Members "Online now" / Quick chat / Covid 19 hangout

[Steve A]

On 2nd week off,
bought new kitchen floor before this all started and now it's fitted. now need skirting board.
Cleaned the bathroom and on suite extractor motors and ducting, great job
coloured the wife's hair (saving £60 ).
Did some painting indoors, luckily already had spare paint.
Now painting outdoors which involves sanding down
Hit the cross trainer and the concept 2
Took a stroll over to the golf course for a few cheeky swings, but the grass off the fairway is already getting too long.
Have at least another 2 weeks off, can see this being much longer.
Might have to start tinkering with the sorn Elan.

Stay safe peeps

[Fredjohn]

Coloured the wife's hair.
Did some painting indoors.

Is there a connection Steve?

[muley]

How's everyone coping with lock down then?

OK.Decided to stay in Godzone, then the lockdown suddenly arrived. No side trips, staying at home. Good walks on the beach nearby. Neighbour is getting food in for us. Pottering around with 2-3 dozen d.i.y. jobs. Air New Zealand has reduced services by 97% and most transit hubs are shut. Not sure when we will return. Covid-19 stats here are good so far ~ 1 death, 2 in ICU, 700 or so confimed. Contact Tracing still in place..

Stay safe

Jim

[daveiow]

Hi Jim
Glad to hear you an Jen are OK
Must admit living on a somewhat isolated island has its advantages at last.
Ferries are down to a skeleton service, at least it deters the DFL’s ( Down from London’s) from coming to their holiday homes!
Slight worry is that with a population of 145k and 25% over 70 and only 6 ICU beds things may deteriorate rapidly.
Patience and stoicism are unfashionable qualities but keep our heads down and we will be back at the H&C before long.
Best Wishes to all
David

[Steve A]

Coloured the wife's hair.
Did some painting indoors.

Is there a connection Steve?

Only when she paints the ceiling

[Rambo]

How's everyone coping with lock down then?

I'm on my 12th day now without smell or taste. That and the lethargy, muscular and joint pains, lack of physical and mental energy are the worst things for me. Where we live, self isolation and social distancing is the norm anyway. Nearest neighbour is 150m away so we wave occasionally. And text if we need anything. Fortunately we are both practical and fairly self sufficient.

Apart from all that I feel relatively OK and remain optimistic. There are lots of people worse off than me

Ironically, I feel I caught my virus from the local hospital when I went to ENT for an ear examination. The last thing I remember smelling was a sort of metallic beer can smell and then that was it. Nothing

[Kipperozzy]

My wife hadn’t been well for a few weeks and then the Doctor told her she probably has covid, about a week later I started to feel hot then cold enough to shiver, and body aching so much I had to stand watching tv , now 8 days on I’m feeling better and wife ok.
Neither of us had a cough though, maybe we will eventually find out if it was covid or another virus.
2 of our adult offspring are at home with us but they have been ok so far.
Hope it was covid and we are now immune

[Rambo]

No real cough for me either Kipperozzy. Apart from a slight tickle and dry mouth. And, like you, I had an elevated temperature but also experienced feeling very cold, particularly my feet. Something I never feel normally

I've also had headaches and neck aches, along with stabbing pains in my armpits and chest area

Not pleasant but, as I said, there are lots more unfortunate folks

[Saltire]

All good wishes to the Scottish chapter - get well soon

[clemo]

I hope all that are unwell are on the mend and back to full health soon. Stay at home is the message and is what Elaine and I are doing. For me its a time to reset my thoughts and what i deem to be important. I have realised that i spend very little time on myself and give most of it to my business when it doesn't really need doing. I have for the last year spent my days renovating a property that was a complete wreck in a building that i am the freeholder of. I dedicated every day to it with excessively long hours , whilst totally neglecting my own unfinished project of my dormer conversion (sat empty now for 2 years) I sold the place over christmas and made £920 . Lesson to self . Just because i can do it doesn't me i should do it.

With an insight as to what was unfortunately coming via Italy , Spain and France i took a day out to buy a huge amount of materials to see me through to plasterboard stage at my house. I have made a list and this list is all about me using my time wisely and investing in myself for a while . Its a really positive feeling. Though as i look out of my window that overlooks the hospital i am fully aware that my days are so much better than those across the way and i am grateful for my (and Elaine's) Health.
Elaine is a mobile hairdresser of which most of here clients are of an age . That means that all her work has dried up and will do until this is fully over. This is totally understandable. It is the right thing to do. Though like many others we do not know if we will be getting a HMRC letter in June. Project tighten belt now in full effect. Worked out how much coming in V going out. Made some changes . Telling Virgin Media to go shove it was a highlight of this money saving exercise.
I must say in stark contrast Sky TV was fantastic after a call.

I have 12 household reliant on me for a roof over their heads . All of which have been with me for years. I like all the people i rent to. They are all decent people. Some retired , some NHS , some hotel workers now laid off. Above all we will all get through it . They are all safe and well and i speak with them to make sure they know that if they get cut to 80% then i will do the same too. Their properties are all finished and of good standard so need for nothing doing.

Elaine and i are fortunate to still have both of our parents all in the risk zone so we look to make sure they are ok , which they are.
Keep an eye on my disabled brother who lives on a nocturnal time zone to us.

All in all we are all good for which i am grateful for. The full circle of where i was going before i went of on a life story tangent is as long as we stay safe and well this is the main thing.

On my other list is fit Samco hoses and possibly fit my convertable roof skin. Though i doubt that will get done.
Looking to the future i hope that when this all blows over above all everyone is safe and well then stable financially and mentally to say we got through that.

Then for fun stuff to do and to plug the gaps of missing out , maybe we can all have an LEC social somewhere . Does not really need much. A carpark , a gazebo , some teabags and above all as many LEC members , partners and friends for a good ole social face to face meet up. What say you ... LIST?

[TrevorB]

Then for fun stuff to do and to plug the gaps of missing out , maybe we can all have an LEC social somewhere . Does not really need much. A carpark , a gazebo , some teabags and above all as many LEC members , partners and friends for a good ole social face to face meet up. What say you ... LIST?

Great idea Dave, and hopefully there will be more agreeing. Get the list started.

We (Lyn and I) have also been self isolating as we returned from Texas via New York on 20th March. Its been 14 days but we now have another 7 days left of the government's recommended social distancing. However know doubt that will be extended. We are both of an age considered vulnerable but glad to report that we are both healthy and fit.
Please stay safe fellow LECers and we will get through this and our M100's will be on the road very soon.

Trevor

[dapinky]

...... our M100's will be on the road very soon.

Well, except for Montys'

[clemo]

...... our M100's will be on the road very soon.

Well, except for Montys'

Would be good to see any Lec friends . With or without cars ( as per me for a good few years)

[dapinky]

Clemo,

I don't dissagree at all - whilst "the car" is what brought us all together at some point, it's "the community" which I like best about LEC.....

....as always, everyone welcome!

[lotusflasherman]

Hope everybody is getting through this difficult time and comes out in good health.
It's had some serious effects on me. Due to lockdown I put my two M100's on SORN from 31st March so just Evora covered for use now. Due to loss of taste I haven't drunk beer or wine for 4 weeks, now that is serious!
Update from me: I flew back from Alicante with a slight dry cough on 5th March which prompted me to buy Lemsip and cough mixture. At that time NHS symptons were fever (above 38.5 +) AND a dry cough but a week later BoJo said OR a dry cough. Commented to my son that I couldn't taste or smell anything so wasn't drinking beer, and son said that's now considered one of the symptons on social media. At no time has my temp gone above 36.5, (I seem to have a low thermostat, wife complains about how cold my feet always are) but I immediately isolated by sleeping in another bedroom and keeping to different part of the house. I have the lounge, my wife uses bedroom & kitchen, but cooks and leaves food for me to collect after she has gone so we keep well apart. I had 2 week period of feeling unusually tired and weak but overall been quite trivial for me, luckily. Broke left ankle playing football last August, repaired with a titanium plate, and then had to sit in lounge, and sleep on sofa, keeping leg in cast elevated above heart for 6 weeks. Also stick a hypodermic needle in my belly every evening and struggle to get to the loo or stand in the shower. This session is dead easy compared to that.

[clemo]

blimey Phil sounds a right old faf but at least under control . Hope it passes soon and you are back to full health and able to appreciate the vino properly.

[clemo]

Seems like absolutely everything is sold out from Argos , Toolstation and Screwfix. Trying to order gifts.
Was meant to be going to Spain for my Dads 70th ( surprise visit from us lot) . Still awaiting refund from Ryanair. They seem to be dragging their feet by sending out duff requests , links not working , flight numbers not recognised so on and so forth. Although they say it is coming they along with Easyjet are trying to get the law changed so we should only get vouchers .

[dapinky]

Clemo,

Screwfix here are still well-stocked (but only open for C&C orders).....
Argos, not a chance unless it's in their central warehouse
Toolstation, appears okay for deliveries

As for the ticket refund thing - well, I've got mixed feelings, and don't think that there is a "ones size fits all" answer....

Easyjet and Ryanair need to survive this situation, otherwise we'll all be at the mercy of the 'big' carriers for the future...... as such, if everyone demands a refund, they will go under due to lack of liquidity.... but if everyone takes the 'credit', they can survive. The problem comes when it is a mixture of the 2 - those with getting their cash back will be happy if they go under in 3 months time, as they got their £400 back - those with vouchers, who were trying to do the right thing will be stuffed. It will need some sort of system whereby your credit note is underwritten (by the government??), and if they cannot honour it within say 12 months of the restrictions ending, then you can redeem it for cash.....

....however, if they credit you with "2 adult fares return to Alicante", you'll be reasonably happy - but if they credit you with "£200 value towards new fare", and the new fares are £300 more, then you won't be so chuffed, having tried to help them out, but now being in a situation where you are somewhat trapped.

As you know, we do the IOW festival every year, and have already been sorted out - we have a choice of either keeping the tickets for the 2021 event, or getting a refund (don't know what happens to the 'booking and admin fees' though) - so we'll just carry them over as getting £600 back now and having to get up early to ensure we can get a campervan pass for next year isn't a great option..... we are (I appreciate) in a better position than some who will need that cash to live on, and will have take what they can get.

The ferry tickets are a bit of an unknown quantity.... Red Funnel have already made an offer where we can have a refund, credit, or 'free ammendment' - I want to simply move my ticket to the same time sailings next year (obviously different dates, but out at 1000 on the Thursday etc etc). I need to phone them, and they can't process anything until next years' sailings are published. I am sure that they have enough on their plate with people who want to travell next week etc to worry too much about me, so I'm in no rush to call them (when I tried and found myself in a queue I gave up)....

....however, the ferries are still running, so their offer to do what they have is more than reasonable, as it isn't them who have cancelled anything, and they had no lawful obligation to do anything at all....

.... as such, I am happy for them to have the use of my cash for a year, and go next year - but I'll be annoyed if I can't get the sailings I want, or they hit me with an extra fee because next years' sailings are 50% more expensive. We'll just havce to see with that one.

I don't want to see any business go under for lack of cashflow, when I can earn a whole 0.5%pa in the bank - but some poeple will want their cash, some will need it, and some will want to secure it in case they go through the hoop anyway....... no easy decisions to be made.

(Hey - I bet you never thought you'd see me endorsing Socialist and/or Liberal tendencies!)

[Rice crispy]

Phil I hope you are over the worst of it and recover soon
David

[Simon_P]

(Hey - I bet you never thought you'd see me endorsing Socialist and/or Liberal tendencies!)

don't worry dave you haven't you are still well grounded right of centre. Socialist tendencies you would be advocating nationalisation of the airlines and liberalism you would be discussing the gender of aircraft and painting flowers on them. Accepting a contract for fulfillment at a later date is a capitalist solution.

I hope all that are unwell get better soon and all those who are well to stay well.