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Sunny Saturday

Rather nice to be able to take my time this morning. I didn’t wake up a lot later than normal; about 7.20am. I got up and made a pot of coffee and then bought a mug back to bed and one for Kathy too.

After reading the morning news, we got up and made some breakfast.

Breakfast cooking in the pan.

Breakfast done, we watched James Martin on the TV for a while. Then we made some green tea, and relaxed on the patio with that, whilst catching up with my parents via FaceTime.

Beer O’Clock on a Saturday afternoon.

After a whole pot of tea, a change was in order, so I cracked open a bottle of Fuller’s ESB, which is always a firm favourite of mine.
Worked through some computer stuff for a couple of hours and then got ready to cook something for dinner.

Cookout

Cooked some seasoned chicken, asparagus and potatoes. Washed down with a cool beer. It was tasty.

Stayed on the patio until it got dark around 9pm and then moved to the living room for an hour before going to bed.

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VE 75

Today is the 75th anniversary of VE day; when Europe was finally at peace. The war in the Far East was to drag on for several more months though.

VE 75
75th Anniversary of VE Day

There were many celebrations planned around the country. It’s a warm dry day today too. However, with the Covid-19 lockdown we have to stage virtual, socially distanced parties. Still I’m sure many folks will still find a way to enjoy the occasion. It’s also a time for reflection of those that didn’t make it through the war.

Myself I’m at work today. Still checking up on what’s happening around the workplace and making sure all the protections and precautions are still in place.

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Still on Lockdown

Several weeks have passed and we’re still on lockdown. Essential workers only to travel. That’s not really happening as too many people are travelling on buses that don’t need to be now that it’s free.

The back door thing means that passengers are separated from drivers, but that doesn’t stop the passengers from standing or sitting far too close together. That, in itself, is going to have a detrimental effect on the spread of Covid-19 and means we could keep spreading it around longer and suffer the trials and tribulations of lockdown for longer.

I’m busy reporting and recording anything I find that contravenes health and safety and Government guidelines around the workplace.

Coffee Break
Taking time out for a coffee.

It’s time again to go and make some safety checks around the garage, once I’ve sunk this coffee.

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Been A While

There’s been a few days passed since I wrote anything. Of course, I’ve got a good excuse. It’s coronavirus. It’s taken over most of life right now.

I’m dealing with issues at work because my company is doing the bare minimum it can get away with.

At home we’re just cleaning everything over and over. It’s stressful of course. I think the situation is going to get worse before it gets better, in terms of cases and deaths.

Going to work this morning

The roads were pretty deserted this morning when I went out around 8.20am. There’s still some people about that don’t look like they should be traveling though. People have to go out shopping, and essential workers need to go to work in key industries, but there still seems many out there that should stay home!

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Weirdness

A Weird Day for sure. I was awake around five am. I couldn’t sleep and I went into work early.

When I got there I found that Sam was leaving. I have always had a good working relationship with Sam and I am genuinely sad to see her leave.. Still we all have to follow the path we think is best for us.

I think that the company is treating us very shabbily with regard to the Coronavirus. I voiced out my opinions to the General Manger, not that it really made much difference.

I left work around 3pm and headed to the Queen’s Head. I had a few drinks in there for what might be the last time in good while.

Had a few pints, and then walked home. I love life, and I’m gonna live it.

Kathy made dinner, some pork chops and some veggies to go with it. Very tasty.

Relaxed with a few tunes and another beer,

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Strange Times

This morning I was up around Sven. I had to go to Fulwell for a hearing. I took the bus to Hounslow and then a 281.

I got there just after nine. I had to meet the other party. We had a good chat before hand. The whole episode took until 2pm.

After that I took a cab home, as it’s a whole lot quicker than going all the way around on the bus. I was home by three pm.

Kathy made beef burgers and sweet potatoes fries with salad for dinner. We watched Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, give another Press conference on the television, concerning the coronavirus pandemic. Numbers are still rising, both those diagnose and those dying. He appealed for people to stay at home as much as possible, and avoid crowds. However, people are still going crazy at the supermarkets buying up all the stock as fast as it’s put out on the shelves.

I went up to bed around nine pm and did some work on the computer. Went to bed soon after ten pm.

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A Chill Day

I’m not one for lying in bed all day, even on a day off. I feel that’s wasting precious time off! I got up around 8.45, although I had been awake for a while before that.

I finished the coffee and made another pot

Coffee from Pact

This coffee from Pact is rather good. We’ve been having deliveries from them now for a few years and they never disappoint. It’s great that we can regulate the deliveries to suit our needs.

I got on with responding to some emails and then ended up having a few, sometimes heated, discussions on social media about the coronavirus situation which is worrying most people to some degree in one way or another.

During the morning I got a bit peckish. I’m never one for wanting to eat breakfast as soon as I am awake but by eleven I was ready. I made some bacon sandwiches. They filled the gap!

More reading and writing in the early afternoon and then I got dinner ready. I made a chicken casserole with some thighs and added onions, garlic and tomatoes. Served up when Kathy got home and had with some left over rice

Watched some programmes on Sky Arts in the evening. Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday concert from 2018; The story of Fairport Convention and then ‘I’ll Be Me’ about Glen Campbell’s right with Alzheimer’s. That was a rather sad end to the evening. After that, just before 11pm, we went to bed.

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Friday The 13th

I’m not superstitious. No really, I’m not. I truly believe that some people allow their stress and anxiety levels to rise quite unnecessarily over such things. The same as with astrology; I don’t believe in that stuff either!

Today turned out to be a quiet day on a personal basis. Got into the office around eight am. Although I’m getting told there is less traffic on the roads and less people in the shops and less folks moving around outside generally, the bus was certainly busy in the rush hour with commuters and school kids.

There was little going on with stuff at work. I was hoping for a meeting with the General Manager but he wasn’t around so that didn’t happen. I emailed him anyway. I always email because then I have an auditable trail I can follow.

In the office.

I didn’t stay at work late as I was not in demand and I had done several extra hours on Wednesday in any case.

On the way home I stopped by the Queen’s Head for a couple of pints and a chicken tikka baguette. I didn’t stay too long; about an hour and a half. I walked home and got some dinner ready. I found some wiser pounder burgers in the freezer and they went nicely with some sauerkraut and salad.

After dinner we watched some programmes on BBC2 and retired to bed around 9.30pm.

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Thursday Stuff

Got to the office quite smart as I had meetings starting at nine a.m. and I wanted to be prepared. Actually, I was the first there, and I had to wait for everyone else!

After our monthly JCC meeting between Union and Management, we followed this with our Health & Safety meeting. Much of the meeting was taken up with Coronavirus of course.

Is the company doing enough? It’s felt by many that they don’t really care too much. I tried to point out that it wasn’t only the welfare of employees at stake here, but the stability of the business itself if this pandemic truly takes a hold and we end up on some kind of national lockdown.

Ian in the office
Getting Stuff Done…

After the meetings I got some admin work done. Then I headed home. I made burgers and sauerkraut and salad for dinner. Watched a little TV and then headed off to bed around 8.30pm.

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Ballot & Phone

I was up earlier this morning, around 5.45am

Got to work before seven. Today was the day for the pay ballot. It was a long day. Got wrapped up and left around 5.45pm.

The result locally and also across the company was an overwhelming rejection so the talks go on.

Met Kathy from work at Cranford Supermarket and got my new phone to replace Monday’s unfortunate incident.

Picked up some fried chicken at Munchiez and went home.

Started with the phone exiting but it wasn’t going to be that simple as I was running a beta on the XS Max so I couldn’t simply install an iCloud backup. I had to set the 11 Pro Max up manually and then install the beta profile, download the beta and install it. Then I had to back up the XS Max to iCloud and then restore that to the 11. It took a few hours but I got there in the end.

And so to bed!