called at local Co-op for milk to see me through till New Year, no potatoes and barely any veg there, but it could be just because it's Monday morning and also yesterday was the first day of our short-notice lockdown, plus it's Christmas week. I haven't been here long enough yet to learn the local shops' 'normal' patterns of restocking.

DryTheRain

annieb64 said:

DH and went to Tesco's  this morning  before we'd even listened  to the news so hadn't  heard about France closing the border. It wasn't  that busy. No more than a usual early Monday morning-which is when I usually go. Lots of staff though, more than I've  ever seen stocking the shelves.
No obvious shortages but then most of what I was buying was British except courgettes and they still had plenty of those.

Hopefully the supermarkets will stay well stocked, altho wonder if that’ll change as the news gets out.  

Must admit kicking myself for not putting fruit and veg on the list yesterday, but was a bit £freaked out after stocking up on EU made medical stuff, and decided to leave it til aldi trip midweek. 

Just put some mung beans in to soak, so even if no brussels there’ll still be sprouts 

euronorris

Lovely to see you GQ. Sorry, I meant to say that earlier but missed it! Glad to hear you are doing well.

One of my colleagues has text from inside morrisons. Queuing down the aisles. Said it's absolute murder in there. I'm unclear if that is just usual Christmas stuff though, or panic buying due to ports closure. I know there is usually queues down the aisles in supermarkets this close to Christmas, so could just be that.

pollyanna_26

Serendipitious said:

I'm wondering if the virus has somehow hooked up with the common cold virus, because that spreads fast and it is the season for colds. But I am not a scientist in any way, shape or form, just guessing.

Anyhow, there's nothing we can do about it except continue to be vigilant and sensible, as panicking will just make things feel worse than they already are.

Just called at local Co-op for milk to see me through till New Year, no potatoes and barely any veg there, but it could be just because it's Monday morning and also yesterday was the first day of our short-notice lockdown, plus it's Christmas week. I haven't been here long enough yet to learn the local shops' 'normal' patterns of restocking.

I've found our little local coop very useful. I've barely been to the usual food shops. I did stock up on basics months ago in SBs and M&S food hall. I tend to visit the coop around midday or early afternoon when it's been not too busy. Staff are also restocking shelves then and will bring out something they've not yet started putting on the shelves. It's the least stressfull of the shops. We often did small shops there over the years as it's on the same site as our Drs surgery and would then pick up the rest in town.

The only bugbear is ours has an odd system where you have to to walk back and forth across the ends of four aisles to follow the arrows which does mean doubling back a number of times.

Coop have been very good. They sent members a £5 gift card recently for staying loyal.

pollyx