Sunday October 4, 2020

Much eating without thinking about my weight occurred yesterday. We had lunch and dinner with DD and spent a couple of hours with my former neighbors including getting a tour of my former house. Wow is it cluttered and filled with kid stuff and decorating that I wouldn't do! It isn't my home anymore though and they love it. But they took this room and turned it into a playroom! All the shelves, floor and even the fireplace are filled with toys!

Today Mike and I are going up to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire to hike. It should be a good day for it.

Have a safe, healthy and social day!

I chipped away at my paperwork project yesterday, still not dine, but I made a good sized dent. Tomorrow our Union is starting work to rule. We all walk in together at 7:15am, and walk out together at 3:15pm. No emails, meetings etc outside of contract hours. I have willingly done this with other administrations during difficult negotiations. I feel differently this time. It's to protest the impossible situation of simultaneously doing hybrid, and each teacher also having a group of students who are also completely on line. But I feel like this is not good PR. Everyone in the community who is lucky enough to have a job is being asked to do really difficult things. The whole world is being challenged. But none the less, I will walk in and out with my union members, because, in the end, I know all the benefits I have, particularly salary, are due to the collective power of the union.

Off to Michael's with my daughter to buy a few Halloween/fall decorations. A nice diversion.

Highs in the 70s and 80s predicted for the end of the week :)

Good Morning All, Start of the working week. DH is feeling much better which is good. Whatever it was - left within 24 hours

Today will be work followed by doing my mums scripts and groceries and taking over to her. I also plan to vacumn and mop the house in my breaks. Its raining steadily outside which the new seedlings in the veggie patch will be loving - as am I - as it means I dont have to water today.

Thats really it for me - starting another week in heavy lockdown - just need to focus its one week closer to the restrictions being lifted. Our numbers are around 10-15 a day for the entire state - with our rolling average 12.1 - which is what the experts have said we need to be sitting at. I just hope they are not modelling on eradication ...... as that wont happen until a vaccine is developed and I dont want to be locked up for a minute longer than necessary in order to get the job done

Have a wonderful Sunday all

S

Oh my gosh Shirl, it's a heavy price you're paying, but from my perspective, it is taming the beast that is Corona. Minnesota is not densely populated outside of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, and we are on our 4th day of a 1000 new daily cases, and I think 14 deaths yesterday. But our mask mandate is really more of a suggestion, there are no real consequences to ignoring it ... outside the metro area, people ignore it frequently. It's going to be an even longer, dark, cold winter than normal. Sigh.

I had fun shopping with my daughter, and we picked up some cute things to decorate the dining room.

One of the challenges I'm having keeping the house kind of tidy is all the packaging left over from all the online shopping we're doing. So.many.boxes. So.much.bubble.wrap.

Our rules are VERY strict. You cant leave your house with the exception of the following. To exercise for 2 hours a day, to shop (only grocery stores are open - everything else is closed or you can do click n collect at an alloted time for some places like hardware - they have just lifted the restriction that it could only be one person per household, to go to work - if its not possible to work from home and caregiving. We are restricted to within 5km from our homes and this is being policed heavily. The fines have been raised to nearly 5,000 AUD. They did make a ruling several weeks ago that you can meet up to 5 ppl from another household in an outdoor area but only if they are within your 5km radius - of which half our kids are not. Masks are mandatory and fines apply. And so it continues ....... It is working definately but is a hard thing to follow as we enter our 9th week of lockdown......

What I wouldnt give to hug our grandbabies

It is a huge sacrifice that is being asked of you and your fellow citizens. I hope restrictions loosen soon, you've all done your part, that's for sure!

Me too xx

Wow - so strict. I would hate it and yet maybe it is needed? I just don't feel like we know enough. I do feel that the most important thing is MASKS and hand washing. But I can't be too paranoid beyond that because life is too darn short!

We are now the "proud" holders of the strictest restriction badge in the world I believe......

It was needed to stem the second wave - which was caused by our hotel quarantine balls up but its been ridiculously tough

I agree on the masks, social distancing and hand hygiene but we wont reach eradication until we can get a vaccine in my opinion - how much is enough?? That is the million $$ question. Our businesses are on their knees, many have folded under the pressure of this closure. Mental health is at an all time low - that feeds the suicide rates sadly.

Our next wave of changes is supposed to be on the 19th October assuming our rolling average stays on track - that will mark 11 weeks of this second stage 4 lockdown. Its just exhausting ......

Greetings Friends

Just got back from the pool (me and 2 other people) and it was lovely. An overcast sunday where everyone else is probably watching sports. I am missing my college football team and I did watch Iowa State vs Oklahoma yesterday. It was a great game but sorry BB for the Sooners. Yay for my niece who did her vet school at Iowa State. I once went to a Rolling Stones concert in that stadium. Ah the good old days.

Hey Cecily, I am like you - pulling clothes out of laundry basking of clean and them tossing them into dirty. When its full I wash. But I am a fashion disaster. Good thing I live where I do where formal wear is having pants on.

Nice events Liz. So glad you and Mike are having a good run. Its so much fun to see the sights with a special person.

Well the Halloween decorations on our street are thick. Guess that means people are going for it. I still don't want to hand out candy. Oh well, something will resolve.

I am thinking of doing an RBG memorial piece of art. Maybe a little raven with a lace collar. I don't want to be disrespectful - just a tribute. .

I think it was rude of the president to go riding around outside the hospital. People were honking horns etc and geez there are sick people there. Anyone remember when there used to be signs that said "Quiet Hospital Zone"

Beef pot pie from the health food deli tonight. Yum.

Take care all. Diane S