Life is beginning to feel a lot more like it was pre-pandemic. Which is amazing. I remember back in Q2 2019 when everybody was locked down worldwide. People were clapping on their doorsteps on Thursdays and doing things for elderly neighbours.
People said that this was what the future would hold - we'd all be nicer to each other. We also saw the benefits to wildlife - lots more birds around and I remember seeing a photo of the canal in Venice, that was so clear you could see the bottom.
But we're humans and so we've gone straight back to our old ways. I guess it was inevitable. Though in the UK we're seeing issues with supply chains etc. with not enough lorry drivers - and because of Brexit we don't have the people in the country we need to fill jobs and so things aren't getting picked etc. (Yup I was a remainer and remain a remainer - though I do now understand why the majority of those that voted leave voted leave - and whilst I'd still like Brexit never to have happened, I don't bear any grudges).
On the subject of supply chains it's been impossible to get petrol, first it was the whole country, then just London and the South East. As ever where I live is about as South as you can get and the whole world thinks the South ends at London - so we are the last for everything.
I had plans this weekend (which I'll come on to), these required me to throw myself into the mix and try to find petrol. It took me 3 days. First I went super early before rush hour, then I went super late after rush hour. In the end I got lucky driving towards the next town on an A road - at a carefully judged time after rush hour and before lunch, but close enough to lunch that the petrol station could have had a refill after rush hour.
How ridiculous is that! The chap behind the counter in the petrol station was beaming at everybody like Santa, realising that everybody was thrilled they'd managed to get over priced petrol. I imagine it was a rare moment when everybody was coming in to pay in an excellent mood.
So this weekend I went to the enactment of the Battle of Hastings at Battle Abbey. I've been before, this meant we could sit in a different spot and get a different view. This time we sat behind the Saxons so we could see the Normans approaching. It's a great event to attend, as well as the battles there is falconry and those that do the battle also have encampments you can visit.
I appreciate it's very geeky, but then I'm a geek - so it works really well for me.
The day was suddenly very hot - not great as I was wearing far too many clothes and didn't have much I could remove. I went with son, dog and a friend (who kept wandering off and doing their own thing - each time they did it they tried to take the dog with them - I ended up clinging to dog's lead like my life depended on it). We met up with some of sons school friends and their mum's.
I'm not sure if I mentioned, by dog is absolutely obsessed with a bare leg! Every time I have a shower it jumps up and runs it's claws down the back of my leg and when you get out of shower you are getting dressed with a dog licking your legs. Literally nobody is safe with this obsession. Whilst we were queuing to get into the Battle there was a minor commotion with the couple in front of us. The guy (about 6 foot tall and built like a tank) had shorts on. I hadn't realised that as I stood there chatting to sons friends mother, dog was happily licking the calves of the poor chap in front of me. Fortunately he saw the funny side!
Now the kids are older it was a great opportunity for them to wander off and do their own thing. Let's face it - nobody is likely to abduct a group of teenage hormonal boys. But son started day badly by pouring the whole of the dogs water into it's travel bowl and then when dog didn't drink it threw it away. Then got over hot having sword fights and he proceeded to drink all the liquid I had with me.
I thought it was totally rubbish, but the only water you could get hold of was hugely expensive and in a 30 minute queue of people. There was a tap, but they wouldn't let me use it (Health & Safety), thus dog and son ended up drinking approximately £10 of water. I was less than impressed I can tell you!
Other than that the day was really good fun, looking forward to next October to go back again.
So two weeks in a row I've gone and done stuff! Obviously husband and I are now suffering as every single time we go out we catch something from somebody. In fact reason husband wasn't at the battle was because he was suffering with man flu following Romesh Ranganathan last week.
It's like being a baby all over again. On which note I have my flu jab next week, so I look forward to feeling rough again the next day. It's just one jab after another right now.
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