Skip to main content

Time flies

..when you are having fun, the saying goes.  Well there is not much fun at the moment and now we are about to be struck down by the coronavirus.  'It is only killing the older people,' my son said cheerfully.   Has he not noticed that I am one of those older people?  After all a lady in the supermarket yesterday asked me if my grandson was my great grandson.  She obviously recognises an old lady when she sees one.

I came to the UK for a jolly family reunion, which was good, and was due to return after 2 weeks.   I have resolved a major problem for my son with learning disabilities, looked after my grandson and narrowly avoided two funerals.  After 3 weeks I am still here with another week to go.  Advice on how to avoid the virus seems to be pointless as apparently you can walk around with it for weeks oblivious to the fact that you have it.  'Don't touch anything and if you do, wash your hands straight away,' we are told.  So here is the scenario.  Someone gets on the bus carefully avoiding the handhold but has to stand because there are no seats.  The bus jerks to a halt.  Does the passenger grab the handrail to stop him/herself falling or just let gravity take its course and fall on the floor?  If you grab the handrail panic could ensue at the lack of  a handy washbasin and soap on the bus and if you are lying prone on the floor are you lithe enough to bounce up into a standing position without touching anything?

I suggest we all wear gloves.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Temper, Temper

I played tennis with Yvette today.  Yesterday I asked if we could play early before the day gets too hot.  She suggested 9.30am.  I was thinking of 8.00am but Yvette has been married 46 years and her husband still brings her breakfast in bed every morning so 9.30 is probably the crack of dawn. I thought I had got used to Yvette's little antics but this morning she behaved like John McEnroe.  I was 4-1 up in the first set when suddenly she announced that the score was 4-3.  I am used to these little tricks so I stood my ground.  She argued, she shouted.  I ignored her and took my position ready to receive serve but her shouting got louder, calling me a cheat and then using some choice words.  Her ploy worked.  I lost concentration and started to lose, eventually losing in a tie break.  I was not happy but said nothing. At the end of the set Yvette asked me if I was angry with her, using the expression 'tu me fais la tete?'  I sa...

What is normal?

The UK seems to be operating on the basis that there is no virus.  Masks are rarely seen, little is being reported in the papers,  it is not the main topic of conversation in the street and social distancing doesn't exist.  I did see a testing table set up in Chesham high street but it was for one day only and they didn't seem to be doing much business. I went to Brighton on Sunday with my son and sister.  The old 'Lanes' have been reduced to a few jewellery shops and lots of cafes and the town was packed.  Openly gay people walk hand in hand through the streets in great numbers while others stroll around in gold lurex dresses. As we were heading back to the station the police arrived and blocked the road for an approaching cycle rally.   Living in France I have seen many cycle races go past but not quite like this one.  Here were 200 totally naked cyclists pedalling by while people cheered them on enthusiastically.  Some of them had put on s...

No-one here when I need them

My visitors have departed and I am once again packing my bags and heading off.  But wait a minute, my son would like me to bring a bookcase with me, solid wood and heavy.  Will it even go in the car and if I do manage to carry it out to the car and lift it single handedly into the car will there be room for my suitcase?  It is a work in progress.  I managed to get it to the car, a neighbour waved bonjour,  and drove off in his car.  Did he not notice me struggling with a bookcase 4ft by 3ft?  I always meant to be one of those helpless women whom everyone rushes to help but somehow I never quite made it and frankly it is usually easier to just 'do it yourself'. A wild boar strolled past the house this morning, perhaps he could give me a hand.