Tiers For Fears

(Monday)  Sorry, just couldn't resist using that as a title for this blog post! The fact is, Boris Johnson and his lot have been scaring us to death over this covid business. We can't meet up over Christmas for fear of killing granny or grandpa. The virus is transmuting into something more horrible than you could possibly guess. We can't visit, go  to shops which sell non-essential items (which must be hard to define.) Theatres are boarded up (pity!), restaurants and pubs also. It's like living under a facist regime. All the changes, a bit like dancing the conga ('in out in out and shake it all about!') Boris turning into Oliver Cromwell and cancelling Christmas. And now we're supposed to have a new variant of the coronavirus, although it's not supposed to be any more infectious as the original covid-19 virus. But surely they would have known that it was likely to mutate.

It's inevitable that  I will be stuck here at Dexter House on my own in the flat (with Alfie as support. Can't leave the little fellow out.) There will be other people around, but it's not going to be a 'normal' Christmas by any means. I have been to get a few more bits and pieces from Sainsbury's. I needed to get something for Alfie. It was relatively busy for the time of day. Probably people doing what I was doing, getting last-minute shopping done before Friday.

And to cap it all we in Buckinghamshire are now in a new tier, Tier 4, which is the highest tier, so we're having to lockdown every more severely. And this after Boris said that Christmas would be as normal as was possible.

I've been to Aldi at Bradwell Common. I haven't been there since Carol died. We used to shop there quite a lot. Very god value. I think I will shop there far more. The only problem is that you need a £1 coin so as to use the trolleys and I rarely have a coin. I will have to make sure I have one in the car and keep one in the car for this use. Amazing bit of Stilton (which I love!) About three times the size of a bit you would buy in Sainsbury's and probably a third of the price!

The Christmas Day service at Shenley Christian Fellowship will be on-line through Facebook because of the latest pandemic restrictions. I think it was felt that it was too risky with infection rates rising. A great shame, but I suppose it has to be done.

(Wednesday It has been raining for most of the morning. I didn't wake up until around 7.45. I don't think I've woken that late in years. I got dressed and took Alfie out as I normally do and then came back for my mug of tea and cereal in front of BBC Breakfast. Shots of HGVs parked up on an airstrip (I suppose it would be, but not sure.) Seems like thousands. Doesn't look real somehow. It's because France won't allow lorries in because of the new variant of the virus. It now seems they are doing rapid testing of the drivers and they can cross the channel if they test negative for the virus. What with that issue as well as a possible 'no deal' Brexit, things couldn't get much worse. And on top of that the possibility of the entire country being put into Tier 4. Lockdown under another name if you ask me. But don't.

Alfie taken out at 9.30ish. As soon as he realised it was raining, he high-tailed it home as quickly as his little legs would carry him.

On the pavement along Strudwick Drive there is a rather nasty puddle. Not the best way to describe it. It gets worse when there is rain (probably because the water has nowhere to run away to.) But one of the paving slabs is a bit loose and when you tread on it, you get your feet wet. Just unpleasant and if you need to avoid it and walk on the grass, you have to walk in mud (more mud than grass.) More unpleasantness!

Later. It's now worse than ever. The path is now more or less completely engulfed. It's been raining for most of the day, so no wonder. To cap it all, my trousers have split! 'Now missis, don't laugh!' (In Frankie Howard voice).' Titter not!' I bent down to pick up after Alfie (no more description needed.) and there was the sound of rending cloth, in a most embarrassing place, and I have to say, that puts paid to that pair. Unless I can find someone who is good with a needle and cotton.

Later Still. 10.45p.m. There is a strong wind blowing and whistling around outside (well, I just hope it is, and not inside, otherwise there would be a window open.) I just can't get to sleep with that noise going on, hence sitting here typing this. I think Alfie is attempting to sleep and has come into the lounge from the bedroom. He had got really cozy next to me but followed me and is now on the sofa next to me.

A Very Merry (Bah! Humbug) Lockdown Christmas!

(Saturday) I went to Aldi this morning, the branch in Bradwell Common and opposite my doctor's surgery. There are things they sell which I can't get elsewhere and as their prices are around a third of the major 4 supermarkets, then I thought it was worth going. I also had a £1 coin for the trolley which I don't always have on me, otherwise I couldn't shop there. I was in and out so quickly, and going so early made it easier as there were very few other shoppers in the store, making social distancing easier as well as being able to find a parking space in the car park

(Sunday) So the pandemic lockdown rules have been changed. Bah! Humbug! As Scrooge would have said so succinctly. Boris Scrooge Johnson as he should now be known. This area, the South East of England, which includes Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, will move into a new Tier 4 tomorrow (Sunday) which means tighter regulations around meeting other people and no travel in and out of other areas with different tiers. And Boris is now considering a THIRD lockdown! All I can say is, lockdowns don't work. Or so it would seem. So, with data regarding those who are infected with the virus and those who have died, which is inaccurate, I'm inclined to not believe what we are told. As it is, restricting people's liberty, the whole thing should be debated in Parliament and given these restrictions scrutiny.

I went out with Alfie at around 9.15 this morning. As usual we walked along Strudwick Drive (or, I should be more specific, the pavement, or is it actually a path. Don't be so pedantic, Murdoch!.I'm not so stupid as to walk on the actual road.) We crossed over Oldbrook Boulevard as usual and walked around the Green. Alfie takes ages as he has to sniff every lamppost and tree, and then we came back to where we started and crossed back over Oldbrook Boulevard and as we did so I saw one of the Starship 'pods' coming towards us along the pavement. It had its lights on and as we approached we stopped directly in front of it and it stopped. It made me think of something out of a science fiction movie, 'Star Wars,' 'Star Trek' or even 'Doctor Who.' (Strangely similar to 'K9', the robot dog which was The Doctor's companion in the early, original version of the show, although he did return in one of the episodes of the rebooted version.) Then I stood back and the pod (for want of a better name.) trundled on and I watched it stop at the kerb, as if undecided what to do. It was obviously waiting to make sure the road was clear and then moved forward, but then stopped on the island in the centre of the road and, again, seemed to be checking for any vehicle and then moved forward and disappeared off along the path around Oldbrook Green. I could see it's yellow flag as it went off from the other side of the road. Funny little thing. They are a bit like miniature refrigerators on wheels or those cool boxes you can get to put your food in to keep it fresh on a hot summer's day when you go out for a picnic, but with wheels and a bit of an attitude. They do have personalities. Well I think so.

(Monday) Alfie kept wanting to sit on my knee and hanging about under my feet. This was around 6.30a.m. I was busy on my iPad and was ignoring him, but it suddenly dawned on me that he was desperate to go outside, so I quickly got dressed and we went out onto the grass area along the side of Strudwick Drive. Poor little dog, he would otherwise have had an accident (do I have to describe exactly what? No I don't.) Fortunately I took my little torch with me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to clear up things. Its been really useful. It was raining (it probably is still as I write this.)and we had to go to the bin on Oldbrook Green before returning home. Alfie, totally bedraggled, looking like a wrong-out mop, went totally bonkers, attempting to get dry by charging around the flat. His coat goes crinkly when he's wet, looking as if he's been permed. Never mind, problem solved and back in front of the television watching BBC Breakfast on television.