Its cold in this house! I've just got up and have a jumper on and am sat under a blanket in the living room, and I thought to myself - I'll update my blog!
I cannot update everything because it has been ages!
Oh, I think there might be a bird in my chimney....I can hear something!
So as a little catch-u I might do little categories - erm....coronavirus, work, family, house?
Coronavirus
Well, it is obviously still a big part of our lives, most (sensible) people have been vaccinated and now we have boosters 6 months after our last jab. Andy has just been called for his booster but I think I have to wait until February. Life feels a little safer since vaccinations....oh god there is a bird in the chimney!
Sorry - yeah life feels a bit safer because although the vaccination does not stop you catching covid, it has seriously reduced the level of ppl in hospital and dying - although people are still dying...let me find the latest figures....
5,163,433 deaths in the world so far
143,716 deaths in the UK
Germany are currently going back into lockdown - they had 39,000 new cases in a single day and are on their 4th wave - this is apparently because of the large numbers of un-vaccinated people. Why are people not getting vaccinated? I guess some have genuine reasons, but there are still conspiracists - some crazy things out there such as the government are injecting trackers etc. well in my opinion if you believe that and then get covid you might think - erm...maybe a government tracker would have been better than this!
I watch very little news really on it - I used to be glued to it, but I find it depressing and there is not much that is new anymore - it is more a way of life. Life in general is much more 'normal' than it was. I had to go to HQ the other day - the motorway was really busy and I thought to myself, the last time I drove here was right at the beginning9 of the first lockdown - and there were barely any cars at all on the roads. In fact I resented the fact that I was one of the few people that had to leave the house because I had just got a new job and had to turn up for a weeks training - it was during that week that my dad got taken into hospital. Wow - that was such a stressful, terrifying and awful time in my life.
At the moment in the UK the group with the highest levels of covid are kids - then they are coming home from school and passing it on to their parents. As we approach winter/Christmas levels are rising again and we suspect another lockdown might be headed our way. Boris Johnson is trying to avoid a Christmas lockdown again...
Work
So I am still in the fraud team - I work from home I am extremely happy to say and it will probably be this way from now on. I go into the office when I have an interview or something, but mostly I get up and go up into the attic (and Andy goes to the basement) and we work there all day. We often meet in the kitchen for lunch lol - but other than that we may as well be in different work places. Took a long time but I now feel that I have settled into the role, I feel part of the team and it feels quite normal. Such a difficult, depressing start to working in this job and that on top of losing my dad and the coronavirus being so terrifying - it nearly broke me. Now I work mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri - 10 hour shifts and I work on the house mostly on Wednesdays and at the weekend. Frustrating though because I cant just get stuck into a big job like I used to....
We had a team day the other day (that's why I drove to HQ) and I met some of the wider fraud team for the first time - including Niki who was my mentor for quite a while, and I have been in this role for a year now! We all did lateral flow tests before we arrived and wore masks (mostly), but other than that it was fairly normal - or pre-covid. I really like the people I work with so that makes life easier - nothing worse than having a crap boss! Would still like to be my own boss again though and just do DIY and look after the house - but hey-ho....
Family
So, I dont see the kids as much as I'd like - but we all live quite a distance from each other - I am always trying to persuade them to move here but they won't....
The three grandkids which were born in the height of the lockdown are doing well! All just about walking and starting to talk -they are all amazing and I adore them!! I get constant videos and pictures so feel in some ways that I have watched them growing up. Adam and Erika are expecting another!! Another boy lol. I had missed calls from Adam one day and he complained to Andy who passed on the message that he had been trying to get in touch. When I checked my phone I saw the missed calls and a message which said Erika is pregnant! I did not believe this - even slightly, I assumed he was after a reaction from me because I had not responded to earlier messages so I replied saying, Oh that's nice, I'm decorating the hallway! Then I called him and realised that he was serious!! He later admitted that my response had really pissed him off! I never would have responded like that if even a part of me thought he might be serious! hahah Anyway - after the shock of it - and the fear of how they would cope - I think they have now got used to the idea - and I can't wait to welcome another one into the family!!
Lissa has been arranging her wedding for next year - i went wedding dress shopping with her - which was amazing because so is so gorgeous so looked stunning in the dresses! She messaged me yesterday though saying she might put the wedding back because she really wants another baby and doesn't want to wait - so who knows right now what she is going to do - but i could end up with another 2 grandkids next year!
Connor moved back to Cardiff, and is living in a shared house and working in a warehouse - he has apparently recently ended the relationship he was having with a girl called Holly, he wasn't 'feeling it'. I worry about him but he assures me that he is doing well, and is DJ on a regular basis somewhere - he does drum & bass stuff
My mum seems to be doing really well considering she lost my dad last year. I'm sure it is not all good for her and she has some very difficult times, but over-all she is doing well. She is going to get the train here on her own in a couple of weeks and that is a big step for her and I am proud of her for doing it. She realises that unless she takes this step and is able to travel, she will really be restricted and wont be able to visit me or Helen.
My mum is coming here for Adams birthday get-together - it is his 30th! I'm going to be the mother of a 30 year old! wow. Stressing a bit because I have no idea what to get him!! But should be good having everybody here for a party!! Hopefully there will be no lock-downs to ruin it - and I will ask everybody to do a covid test before they get here!
House
Have to mention where we are up to here! We got the driveway done as per my last post - but the gates we were getting have turned into a nightmare because the guy properly let us down! The gates are in place but we can't use them, they do not have the electronics fitted or the security and codes to let us in etc. cos he kept lying about turning up, or telling stories about why he was putting us off, then told us he was going into liquidation but he would not let us down - then just stopped answering out messages. So - screw him, asshole! Can't seem to find somebody to come and finish a job half done...
Got somebody coming today because the roof is leaking in 2 places.....
I have decorated the upstairs and downstairs hallways now, I stripped the paint off the front door and I am going to try and darken the wood so it matches the stairs...I have plenty to do still!! I really want to do the games room soon but damn work gets in the way! It is so frustrating - I really would like my old life back. I'd love to just take 3 months off work to get stuck in again, maybe next year I will see if that is a possibility.
Just remembered I need to chase up a guy who has the window frame my dad built - he is going to be doing the window in the annex that has caused me so much stress. One of the last things my dad said to me is - I need to do your window! I remember finding the frame in them garage at my mums when me and Helen stayed there at the time he died - and I went to pieces....so it has been an emotional issue for me.
We got the house valued a while ago - and were very pleased with the valuation - they said when it is finished - which is still quite a way off really - then it would be valued at 1.3m - but who knows what we would actually be able to sell it for! I don't want to move though - still love this place.
Can't think of a heading
In general life is okay - not pre-covid, pre-going back to work okay - but okay. We are healthy and managing and getting by - and I don't cry every time something reminds me of my dad like I used to, but it is still awful to think about what happened to him, and I miss him so much! Life still feels like we are in some kind of limbo though. There is always the worry about covid whenever we leave the house. It feels a lot like it is work/eat/sleep/repeat. I am definitely not as out-going as I was and I can be quite anti-social now. I don't like going off somewhere - I don't really like having to leave the house. I have put on so much weight and got so unfit, that it feels like a different 'me' and I am not at all happy about that! I keep trying to get the motivation back to look after myself and I don't know why I can't seem to do it.....oh making myself feel depressed now....
Today - I think our first job when Andy gets up is to release the bird in the fireplace - then we are going to go out and do a food shop - that is a rare thing indeed! It has all been online for so long! But had to cancel shopping as hadn't edited the order and we didn't want all the stuff they class as our regular purchases - such as all the vegan stuff Connor used to get!
We might go out tonight for food - the plan is we go out and make plans - plans for the house, for Christmas etc. We did it a few days ago - but ended up not even mentioning the plans lol - we were having fun chatting and eating. It is good to have the option now to go out and do that kind of stuff after so long not being about to do anything like that!
Okay I think that is it for now! Hopefully I wont leave it too long until my next post!
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