Easing Lockdown

So, the lockdown is being slowly eased. We can apparently meet six people in open spaces, such as parks and gardens. Horray! As it is, we can't remain in lockdown forever, otherwise the country is going to become bankrupt. It will be great to be able to go shopping for what they term 'Unessential items,' for example, clothes, which, as far as I understand aren't unessential unless you want to go around stark naked, which might not be such a good idea, although with the weather so warm it wouldn't be such a bad idea but just don't try it!

I am taking Alfie out through the side entrance which goes out directly into Strudwick Drive. He's a bit shocked I think to find himself outside on the grass area next to the road, but at least it's quicker than going through the front entrance and walking round along Dexter Avenue.

Some delightful soul has seen fit to break glass and all the pieces are on the pavement as I walk Alfie towards Oldbrook Green earlier this morning. Fortunately I was able to move some of the larger and positively lethal pieces onto the side so that Alfie and anyone on a bicycle doesn't run over them. If they got in his paws he could be horribly cut and it wouldn't be pleasant for him. I saw hi-vis clad council workers in the distance as we approached the crossing onto the green and at first thought they were streaming the grass, but it appeared that they were picking up rubbish. The amount has got worse since the lockdown began. As we got to the furthest side of the green I saw that one of the workmen had put black bags into a shopping trolley. I saw a Morrisons and Lidl trolley left abandoned a few days ago and it seems rather odd because if they were taken from either supermarket then whoever used them must have walked quite a distance to unload their groceries and then take them to abandon them in the middle of Oldbrook. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

(Saturday) They continue to drone on relentlessly about the pandemic on BBC Breakfast. The issue of Dominic Cummings is still being raked over by all the media, probably because they can't talk about much else as there isn't much else TO talk about. The BBC becomes more and more biased against the government as the days go on.

(Wednesday) I can't believe I haven't written anything since Saturday. It is becoming rather repetitive, hence the lack of anything fresh to say on here.

I've been to fill the car up with fuel, going to the ESSO station on Childs Way. I decided to go there because of getting Nectar points. Virtually no traffic on the roads and then I went to Waitrose to buy some fruit as I eat at least several pieces a day. There was a short queue and it was in and out relatively quickly. Actually improved when the place is virtually empty of customers and this means no queueing at the tills and it's easy to move around the store.

(Friday) Nothing much to report, except that it's quite blustery out this morning when I took Alfie out at just turned 7 o'clock, which was a bit of a surprise.

I was due to have a hospital appointment today at 1.20 at the X-Ray department. It was to be a scan rather than an actual X-ray. I was all prepared to go and I knew from the letter I received from the hospital offering me the appointment that I wasn't to eat anything after 6 hours before the time. But I have cancelled the appointment, mainly because of a fear of catching the wretched virus. I have managed to get this far without anything, so I'm not going to get infected. I know it wouldn't be the staff's fault and that they would have sufficient Personal Protective Equipment, but I will have to get the doctor to refer me again for another appointment in probably two month's time when the risk is likely to be very much reduced.

I can spend ages hunting for ideas for stories, or at least, where a story I'm working on should go next. But I would never have believed that I would dream ideas. This has happened twice recently, but I won't give away what the dreams were about and where those story ideas are being used. I think it's best to write down these dreams and even if I don't use them immediately then I never know when they might be used in the future. I'll wait and see if and when I have dreamt another story idea.

Last Day of School Holiday

Monday was Carol's final day of the summer holidays. She has two day's teacher training. Not her favourite two days as a lot of it is incredibly boring. I know how boring this can be as when I did care work you had to do the mandatory training, lifting and handling, food handling, infection control, child protection etc etc. Basically ticking boxes and making sure you're up to date with the latest legislation. We went over to the Academy at around 9 o'clock to prepare so stuff, sticking labels on boxes and sorting thing out. Only a couple of other teachers in her department turned up so it shows who id dedicated to their job. We then went to Asda to get some food for lunch and our evening meal. We had done a large order on-line from Sainsbury's on Saturday and that should arrive today (Tuesday). It tuned out our Asda visit might not have been such a good idea as it was very crowded and most of those in there were children with parents. In the clothes section many parents were buying school uniforms for their offspring and it looked like bees round a honey-pot. I think they will have bought out the entire stock. We had a look at the clothing section but Carol couldn't see anything she liked. By the time we'd done the rest of our shopping and got to the checkout there were very fraught parents with screaming children. On child in particular was screaming fit to bust, clamped into seat in shopping trolley while it's father was packing groceries as it came off the checkout conveyor belt. Why let a child get away with such ear-piercing noise? It was awful.

I have to say I think I know why the children were being so noisy and over-bearing. They had very loud music on in Asda. Also, whenever they use the Tannoy, to communicate with other members of staff or to give customer information, it is far too loud. It's a very large space, the building is huge. If I have a problem with shopping there it is that it so large you seem to spend a lot of your time walking up and down and it can be very exhausting. So, with loud music, someone shouting over a Tannoy system, you can see why those children would get upset, which then leads to stressed parents and other adult shoppers. It really is about time someone in Asda realised the music and Tannoy announcements need to be quieter. Sometimes they have Tannoy messages which are so distorted and loud you cannot really hear what is being said, so it defeats the object of having a Tannoy system.