Scottish lockdown – Day 5

Just because we can.............................

This morning we went for a long walk with Ann's friend, Fiona. In 'proper lock down' we weren't allowed to see anyone.

This afternoon I went for a trek around the icy streets and Ann's intention was to tie me up outside Waitrose while she popped in to buy herself some yummy treats for our 'New Year's Eve Party' (alone) tomorrow evening. OMG! The queue was about a mile long OK slight exaggeration and Ann overheard someone saying there was a 45-60 min wait. Obviously we didn't wait! However, it does pose the question...................... Why were all these people stocking up with food? It seems to us that there's going to be a lot of rule breaking going on tomorrow night.

I got left 'home alone' while Ann went for dinner with her support bubble. She got the bus there and back. In 'proper lock down' humans weren't allowed in anyone else's houses and the buses were only operating on a skeleton service.

In 'proper lockdown' Ann didn't go on a bus for more than 3 months and I didn't go in the car for more than 3 months and the only time Ann went out in the car was once a week when she did a supermarket shop for herself and Mrs R.

This whole 'Tier' thing is obviously NOT working. We just heard today that Cornwall is going into Tier 3 from 12.01am tomorrow. That means that we can't rent out our house there any more. And we can't go there ourselves. …........So there goes our main source of income. Apparently I'm going to have to cut back on my treats again. …............And what annoys Ann more than anything is................ she's paying full council tax on a house that she only spent 5 weeks in last year due to COVID. It was her 'permanent' home from 2002-2019 and when she lived there she got a 25% 'single person discount' on her council tax. And because she knew that in 2019 she would be spending more time in Edinburgh, she thought she was being honest by registering Edinburgh as her main home and St Ives as her second home. …..........Well that was a mistake wasn't it??!!

Oh well ho hum..................... We'd like to say, 'things can only get better', but every time Ann says that, …..........things get worse.

We don't need 'support bubbles'. We don't need to meet people outdoors. ….............Actually we do. Ann & her support bubble would be very lonely if they didn't have each other. …....But, they coped for 3 months so they can do it again.

What we need is a complete national lock down for a month where EVERYTHING is closed. All this half-hearted faffing about is just going to drag on and on and on and on. EVERYTHING (apart from supermarkets & pharmacies) should be closed. No one should be allowed to meet anyone. If we all knew that we were only going to be 'locked down' for a month there would be 'light at the end of the tunnel'. The trouble is, we don't know that. Here in Scotland we're locked down until 11th January. Unfortunately, the majority of us know, that on the 11th January the First Minister will extend the lock down. It's the uncertainty that causes anxiety, depression and fear.

Mental health issues are a huge problem, but apparently death from COVID is the most immediate problem, so deal with that first and sort out everything else later.

…..............And that's enough 'ranting' for one day.

I've had the most fabulous time in the snow today.

Off to bed soon. Toodles xxx