How is everyone in the current situation? General Chat

I do not envy you in the slightest Chris - especially as so many people will not be able to go abroad for holidays. I am lucky in that I do not have to worry about that problem where I am.

We are going to the Houndshow on Saturday. This will be our first day out since lockdown. Judging is outdoors, will be masked, and there is no benching. We have all been advised to take a lateral flow test on Friday night - which we will do. Have to say I am really looking forward to watching some hounds being judged, and meeting friends that I haven't seen for 16 months.

I hope you have an enjoyable time Carole, and that the weather is good. I have to admit to not knowing what a lateral flow test is - I am so out of everything due to it all seeming to be happening on another planet - or maybe it is I who is on the other planet.

It is as if life does not exist except the very small area I see through the open doorway. Which of course is closed not as Tikva has been in her crate for about an hour and a half now. Everything is dark, both outside and indoors as I just have a small light illuminating my keyboard - the light from my monitor - and little night lights in the other rooms. It is like total isolation - the only things I see moving are my fingers on the keyboard and the words appearing on the monitor.

It is a very strange feeling.

It is hard to understand how, with all the advances in modern science, we could have ended up with this viral infection that is on a global scale. It really is the plot of a sci-fi novel - and we are all living through it in our different ways.
I sometimes wonder how the third world countries are dealing with Covid19. Are there primitive communities which are experiencing mass deaths, or has the virus managed to pass them by? Are there natural resources that may help undeveloped societies fight the infection? All we seem to hear about are infection rates in first and second world countries, and the possibility of air travel to holiday locations.

I think maybe some people must be living in a different world or something, Carole, because when you think logically, it seems almost impossible to believe that this situation could have come about. And with so many people only concerned about holidays / pubs / football / me-me-me-me etc without really any understanding of what the possibilities might be if they all get their wish...

...it just does not bear thinking about.

ps. The Lateral Flow test - a saliva based test which shows whether CV19 is present in the body. Of course you would not attend and self isolate if you tested positive.

The dog world is trying hard to be careful - no exchanges of cash, everything is prepaid. Admission/catalogue etc. transactions are by scanning emailed barcodes. Not sure about the traders, but I'm guessing that card payments would be the norm.
Maybe lacks spontaneity, but better than nothing.

Perhaps mucous would have been a better description than saliva. You twist the little brushy thing in the back of the throat and in the nose - which made me sneeze violently as the tickling was intense. Anyway I tested clear - which was good to know.

That sounds diabolical - it would probably make me cough, sneeze, and possibly - well, I would rather not think about it! I am just glad I do not have to do it.

I am glad you tested clear - and I hope you enjoyed the Houndshow.

Gary has to test once a month. He gags every time.

The pharmacist gave me a box of seven test kits. She advised testing again 48 hours after returning home, and possibly another 48 hours after that. I will do the first one - it does make sense - but not sure whether I want to do it a third time.

At the rate this Delta virus is spreading Carole - if I were you I would try to do it both times. I am just so grateful that I do not have to worry about that. And now there are panics about a possible regular winter flu explosion because there was so little around due to lockdowns last winter.

Will there be no end to this living nightmare?

There seem to be health and environmental problems everywhere. Chas says we have damaged the planet so much that it is fighting back.

And to top it off we now have a Norovirus explosion. Nature is out to get us it seems

Not forgetting the 'pingdemic' which appears to be closing down countless companies...

It'll be pinging a heck of a lot more after tomorrow night when all the nightclubs reopen and all restrictions are off

Are the supermarket shelves really as empty as a certain UK online news site says they are?

I've not been in a shop since last March, but so far my deliveries have been met in full. I've another due on Tuesday so we'll see how that one goes

Chris - March this year or last year! There have been pictures of empty supermarket shelves on the Mail due to what they are calling the "pingdemic" causing so many workers having to go into isolation, but now they are saying that "critical workers" will not have to isolate if they are pinged.

I have a delay in my water delivery for the water machine I have, as due to what seems to have been a combination of countless things, the main ones being a shortage of the large containers plus a shortage of drivers. So instead of getting my usual delivery this last Monday, the delivery will now not be until Thursday next week. I can get packs of 6 x 1.5 litre bottles from the macolet but as I cannot lift a kettle now I needed a container for the machine or I would have to go without my coffee. Luckily Amit had some extra containers in his store so brought one round for me.

My grocery orders have been delivered with no problems but as far as I know there is not a problem with stores getting stocks in. Things could change though as the situation regarding new infections is rather bad.

March last year. Both my OH and myself have COPD so the virus would likely be fatal therefore we are ultra cautious even though we have had both jabs

We find that an item is missing one day, but has come back into stock the next time we go. For some reason ready sliced cheddar cheese, (our fave snack), seems to be in short supply, but plenty of block cheese and grated.
A limited choice of individual ice creams this week, but that will be down to the weather. Plenty of the fancy tray stuff.