How was your day? (Random off topic chat)

Beans on toast! Finally!! It's the small pleasures ..

At a safe distance, and without touching the handrail, I followed someone upstairs carrying a large Ann Summers bag. An odd choice of shop for a Mother's Day gift, I thought, but who am I to judge. Maybe he was simply stocking up on essentials for someone who is self-isolating! 😉

Risking it all with public transport at the moment getting to work each day.
No idea where those pictures online of empty trains come from, mine are as busy as ever and that's at 7am. Trying to keep a distance is impossible. Also very difficult to do the same at work with big open plan offices.
But I've made it home in one piece and decided not to wonder around a supermarket admiring the shelving units.
Good thing is a day off tomorrow and good old M&S are letting people who work in the emergency services in tomorrow an hour early. So set the alarm tonight and heading there tomorrow morning with my ID. I wonder how many bags of percy pigs they will allow you to buy?

All libraries where I live are closing from tonight so I won't be able to chat to you all, find out what's happening with shows I've booked or earn gift cards for doing surveys. Fed up.

Too expensive I fear.

Thanks theatremonkey. May be able to check in if I visit my youngest son. - He has a smart TV.

Smugness is...


...a person holding a newly purchased 12 pack of toilet rolls.

So I went into Camberley this morning - mainly to pay some cheques into the bank (remember cheques?) Popped into Sainsbury's at 8.50am for some tomatoes- reasonably well stocked but no toilet rolls obviously. Then just after 9.00am, when most shops open, at least ten people where sashaying down Park Street with the said comestibles, jauntily swinging them by their handy carrying strap.

I passed Wilkos and Robert Dyas on the way so I guess one or other was the purveyor.

Day off today and M&S were letting emergency workers in an hour early. OMG! What a joy. Shelves full of lovely stuff and no pushing and shoving. Plus no one bulk buying. Mind you who could afford to bulk buy here.
I'm very happy. I'm easily pleased though.

This was the end of the longest time I've ever worked from home. At least some of my regular lunch buddies and I had Slack video calls to keep in touch. And last night I got on a Facebook group video chat with friends in California. We played some games and caught up!

Stir-crazy, but could be worse.

This morning I went out to buy some beer from a brewery shop I like. When I crossed the M40 it was weirdly empty, with two lanes completely unoccupied in one direction. It's like driving early on a Sunday morning without all the tedious stuff about having to get up early on a Sunday morning.

What I find inexplicable is that the shops are selling out of things faster than ever but nobody seems to be on the roads travelling to or from the shops. Where are all the shoppers who are clearing the shelves? Are they living in the ceilings so they can swoop down to gather toilet rolls for their nests?

Gah. I have utterly failed today.

Discovered a mouse had been coming in to my kitchen. There’s a hole around the pipe from the washing machine into the wall, which must be where the bugger is getting in.

Thought, fine, I’ll get some of that expanding foam and fill around the hole.

My kitchen is teeny tiny and the washing machine sits under the worktop with just enough space to get into the cupboard under the sink opposite. There used to be a cupboard built in right next to it, which made getting it in and out an absolute nightmare, but I dismantled that and got one of this little trolleys with a cutlery drawer and veg basket to go under the worktop instead, to make access better. I also got fresh new vinyl put down in the kitchen.

So I thought it was fine, I’d just be able to pull the trolley out, pivot the washing machine around and out a bit, and get to the hole to fill it in.

Only the vinyl was not actually stuck down at the back wall under the worktop, so pivoting and pulling the washing machine has pulled it all up and rucked it up in folds around the back foot of the machine. And I can’t lift or tip the machine enough to pull it out again because of the lack of space. And in trying to rock and twist and move it enough to get it the foot loose I’ve managed to tear a big rip in the vinyl at the front of the machine - where it is visible.

After two and a half hours I gave up and called my Dad. Just because arrrgh! And now he is insisting on coming round tomorrow to help sort it out, with Mum - they are in their 60s so not technically the highest risk group, but there goes social distancing out the window.

Gaaaah.

I feel like when I manage to get my sky high anxiety levels under control, this won't be so bad. At the moment I can't concentrate on anything becsuse I'm so worried but I hope that when this becomes a bit more 'normal' I'll be able to catch up with reading, cook well, clean my flat, maybe get some IKEA deliveries and do some flat pack...!

We just have to remember that it will be over at some point even if it feels long and scary now.

For people who are struggling to find food - try the smaller suppliers around you and Google for any direct from the farm deliveries in your area; I've been able to order a regular veg box that way.

Take care all xxx