Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

crazy_cat_lady

Morning all 
Just deciding where to start with today's never ending list of stuff to do. I fear I may have bitten off more than I can chew juggling the two jobs plus testing crochet patterns. However, I am nothing if not resilient and I am sure that once I settle into my new routine then things will be absolutely fine. It was always going to be hard going back into work full time after 6 months of working from home and occasional days in, but my workload there is unreal - preparing my lessons for the classroom, plus online, and also on paper for the students that are isolating. My place are keen to reduce workload but it's as high as it's ever been thanks to the Government and there utter lack of understanding about anything. On top of that, I'm missing being able to see my mam and sister and think I'm in desperate need of a walk to clear my head a bit. I was supposed to do that yesterday but there were some communication crossed wires and it never happened. I am going to find an hour in my day somewhere today because I know I'll feel better for it.
It's a fortnight until half term (if we make it that far) and hopefully I'll be able to take stock then. Meantime, the kids are doing an ok job at helping me stay on top of the housework - I think they find it an easier job now it's been decorated through and looks a bit better (although ds room still looks exactly like a teenage boys room no matter how many times I ask). I have a lot of lists and we're managing. I'm sure it will get easier - then hopefully at half term I can finally finish the bits of painting that still need to be done but I've never gotten around to. Just a few bits of woodwork (unfortunately) - hopefully the weather will stay nice enough to let me do that. 
Money wise, things continue to be very tight. I'm only just managing to balance the books with very little leeway. Good job that restrictions make being out and spending money almost impossible - not that I want to be out and spending. I'm starting to fret a bit about the December celebrations. I have some money put aside but not as much as I would normally - I'm sure my kids will be understanding. It looks as though it's going to be a very different type of celebration this year anyway.
There isn't much else to report - my mental health is ok considering the current circumstances, my kids and cats are fantastic and I'm juggling being very busy and quite skint as usual. 
Sending out much love to PF's family. I am quite devastated by the loss of our lovely Purps and it has really made me consider whether I should be whingeing about the small stuff as I seem to be constantly doing at the moment.
  

crazy_cat_lady

Evening
A rare (at the moment) midweek check in from me. Things are all ramping up but dd has just been online at a virtual open evening for a college. Her plans to get an apprenticeship and become a paramedic have changed since she discovered that blood makes her feel faint - she now wants to be an English teacher. She's spent the past two evenings writing essays as extra work - one on Banquo in Macbeth, and one on mystery and tension in Jekyll and Hyde. I'm not surprised - she's always been amazing at English, but it's definitely not a subject I can help her with apart from a couple of vocabulary words here and there. The essays look amazing to me but I'm no expert at English by any stretch of the imagination.
Other than that I'm still quite stressed with work although I've got one class off isolating at the moment so have lucked in with a couple of extra frees, although the work still needs to be set online. It's good news because the bad weather and dark mornings are starting to get to me as well and I feel tired all of the time. My hands and feet ache and I keep meaning to look up what I can do to stop the constant joint pains etc. Something else on the list.
Exam season is looming and it's a very small one this sitting but with the new role I will still have plenty to do - and some money coming in to help pay for Christmas and pay back for this new laptop I had to get. Means I'll be even more busy...
Thankfully everything else is ticking along nicely - home is still lovely... the heating has clicked in and I also managed to fix a radiator that was stuck off with some 3 in 1 oil, a pair of long nose pliers and a yootoob clip. It took less than 4 minutes in total and my bedroom is properly warm, and I had everything in that I needed already so it cost absolutely nothing. I'm relieved because I have no spare money at all at the moment and Christmas is uncomfortably close.
As for the whole politics and lockdown thing - I have absolutely no idea at all what is happening. I know I'm in tier 2 but no idea what that actually means. It doesn't matter what tier we're in my life will be - get up, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat. Schools will not be closing, and my risk will not change anyway. The whole thing is a complete farce and just when I think that there's no way the government can get worse then they do. But these are things beyond my control so I must try not to spend time stressing over them. Look after me and my family, stay healthy and work hard. Repeat.
Hope everyone else is doing ok - I'm sorry I've been such a flaky CCL of late. I don't cope well with too much change and I don't like the new normal at all. 

Humdinger1

CCL

Be kind to yourself darling.  You're doing amazingly.   We're all looking on in utter disbelief at the antics of those supposedly in charge.  One programme I've been listening to on the 1*player (free) is More or less; a radio series all about statistics.   They extended the last series as so many people were writing in with questions.   Being radio 4, this is properly researched by grown ups, with calm, sober experts being interviewed.   What they think is that unless you're already likely to go this year, the virus is unlikely to finish you off and even already very poorly people often recover. Now that doesn't excuse the utter shambles we're living through or the lunatic behaviour of some - but that might be some comfort if you can't get off to sleep.  It's certainly helped me.   Remember how devoted we all are to you CCL and give yourself a pat on the back and a round of applause.  The chocolate cake is being dropped off by the marching band any minute.  Love Humdinger x 

Honeysucklelou2

You summed my thoughts CCL - it doesn’t really matter what tier, as long as schools are open, life will remain the same.  Sorry to hear you have a class isolating at the moment. We’re finding classroom temperatures interesting. We have to have doors and windows open to maximise ventilation but it is getting colder now, so will be looking to get a couple of very thick jumpers soon!!

f0xh0les

Some of my DS3s teachers in yr 8 are  refusing to keep the windows open already, and the eldest three have all been told  by staff  that they don't believe in the virus.  The kids are utterly scandalized.    I can only tell them that they are low risk if they get it, and that I will look after them if they do.  We will be careful for all the people who are high risk.   But it is not doing much for their faith in their teachers though.     Roll on half term (Friday 16th here).  Can't believe there are 8 teaching weeks in the half term up to Xmas.  That is going to be a nightmare.

  That you fixed that radiator for zero pence CCL.

apple_muncher

I had some of my pupils sitting outside my room in the corridor on the floor doing their work for 20 mins as the thick pipe runs along there but no heat was wending its way all the way round the system into the rads in the classroom. They totally get about having the windows open and they know that they are allowed to wear their coats. Which all seems the reasonable thing to do, especially as they are sitting still for much longer than usual.

And I got the rads bled and it is not quite toasty in there!

foxgloves

Humdinger - That Radio 4 programme you mentioned 'More or less' has honestly been like a breath of sanity regarding the Covid facts & figures. I might actually listen to the series again. No tabloid hysterics, no Covid-denier cr*p, no Government untruths or dissembling........just the facts. It would probably suit CCL down to the ground because she's a scientist. I liked it because I despair at getting the truth out of the current government, so it felt like a small oasis of common sense in a mad old world!
F x

Humdinger1

foxgloves said:

Humdinger - That Radio 4 programme you mentioned 'More or less' has honestly been like a breath of sanity regarding the Covid facts & figures. I might actually listen to the series again. No tabloid hysterics, no Covid-denier cr*p, no Government untruths or dissembling........just the facts. It would probably suit CCL down to the ground because she's a scientist. I liked it because I despair at getting the truth out of the current government, so it felt like a small oasis of common sense in a mad old world!
F x

Yup Foxgloves I agree.  Truth is the first casualty of war, no?  This posse are too damned ignorant to pour p*ss from a boot.  

crazy_cat_lady

Hello
Late check in. I am very tired, and slowly and wearily working my way towards the half term hols. Five more get ups. I am so busy all of the time, including the weekends now as well. Preparing and delivering lessons in class, online and on paper. For none of the isolating kids to actually do or return anything to me. I feel so worn out at the minute and I still haven't even started the exam stuff. I've spent the weekend doing stuff related to the house and not work at all - I really need to get myself a little better organised with my time, because exam season is coming up and then I will really be doing two full time jobs and running the house. Time to up my fruit and vegetable intake I think - must get myself some energy from somewhere. I can only think I'm run down because I need a bit of a rest.
Went out yesterday to C0stalot to meet up with my support bubble adult. We're tier 2 here so I was pushing the absolute limit of what I'm allowed to do. I will definitely check out iplayer for that show and have a lesson - foxgloves is right, I like to make my decisions based on facts rather than what other people are telling me. Particularly the Gammons My friend works in the nhs and has had a tough week so we thought a coffee and a bacon sarnie breakfast would be good (although not mse). Think we both felt better after sounding off about work for a bit, then we wandered round our little town centre together to Bee Emm, Herr L1dl and the chemist (so I could stock up on Sudafed to try and keep my head clear over the week ahead). Got home and crossed stuff off the shopping list that I had bought in town, then put a load of washing in, changed my bed and then did some English revision with DD while I tried to catch up on my crochet. Ended up falling down a rabbit hole of 'books dd might want to read as part of A level English literature'. I'm ashamed to admit that there were very, very few on the list of 130 that I have read, a few more that I've heard of and a load that were completely new to me. So if anyone has read To The Lighthouse, Room or The Collector please let me know if they're worth reading. DD also applied to college yesterday - so fingers crossed.
It was almost midnight when I got into bed and I managed to lie in until half past eight this morning so I was kind of raring to go. Got up, emptied the washing machine, and one of the drum paddles came out along with my washing. Totally broken. I've ordered a new one but the washing machine is out of action until that comes and is fitted. Had to have the heating on all day to dry the washing, and had to ask my sister if she could wash the kids PE kits for me as well. Not a major thing, but not the best start to the day - and another hour spent trying to fix it, rescue a face mask that had made it's way into the drum, socially distantly seeing my sister with laundry. Then I put the rubbish and recycling out and cleaned the kitchen tops. Then off to finish the rest of the grocery shopping with dd. We went to Foods of the Frozen Farm, £land and Mr T. Grand total spent of £68 but £45 of that was on a coat that dd fell in love with and wanted me to buy her for Christmas. It was after 2pm when I got home - long enough to grab a bite to eat and unpack the shopping before I had to take ds out to meet his friends. Got home, hoovered through and mopped the kitchen and bathroom, and then it was after 4pm. I've sat down to do some schoolwork that I couldn't get done on Friday and my head is absolutely banging. Don't know if I'm stressed, dehydrated, tired or anything else, but I can't see myself getting much done at the moment. Just waiting for the call to pick ds up then I'm going to have a shower and relax. 
I can't really remember what lockdown was like now - and all that time I had to get stuff done in the house. I'm starting to build up a massive holiday frog list of tiny, annoying jobs that I really need to get done. I'm only get busier between now and Christmas so need to get organised - urgently.

f0xh0les

Some of those annoying frog jobs could probably be done by a willing and helpful dd and ds.  Maybe just one or two of them, but make them feel included. They are on holiday.

As for the books, tell dd to post a list up on the local fakebook / freecycle / wastenot    giving/selling pages saying English student urgently needs books!  The libraries are reopening, but a lot of them require you to make an appointment.  Or you could challenge her to find  X % of the list in the charity shops- if she asks the people who work there, they do not always put the classics out, thinking more modern contemporary books sell better, she may get a very good deal.  I can't remember the last time I bought a  new book. There are plenty out there that need rehoming.  Don't shop! adopt! Or post the list up on here and between us all we can probably sort her out.

Don't even talk to me about PE kits.  Poor DS3 has PE 4 days in a row in his new timetable that starts after half term.  Welcome to High School Covid Timetable! In Winter!  With 0% body fat! So I am going to have to buy him more black T shirts because I am not doing the washing 4 days in a row.   It is half term here now.  I have turned off my alarm clock.   Bliss.

I have been suffering with headaches for the last week or so, I think it is the central heating.