All clear

I'm feeling fully recovered now apart from slight wheeziness, like I don't have full lung capacity back. Otherwise good. 

I had a mammogram last year that showed a dubious shadowy area, today I had the follow up with an ultrasound and it was just overlapping breast tissue so I got the all-clear which is awesome. I wasn't super worried but I was a little bit, after all my mother did die of breast cancer - considerably older than I am now. I'm still waiting to have my colonoscopy scheduled, it's been a couple of months since I put in the forms but obviously hospitals are a bit busy at the moment. 

I celebrated my all-clear with KFC and cake. Not really ideal. I'm really struggling to get back into a weight-loss mindset. At least I walked half an hour today (in the rain!) because I refuse to pay the ridiculous hospital parking fees and unrestricted street parking was quite a long way away. 

Real face

 After a slight relapse I am now feeling recovered from Covid - so I was sick for 12 days. I still have a occasional wheezy cough but feel fine. My sore feet are also much better, perhaps due to a combination of stretches and then complete rest while I was sick, so yesterday my podiatrist gave me the all-clear to exercise again (gently). Is that good or bad news?? It was funny, I hadn't ever seen him without a mask but yesterday we were chatting about his strong Scottish accent (which isn't a problem for me as my best friend in primary school had a Scottish father and I got used to it, new people couldn't understand a word he was saying!) and he said older deafer people sometimes struggled and he had to take his mask off so they could see his lips move, he pulled it down for a second and he didn't look at all as I'd thought! I hadn't realised I had imagined a face for him, but apparently I had because his actual face was a surprise. 

Jasmine gets her HSC results in a week so that is exciting and stressful. All her friends are going to Wollongong University but it doesn't teach Occupational Therapy so she's applied to Sydney, and it needs quite a high mark. If she doesn't get that she's already been accepted into easier courses in several Unis but hasn't decided what she will actually do if she doesn't get her first choice. 

It has rained so much here, all spring and summer. It's the middle of summer, in Australia, and we've used the swimming pool twice. Warm but rarely hot, and so humid. 

Sorry, not much to talk about in these days of pandemicness. 

Shortages

Tim and the kids seem completely recovered from Covid-19, and I am finally feeling on the mend. My last few days have been mainly runny nose and headache from my clogged sinuses. Pain under my eyebrows! And general tiredness. But a lot better today. One of the weirder symptoms linked to Omicron was bad night sweats. I've been having night sweats on and off for years due to peri-menopause, but these were really bad. Every single night of 2022 I've woken once or twice drenched in sweat and have to change my pjs (washing every day to keep up) and still feel yuck until I could shower without waking everyone else. Last night I still woke but only a light sweat, I didn't even bother to change! 

I gave up on ever getting a PCR test, the queues were so long they turned us away each time, and can't get hold of an RA test online either. I was supposed to get a pack delivered today but I've just been informed they are out, although they were in stock when I ordered days ago. We made plans a while ago for the whole family to go to Queensland soon for a holiday (not MY plans, I thought they were crazy even though Delta was easing at the time and Omicron hadn't arrived yet) and we need at least a negative RA test get on a plane to cross the state border. I'm doing my best to find some, but I refuse to invest myself emotionally in the holiday plans as I think it's likely we won't be able to go. Queensland has a history of closing it's borders, although to be fair they haven't yet despite very high case numbers. I'm not wet-blanketing it but I'm just internally shrugging and not getting my hopes up. Of course it would be lovely if we can go, and stay at SeaWorld for a week and go to the beach and restaurants and everything. How long since I've left the house?

I've had to order groceries online as we're in isolation, but there is very little on the shelves. So many people are either sick or in isolation that the shops have supply chain issues. Either the item is "out of stock" when you browse the virtual shelf, or at checkout you're informed what you thought you snaffled you actually can't have, or else on delivery day they have run out. Last time delivery was next day, this week delivery in three days. They are really struggling to keep up. Last week the only fresh meat I could get was a chicken. This morning I got the updated delivery list and the only thing I seem to have ended up with today is half a leg of lamb. Starting to envy doomsday preppers with freezers full of food! Fruit and vegetables are very scarce too, I don't know if they have anyone to pick them. (There was whole watermelon for sale. $34 each. I didn't get one.) Have ordered juice for the vitamins, though even that was tricky to find a brand not rejected at checkout. We won't starve, we can always order pizza or something and we've got plenty of pantry staples like pasta and rice, but it's not the same as real fresh food. I'm really hoping that by Monday I'll at least be able to go and rummage through the shops myself. My sister-in-law dropped off a meal and friends sent us a food gift basket which was lovely.  

Aside from just feeling ill, I haven't done much. It's been warm but rainy, very humid, so I haven't even been going out into the backyard. I felt well enough for a family board game yesterday, hopefully we'll be able to do more of that. It's been a couple of weeks of us all in separate rooms playing computer games, watching TV, or napping. 

Tasteless

The first two days of Covid19 for me were sore throat, head and body aches and exhaustion. Yesterday it moved into a new phase of coughing up the lining of my throat (or that is what it feels like), runny nose, and loss of taste and smell. Strong foods still have some taste - vegemite, pepperoni - but other things I've tried so far I haven't been able to eat they were just so unappetising. And I can't drink my beloved tea, tasteless yet cloyingly milky (I have the tiniest splash of milk). It makes me sad and grumpy, food is usually my friend, but on the other hand I'm already losing weight so there is that.

I haven't actually been tested, I've dragged the kids out of bed twice to go to a drive through clinic but were turned away each time as they were too busy already. Rapid antigen tests are sold out everywhere online. I have all the symptoms tho and am living with a confirmed positive so I'm just going to assume. 

Tim has been sleeping on the daybed in the loungeroom to isolate, but since we became 99.9% certain I have it there didn't seem any point to that so he came back to our bed last night. Didn't last long, with me coughing up a lung every few minutes. He snuck away back to the loungeroom. 

Tim is starting to feel better so I can look forward to that, I am a few days behind him. Aiden seems to be in an earlier phase, and we're not sure about Jasmine. She has a runny nose but nothing else, and she's been trying really hard to isolate from us. She desperately wants to be able to go back to acrogym next week. Half the family members who were here at Christmas are also sick and have now tested positive, although they tested negative when Tim first got sick. 

I've ordered groceries online to arrive today, the only other time I tried that was just before Christmas and it was a bit of a disaster, arriving 5 hours late and with meat due to expire the next day. But I don't have a lot of choices. The virtual shelves were half-empty and then when I got to checkout there were warnings about even more things being unavailable so I'll see what turns up. I think a chicken was the only meat I ended up with. I guess ordering on a public holiday during a pandemic isn't an ideal time. I'll try again in a couple of days. Case numbers are bad, and that doesn't even include all the people turned away from the testing clinics, so a lot of people are sick or in isolation and can't work. Food isn't really a problem, we can always order take-away but none of us are hungry anyway. 

I binged a great show called Smash, about making musical theatre. Like Glee with grownups. Great music and dance numbers, personal dramas. Just finished season one, luckily there is a season two. As a family we've started watching Witcher season one whenever we're all up to being out of bed, I like it but if I didn't have Aiden to explain the completely unexplained timelines decades apart I would be hopelessly confused. And I watch cricket, mainly to nap to as it helps me go to sleep. 

Reading an awesome fantasy series I got for Christmas by Naomi Novik starting with A Deadly Education. It's set in a school for magic but it's nothing like Harry Potter (which I also loved of course). Very inventive. 

Covid New Year

 Or Happy Covid Year? Or Happy New Covid?

I woke up sick yesterday. Pretty sure it's Covid-19 since my husband has tested positive, I'm getting tested today. It feels similar to the flu - but don't forget how awful the flu can make you feel! Sore throat and headache and exhausted and generally yuck. Last night was horrible, all those hours of tossing and turning and sweating. 

Oh and yesterday evening Aiden said he was starting to feel unwell. I haven't seen him yet this morning but I'll take him to be tested with me. 

So now instead of Tim isolating himself from the rest of the family, it will be Jasmine keeping away from us. Although actually it might be better if she caught it now rather than later. Uni doesn't start until February, Acrogym is on an extended break due to Covid (Jasmine's state competition at the end of February, she's just gone up a level and got a new partner, they already didn't have enough time to prepare and now it's a disaster, there haven't been any competitions for the past two years but we were really hoping for this one.)

Tim's cousin Matt who was here at Christmas has tested positive too. It has begun. Tim's dad and stepmother, who both have cancer and are therefore vulnerable, were with her family this Christmas. Looks like they dodged a bullet. And Tim's aunt Vanessa was kept away by her husband, which she resented at the time thinking he was paranoid but turns out not a bad decision. Also, she isn't vaccinated. She plans to get it eventually? When they bring out the vaccine in a flavour she likes or something. 

Looking on the bright side, hopefully this will get it out of the way at the start of year then we won't catch it again. Ever. Right?

Covid

So, my husband has Covid-19. He's been feeling sick for a couple of days, flu-like symptoms. And extremely violent sneezing. The wait for drive-through PCR tests is hours long at the moment but I managed to get the last couple of boxes of rapid antigen tests this morning at only the second place I asked - score! He came up positive, the rest of us negative. They are not as accurate as the PCR tests and he will go and queue for one of those tomorrow, but given the circumstances there is no reason to believe it is a false positive. We are all isolating for seven days, trying to keep Tim separate from the rest of us, then will test again. I think he has to quarantine for 10 days? He started feeling sick on Boxing Day so of course everyone we saw on Christmas Day was here during his infectious period. I'm amazed that the kids and I haven't got it. 

We don't know where Tim got it, he hasn't been out much in the past couple of weeks. There was a case at Aiden's school so we had him tested a few days before Christmas, never got any result, but he has tested negative today at home and no symptoms. 

Tim is actually the first person I know to have Covid. Back in the mists of time when we thought Delta was bad, Sydney got up to around 2,000 cases a day. With Omicron it's 12,000 a day! At least it's supposed to be less deadly. Tim has asthma so we'll be keeping a close eye on him. From a distance, of course. 

Nearly Christmas

I've been super busy since I went back to work, as I expected one week got extended and extended and I had to ask for a day off to get some things done, so that was great. I'm finished now for the year and probably won't be needed again until February when term starts again, the library opens before that but they don't need many staff. The big news at work is that there is a state-wide restructure - no sorry, a "transformation" which could turn out good for me as there will be more permanent positions at my level (less management positions) and they will place casuals like myself before opening recruitment to the rest of the world. They are going through the consultation process now but it should all be finalised in the first half of next year. So many meetings and information sessions! The staff at my library should all be fine, just slotted into the new positions, but they are a bit stressed anyway. Being casual suits me as I don't have to work in school holidays, but I found during Covid that a bit of job security would be very nice! And my kids are old enough now that they are fine without me. Maybe I can get part time, that would be perfect, and I know someone in my library would like to go part time but she doesn't want to apply until she has secured her new position in the new structure. 

Jasmine finished her HSC exams, she is pretty confident she did well but the uni course she wants to do requires very high marks so we'll see. The backup plan is to start a BA (which she has already been accepted to with early entry based on her school work) and then transfer across to the Occupational Therapy degree later. I've decided to start my Masters of Librarianship next year, 3 years part time. It will be a big workload while working as well so we'll se how I cope with that. 

Jasmine and I have both come down with a bit of a cold (I think), we'll have to go for a Covid test this morning. Would definitely be an inconvenience if it was Covid and we have to isolate at this time of year! I haven't even finished my Christmas shopping, let alone all the events planned over the next two weeks, like Jasmine's graduation tomorrow and formal next week. And Christmas. But I won't borrow trouble, it's probably just a cold. 

Speaking of cold, it's been such a weird spring/summer. So much rain and so many cold days. It's the middle of December and we haven't used our pool yet. Today should be lovely at about 25 degrees, but that is hardly swimming weather. I'm not complaining really, 25 degrees is just about perfect in my eyes. 

I lost a couple of kilos after getting back to work and moving around all day instead of just sitting at home, but then I stalled because my diet is still pretty bad. Two weeks before Christmas doesn't seem the best time to try to restrict the treats so it's something I'll be tackling afterwards. And some ongoing health issues have impeded my exercise. But I know I have to do something. I feel very unhealthy, and I hate that hardly any of my clothes fit me. I had to buy a couple of pairs of trousers for work but I haven't had the time or inclination to get a whole new wardrobe in a bigger size. 

There was a fascinating book at work that I wish I had borrowed (but I had already borrowed about 20 books for the holidays when I saw it and couldn't carry any more!) which had details of about 50 popular diets, just a double page on each on with their basic concepts and a sample day. Paleo and plant-based and various brand-name diets. It looked really interesting. I don't actually need it though, after 10 years of research and dieting I know what I believe is healthy for me - I just have to follow it! As Michael Pollen says: "eat food (i.e. real food, not processed junk), not too much, mainly plants". My guidelines are something like: unlimited vegetables; medium amounts of meat, fat and fruit; medium-low carbs (including starchy vegetables like potato); very low amounts of processed food and sugar. Now to actually do it...

End of Lockdown

 Morning everyone!

Lockdown in Sydney lifts tomorrow, with another few weeks of gradually increasing freedoms but basically as a vaccinated person I can do stuff from tomorrow. Shops are opening. We can see other people. The media call it Freedom Day (which they did in the UK as well, and maybe elsewhere) but I don't really like the term and some military veterans find it offensive.  

I've been in lockdown for about four months I think, leaving the house only to do the grocery shopping. And I have put on weight. Up to 88.1kg this morning, my heaviest ever, which is rather horrifying and terrible for my body. My feet hurt all the time, and my right knee when I go down stairs. I don't sleep well. I just haven't been able to find any motivation to do anything about it. Food is my friend, and I have zero interest in exercise. Hopefully that is all about to change as life gets back on track.

My boss contacted me a couple of days ago to come back to work next week! Yay! Only booked in for a week so far but I'm sure that will lead to more now that everything is opening up. I am a library technician, I had just newly retrained as one a few years ago and gave up a more secure position for one that was better for me in every way - much better location close to where I live, higher pay, lovely people - except that it was casual not permanent. That was fine for the first six months, I worked almost full time and who minds a week off here and there! Perfect! Then the pandemic arrived. Suddenly being casual wasn't so good. Permanent staff worked even when the libraries were closed, they did a lot online, but they didn't need me. A year with no work, then employed for six weeks, then Delta hit and I had another (much stricter) four months at home. Really hoping now that the majority of Sydney is vaccinated that the lockdowns can end. 

Ironically of course there is all the other things I need to be doing now that lockdown is ending, and can't because I'll be at work all day. My son desperately needs a haircut and shoes and clothes that fit. My daughter is about to start her final exams and I won't be able to drive her back and forth, she'll have to catch buses which might not go at convenient times (she only has to be at school for exams, no regular school day). Her gymnastics will also start up again face to face instead of zoom classes so I'll be juggling getting her to that. I have a few medical issues to follow up: mammogram, colonoscopy, probably should see someone about my feet. Oh well, I can cross fingers that I get the perfect balance of regular work but not every single day between now and Christmas!

None of my work clothes fit. Not a single skirt or pair of pants. Not even black jeans pretending to be trousers. And no way to shop before Monday (my boss only called Thursday, so too late to find something online). So I'll be wearing a work-appropriate top with dark blue jeans every day. It's not terrible, for a library, but not what I would prefer to wear. No-one dresses business-formal (except the boss librarian, who always looks very professional) but no-one wears jeans either. Oh well, I'm sure the students (it's an adult education library) won't notice or care. 

My husband has been working half days all this time, his workplace had morning and afternoon shifts (and cleaned the office in between) so that if one group got sick they would still have half the staff to carry on. He is back to full time tomorrow and not looking forward to getting up early in the morning! My teenage son has two more weeks of Zoom before school restarts face to face. 

We've had some lovely spring weather and I have been getting out in the garden a bit more. But the forecast is for a week of cold rain so I won't mind being in the library all day. And it's going to be awesome seeing people other than my (lovely and beloved) family and doing some useful work. 

Have a great day. 

Almost spring

 It's two weeks until spring here and the weather has started warming up. We have a garden that needs soooo much work that I find it overwhelming unless I just focus on one little corner at a time. I find it hard to motivate myself to do anything. But when I do, it is lovely to get out in the sunlight, and move my body. And it's nice to see one little area, however tiny, all tidied up with weeds gone, overgrown plants clipped and intruding grass pulled out of garden beds. I usually hate sunbathing (hot and boring) but one warm afternoon I lay by the pool for a long time, I think my body was craving sunlight and vitamin D!

Covid numbers are getting worse here in Sydney, nearly every day is a new record for most cases since the pandemic began, 478 new cases today and deaths every day. Lockdown is predicted until November. I'm still not working, Tim works half days (can't work from home), the kids do school online. Jasmine is starting exams online tomorrow, HSC Trials (exams set by the school, they contribute a significant part of the 50% from the school half and the actual HSC exams set by the state count as the other 50% of the final mark.) She is coping very well, considering.   

Aiden and I both had a cold (tested Covid negative) a month ago, I got better but he still has a horrible cough. The doctor won't even see him without another more recent negative test but we've done a couple of phone consults and she says it's normal and not to worry unless he feels feverish or coughs up rusty or green phlegm. I hate to hear him though. If it goes on another two weeks we're to get a chest x-ray. 

I've started doing cross-stitch bookmarks as a lockdown hobby.

Hello 2021

 Monday,

I’m wondering if it’s time to retire this blog, it’s been 10 years and I rarely post now. But I suppose there’s no harm in it being here if I want it.

Australia continues to be relatively lightly touched by COVID, any time there are a few cases all the state borders close. Masks have finally just been made compulsory in Sydney. I am still out of work, still hoping I can go back to my dream job otherwise I’ll have to start applying elsewhere. Some places are hiring again. At Christmas we were allowed ten guests plus children, which worked out exactly for us.

We just went ‘away’ for a week, less than two hours up the coast for a beach holiday. It was mostly warm but not swimming weather with a fair bit of cloud and rain - probably lucky for us as on our last day it was finally beach weather and we all got sunburned (except Tim who spends more time outdoors so has more protective tan). It doesn’t matter how careful we are with 50+ sunscreen, hats, Tshirts etc; two hours in the sun is too much. The other days we went for walks, ate, and played board games.

We’d been trying for about 18 months to get our dismal front yard landscaped, finally found someone who actually followed up their visit with a quote and the work is now nearly done. Retaining walls, new plants and turf, and most importantly steps up to the front door instead of just the steep slippery driveway. Oh, and a decent mailbox!

I went to a specialist about my foot pain and numbness, they now think nerve damage, possibly from years of pre-diabetes but a third of cases are of unknown cause. The specialist told me to lose ten kilograms (the amount I’ve gained during COVID semi-isolation) before I see her next in three months. That depressed me so much I went and ate junk. Two of the three months have passed and I now weigh more than I did then. I am on and off the CSIRO diet which is mainly large portions of vegetables with moderate amounts of everything else. Obviously not sticking to it at all.

This morning, just back from our holiday, I was 86.8kg which I believe is my highest no -pregnant weight ever. Not great.

In brief

Tuesday:

I never seem to get around to posting, these days. Maybe because I don't have a lot to say?

Bad news is, my weight keeps going up and up... Covid kilos. From sitting at home all day. And eating. Bored and lonely. I'm up to 83.6kg, getting very close to my highest weight that I fought so hard to lose (with the help of Duromine). Spring has just started here, I'm trying to get out for a walk on the nice days. And doing a bit of gardening. Cold and grey today though.

Good news is, after many months of silence my workplace finally contacted me to come in for some casual work. It's only for two weeks (so far)... and not until November! But it made me happy because it shows I am still their preferred fill-in employee, and I can expect more work as people start taking time off again. Everyone must have a lot of holiday hours saved up, since we can't go anywhere and no one has been taking leave. It will be lovely to get back into the library, seeing my colleagues and helping students. Giving my life a purpose other than collecting every battle pet in World of Warcraft - I now have 1157 pets and have the 9th biggest collection on my server and about 2800th in the world out of about 8 million players (collecting battle pets is only a sideline for most WoW players, it is not the main focus of the game). I have around 60 more to collect that are still available - until the new expansion comes out in about 6 weeks with probably lots of new ones to collect.

So that is what I do all day.

June

Friday:

New South Wales has been reducing restrictions which makes it feel like we're out the other side of Covid-19, but a neighbouring state has had an increase in cases (20 new ones, I think, Australia has been touched lightly in comparison to many places) and of course in some parts of the world the pandemic is at its peak or even just getting started.

I still haven't been offered any work. The current school term only has a week left, I had expected to get work next term but who knows? I may have to look for work elsewhere, which is sad. I really liked where I was working.

Tim, on the other hand, is swamped. He often comes home very late (one night 1.30am) or goes in very early, he has a long commute as well which makes it worse. His department had been offered Voluntary Redundancies at the start of the year, he's been there many years so it was a good deal for him with a chunk of money that would give plenty of time to look for a new job. But then Covid happened so after filling in all the paperwork and getting approval from HR we decided not to take it. He could always take his Long Service Leave for a break. Someone else in his section applied and was then told by their boss that she couldn't spare anyone! Bit late to mention it, after months of agonising and all the paperwork on both sides! But anyway, it means Tim doesn't have to regret the decision not to take it, it was never really a possibility after all. But then a new big boss took over and has fired half the management, including Tim's boss. Someone else left to get a promotion elsewhere. And now Tim is the only lawyer. He's supposed to work a nine day fortnight, but he's missed three of his last four rostered days off as there is no one to cover the work. I hope this doesn't go on very long, and they hire more people. It's crazy.

I have to do 30 hours a year of study to keep up my Professional Development, the financial year ends 30 June so I've spend quite a bit of time these past couple of weeks catching up on that. Only two hours to go.

Home alone

Wednesday....I think:

Lockdown restrictions are being lifted in stages, the kids are back at school full-time this week and Tim’s work returned to normal hours last week. We’ve had relatively few Covid19 cases in Australia and less than 100 deaths. My library is open, with social distancing rules, but I don’t expect to get any work this term as no one is taking leave. Why do they call it social distancing? We’re supposed to stay socially connected. It should be called physical distancing. Anyway I’m home alone for the first time since this started.

I’m down with a cold, no idea how I caught it as I rarely go anywhere or see anyone now! We did have a few family over on Sunday but I got sick Monday which Tim says is too soon to have caught it from them - although I was unable to dodge a hug from my father-in-law. Honestly, he is the most at risk (over 70 and with cancer) and the least careful. I’m sure it is only a cold as it’s a runny nose with no Covid symptoms, but if anything changes of course I will get tested.

I’ll be turning 50 in a few weeks. Haven’t been able to make any party plans. Not sure what I would have done anyway. I quite like the idea of a fancy High Tea somewhere with a view. Elegant. But we’ll see how things are going closer to the date.

VR or not VR

Monday:

Earlier this year my husband was offered a Voluntary Redundancy at work. The government can't just fire you for no reason, so if they want to cut staff they have to offer money as an incentive to leave, and the amount increases the longer you've been employed. He's been there more than 10 years so it seemed like a good deal, with his Long Service Leave payout as well he'd have a while to look for another job. He likes his job but it is a long commute, and with no prospect of further advancement. We'd practically decided to take it, but then Covid-19 happened. Now we're not sure how long it would take him to find another job, and I'm also out of work. So I guess he's staying where he is. He's lucky to have a secure job in these uncertain times.

Term 2 of school starts tomorrow, still at home but they are talking about phasing back into classrooms, one day a week so they can have less students there at a time. Lockdowns probably easing soon. Australia still has only 60 deaths total. Jasmine has been working really hard but I think it will be a relief for her to get back into a proper routine with teachers on hand. Aiden sleeps until nearly noon and it's a struggle to make him do his school work so it will be a relief for me to get him back into proper school! He is very smart but not the most conscientious so I would worry about the long term effect on his grades if the school-from-home went on much longer.

I've been eating too much, doing a bit of gardening, learning the piano, but mostly playing computer games (World of Warcraft). Not great for my health.

Delay

Thursday:

As I expected, my colonoscopy has been delayed indefinitely due to Covid-19. The hospital said I’m still on the waiting list, but they don’t know when it will be.

We had a quiet Easter at home, of course. Lots of chocolate.

We’ve offered to do the grocery shopping for my father-in-law, but he goes out more than we do. Haircut, hardware store, he doesn’t hesitate to leave the house. We can’t force him to stay home. Ah well. Infection rates in Australia remain low. There is talk that kids may be back in schools in four weeks. We’ll see.

Stay well.

Home

Tuesday:

Has it only been two weeks home with the kids? Feels like longer! Jasmine acts as though she’s at school, dividing her day into subjects, chatting online with friends who are in those classes, and taking breaks at regular school times. With homework, she is working 9-5 or longer (she’s in Year 11). She is a little worried about how it will affect her final High School results next year, but overall seems fine.

Aiden, by contrast, sleeps for half the morning and plays computer games the rest of the time. He only does school work when I stand over him with a whip. Maybe an hour a day. I don’t think he’s being given as much work as Jas is, but he’s not devoting much time to what he does have! We go into school holidays next week, which will be easier, but we probably have months of school-at-home  to come.

Tim is still working, his office has gone to two shifts and they are completely segregated so if one group gets sick the other won’t catch it. He works afternoons, and is home about the same time in the evening he was anyway, so he is quite enjoying having mornings free. He drives into the city to avoid public transport, now that the roads are less clogged.

I am spending way too much time playing World of Warcraft instead of being productive, but I have started learning piano. My birthday present to Tim was a fancy new keyboard to replace the one he had since he was about 14, and I’ve started using Yousician to learn how to play it. I go grocery shopping twice a week, most things are back on the shelves except toilet paper and pasta, but otherwise I stay in the house.

Australia is still overall pretty safe and healthy, I think we’ve had only 38 deaths compared to hundreds or thousands elsewhere. A big proportion of our cases have come from one mind-boggling incident (now under criminal investigation) where people were allowed to walk off a cruise ship without testing or isolation even though many were showing symptoms.

I hope you are all safe and well.

Changing fast

Monday:

Things are changing fast here in Australia. The federal government has closed all non-essential places that people might get together and break the social distancing guidelines; like restaurants and gyms. Our Prime Minister was very cranky that people were still going to the beach on the weekend, and closed Bondi. And although he still says that he wants schools to stay open so that parents in essential jobs (like health) can work, the state Premiers both here and in a couple of other states have decided to partially defy that. Schools are still open for children who need supervision, but we have been asked to keep children home from tomorrow if possible. They will be doing their learning online - even the ones sitting in classrooms (as far apart as possible).

I have not yet heard whether my TAFE (adult education) will also close but I am guessing it will now or soon. Some subjects had already changed to online. I only had two weeks left anyway, and I doubt they'll need me in the library again until this is all over so I'll stay home with the kids. There are suggestions that it will be for 6 months but no one really knows. I'm home sick today with sore throat and headache although overall I feel better than on the weekend. No way I'd go to work with flu-like symptoms! My husband is a government lawyer and might be considered essential - he can't work from home due to the potentially sensitive information he handles. At least the trains are getting less crowded as other people stay home.

My concern in regard to my own health is not for Covid-19, but that I was supposed to have a colonoscopy soon to check for bowel cancer. I am still seeing blood. I don't know if the test will be postponed due to resources being needed elsewhere. And even if I do get tested, if I have cancer this would be a terrible time to have an impaired immune system.

The supermarkets all suspended their home delivery services because the shortages made it too difficult, but they are going to have to ramp it up a lot if we are all supposed to stay inside. Apparently freezers are sold out everywhere as people stock up. I have two fridge/freezers, one mainly used at Christmas, but neither are very large. We probably have food for two weeks if we get inventive. We'll run out of fresh fruit and vegetables in a few days though, so hopefully it won't come to complete isolation.

At least we are well provisioned in the computer/TV/games/books areas. And we have a backyard we can get fresh air in without being near anyone else.

Not scared

Thursday:

So, this is all crazy, right? I haven’t been taking it very seriously, so it’s weird to me how people are panicking and hoarding toilet paper and all that. I did recently get a week or so’s extra groceries; long-lasting frozen, tinned and packaged stuff, more to protect myself from other people’s hoarding than because I think I’ll be trapped at home. Tim and I are still at work (I work in a library so I see lots of people, and Tim catches a crowded train to work), the kids are still at school. All the kid’s sport is still going. The most it has affected me is wondering if my favourite TV dance show is going to be cancelled because one contestant’s father caught it from Tom Hanks wife. But I suppose this Covid-19 thing isn’t going away in a hurry. Today I discovered I’m 4 degrees of separation away from a confirmed case (workmate’s son’s workmate’s sister).

Despite my lack of panic, I will be careful not to pass on any germs to vulnerable people, like my father-in-law who is over 70 and has prostate cancer. I wash my hands and use sanitiser at work - although we’re rapidly running out with no restocks available. I’ve only got two more weeks of work, then no more lined up for the immediate future, and Tim is thinking of putting his hand up for a VR at work (nothing to do with corona) so we might both end up being at home for a while!

I do think people are over-reacting, and are extremely selfish if they are hoarding. To me, it seems the same as the flu. Unpleasant for most, deadly for the old and sick, so AS USUAL we should all follow good hygiene practices and avoid infecting others when we are sick.

What I am worried about is the economic fallout. Restaurants in Chinatown (Sydney) have been empty for two months now, how many of those owners are /will be bankrupt? Staff out of work for the foreseeable figure? And that is just the start. I think a lot more people will be affected by the coming recession than will be seriously ill.