Mouse's Hangout

[MissAutumn]

It's okay. Real life gets in the way. Have you been up to much?

[Mouse]

Just the usual! House stuff and work!
What about you what have you been up to?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I'm trying to stay away from the craziness. Even our small town area has been feeling the effect of protests gone bad.
It has been triple digits the last couple days and the beach traffic is like summer - I just wish they would clean up their trash after themselves. There is a cooler breeze tonight that I am very thankful for.

Stay safe!

[MissAutumn]

Working and decorating my house. So not very exciting. I need a holiday lol. How's your house coming along?

Is lockdown over where you live, Lemon? I wish people took more care about the environment. Since the fast food chains have started opening up, I've seen so much more rubbish on the side of the road.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

we've had self isolation but all the protests have kind of cancelled that out. However, thousands can cram together for a protest but only 100 are allowed into a church service & they have to be temp. tested before they go in!??? And self distance?? And they are still limiting how many can go into a store? And restr. have to have spaces for people sitting in??

The true test will be to see how many cases come up in the next 2 weeks after all the mass protests. But even that will depend on whether people go to get tested afterwards - they may not want to let out that they were at a protest infecting people. arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

In the meantime, I wear a mask if I have to get close to people at work otherwise I opt for the ability to breathe & don't wear one. If I wear one for too long my throat gets dry, my lips get chapped feeling & my breathing feels impinged. One of the reasons I got out of the dental field was I hated wearing all the masks and glasses etc. But we have "sneeze guards at work & in the shopping stores I think those have been a good idea, not only for safety but to discourage crime.

With take out food people sit & eat in their car or outside but leave their trash behind! And with no one to really facilitate dumping the trash containers it piles up. The birds and animals get into it and it becomes a real mess. Then to ask volunteers to clean it up when it could be possibly contaminated is another thing to consider.

[galled]

There is definitely more garbage. Before the lockdowns, our city was one of the first to ban drive-thru's, plastic bags, and plastic straws to reduce global warming and to protect the environment.

Now since the lockdowns it's OK to shop curbside pickup (in your car), drive-thru for food, and plastic bags are automatically given to you for free at some stores because the reusable bags are COVID-19 potential spreaders. I would think the arson that protesters commit greatly contribute to global warming as well. Airlines are now supposed to fly at less than full capacity, so the net pollution per passenger has risen by almost 100% if they're at half capacity. So much for global warming and environmental efforts...

[MissAutumn]

Did you used to be a dentist, Lemon? I can't wear masks they feel claustrophobic. I don't bother with them when I go out. My company is in a new office next week. Apparently we're all getting new screens around our desks.

It's really depressing seeing the rubbish everywhere. I'm tempted to go out and litter collect, but I have no idea if I'd be handling contaminated rubbish. I didn't know some places had banned drive thru pre-lockdown.

I think pollution levels are going to go back to the way they were. *sigh*

[Lemon Cheesecake]

They can set up those dividers like they did when we had to take tests in school...they would be portable and can be cleaned...or we could always go with the "cone of silence"

[Mouse]

Hey pretty ladies how you doin?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

They now use the term "pandemic fatigue", and that is how I am doing...fatigued from all the mental anxiety distancing and trying to talk through masks is causing. Not wanting to run into town because the roads might be blocked from protesters, or the store or restaurant I want to go to might not be open. I have some returns I want to make but not everybody is taking returns.

I think we are up to 9 deaths but those are older people with underlying issues...like already dying of something. Out of 269,000 people in our county only 1600 have been confirmed cases. Most towns have had fewer then 10 cases and one family can equal 5 people (cases). I seriously think it already came through back in Jan/Feb and wish there was some way to confirm so that we can reopen. We have an influx of people coming from other cities to escape to our beaches and walking trails and protests going on 2-3 times a week but our numbers have not been rising by much and hospital rates are low, most are able to recover at home.

On another note...to refocus...beautiful day out and I have the day off work so I can do stuff around the house and chill.
How are your house renovation plans going Mouse?

[MissAutumn]

I hate being stuck in limbo about my wedding. I know if it goes ahead it'll be reduced numbers, which I prefer, however, I just want to know if I can have the ceremony still. I've been engaged about 4 years now. I just want to married.

On BBC Radio 1 they had a challenge of getting people from all the countries around the world to say some variant of "Up Your's Corona". They managed in it in week. It's been bringing a bit of a smile to my face when I've been working.

[galled]

I only know one couple who have married since the lockdowns. They whittled the numbers down to just a few immediate family, best man, maid of honor, and official--the people most important to them getting it done. They'll have the party in the future when it can happen. Everyone understands. Kinda romantic that the craziness can't stop love!

[Lemon Cheesecake]

You can always have the guests check their temps etc for the week before...the wedding should still be able to go ahead, you just might need to be creative or use someone's back yard if you can't get the pub setting. Now going on a honeymoon might be a little more difficult if hotels and travel closes down!

Let's hope for the best!

[MissAutumn]

I spoke to the vicar today, the wedding is still going ahead unless we go into another lockdown. We have to pay a little extra for a marriage licence as a precaution if the banns can't be read. Now we just need to find out what is going on with the reception venue. It reopens on Monday. So stressful. We're thinking of having a celebration with our original guest list a year later.

We booked a cottage for 4 days by the seaside for the honeymoon. We can cook at the cottage and we don't have to worry about looking for restaurants every night. We managed to find insurance for cancellations caused by the virus.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

The honeymoon sounds lovely!

Do they still read wedding banns? Here all you have to do is get a wedding license although I think Catholic church might read banns still, but I believe everyone needs to get a marriage license regardless.

A small intimate wedding with immediate family can be nice, or just your witnesses and you can always do a one year anniversary party like you said. They should be able to social distance easily spaced out in a church.I can see how frustrating it is for people getting married right now, most I've heard end up doing a small group or justice of the peace kind and plan on something later. But people understand if you do just family because of all the rules. It seems trying to arrange bridal showers & such is difficult as well. I'm so sorry you have to work around all this stuff. Is the venue allowed to open just for catering jobs like small gatherings even if the restaurant isn't open?
I wish they had quick tests that you can take, show you're negative and go about business as usual. Although they have come up with a 20 min test :
"A new rapid test that tells users within 20 minutes whether they’ve contracted the coronavirus is being tested in the U.K."
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this- ... 2020-05-21