Saturday 15th August 2020
Well, it’s been a while since NZ came out of any kind of lockdown but COVID has managed to sneak back in, so our largest city is back in level 3 and the rest of us are at level 2. Level 2 basically means trying to keep 1-2 metres away from people. And no lovely work-from-home order.
Since April, when we last met, Mr Pigalina’s Aunty passed away and was laid to rest with her poor daughter having to be live-streamed in from Australia due to quarantine restrictions. The dog has had a huge tumour on his thigh,that grew rapidly during lockdown, removed, and another massive lump under his front leg removed as a precaution. Then in England my Nan went to hospital at death’s door with suspected COVID but it turned out to be a mix-up with her medication so she is back home again now. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster but life was pretty much getting back to normal.
(Warning – Poor me paragraphs ahead). I had been already having a couple of very stressful weeks work-wise (the above didn’t help) resulting in an enormous stress cold sore, potential high blood pressure and a racing heart all culminating in a wine fuelled meltdown “I just need a f***ing break”. I got all my work squared up and booked two days off work. Then we had the announcement.
So leave was canceled with a view to take all my owed lunch breaks from the week in a lump and have Friday afternoon off when I had my blood pressure check booked. Woke up in the night with an incredibly sore shoulder caused by tensing up due to stress and tensing up in the cold walking to and from work. Spent the morning juggling my regular work and COVID related changes and watched my afternoon off slowly fade away. On the plus side though I DON’T have high blood pressure, just stress.
So, Lockdown Diary is back, even though I stopped doing it when we moved to level 2 last time as level 2 is not terribly exciting. (I just realised I worked from home for a whole month after I finished writing). This time it is planned that the country will remain in level 2 for two weeks and Auckland will stay in level 3 for that time. Unless things go cray.
There was panic buying in our town as soon as the level 2 announcement was made with toilet paper and bread sold out at my local supermarket and reports of people abusing the staff there. (I’ll hold my hand up and admit to buying more toilet paper than we needed ahead of lockdown (as a student I once had to use the free student newspaper as toilet paper when we’d run out so didn’t want to find myself in that situation again. They print it on shiny paper these days anyway so would be of no use) but we all got through fine so everyone should have learned this time around). At work people have been making masks out of socks, Mum went to the store to get elastic for masks, it was sold out but she found some in her hoard at home.
I think we are all caught up. Oh – I have managed to wear my Dr Ashley Bloomfield t-shirt, purchased in lockdown, on numerous occasions, including today. Now we have caught up.
11:27am – About to venture out to buy storage boxes. Mr Pigalina will be staying home as he may have had a wee bit too much wine last night.
11:52am – Social distancing means queuing to get into shops. I forgot that. We have also been asked to scan a QR tracking code upon entry everywhere although I didn’t see anyone else do it…
12:37pm – At the chip shop, I need to get home for Dr Bloomfield at 1pm!
4:23pm – After a productive day of moving things into our newly accessible loft space and a freezing cold walk for the dog it is relax time. Mr Pigalina is in the Appalachian wastelands of Fallout 76 and I have some Sims to try and get into university.
6:51pm – One thing I enjoyed very much about lockdown was that while I worked from home I had chance in the down times to prep dinner. I usually had an idea of what to have and it didn’t feel like a chore to cook and you had to make do with what was already at home. Not anymore. What the heck am I going to cook for tea tonight?
11:22pm – We had chicken stir fry. I’m off to bed.
(Shoutout to Leilei who inspired level 2 diary)
Pigalina's Palace 