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Post by Kye on Apr 4, 2020 15:02:31 GMT
I'm making my peace with the social isolation situation, and spend most (almost all) my time at home, but there are some things I'm still having a hard time with. 1. My hands are so very dry and chapped from hand washing. All the skin on my knuckles and my nail beds are a mess. It's painful to use the keyboard and my hands hurt constantly in a low-grade kind of way. And yes, I use hand cream. I slather it on liberally whenever I wash my hands. I suppose it helps, but not as much as I'd like. 2. I need to cook to eat. I used to pick up freshly-made food from various food stores almost every day, but now that's not an option. I find cooking very depressing and stressful, but it costs too much to order in more than once in awhile. I'm trying to make the best of it, but making meals is not the best part of my day. 3. I really hate staying in the house. I used to be able to escape regularly and now I can't. It feels less like a warm cozy haven and more like a jail. If I do go out for groceries or to walk the dog, I feel like I'm committing a crime... I really should stop whining, but I'm discouraged. Anyone else having a hard time?
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Post by juju on Apr 4, 2020 15:20:36 GMT
Yes to all of those! Our hands are raw, and my husband has contact dermatitis from using antibacterial soap.
A few weeks ago I would have loved the chance to spend more time at home, but now, as you say, it feels like a prison. We are super lucky to live in a village on the edge of countryside and we can walk the dog locally every day, but obviously we are still restricted and can’t see any friends or family or go anywhere else.
I do like cooking though, I find it enjoyable anyway so that’s one thing that’s not a problem for me. I even like the challenge of having slightly odd ingredients because of lack of shopping!
But I haven’t been painting anything. I was listening to two authors yesterday who were saying how hard it is to write now. They’ve lost concentration and this low level anxiety is pervasive- one said she constantly feels like she left a pan on in another room. I get that. And how can anything feel relevant any more?
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Post by Kye on Apr 4, 2020 15:54:48 GMT
But I haven’t been painting anything. I was listening to two authors yesterday who were saying how hard it is to write now. They’ve lost concentration and this low level anxiety is pervasive- one said she constantly feels like she left a pan on in another room. I get that. And how can anything feel relevant any more? This I can relate to also. Everyone keeps saying "Use this opportunity to be creative! Try new things! Take up a hobby! Get an exercise programme up!" But I still feel paralyzed and unsettled. I can't finish a book. I haven't watched a single movie on Netflix. My prayer life sucks. If I wasn't so busy with work, I don't know what I'd do.
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Post by Moose on Apr 4, 2020 23:18:59 GMT
I have to say that my life is going on as normal .. I think Col is suffering cos his social activities have all closed for a while now and they were a real lifeline to him.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 5, 2020 11:07:59 GMT
As with Jo, not a lot has changed for me ... working remotely every day instead of nearly every day, all my friends are online now instead of nearly all of them, several months break before I next see Miisa instead of one or two
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Post by JoeP on Apr 5, 2020 11:13:54 GMT
But it must be horribly hard for most people. Enjoying being free to spend time at home would be one thing, being forced to spend all your time at home is very different - being unable to get the social contact you need - it probably prevents you from being balanced and "recharged" enough to do things like writing or painting.
Would it help to video chat? I'm open to that. (As long as I don't have a headache like yesterday's!) Skype is the one I know best but there are lots of options. We could organise a time or I'm also OK with ad hoc casual chats.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 5, 2020 12:24:30 GMT
Also, with this hand-washing thing...make sure you're not washing your hands *too much*? Only (though I am not a medical professional) after you've been outside or handled something like a delivered package.
My cuticles are dry - but that happens every winter. And at other times.
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Post by Moose on Apr 6, 2020 0:08:11 GMT
We could have an EF video chat thing one day ... that would be fun .
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Post by Kye on Apr 6, 2020 0:13:45 GMT
Also, with this hand-washing thing...make sure you're not washing your hands *too much*? Only (though I am not a medical professional) after you've been outside or handled something like a delivered package. I have a 13 week old puppy who goes out to pee or poop every 30 - 60 minutes all day! Yes, I wash my hands a lot.
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Post by Kye on Apr 6, 2020 0:18:52 GMT
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Post by JoeP on Apr 6, 2020 7:29:42 GMT
I presume it originally said something other than
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Post by Elis on Apr 6, 2020 8:03:55 GMT
We could have an EF video chat thing one day ... that would be fun . I'd love that, yes. Frank's and my hands are suffering as well. They just crack and bleed in different places and Frank accidentally got lemon in one of the cracks when he was cooking dinner a few nights ago. We do still get fresh food frequently since we have to go to supermarkets frequently anyway and don't have nearly enough freezer space for frozen vegetables. We, and especially Malcolm, need fresh, healthy meals and the guinea pigs need their fresh vegetables too.
We also don't really have time to find a new hobby, we have a toddler. But we get to go outside a lot which is allowed as long as people keep a distance from each other.
I thhink what bothers me most is that the playgrounds are closed. Not so much because of slides and swings which Malcolm hardly used, but because they were safe places where, usually, nobody would take their dog and no bikes would go through there and some are even fenced in. Now we have to take walks in the park with Malcolm and a lot of people don't remove their dogs' poop from the grass, plus there are cigarette butts, pieces of glass and rubbish on the ground and I keep Malcolm away frok bushes because I worry about syringes. Last week I went on long walks with Malcolm because I as sick of the park and then had him in the push chair and took him out for a bit in between so he could walk, but again I had to pull him away from dog poop and I'm getting very angry at dog owners.
And I get a bit anxious about the contact restrictions, fearing that Malcolm could run up to someone and then be too close to them and police might see that and make me pay 150 €. There is a lot of police around here these days.
Concentration is not great either because I have too fight anxiety a lot. I found it very hard to finish a project and am finding it even harder to work on my MA thesis now. I do worry about my parents who are both at a severe risk of dying if they did get the virus, but also about when we can see each other again, same with my parents in law and my grandmother and my uncle.
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Post by spaceflower on Apr 6, 2020 16:17:40 GMT
Are you all forbidden to go out?
I can take a walk anytime but I don't go shopping anymore. It is hard to order food. I spend two days writing a list in order not to forget anything. But I still forget. When I go to my usual grocery shop, I pass vegetables and fruits and immediately remember what I need, even if i forget to write it on the list. It is also much more expensive than usual. I don't mean the fee (about 3 pounds) but the prices of the items. Also, I don't get the brands I want. Finally, it takes such a long time. The first time I got what I ordered the next day, though very late in the evening. The next time the delivery arrived after two days. Today I made my 3rd order and it will arrive on Thursday.
Ordering from the pharmacy is even worse.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 6, 2020 18:52:58 GMT
The policy here is: leaving the house for essential purchases (food and medicines), and maximum once per day for some form of exercise. Plus of course to go to work if "essential" and can't be done remotely, which is a source of great confusion and distress.
It's practically impossible to get food or medicines delivered unless you are a prioritised vulnerable person. I don't know why they can't organise more deliveries - it's not as if there's a shortage of people willing to do that kind of work.
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Post by ceptimus on Apr 6, 2020 23:28:38 GMT
As of right now, I'm still required, two weeks from now, to travel forty miles per day, and sit with a bunch of strangers for several hours a day, for a period of a week or more. This is for jury duty.
I saw a news report about jury trials being postponed, but since then the authorities have written to me again, saying I must still attend - it's a criminal offence if I don't.
I'm still hoping that they'll write again, cancelling or at least postponing my duty.
It seems stupid, to me, that they're still using juries during this crisis - if trials must still be held, I think in most cases they could let the judge decide the verdict, or use the court officials as a stand-in jury. The judges and officials have extensive experience, and can probably accurately predict the verdict a jury will return in about 95% of cases.
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Post by Moose on Apr 6, 2020 23:47:32 GMT
Don't you have the legal right to refuse on the grounds of self isolation cep? That sounds crap.
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Post by juju on Apr 7, 2020 0:06:32 GMT
Jury duty in person seems crazy at the moment! If they must continue, surely it could be done via some sort of video link?
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Post by tangent on Apr 7, 2020 0:36:54 GMT
The government website says that jury trials must be held face-to-face, see this page. I notice that it says: It doesn't say for how long new trials will be postponed. Personally, I don't see how juries can be kept safe even if everyone is six feet apart from everyone else.
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Post by Moose on Apr 7, 2020 1:10:08 GMT
I'd refuse to do it personally. Though I realise that you can go to jail for that and that would probably provide even less of an opportunity for social distncing.
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Post by ceptimus on Apr 16, 2020 12:05:28 GMT
I got an email this morning, quoted below in full.
As you can see, it doesn't make clear whether my service is just delayed or cancelled completely. Perhaps the letter, when it arrives, will have extra details.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 16, 2020 12:28:39 GMT
This is from the department for notifying people that they are going to get a letter.
The department for sending letters will be in touch ... but they may not have your address.
I suspect it means your service *for these specific dates* (I don't know if you were yet assigned to a specific trial) is "no longer required" meaning cancelled. I suspect they are carefully making no statement whatsoever about whether you're first on the list for when jury trials resume ... they probably don't know either.
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Post by tangent on Apr 16, 2020 15:26:47 GMT
Nevertheless, it must be a relief to not have to attend in the next few days/weeks.
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Post by kingedmund on Apr 16, 2020 16:01:54 GMT
I cant say I hate anything about it. For the first time in my life I can close the world out. I can actually think and get stuff done. I have missed restaurants. I have not missed stores. I haven’t cared what is going on so news is not on. Quite happy for the moment. No complainers complaint about stupid stuff, no annoying hateful people, no crazy drivers, no more wasting time on traffic or people.
My roof is being torn off and reroofed yesterday and today. So the BANG BANG BANG is the only thing I’d say I hate.
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Post by Moose on Apr 19, 2020 21:52:47 GMT
They're not doing repairs of any kind here - we were due some but the council cancelled them. Not sure for how long.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 20, 2020 7:58:55 GMT
How serious are the things that need repairing?
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Post by kingedmund on Apr 20, 2020 15:48:18 GMT
They have that stuff considered essential here. My roof just got replace and now they are painting my deck today and placing gutters tomorrow. Of course here, due to our extreme weather, we have to do it otherwise end up with other problems like a river running through my garage because no gutters are on the roof.
But! People are lining up buying flower for their yard. I don’t see that as essential.
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Post by tangent on Apr 20, 2020 16:51:03 GMT
I firmly believe a pint of beer is essential but the government disagrees completely
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Post by JoeP on Apr 20, 2020 17:18:59 GMT
You can buy pints of beer.
Unless you mean having it in the pub is essential!
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Post by tangent on Apr 20, 2020 18:05:05 GMT
Yes, I mean having it in a pub.
Actually, it's not that easy to buy a pint these days. I'm not supposed to go shopping because of my age and that means I have to rely on friends. I'm sure you'll appreciate the dichotomy. "Hi Beth, would you mind nipping off to the off-licence and getting me four cans of John Smiths please?" No, I just couldn't ask people to do that on my account. So I have to make do with what I've got. Which is 12 bottles of Communion wine in my garage that I swear will go to waste if I don't drink it.
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Post by JoeP on Apr 20, 2020 18:13:41 GMT
That sounds outrageous. Surely anyone helping out an older person with shopping needs to consider their wellbeing? And buy essentials like beer?
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