It’s been a couple of weeks since my last update, really nothing much changes here at Fraggle Towers. The rest of the country has changed though as now people can drive to where they want to go to do their exercise. Social distancing is supposed to be still ongoing, but that’s failing everywhere with public transport packed to the rafters as people who can’t work from home are now supposed to go back to work. My eye rolling is continuous when reading the newspaper, it’s all just bonkers. There will be a huge second wave I’m sure.
I am still mostly staying at home, and Phil is still working in theatres. He went in today and told me the traffic is back to normal, and he saw quite a few groups of people on his way home not doing the distancing. I’m thinking there’s a lot of people who either a) misunderstood what the advice was (easy when the government are such a shambles) or b) just don’t care anymore and are throwing caution to the wind. I keep my eye on the audiology group on facebook where there’s been tons of discussions/arguments about returning to work, the PPE we need for earwax removal and publishing of our governing bodies advice, which boils down to ‘go back to work and do your job but at 2 meters apart, unless you have to do face to face procedures when you have to have PPE’. Quite a few companies are opening up now and going back to doing wax removal, so I’ve done an online course in preparation which is all about PPE, donning, doffing, disposal of and the types you need for all situations. (Passed the assessment 100% 🙂 ) So far my boss hasn’t called me back in, so I will wait and see how she plans to handle it all before I jump.
Before lockdown I was forever on a diet, lots of salads and healthy eating, and a fair amount of walking, but that’s all gone out of the window, and I’m cooking comfort food. Annoyingly I haven’t put any weight on, which is a good thing really, but begs the question, what was all the depravation for??
This year was supposed to be my year of film shooting, but that’s off now, yes I could do some rolls, but the lab I get them developed at isn’t up and running at the moment, so I haven’t the heart for it, but I’ve got a few instax films to get through as consolation.
I’ve also made a first attempt at making pastry and pasties, corn beef with veg, and chicken, bacon & mushroom, they turned out quite well and the one we had for dinner was so yummy! I am turning into a proper Geordie.
Also made a lamb byriani from scratch, (see chef’s corner above!) which was yummy too.
I will no doubt be appearing on Masterchef or British Bake Off if I keep this up. Not! 🙂
We have had another wildlife addition to the garden. It started a few days ago with a commotion in our conservatory, and when we looked there was a magpie in there who had got confused tripping about in our blinds. He’s had some sort of altercation either with other birds or a cat, and didn’t have any tale feathers left, with a raw bum where they should have been.
I took a quick snap before placing a towel over him and then Phil lifted him out and put him in the garden. He seems to be OK and runs around really fast, which he has to do because he seems to be on the run from two flying magpies who swoop and attack him when they catch site of him. He is hiding in the Leilandi at the back of the garden, and they couldn’t find him yesterday, but today I saw them swoop into the hedge.
I haven’t seen him yet today, so they either killed him off, or he’s keeping schtum. The pair of blackbirds who live in there and I think are breeding, are not too happy about it all, and Mr. Blackbird spends a lot of time patrolling under the hedge. We have nightly visits from hedgehogs, 3 different ones last night and I’m keeping the hedgehog Youtube channel up to date when anything exciting happens, mostly they just visit the feeding station, snuffle about and then disappear, but I did get some of the daft mating ritual which went on for 2 nights! There’s a lot going on in our little urban garden!
Hopefully, when the novelty of driving to places for exercise wears off for people, Sophie and I will have a meet up. Unfortunately she doesn’t drive, so it will have to be somewhere in Sunderland, I’ll be all right if I wear a crucifix and a garlic necklace. (Just kidding!! if any Mackems are reading 🙂 )
Well that”s the end of this update, so far so good, and Phil and I are doing OK. We are keeping well, and have our hobbies that keep us busy and out from under each others feet, and we get on really well when we spend time together, but I know that isn’t the same for everyone, so feel quite lucky in that!
Stay alert people! 🤣🤣🤣.
Stay tooned for Monday Movies next week.
Fraggle's Otherverse 
Good you are both well. Kudos for doing the online course. I dont work face to face but I shouldve thought of doing one myself!I think we all need a bit a of training regarding puttng on and taking off gloves and handwashing etc. Your garden sounds all hustle and bustle. Poor magpies. I had a big fat blackbird ‘chick’ runnning around my yard this week, either couldnt fly or hurt itself. Its father wasnt too bothered I have to say but I threw it back into the hedge…havent seen it since!
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Fingers crossed it’s ok, blackbird dads are quite wings-on with their bairns usually. I feel so sorry for damaged birds. Have just caught site of Tallus ( my name for the broken one) so he’s doing OK. Cheers Clare, hope things are well with you x
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All good here…I am staying in doors as much as I can too. I agree re:second wave 😦 No one here bothering much as far as I can see. Lots of spuggy chicks and two robin chicks (I think theres two), a dunnock chick, a wrne chick (I think…fromt he way its acting but just looks like anormal sized wren!) . A woodpigeon on her nest out back and my tits are nowhere in sight (ooer) so Im expecting to see some little ones soon.
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I think the hunter magpies have eaten the blackbird chicks 🙁
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I liked that…but I dont really … 🙁
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I’m glad you and Phil continue to be well. I think for many people here in the U.S. social distancing has been pretty much thrown out the window. As for masks? Well, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” as Patrick Henry said. Forgive me for being judgemental, but people are morons!
Those pastries look so yummy! I can almost smell them.
That magpie is a handsome fellow even without the tail feathers. I hope he’s okay.
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He’s ok just seen him, but disrupting the blackbirds no end 🙁
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Mmmmm. Food! And nice pix, too. I feel for the bird, and am glad that you and Phil took good care of him. As far as Covid- 19 here, family is all working from home, those who are still working. Our nurse auntie is back in the post-op arena, but travels to different areas in her hospital. She is now allowed to wear PPE – how kind of her employer. And we are doing well, and glad you are, too.
I understand the coming of the second wave and the concerns it brings. I think there will be an element of fatalism involved after a certain point – if you are going to get it, you are going to get it. I read an interesting article about the end of this Covid-19 era – either people will just live with it and go about their lives, or it will die off, as do some diseases, and then possibly return in cycles, like Ebola. We are opening up to quickly, IMO, in many of the red states, but am so glad I live in a blue state that values humans more than the buck. Yet, we cannot go indefinitely on lock down, so something will have to give or change or adapt.
Can I come to dinner? 😉
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Haha you can so long as you’re 2 meters away!
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Deal! Now I gotta buy a ticket!
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That’s an interesting chart of the flu pandemic. Let’s hope we’re not headed for that giant second wave together with a 30s-style great depression. On a more positive note, hope you are having a nice weekend. Stay strong 🙏
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Cheers Graham, you too!
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It would seem that the Geordies have gone back to normal somewhat faster than the locals here. As for putting on weight, I have. All the buns and biscuits to make me feel better about dying from the virus I expect. I stayed off the wine to keep my weight down, and ended up binge-eating buns instead. Shame about the magpie, but they are not exactly ‘endangered’.
Good luck to you both for keeping safe, especially if you have to go back to work.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Cheers Pete, I’m sure your walks with Olli will soon shift the extra pounds!
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Good to hear an update and know you are both well.
A certain amount of scepticism has crept in over here as well, people have little regard for keeping distance any more as I discovered yesterday when I went shopping out of town. I think compulsory mask wearing has given everybody a false sense of security. Maybe it will take a second wave to convince some people its actually real.
Them pasties look like the real deal and I expect they have a good amount of filling too, I remember too many shop bought pasties being all pastry 🙂
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Yes lots of filling and a very thin crispy pastry, much better than shop ones. Cheers Eddy 🙂
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The lamb byriani looks scrumptious.
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I am glad you are eating well, I am cooking more diverse too and so far seems not unhealthy xD happy you are well n.n
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You too Francis!
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