I had to visit the Treatment Centre for a blood test yesterday. I didn’t need one and I don’t do it for fun but I had been told to have another one in a clear case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.
For posterity, I note the following things.
One – there was nobody on the door with masks, gel, advice or censure.
Two – people were once again drifting in through the door. Some weren’t using the hand gel and some were accompanying patients and didn’t need to be there.
Three – I saw a staff memeber walking round with their mask pulled down under their nose. Admittedly, it was a nose of heroic proportions and they were clearly proud of it (and possibly unable to get it into the mask), but it was still unmasked when it should have been covered.
Four – the cafe is open again, though you can onl;y have one person at a table.
Five – the phlebotomist is no longer wearing a face shield, as noted at City Hospital when I had my last anti-coagulant blood test.
These are not criticisms, just observations noted down for posterity. At a time we are told that a second peak is coming and that it is due to undisciplined social gatherings, it might be germane to note the slackening off of NHS discipline.
The service was excellent, if you ignore the fact the test was not necessary and the telephone helpline had proved to be bloody useless after they messed my prescription up.
On the other hand, I was able to collect a blood form, have the test, get my prescription and be given advice by the pharmacist and still get out of the car park in thirty minutes. Impressive stuff.
Poppy
Tonight I have started learning the names for my finger joints so I can discuss them on the phone. There must be a poem in there somewhere.
I have also been noting the limits to my peaceful right to protest. It’s made a little more complicated by lockdown regulations but I may seek to defend myself using the Cummings or Stanley Johnson defence – I am too important to allow the law to limit my capacity for arrogance.
I’m also not quite sure about the legality of handcuffing myself to property which may or may not belong to someone else. The internet is rather uninformative on that point.
I now need as group of Suffragette bodyguards and I am ready for action.
Poppy
There is, as you may suspect, a gathering cloud of civil unrest…
I wasn’t able to source any decent photos for peaceful protest or handcuffs on Pexels so I widened my search. Knowing what happens on the internet I really should not have searched for ‘handcuffs’.
That’s why you have poppies instead.
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We definitely live in strange times. Heard an interesting radio programme today about government handling of the pandemic. Aside from hindsight being a wonderful thing, clearly now people are confused. Messages may not always be vague but they are so many and it’s hard therefore to know for sure what is currently deemed appropriate/safe. I fear the only safe situation is complete lockdown as this middle way creates a sense of ‘maybe it’s not so bad’.
I’m making my own rules up and apart from going to work and the occasional MacDonald’s drive through for a cold drink after picking Julia up we are still isolating. Haven’t seen my sister since Dad’s funeral and am refusing to go up to Lancashire to inter the ashes until it is deemed safe, as it will involve elderly relatives.
Seems like you are doing a good job at keeping safe.
Fortunately I am not very sociable so it suits me to sit at home with Julia and WordPress. 🙂
That helps! I’m quite sociable but lockdown has actually made things better because I can now do things online which I couldn’t before because in-person meetings were out of the question 😊
🙂 It hasn’t been all bad has it? 🙂
No, not at all. Just been reading people’s rants on Twitter. For some it has been genuinely terrible but some I suspect just aren’t so good at finding the silver lining. If only they were an optimist like me 😊
I wasn’t so good in the first few weeks when the shelves were empty and we were worried about the kids but after that it was quite pleasant for a couple of months.
Of course, the worry about your sons must have been quite a strain. Everyone’s circumstances are different and we are all affected by different things. For those who are now having to cope with A Level results or losing their jobs (as well as those who are ill or losing loved one from any cause) it’s not going to be great. There are also people who live alone and have lost almost all contact in a way which means something to them. The moaners I’m sighing about are people who have been astounded to be on holiday and see other tourists etc…
The government should just have allowed the teachers to predict the grades and left it at that. They might not be accurate but it would have saved a lot of work and argument.
My dad was 91, so he could have died at any time even without the Covid 19, but for people who lost younger family members it must be harrowing.
It must indeed! I’m sorry your dad had Covid 19.
The poppies are beautiful, especially bejeweled in rain. The human side of the world is a very strange place these days. Thank goodness for cats, poppies, and fish & chips. 🙂
Yes, they are a constant delight.
Distressing to read about the lack of masks.
We are relaxing too soon. I an staying vigilant and keeping Julia off public transport.
Good plan!
Mrs T is of the opinion that governments only take notice of the public when they, the government, have a well justified fear of pitchforks appearing in the streets near them. I expect that you can get a second hand pitchfork on Ebay these days.
Mrs T is, as usual, spot on. That’s why the pitchfork is now classed as an offensive weapon and frowned upon in these days of health and safety.
Bloody ‘ell
🙂