Pass the mince pies- Christmas Chat Thread Part Deux

DvB

One thing I have to mention, drove in to the office yesterday (we're down to the bare minimum coming in with 90% WFH) and couldnt get over the traffic on the way home. It was almost normal rush hour levels along the south Circular road from Ballsbridge around to Islandbridge. Every other day its been a 20-25 minute drive but yesterday it took me over an hour. My Mrs rang me earlier & said the train this morning was a lot busier too... with so many places closed why are the numbers travelling increasing now after a week of empty roads, buses & trains? Just thought it odd.

OUTDOORLASS

Just listening to RedFM. They said some radio channels in US have started playing Cheistmas songs to raise spirits. Wonder will it catch on here. I have to admit to turning on my Christmas FM app..in effort to escape the constant bad news.

TRS30

DvB wrote: »

One thing I have to mention, drove in to the office yesterday (we're down to the bare minimum coming in with 90% WFH) and couldnt get over the traffic on the way home. It was almost normal rush hour levels along the south Circular road from Ballsbridge around to Islandbridge. Every other day its been a 20-25 minute drive but yesterday it took me over an hour. My Mrs rang me earlier & said the train this morning was a lot busier too... with so many places closed why are the numbers travelling increasing now after a week of empty roads, buses & trains? Just thought it odd.

That's a bit worrying to hear DvB. Hopefully people are not taking their foot off the peddle so to speak and heading out and about more

CheerLouth

Hope everyone is doing ok in this new normal. I'm struggling to be honest. I'm finding it very difficult to be out of our routine. I'm trying to distance myself from everything really - the news, social media etc. I struggle with anxiety at the best of times but it is through the roof now. I'm just trying to keep a positive spin on everything - having a baby in the middle of a pandemic was not part of the plan & I'm finding dealing with the hospital and everything that goes with that extremely stressful. I'm missing my parents & siblings a lot as well. Video calls are all well and good but they are no replacement for physical contact

So today, I've made a massive chocolate biscuit cake (the kids can't believe their luck), I've given the house a good scrub (because a good clean house makes me happy), I've had a nap (sort of...mostly listened to the kids murder each other) & now I'm going out for a walk to try and clear my head.

Hope everyone is doing ok. It's not easy but we have to persevere for the sake of everyone else - good luck

DenMan

Hope everyone is doing fine and staying safe. Having the internet is a godsend. If anybody is interested Udemy and Coursera are doing special offers on online courses for hobbies, self improvement. Please take care of yourselves. Stay safe!

jellybear

Oh CheerLouth, most of what you wrote resonated with me. I miss my family terribly. They're only 10 minutes down the road so it makes it so tough not just popping down at the drop of a hat like I usually do. You're right, video calls just aren't the same but they do help. I do them with my 6 month old so they can see him. They really miss him I am getting better/more used to it as the days go by but it does hit me hard sometimes. Mind yourself and enjoy that chocolate biscuit cake

Cork Lass

I’m struggling big time CheerLouth. I’m normally very strong but this whole thing is really getting to me. Only started working from home yesterday and was happy to be going into the office as I felt it was a bit of normality in what are crazy times. I suppose we just have to keep our spirits up as much as we can and hope that things will improve sooner rather than later. I hope you and everyone on here keeps safe.

Jude13

CheerLouth wrote: »

Hope everyone is doing ok in this new normal. I'm struggling to be honest. I'm finding it very difficult to be out of our routine. I'm trying to distance myself from everything really - the news, social media etc. I struggle with anxiety at the best of times but it is through the roof now. I'm just trying to keep a positive spin on everything - having a baby in the middle of a pandemic was not part of the plan & I'm finding dealing with the hospital and everything that goes with that extremely stressful. I'm missing my parents & siblings a lot as well. Video calls are all well and good but they are no replacement for physical contact

So today, I've made a massive chocolate biscuit cake (the kids can't believe their luck), I've given the house a good scrub (because a good clean house makes me happy), I've had a nap (sort of...mostly listened to the kids murder each other) & now I'm going out for a walk to try and clear my head.

Hope everyone is doing ok. It's not easy but we have to persevere for the sake of everyone else - good luck

Cheerlouth I hope this thread is a some benefit to you, anxiety is nasty. Just remember in the not to distant future we will look back at this time and admire that we got through it. The elves here, I am sure, will perk you up when you need it.

CheerLouth

Thanks all - can always rely on the elves for a bit of a lift I'm glad that I'm not the only one struggling. Fingers crossed that sometime in the next two weeks, I'll be cuddling my new baby and not too worried about anything else!

Mind yourselves!

freshpopcorn

We normally go Cork or Limerick to get a big shop in for Easter, etc. Never in my wildest dream did I imagine that this wouldn't be possible this year.

Loughc

Not long back from the new weekly shop day.

It say it’s eerie is to say the least. The roads were quiet the shop was sad an old lady passed me in the aisle and said who would have thought it’d come to this wearing gloves while shopping.

And it hit me just how quickly the world has gone off course.

I really hope this lockdown works quickly. The number of daily deaths is getting hard to bear.

freshpopcorn

Loughc wrote: »

Not long back from the new weekly shop day.

It say it’s eerie is to say the least. The roads were quiet the shop was sad an old lady passed me in the aisle and said who would have thought it’d come to this wearing gloves while shopping.

And it hit me just how quickly the world has gone off course.

I really hope this lockdown works quickly. The number of daily deaths is getting hard to bear.

Everything changed so fast.

If I'm being honest I think we will see a good few more deaths because of those clusters that are out there.

Cork Lass

Loughc wrote: »

Not long back from the new weekly shop day.

It say it’s eerie is to say the least. The roads were quiet the shop was sad an old lady passed me in the aisle and said who would have thought it’d come to this wearing gloves while shopping.

And it hit me just how quickly the world has gone off course.

I really hope this lockdown works quickly. The number of daily deaths is getting hard to bear.

This day 4 weeks ago I flew to Boston for 6 days and when I got back the place was gone mad with panic buying etc. That now seems an eternity ago and like a completely different world. Never in my wildest dreams did I envisage living like this - it’s weird but it’s also sad beyond belief.

DvB

Simon Harris said when pushed that he didnt see how this level of lockdown could carry on for much longer than the 2 weeks stated, though I suspect it'll go on longer myself as people become used to the new restrictions. A friend of mine's wife is a teacher & she was told that the dept. of Education has informed schools to prepare to finish out the current school year via the internet as the schools are expected to stay closed until September... we already got information from the school telling us to start accessing via the apps they use already from this morning as there'll be more work put up for them at 9.00am today & would be every school day going forward.

I did a shop for my in-laws yesterday in Blanch & drove across to Baldoyle to deliver them, never before have I seen the roads so empty & so few people around. Did see garda challenging some people at bus stops as well and was told by one of my colleagues who drove in to the office yesterday to grab a monitor that he was stopped by the garda on both the drive in & back.

Todays my first day of WFH with no trips in to the office planned until the restrictions lift... its a very weird feeling.

Anyway, lets try & keep each other company & keep our spirits up (I'll definitely be needing some positivity anyway) as theres no better place in the whole internet IMO!!

Stay safe guys n gals!

TRS30

DvB wrote: »

Simon Harris said when pushed that he didnt see how this level of lockdown could carry on for much longer than the 2 weeks stated, though I suspect it'll go on longer myself as people become used to the new restrictions. A friend of mine's wife is a teacher & she was told that the dept. of Education has informed schools to prepare to finish out the current school year via the internet as the schools are expected to stay closed until September... we already got information from the school telling us to start accessing via the apps they use already from this morning as there'll be more work put up for them at 9.00am today & would be every school day going forward.

I did a shop for my in-laws yesterday in Blanch & drove across to Baldoyle to deliver them, never before have I seen the roads so empty & so few people around. Did see garda challenging some people at bus stops as well and was told by one of my colleagues who drove in to the office yesterday to grab a monitor that he was stopped by the garda on both the drive in & back.

Todays my first day of WFH with no trips in to the office planned until the restrictions lift... its a very weird feeling.

Anyway, lets try & keep each other company & keep our spirits up (I'll definitely be needing some positivity anyway) as theres no better place in the whole internet IMO!!

Stay safe guys n gals!

Sorry to hear a few elves are struggling and hopefully you can find a way to get through this and try to keep in a good place mentally as well as physically. As others have said, the rest of us are here to help in anyway we can.

DvB, I agree. I unfortunately think it will be longer than two weeks. I guess it's easier to say it is for two weeks and then we'll reassess and go another two weeks, then to say straight out it's for a month. As tough as it is, if that is what is required to limit the number of infections and deaths then I guess it's for the best.

Not sure if anyone has used Zoom, however I had a video call with my sister and brother yesterday to arrange a rota for dropping the paper and food to our parents. It was great as turned into a catch up session and various members of the different households wander over to say Hi at various times.

Is my nephews birthday today so we are going to have one big Zoom video meeting, including my parents, so all 4 households can sing him happy birthday. Really looking forward to it.

Stay safe everyone, both physically and mentally.

Jude13

We planned that the family would go home to Ireland in the summer for 4-6 weeks, I use this time to fly to our other offices in less desirable countries. The plan was to see all the family then and spend Christmas in our home not in Ireland. However, we are now thinking the soonest we may be able to get home is around Christmas I can't see this being over in June/July.

Posy

Sadly I don't think so, either, Jude.

This is all just surreal right now. I'd say there are very few people who aren't struggling with this. It's the uncertainty that I'm finding hard. Not knowing when this will be over. If the lockdown ends, will there be thousands more cases?

I'm not really a new year person, but already looking forward to 'ringing out' 2020!

DvB

Added to the struggle of staying indoors & staying healthy, there's the added financial worry too. So many have already lost jobs & so many more will in the next 3 or 4 weeks or god forbid even longer period it takes to get a grip of this. How many will be wiped out by this? It could make the 2008 recession look like a picnic, I just hope it doesn't come to that but have genuine concerns it will.

DvB

Posy wrote: »

I'm not really a new year person, but already looking forward to 'ringing out' 2020!

I'm with you on that Posy!

kitten_k

We have holidays booked for July and August but doubt we be going on either

Posy

I booked flights for my July holiday to Spain at the end of Feb. (clever me)
Even if they go ahead with them, I am not planning to leave the country this year now. Or at least not going anywhere this summer. It's just too risky.

People have bigger problems right now, of course, but it is few hundred down the drain, to add insult to injury. :rolleyes:

DvB

Posy wrote: »

I booked flights for my July holiday to Spain at the end of Feb. (clever me)
Even if they go ahead with them, I am not planning to leave the country this year now. Or at least not going anywhere this summer. It's just too risky.

People have bigger problems right now, of course, but it is few hundred down the drain, to add insult to injury. :rolleyes:

We're due to head to Lanzarote in July, theres not a chance those flights will go ahead given Spain's struggles, I'd be amazed if you dont get a refund. I fully expect to get my €3k back. Just csnt see tourism being anything like settling down in 3 months.

Posy

A month ago, I was very optimistic this would all be over and done with by the summer.

February Posy was an idiot. :pac:

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

A month ago, I was very optimistic this would all be over and done with by the summer.

February Posy was an idiot. :pac:

We were all February Posys :pac:

Cork Lass

Posy wrote: »

A month ago, I was very optimistic this would all be over and done with by the summer.

February Posy was an idiot. :pac:

To be fair I’d say most of us thought the same. We normally go to portugal for a week every September - was saying to my husband earlier that I doubt very much we’ll get there this year. Initially I thought everything would blow over in a couple of months. Hopefully though, with the current figures lower than anticipated we might get back to semi normal in the not too distant future.

DvB

Posy wrote: »

A month ago, I was very optimistic this would all be over and done with by the summer.

February Posy was an idiot. :pac:

So was I, until about 3weeks ago, but a lot has happened in that time.

Posy

I feel better now!

freshpopcorn

We're into the 260's and the last day of March!

Jude13

Emirates are not giving refund they are giving vouchers to the value you paid to use within the next 12 months. Not much chance that the flights will be the same when this opens up so we will lose quite a bit. However, as everyone says there are a lot worse out there. We let some people go, we spent the weekend on calls trying to save as many as possible and we are taking it month by month for our jobs.

It got announced yesterday evening that the schools will not be back until September here. I have been spending ever other minute I am not working helping the OH make things or film things for her teaching app. The parents are understanding but will go spare today when they see the news. As they are all private school here they air their grievances openly.

I am defo having a Christmas movie this Friday night, something to look forward to. Suggestions welcome.

leahyl

Hi guys, haven't posted here in a long time. How is everyone doing? Everything that's going on at the moment is so bizarre and very difficult for everyone I'm sure. It's the uncertainty is the worst. Of course, I want things to get back to normal but I'm nervous that when restrictions are eventually lifted that there'll be another surge....until we get a vaccine, that will always be the fear. I live with my parents too, who are both over 70, so I'm terrified of them getting it....even though they are generally in good health but that doesn't mean anything to this virus!