2021 Week 4 - Back in the UK and fully vaccinated

I flew back in to the UK on Tuesday. The flight and arrival in Birmingham went really well, there was an incident in the lift at New Street where I stood my ground and refused to allow the lift doors to close until a couple got out as they were either unable to read or process why I wouldn't let them in until I told them to fuck off, firmly. It was lovely seeing the snow on the ground. I'll be able to leave the house on February 6th. Technically I can now as I have an exemption letter, which I may use to walk Bob in the early hours of the morning, but I've no real desire to go anywhere. 

I'm grateful I have the room to move boxes around and decide what I want to unpack and in which order. I've placed an Ikea order for some display cabinets and started my quest for another house sitter for March. I've also ordered another food delivery for next week and once I'm out of quarantine I'll use the click and collect service.

23 Saturday Child 4's birthday, he turned 26. WTAH? I can't be old enough for this? The cut was made at the golf today and I went out with the penultimate group, a couple of players had a bad round and yes, I knew about it. Only walked 17.500 steps today as opposed to almost 30,000 on Thursday. Had a bath, down to the bar for a drink then had room service dinner. I packed ready for check out in the morning.

The club house at Abu Dhabi.

24 Sunday Last day of the golf, I have a lovely 'golfers' tan. White feet, V neck shirt and short sleeves. Started the day with a PCR test to comply with the rules in the UAE for this event and ready for my flight on Tuesday.

Winner Tyrell Hatton and Caddy with 3rd placed Rory McIlroy. There was a pot of $8 million up for grabs.

25 Monday 2nd covid vaccination today, took around 2 hours. Rest of the day spent tidying and packing and just chilling out. When Peter finished work we popped to the local mall for dinner and had an early night.

26 Tuesday Up and out the house by 4am. The airport and flight was good, arrival in Birmingham was excellent with all the communication, checks and social distancing, caught a train home, had a minor confrontation with a couple until they got out of the lift. Met the house sitters on the drive at 3pm, they left straight away. Cat and dog were pleased to see me, house looks ok. In bed at 6pm.

My travel clothing.

27 Wednesday Woke at 3am, cleaned the kitchen cupboards, surfaces and walls/doors. The downstairs loo and hallway. I unpacked my suitcase, sorted out some bills, made a list of jobs that need doing. The food shop arrived and I unpacked a small chest of drawers so I could put a few things away. In the evening I just chilled out in the evening on the sofa in front of the TV.

I keep forgetting I'm owned by a cat and it just keeps appearing without warning.

28 Thursday Another early morning, drank tea, did some blogging and forced myself to stay in bed till 6am, then showered and got properly dressed for the day. Spent the day unpacking boxes, moving things, discovering broken items, cussing, sleeping, eating and repeat. 

Every box is labelled, glass or books and either kitchen or living room, nothing makes sense and stuff from the shed has ended up in the same box as stuff from the spare bedroom upstairs.

29 Friday A similar day to yesterday and progress is being made. Had a phone call from Public Health England, very friendly bubbly voice telling me to isolate and what to do if I have any symptoms. Would be more effective if they just said 'stay in or get fined'. 

These books were my dad's from his childhood, they were upside down in a box in the shed marked steel. Hopefully I've rescued them from the damp in time.

On the blog this week:

Further developments in Uptown Dubai and the Super Tall Tower with #MySundayPhoto

#PoCoLo Post Comment Love - a weekly linky I co host

My Winter COVID Vacation in Dubai

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One Daily Positive - Week 25 - Just doing nothing

Most people comment that the stuff I get up to tires them out, just thinking about the decorating, repairs and gardening, but you have to remember I've been on my own since March 24th, with just the cat and dog for company. My life prior to lockdown has been 9 years living as an expat. 4 years in South Africa where I worked with several charities that I still support and then 5 years in Dubai, where apart from 18 months teaching, I've pretty much done nothing other than an awful lot of travel, which has come to a halt for the foreseeable future. 

Prior to living abroad, I worked for the FA in child welfare and taught part time at Worcester Tech training teaching assistants and customer service/retail. I was also studying for a degree that I'm hoping to pick back up this year with the OU and we had 5 children at home. My life now is so very different and with it has come a whole new identity and way of life.

The plan had been for me to go back to Dubai to organise the shipping of our furniture. Peter was supposed to be here now and had planned to do most of the DIY jobs I've learnt to do, such as re plastering walls and grouting and sealing the ensuite shower. I've had to call professionals in for some plumbing, re felting the shed and I've had extra jobs done such as new carpets, windows replaced and a tree cut down.

Peter says I've taken away all the jobs he was planning to do in retirement, but we still need top sort out the bathrooms, kitchen and some repairs or replacement with the shed.

For the first time in ages, I actually feel like I have a purpose and I am making a contribution to our future. I might not be earning a salary, Peter does that, but I'm creating our home ready for when he returns, so we can spend our time with family, friends and hopefully resume our travel plans.

To do list carried over:

Learn to crochet (been carrying this forward since pre lockdown).
Investigate returning to the OU to finish my degree.
Read.
Schedule #PoCoLo blog posts.
Paperwork.

I've finished my to do list. Just general maintenance on the garden, day to day cleaning, study, reading, paperwork, bills and blogging are just things that roll over every week. My next challenge is working out a time to get back to Dubai and sort the furniture out for shipping, then I'll have plenty to do 6 weeks after that when it arrives in the UK and all needs unpacking.

166 Sunday The plan was to visited child 5 in the Cotswolds. He's agreed to 'Bubble' with me. He wanted his flat cleaned and the odd weekend to come and stay and get his washing done. Lovely to be wanted lol. I was taking Bob and they would walk around Cirencester, find me a take out coffee and I was treating him to a McDonalds in lieu of a meal out for his 21st birthday in April (his request). On the way home I was to drop a care package at child 1's care home. Instead I got to Tewkesbury had a slow puncture, drove home and spent the day sitting in the garden or on the sofa, blogging, watching TV and just chilling out.

167 Monday Got the tyre fixed and drove to Monmouth to collect mum to move in with me for the foreseeable future, due to family set ups Mum and I will only be able to 'bubble' with child 5. Arranged for a friend to let Bob out for a pee and feed him and the cat. I distanced visited a friend and the twins who lives in the same town and dropped some goodies off with the Things. Mum soon unpacked and I got on with my own things.

168 Tuesday I investigated the paint in the shed. I haven't painted the two bedrooms on the top floor yet as we're using them for storage, I'll start painting them over the next few weeks. My mattress was dropped off, bed frame arrives next week.

169 Wednesday Up early and up the Malvern Hills with Bob. It was a really foggy start to the day and we came down the hills into the town and walked back to the car park.

170 Thursday Set off to Cirencester to see child 5. I messaged him to say I was leaving and he phoned to say work had called him in at a different site and he was away till next week. I had Bob ready to go so distanced dropped care package to child 1. We've had correspondence from the care home to say not to visit, yet when I arrived I discovered the other resident being dropped off by her father, this has been going on throughout lockdown. I was really angry to hear this, we should've been informed and allowed our input on our daughters behalf for the alleged risk assessment they carried out. So I put in a call to Public Health England. This was the first time child 1 and Bob had met, he made a bee line for her, she really wasn't interested and I was too far away for her to know I was there, but it was nice to see her. Did a food shop in the afternoon.

171 Friday
Despite the weather being miserable the last few days, it's nice to be in the UK rather than in Dubai where I'd be stuck indoors. Dubai has reopened fully but with social distancing measures in place, temperature checks before entering malls and masks and gloves must be worn at all times, other than when driving or eating/drinking. The temps look lovely but with the humidity it feels 16c hotter. My friend visited in the evening and we sat in the garden with blankets, wine and chips. i also had a zoom call with my friends in South Africa.

172 Saturday
Mums birthday, I've got cake, decorations and gifts (there's an orchid under the shopping bag) cards were posted here and child 4 and 4a sent her flowers yesterday and I bought her a bunch also. My sister and niece are apparently coming over later today to social distance visit in the garden.

On the blog this week:

What is #PostcardsOfKindness and why I'm writing to random strangers

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