Heart attack

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

The Sainsbury Shuffle

I have attempted to avoid going out to shop too many times, but there comes a point where I simply need some basic items, such as milk, bread and potatoes. I did some washing this morning and had things back, dried and put away by around 9.30, so it seemed a good idea to go to Sainsbury's as early as possible. On arrival at the underground carpark, I found a space on the upper level and had to join the queue that had formed around the outer edge of the carpark. I had thought the end was part-way back from where I had parked the car, but I was wrong. I had to walk down the slope to the lower level and was shocked to see the end was a good way further back, where I stood with everyone else, with the recommended 2-metre (six feet) gap between myself and people in front of and behind me. The queue shuffled along, hence the term 'Sainsbury Shuffle' which I have used as this post's title. It makes me wonder what a docile nation we are in Great Britain. We seem to put up with a great deal, including queuing. But today people don't seem to have the patience. If the coronavirus pandemic is to be bought under control, people need to obey the social distancing advice in order to prevent the virus spreading. I think it's asking a great deal of people if the government expects everyone to just sit at home and do very little, even though the weather is fine. It is, as I write this. The sun is out and there's no wind. Let's just hope and pray that this situation improves or, better still, comes to an end.

My FitBit has been playing up. I can't get it to function, even though it appears to have a charge. My only real complaint about it is that it only keeps a full charged battery for a week. Why can't it be for longer? You never know exactly if it has started charging when you put it on the charging device. There are three metal pins (Brass? I'm not sure.) which are supposed to align with pins (prongs?) on the actual device. If it was a Apple device it would make a very decisive sound, which my MacBook does as it starts up, but the FitBit only makes a sort of shiver or vibrate which should denote it is charging, but the screen makes no sign of life. I haven't therefore been able to wear it when I take Alfie out for the past couple of days (more like, a week or so.) I emailed FitBit and got a response and have had the thing charging connected to the MacBook. It is now showing 99% charge, so something must be happening, so it would appear that all is well, or so I hope.

Later. The FitBit is back at full charge and is on my wrist and working as it should.

The sun is shining and we're stuck indoors. We're not supposed to go out. What? Indoors on a bright sunny day? That's awful. It may be to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus, but how long does the government honestly think the average person is going to endure this lockdown? Let's be perfectly honest, not long I would imagine.

Alfie can't seem to understand why we're cooped up indoors. I am sitting and watching a programme about Waitrose and he sits on the sofa next to me, staring. It's actually quite intimidating (how can a small Yorkshire Terrier be intimidating, you may ask? Well, when that dog stares and whenever you move, he follows.) In the end, once the programme was over, I just gave in and put him on his lead and took him out.

(Sunday) It's bright and sunny and we're still locked inside. We mustn't go out . . . But I hear the police, who have been given powers under new legislation which has recently been bought in by the government, to make sure people don't gather in groups, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But I am hearing reports that the police have been somewhat heavy-handed over this.

We're now being told that the government may even prevent us going out to exercise. My goodness, we're slowly but surely becoming a police state! So, how on earth will this be policed? Doesn't bare thinking about. . .

(Monday) I've found it difficult to know what day of the week is is, as they are beginning to blur into one another. Having my Tuesday as a sort of focus of my week, and now that it's gone (but I quite intend continuing there as soon as things get back to normal, whatever 'normal' is now.) that focus has disappeared.

I have been out with Alfie, at around 7.15, and I found it quite over-cast and it would appear that it must have been raining, if only slightly, over night.

Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital, as he has tested positive with the coronavirus. We haven't been told what he's been admitted for, but he is still in charge of the government and presumably keeping in contact with the cabinet and other politicians.

Keir Starmer has now been elected as leader of the Labour Party. An improvement on Jeremy Corbyn, who, quite frankly, wasn't Prime Minister material. He had a sort of 'couldn't-care-less' sort of attitude, well, at least that's how he came across. Untidy. His scruffy appearance didn't help. Remember what happened to Michael Foot and his donkey jacket? Well, I do and it's similar with Corbyn. Also, his crazy financial policies didn't help, particularly as he had no idea how to pay for them. Tax those who make wealth, those who set up businesses which create jobs, not a particularly good move.

I'm getting on with my writing. I seem to have found a way forward and as I write this I'm doing some research and have done quite a few pages which I'm writing in pencil, as I usually do and it will eventually get transcribed into word processing.

It is reasonably sunny at the moment and I will make something to eat for lunch and probably watch 'Bargain Hunt' as I eat. I hope it's a new episode rather than a repeat, but I suspect they will have suspended production because of the pandemic.

Later still. We may be in what is being called 'unprecedented times,' which is becoming something of a cliche and, frankly, rather an annoying term to describe the lockdown, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we may be able to watch free presentations of theatre productions as a result. Most have been recorded with the intention of them then being broadcast in cinemas, although some have been 'live' broadcast. As all theatres are closed due to the pandemic, this is a good chance to see many of these theatre productions, and this evening I am watching a production of 'Hamlet,' which is a recording made at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre.



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