The Lockdown Years

[Lofarl]

Working my arse off delivering letters and parcels to all you lazy fuckers lounging about the hoose watching telly.

[Mark Connolly]

5 minutes ago, Lofarl said:

Working my arse off delivering letters and parcels to all you lazy fuckers lounging about the hoose watching telly.

Pay Lofarl nurses' wages

[Melanius Mullarkey]

18 minutes ago, throbber said:

Worth going out and clapping in your street for those alone. 
 

In fact, I’m away out now.  

[throbber]

I absolutely loved lockdown. I was furloughed for 5 months, my mrs was pregnant so it alleviated much of the stress of being pregnant as she was wfh the entire time. My daughter was 2 and I got to spend lots of time with her which I’d have missed out on if I’d been working and she was still taking naps to I got plenty breaks during day to do my own stuff. 
 

Overall I would say it was 5 of the best months of my life followed by 5 of the very worst when I went back to work and had to deal with all sorts of nonsense as my company were making up for lost time at the expense of all the staff, I massively regret not leaving January/February 2021 following a stream of absolute misery.

[Boghead ranter]

Following 1 way systems in supermarkets.

Britain's (well Boris's) initial defence against the pandemic being singing Happy Birthday. 

[alta-pete]

Magnificent weather. Pubs shut, golf courses shut, everything bar supermarkets shut and my dog getting a terminal diagnosis. Had a really great time with him but equally all the time thinking ‘if this is what retirement looks like you can fcuking keep it’.

Felt like a total outlaw by going out for more than an hour at a time to walk the legs off us both with no one, not a soul, about and getting a magnificent tan in the process  

Loved my boy. He made it to 2yrs 9 months. (and no, it wasn’t the covid that got him). 
 

[Sugar_Army]

Was in Bali when airline cancelled flight without telling us, then refused to get us back.  Paid £3,000 for the two of us to fly back.  Landed Saturday, lock down on the Tuesday.  Took 7 months to get my cash back.

Quarantined for a week then redeployed (as did all our team). I started working in a care home with dementia  residents for the next 3 months (never done anything like that).  All you saw on TV were people dying in care homes and hospitals.  Humbling experience.  Only went to the shops 3 times in 3 months.  Twice to get something  for residents and a card for Mrs SA 40th birthday.

June, went back to my normal job of supporting 16-24 year olds.  This meant door knocking during a pandemic wearing mask, gloves and sanitiser to try and help them navigate through a pandemic.  How can you do jobsearch or college applications when everything is closed?  Sitting in the middle of a park socially distanced in a mask trying to help their mental  wellbeing was the most important thing I could.  Did this right up until the December, it was shit but just wanted to do my bit and sport those less fortunate.

As well as my normal job I was also involved in the covid response team.  Delivering foodbank parcels, meds, nappies or even hot meals to kids off school due to isolating.

As things eased, I was also took on the role in helping people submit the correct documentation for Isolation Grants (while still doing my normal job). 

Finally I got involved in the vaccination centre when it opened up. It was amazing to see the relief and joy on faces when they got their first jab...people started seeing a future rather than focusing on the now.

Oh yeah, and for a few Thursdays at 8pm I dressed up like a daftie and ran along the street just to make my neighbours laugh.

Three things struck me while all this was going on. 

1.How amazing a job people in care homes do.

2.What great work colleagues I had and how lucky I was.

3.How great Mrs SA was, while I already knew that, the pandemic reinforced it.

Nae PS4 or daytime TV for me...ya bunch of jammy sods

[scottsdad]

My main memory is that it was boring. At home all day, every day. Working at home, leisure time at home, same 4 walls. 

Professionally it was great for me. Managed to get stuff done I hadn't time for before. But not seeing my parents for months, not seeing friends, queueing for supermarkets with their 1 way systems and so on was utter shite. 

So. Much. Conversation. about "cases". The mad schemes to keep us safe, the "levels" , masks, all of it just consumed so much thought and discussion. Vertical drinking ffs. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

I miss the last two winters, it cost next to f**k all to heat the house.

[Cosmic Joe]

The one way system in supermarkets was something else. 

I got a ticking off on the day it was introduced in Tesco South Road. 

Up the wrang dreel. 

[mizfit]

18 minutes ago, Cosmic Joe said:

The one way system in supermarkets was something else. 

I got a ticking off on the day it was introduced in Tesco South Road. 

Up the wrang dreel. 

I remember Perth Morrisons having a long winding path to get to the door and the audible booing and abuse when someone jumped a barrier and skipped half of it. 
 

I also remember sending my now wife to Tesco whilst furloughed to get the shopping, she spent £100 on Prosecco and a sun lounger instead and sunbathed whilst I continued working from home. 

[Lofarl]

2 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

Pay Lofarl nurses' wages

f**k that the last thing I need is a pay cut.  

[alta-pete]

15 minutes ago, mizfit said:

I remember Perth Morrisons having a long winding path to get to the door and the audible booing and abuse when someone jumped a barrier and skipped half of it. 
 

I also remember sending my now wife to Tesco whilst furloughed to get the shopping, she spent £100 on Prosecco and a sun lounger instead and sunbathed whilst I continued working from home. 

No wonder you married her. Sassy! 

[welshbairn]

I quite enjoyed mastering all the Covid rules in different countries to find ways of sneaking around them to go on holiday between hardcore lockdowns. And not having to bother looking presentable going out to the shops thanks to face masks. And getting out of some family visits.

[Newbornbairn]

Went to Spain on my own during Covid - best holiday ever. Visiting touristy places like castles and the Borgia's palace - and having them all to myself! Literally, the only visitor. I hate people and crowds so it was amazing wandering around very quiet streets and being the only person in the restaurant. Wearing a mask outdoors wasa bit of a pain but hey-ho.  

 

Went back a year later and caught Covid. Bugger. 

[velo army]

Built a veg garden, really enjoyed the time to do some online trainings as well as restarting my piano playing ambitions. The weather was absolutely sublime too.

It was fucking lonely though and I really missed physical contact. Having a ready excuse not to visit my family was, however, teckle 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

38 minutes ago, Newbornbairn said:

Went to Spain on my own during Covid

Tapas oan or aff?

[TxRover]

The Mrs. happened to catch a couple of programs that suggested there might be shortages, so when out and spent $800 on various non-perishable goods…turned out to be a great move.

Sent home to work remotely for over a year.

Learned to cutout and sew masks, and how to use a sewing machine.

Painted near the whole f**king interior of the house.

Build a foundation for a greenhouse and then the damn greenhouse too.

Some not so good things still dealing with and can’t discuss.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Memories of everyone grassing their neighbours in for going two walks. 
Having to wear all the PPE gear was fun. 
Worked shifts so remember the whole first summer not being able to sleep after nights cos everyone was doing DIY, it really must have been fun for some tbf. 
Events of the last 6 months with my dads cancer diagnosis has made me realise just how much time I was robbed of and that his cancer or the pre-condition that caused it might have been caught sooner if the hospitals/health service werent so overwhelmed. 

[Venti]

Kinda miss my Sub-Zero mask tbh.