Tag: COVID

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Family

Learn about my COVID Booster Experience

Me after my booster shot. Here I am well and had no idea of what was to come.

Last Friday I had my COVID Booster. I had heard reports that some people had bad reactions and some nothing at all. I had no idea what group I would end up in. Below is a photo of me after my booster shot and well before I knew if I would be well or not.

Come 2am Saturday morning it was clear that I ended up in the bad reaction group. I woke to shaking, shivering, feeling absolutely freezing, wanting to throw up (although that never happened I did feel very nauseous). To add to these symptoms I also had a very high temperature that I could not shake.

To make myself feel warm, I added long pants, a jumper, a beanie, bed socks to my freezing feet and about 5 extra blankets to my bed. I thought this would instantly help, but NO I was still freezing and shaking and shivering. Not good at all.

I also could not get comfortable and found myself not sleeping. I was so tired and yet struggled to fall asleep. My pillow was uncomfortable and so was my bed, nothing was right.

I continued to have high temperatures for the next 2 – 3 days, body aches, feeling of being nauseous and was exhausted that I could close my eyes and instantly be asleep.

I was annoyed that this was affecting me so badly. I was also thinking that if this is a taste of COVID I don’t want it. I am glad to get vaccinated and hopefully have this protect me and my family. However, fully vaccinated people can still get the virus and can still get very ill, the only positive about being vaccinated is that it is meant to help you not get too ill and need ICU hospitalisation. I am not sure about this as I for one have not contracted COVID and don’t want to, but with the number of cases and the fact more and more are getting it, it might happen regardless.

I was very angry that I lost my weekend to feeling ill from a vaccination. Yes, I chose to do it. And yes, I am pro-vaccination. I feel that it is the right thing to do to protect me, my family and others.

I’m doing my part and making sure that our family is protected as much as we can possibly be. The youngest is booked into his first shot in February and then his final one in April. The twins cannot get their booster as it is not available for those under 18’s currently.

Hubby got his booster shot yesterday and has fallen into the group of nothing happened at all. Typical he had a good run and managed to feel fine. I wonder why he had a better reaction than I did?

My first COVID vaccination was fine, but then my second was horrible. I felt like my bones were cold, I had temperatures, body aches and felt like I was the walking dead for at least a week. I was hoping that the booster shot would be like my first but it was not to be.

With school soon to start, I hope that the case numbers stay low and don’t close schools. My concern is that due to the kids not being able to get their booster shots they might be vulnerable to the virus. Also if there is an outbreak at school it might close and homeschooling might start again. I am not a fan of homeschooling as it didn’t work well for my kids and our household, and it is very hard to homeschool while working full time too!

Schools are saying that kids need to be tested multiple times a week with RAT tests and these tests are in short supply so god knows how they will acquire over 2 million tests for all kids to get a couple done each week. One report was saying that parents might be needed to supervise kids due to a teacher shortage. Not sure how this will work as parents are working, will need to go through the working with a kids safety check and some minimum training even to just supervise kids.

I do hope that schools remain open and that they eventually allow kids under the age of 18 to get their booster shots. However, I am not sure how things will work if they have to constantly get tested each week to attend school, what happens if they cannot get tests to do the test in the first place? Will the child be allowed to go to school? I am not sure what the process is going to be and I for one am finding it rather confusing.

Have you had your booster shot? Were you well?

Are you concerned about how back to school and testing will work? I think many of the mixed messages about how you are not a close contact and when to get tested is just very strange. It has not helped things that tests have been hard to get during the holiday period.

There was a news article stating that Omicron is going to be the last wave of COVID where others say that we will be constantly living with COVID but hopefully not in a life-threatening way. I don’t know how true this is, it is all very scary from my perspective and I for one don’t want to get it or have it infect my family or friends, or anyone else for that matter. I want it gone so that we can all live our lives again.

Let me know your thoughts.

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Frazzled

Lately, I have felt frazzled. On edge, tired, annoyed, exhausted, overworked, too much to do, waiting for something to happen and then nothing does, upset, worried about money, worried full stop about everything, unable to do things I had planned, sad that I had to cancel plans that I was looking forward to and a lot of other things that I find I cannot name.

I think all these feelings have stemmed from the COVID Pandemic.  As well lockdowns making sure that we are all stuck in a small house and the outcome means that there is no time for anything that I wish to do, or the space to do it, or the money to do it and when I might finally have time I am looking after kids and that means I cannot do my thing at all anyway, so I don’t bother. Yes, no time for me at all! 

Sometimes I feel rather sad, miserable, and downright depressed. Sometimes I am feeling happy and upbeat, and then most of the time I am feeling downtrodden and ordinary. 

I am getting up and doing what feels like five million jobs. I do a week’s work, and then do more work at night, to then have children argue with me about just helping around the house.

Normally I keep myself busy but for the last two years, I feel like I have been running a marathon non-stop and not getting a break. 

Oh, what would I give for an all-expenses trip to a beach somewhere? On this beach, I would have a cocktail in my hand, and I would just be lying on the beach resting. Oh, there is that word, resting….

I have not had much of that lately. The good old downtime to rest. God knows when I have really rested. When I am resting, I am worrying about all the things that are yet to be done. 

My weekends consist of being with kids and attempting to get a very messy house for the week ahead, and of course that comes with a tonne of clothes to wash, fold and ask that people put away, but they get added to the bedroom floor and then tossed around, thrown, and of course stomped on to then need washing again. 

Geez…. Why can’t someone just do as I ask the first time!!!!!! Put the clothes away. Pick up the mess on the floor! C’mon you say, and all you get is yelling, moaning and doors being slammed in your face. So of course, you give up as all you wish to do is to rest and have a quiet house for a change, however that never happens. 

Not sure if being frazzled is a medical term or a condition. Maybe it is a direct outcome of the COVID lockdowns and aftermath it has caused. 

This is quite accurate.

You might have thought that it is all getting better in the world. Well, I thought so too. However, my car was recently stolen, driven terribly that it was practically falling apart and then set on fire. Yes, burnt everything down to the ground. If it hadn’t been for the weeks of non-stop rain the stupid horrible beasts and dickheads that took my car could have caused another bushfire. Yes, it was dumped and set on fire in the middle of the national park…. not smart but these are the idiots that steal cars so I guess they don’t think about that type of thing. 

I bought the car before the four-month lockdown and have hardly driven it. It seems rather sad but also very ironic, that it is now gone. I did think that I caused the lockdown with my car purchase.



I am still very miserable about the loss of my car. I miss it. My car gave me independence, it allowed me to do whatever I wanted, and now it is gone. I have been fortunate to have good insurance so now I need to find a replacement.  I just now need to do all the research I did the first time with my car that is no longer here anymore. Currently, I do have an idea of what I want but it is a bit out of reach now, and yes, another thing to be annoyed about!

Also, a new COVID variant making infections increase is not a good sign of what is to come. I do hope that we don’t have another lengthy lockdown. I could not handle work and home-schooling again. The only solution for this I believe is to lock things down again but personally, I don’t want that to happen either if we have too many more I wonder what the solution will be other than a lockdown?  

Let’s just hope that we will still be able to travel in our state as the kids and I are really looking forward to visiting their Grandma and Grandad and also the beach. No offence to my in-laws but the kids, especially the youngest is hanging for the beach (they are excited to see their grandparents but the beach is the highlight at the moment) and I am right there with them. I think we need it after being cooped up not being able to travel.

My fix for feeling frazzled is a holiday (It would be nice to have a little holiday on my own as that would allow for less frazzle). A holiday where I can rest, not worry, just be and finally relax. However, this holiday is coming soon, it is still a while away yet and one that will be greatly welcomed. 

I am sure I am not the only one feeling frazzled this year. Have you been feeling all mixed up lately? Is it a feeling of being frazzled and on edge? I feel like this year has just piled more terrible things on top of each other that you just shrug your shoulders and say, of course, yes it makes sense that would happen. 

After I am done with work, I need to really focus on getting organised for Christmas. I have the gifts but need to wrap them and loads more to be all good to go for Christmas Day.  I just want to be finally done for a bit and put my feet up for a bit longer than 5 minutes, I am sure you know what I mean.

So, as you can see 2021 has been a HUGE year, and I am sure you are in a similar situation. It would be nice to have a bit more luck in 2022 and for the car and holiday gods to smile on me in 2022. 

I’ve now put my out of office on and I am officially on holiday! Let the relaxing begin.

Let me know how you are going? Have you been feeling frazzled too? 

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Lifestyle

The Global Realignment

The global pandemic has made us all rethink everything!  Yes, everything….

Our jobs.

Where we live.

Our lives.

Our relationships.

And what makes us happy

           and what would we rather be doing. 

There have been so many articles about the “great resignation”, some have called it the great reshuffle, and I personally feel it is the great realignment.

Although the COVID pandemic has been horrendous, horrible and devastating to so many people worldwide. It has finally made businesses see that employees can truly work remotely and function just as well as if they are in the office. 

For years there has been the capability and technology to allow for remote work, for years organisations have told us their propaganda and spouted how flexible and family friendly they are. Join us and see how we embrace flexible working, however if you really wanted to have a fully remote or more flexible role in the past this was frowned upon. Maybe it would have happened for long term employees?  Maybe it happened for the executive team but not for many in other roles, even though many roles are all computer based and not client facing, companies still demand you front up at an office for face-to-face working. 

I do admit that being in the office and having some time with actual people is good but being able to work from home is ideal in my book.

The problem with the world before was that the promise of the carrot, yes, the idea of flexibility that really wasn’t flexible.   

If it was never offered at your work, there was always a reason. You just started at the company, we need you in the office, it is good for morale and so on to have people all together. And so, it went on. 

Many roles that I applied for had the promise of working from home, and were all computer based and not client facing. Yes, all these jobs can be done online, and you guessed it, you had to travel to be in the office to do a job that can also be done from home very effectively.

As a mother to three kids I need flexible options. I also don’t live in the middle of the city. Yep, I do love to travel (Travel when I’m going somewhere amazing like a beach holiday, or somewhere overseas is what I long for when I think of travel), but to waste travel every day when I can maximise my time working from home is ideal, and what I need in my life at the moment. 

I find it sad that it took a worldwide health crisis to make workplaces embrace the idea of working remotely. 

One saying that has been popular online is that “We expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work”.   I cannot wear all the hats I am supposed to at all times. Why is it that during the pandemic that women were the ones that were greatly affected with employment? It is interesting that women are still the ones that suffer the most in a crisis…just sad really. 

So, getting back to the “great reshuffle” or what the world should be like for the world of work. 

With so many people able to finally embrace remote work they have relooked at where they are living. Why not move to the beach? Why not move to the country? You can now!   If you were living on a yacht and had internet you could sail around the world and still work, it is up to you. 

It has become clear that we need to have a real focus on our mental health, lifestyle and have more time with family. The last few years we have been all working hard, been super stressed and in desperate need of a holiday and down time. 

However, for many a break or even a holiday is a far-off dream or wish.  So many have been unemployed due to the pandemic and in turn had to put bills on hold and were lucky if they kept their mortgage paid or if renting had to move in with family or friends. It has been a hard and tough financial road and for many they are working extra jobs to get back on track and pay back the bills that have been piling up. 

Now with restrictions easing, borders slowly opening, offices opening, and businesses welcoming customers back Australia is getting back to some sort of normal, although with QR code check ins, social distancing and some mask wearing. 

With the hope of life getting back to a new normal many are finally now rethinking what they truly want out of life?

Does this job give me joy?  Yes, we are Marie Kondoing our jobs. Does where I live allow me to do what I want? Does it make me happy? 

With the fact that many are working remotely you are not tied to an area, in fact you could be working anywhere that has internet access. We are now really looking at what is beneficial for us as individuals and the family too.

On employment sites I have noticed that many advertisements are listing that the role is ‘on site’, many of these jobs can still be done remotely and have a day or two in the office, if needed, but 100% can be done from your office at home. 

I wonder how many are not applying for these roles that say must be ‘on site.’ It has been called an employee market at the moment and companies not embracing remote work and making it a part of their business will lose out on talented employees. 

One candidate I spoke to said that she interviewed for a content marketing role and the very young HR recruiter said, “With a young family would you be able to do your job while working from home”. Geez! Talk about already making your mind up about a person and her situation. This person has had years of experience working from home and it wasn’t an issue and said as much. However, with these glam young things (who I’m sure don’t have children and have no idea of what it takes to work and be a parent) making decisions about women who do have a family and a job is disgusting. I thought that in 2021 people where not supposed to do this and especially from a young woman as well. This example is really making the case for the business to force the employee into physically coming into the office. 

Personally, why would you want to not have a flexible work life, why would you not want to be available to your children, why would you want all the stress from commuting all the time. There are better ways, and these have been proven in the last two years. 

Remote work and flexibility need to be embraced and adopted by all businesses to allow people to have a life and also a job. Rather simple really.

I feel that many will not want to be told to be in an office after working remotely for so long. You cannot say that it hasn’t worked…this used to be the excuse before, we cannot do it and the structure is not set up for working from home…NOT ANYMORE!

So why do I think the current issue with the workforce is the “great realignment”

The “great realignment” is getting us all to how things should be. Value our family, value our friends, value our health and lives more rather than work non-stop and burn out.  The focus before was all about being physically present to do work, but we have all seen that even if we are not psychically present at an office the work gets done.

Things still happen and the wheels are still turning. This realignment is something that I think we need to factor into all corporations to make sure that we are not falling back to old ways and demanding that everyone turns up to be marked off a roll at work. Investing in people and prioritising ways we can be more flexible and lifestyle friendly is what is needed to attract the bright and talented staff to any future company. 

Remote working is not just for younger workers. Mature age and older workers want more freedoms too. I think in the years to come there will be a dramatic shift away from organisations that are not willing to offer remote work options to their employees. Those that don’t offer this flexibility will find it tough to recruit staff, especially if they are not open to what it means to be a working parent. 

What do you think would happen if we all decided to not accept jobs if they don’t offer flexibility and work from home options?

I do understand some jobs need us to be there to do the job. However, for these roles we could factor in more down time, more RDO’s, help with care if you have kids or family that needs assistance, and of course support for further training and education pathways. 

With different strains of COVID continuing to happen we need to make sure that we are set up to continue to work remotely no matter what the situation, we can keep on going. 

Are you an advocate for keeping this flexibility in your work? Do you work from home and love it?

What do you think about all the job ads that are saying you must be ‘on site’ for roles that are computer based?

Let us know your thoughts, and send in a comment to this blog post.

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Is It Pandemic Fatigue?

I don’t know about you but I am exhausted.

I feel like I am running on fumes.

If you really want to know how tired I am, all my cells need a 6-month nap to be able to replicate again, that’s how tired I am!

A very true picture of me needing sleep

I blame the constant stress of the COVID pandemic. The current climate has meant that I feel always on edge, wearing so many hats that it is not possible to do everything for all roles in one day and at the end of each day I feel like I have run a marathon, although I haven’t done any strenuous exercise. I also feel like I have achieved NOTHING!

I am mentally spent. I am running on empty and in desperate need of a break. I find that I am at my wit’s end.

With week 16 (starting tomorrow) and the new freedoms, we are allowed due to the higher rate of vaccinations, I am now able to go to a shop and buy something. I am now able to go to a cafe and eat, and being able to visit friends and family is just an amazing thing after four months of not being able to leave my LGA (local government area/council).

Monday the 18th of October my little boy returns to his Kindergarten class with his teacher. He is very excited and has really missed his teacher and his classmates. On the 25th of October, my twins return to grade 7 for the last few weeks of the year. One of the girls is super excited and the other is not keen as she has enjoyed working from home. Mummy and Daddy are very happy to have all kids back at school soon and we hope that all three kids really enjoy seeing their friends, teachers and getting more out of their school work with finally learning with face to face lessons again.

Gift Baskets and Hampers Delivered



There is light at the end of the tunnel and having kids back at school will make the house mine again for a while. Although the time that is mine I will be working so busy on other things, the house will be nice and quiet for a change.

I am finding it tough as we navigate again through the end of this long lockdown and find that I just want to fall in a heap and not get up for a while. This cannot happen as I need to solider on and keep working and plodding along. I need to work, I need to keep going for the family and all the things I do to keep the house, kids and life going.

Oh, how I wish I could travel somewhere to rest. Somewhere warm that will pamper me and let me rest. It would be nice to have a fancy resort but currently, the only thing that I am drooling over is a beach, sunshine and being in a room that will allow me to have time alone and of course a place that has room service so I don’t have to think about anything other than rest. At this point, I could be at the local hotel and never leave my room, an easy holiday!

Lately, I have had a million and one ideas about things I would love to be working on, however, my body and mind are not in sync. I find that I am either so tired I cannot keep my eyes open, or I am not thinking straight and cannot do justice to my ideas and thoughts. So instead of doing, I have prioritised sleep and rest as I believe that my body is saying that this is needed.

Below is what I would love to do while on holiday…yes not an actual picture of me.

This not doing is also making me very frustrated and annoyed. I see all these people getting so much done during lockdown and I am just trying to get out of it with everyone in one piece so to speak.

Maybe it is the pandemic that is giving me brain fog? Maybe it is the stress of the unknown and the financial crises that we have faced during COVID? I like many of you have been negatively impacted by COVID. We have been lucky to remain well but we have suffered terribly financially. We were very close to losing everything…yes everything we have worked over 20 years to build!


I know that we have been lucky in some respects and I thank my stars that I have a job that allows remote working and hubby got a job in July that has also been happy for him to work from home. I have been focusing on what I am grateful for, my house, health of family, jobs, being with my children, and so much more. I know others are not that lucky and I am very grateful for what we have.

What I would love to be doing now

It feels silly saying that I feel so out of sorts all the time. I feel silly thinking that I am on edge and worried about things all the time. I know it really isn’t silly, but I think that people might think it is silly because I should be over it by now. I should be adult enough to be on top of things.

In actual fact, I just want to stop being an adult for a while. What about you?

Having things taken away from you is tough; Your job, maybe your house, not being able to travel, not knowing when things will change, what is the point of making any plans when they all get cancelled and so on!


I suppose living for years with constant stress isn’t good for you at all. I feel for all the people working hard to make sure they pay their rent/mortgage, keep food in the bellies of their families and the lights on. It is a hard slog and one that makes you super super exhausted. All this chaos also means that you are not functioning as your best self.

So I as I write this I am feeling over it all. I am cver all the crazy with kids at home. Over asking for kids to help and get attitude and arguments back, over having to be the teacher at home, over being the one policing everything, over having to be working full time, over not having time alone, over not being able to get to do anything I want to do, over not being able to travel, over having to catch up on bills due to a health crisis that was and is out of my control, over everything! Basically, I just want to be left alone for a while and for the house to be quiet for a decent period so that I can think.

However the quiet in the house and being left alone will not happen for another 18 or more years as I have children and one that is very young. I can live in hope though.

One other stress is what to do about Christmas, yes it is fast approaching and I have not organised anything at all. Have you got things sorted for Christmas? Or are you in a bit of a panic also about it? I do hope that I can work some miracles and find some things for all 3 kids that they will like, and that won’t break the bank. Send suggestions if you have them.

Tips to help you beat pandemic fatigue from NSW Health:

“Practice mindfulness: be in the moment and don’t dwell on problems or negative news of the day.

Take one step at a time: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and allow yourself to take a break if you need it. Eat well: stay alert with a healthy balanced diet. Forego unhealthy snacks and temptations.

Stay energised: do regular exercise that you enjoy. This is a great way to clear your mind and boost your energy levels.

Rest: switch off from mobile devices or computers prior to going to bed. Give yourself time to relax and de-stress from the day to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.”
(https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/update/Pages/pandemic-fatigue.aspx)

How are you faring with the end of lockdown and many restrictions ending? Let me know how you are feeling?

Maybe once all kids are back at school they will be happier? Being with their peers and being able to do things they couldn’t do before will of course make them feel better.

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Lockdown Struggles

I don’t know about you but I have been struggling with working full time and kids doing homeschooling.

It basically has been a complete mess and a disaster in our house. For me the reason is clear, 2 kids are the same age and at the same level and 1 is not. The 1 who is not is the person who wants to play, have fun, not do school work or in fact anything he is supposed to do.

We are all keeping busy at home, what about you?

This means that the 2 kids that have work to do cannot do their work due to interruptions, tantrums and very bad behaviour. When this does occur I end up leaving my work to sort it out to then have to calm this child down and distract him from his sisters. However, this never lasts and there are many back and forth disasters that have to get sorted and then the kid in question wants you to stay with him and play. I would love to do this but I cannot due to the fact I need to work and get things done too.

We are approaching the end of the 9th week of lockdown…yes we have been in lockdown for 9 weeks! And have more to come.

It is not just homeschooling that I am having issues with, it is the fact that all kids are eating everything in sight (as soon as something is purchased it is gone in seconds, I kid you not!), not tidying up and arguing when they make a mess. It is a struggle and an argument to get them to anything you ask. Maybe this is their age or could it be lockdown is causing naughty behaviour? Please let me know. I do think it is an age thing as this was happening well before lockdown.

Today the NSW, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the back to school plan. I personally don’t think it will happen with the rate of infections but it does look like more and more are getting the vaccine so maybe this will let us reopen sooner. I do worry that if we open up people will go crazy and socialise and then we will be in lockdown yet again.

According to the ABC Website, this is what is going to happen or at least planned:

“A staggered return to face-to-face learning will begin on Monday, October 25. Students will return in the following order:

  • October 25: Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 (some Year 12 students have already returned to classrooms in a limited way, but they will be back full-time from this date)
  • November 1: Year 2, 6 and 11
  • November 8: Year 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10

Currently, all of NSW is in lockdown. If stay-at-home orders are lifted in any part of the state before October 25, students will return to school then too.”

Kids don’t have to be vaccinated but it is encouraged and today the government has added kids from 12-15 years of age have been added to the vaccine rollout. However, even with this update, I cannot book my 12-year-old kids in anywhere. The booking systems are not accepting kids this age and the doctors haven’t been updated on the change, when I rang they said to try next week. Although if you have an underlying health condition that would change the eligibility for booking a child from 12-15 years in for a covid vaccination.

Although some reports online have said by the end of the year all kids in this age group should be vaccinated. Let’s hope that is correct.

Teachers need to be all vaccinated and masks are compulsory for teachers and from what I have seen a requirement for high school and recommended for primary school kids too.

I watch other social media updates from other parents and see their picture-perfect kids that have magically done every last piece of work that was assigned to them from school. It makes me wonder if my kids have done everything they need to do, and then I think of the craziness that is my house at the moment and the answer is NO, they have done as much as they can and probably not everything.

It would be nice to post these types of posts but maybe this is not my family. It could be possible that there were a few arguments behind the picture-perfect posts too that I have no idea of.

My kids have been cooking and helping around the house, helping with their baby brother and just trying to not go insane with the fact we cannot go anywhere. Our only solace is that we live in a very large LGA (Local Government Area/Council) and we can take refuge in some lovely bush walks.

So I am counting down the weeks left of lockdown and we have 5 more weeks, so that will total 11 weeks, and I don’t believe that will be the end of it.

I am sure we will be in lockdown until all the kids go back to school, possibly another 2 more months till November.

Do you believe NSW will be out of lockdown at the end of September? Do you think kids will go back as the government has outlined today? Also, when do you really think kids from 12 years onwards will be able to be vaccinated.

Once kids from 12 years on can get the jab, will they be giving it to younger kids? My little boy will then be the only one not vaccinated and he is under the age to get the jab at the moment.

Being at home with everyone constantly is very stressful and I for one am keen for it all to end. I hope you are feeling okay if you are in lockdown too.

Take care and if you wish to chat about this please send me an email.

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Family

Was It Me?

We have just finished week five of lockdown, and are set for another four weeks that will end at the end of August. However, I am thinking that it might be even longer than August as Sydney have been reporting constant high numbers of daily infections.

Lockdown started with the July school holidays, well in fact it started at the end of June to be precise.

Before lockdown began, I successfully purchased a really nice second-hand car and then was plunged into lockdown and now cannot go anywhere!

A fantasy photo of what I would look like in my new car. It is not a vintage car, but this is a nice dream.

So it made me think, is it now my action of buying a car that made lockdown happen?

It is like hanging clothes on the line to make it suddenly rain?

Booking a holiday to have other forces out of your control stop you from attending?

Or possibly excited to attend a concert or event and then can’t go!

I know this is silly but you never know, right? Maybe many of us decided to finally do a few things that we were desperate to do and then BAM lockdown hits us all. Yes, it was like the universe knew we were all happy to have a little bit more freedom while living with COVID and then it said, NO you don’t have this, and stopped everything.

COVID has defiantly stopped us in our tracks at the moment. The new strain is affecting younger people and even little kids whereas before it was only affecting older people.

What have you had planned before lockdown happened that you are now convinced that if you hadn’t organised then lockdown wouldn’t have happened?

The universe saw that a whole group of people in Australia were making plans and deciding to get outside and travel and then the lockdown hit again!

Maybe we are destined to never get toilet paper ever again!

Well, the majority of people affected are in the Greater Sydney region. Victoria, Northern Territory and South Australia have had a brief lockdown too, and unfortunately, as I write this Queensland has announced they are in lockdown again.

I do hope that we will get out of lockdown soon. The only time I will drive anywhere will be to finally get my Pfizer Vaccine.

Have you done something that now you think has impacted the lockdown? It could have been as simple as making plans to catch up with friends or family. Let me know.

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Categories
Family

Reflections on 2020

2020 has been a test for everyone.

Every time I turn on the TV every station says, “It’s a year like no other” and “We are all in this together” This is nice to know but I am rather over hearing these phrases.

Oh deer what a year! We can all agree 2020 wasn’t a great year.

My 2020 started when we were in the midst of constant bushfires and we watched the fires near me app more than our television. The fires in the Blue Mountains had actually started in about September or possibly earlier in 2019 so we had about five months of constant fires, sirens, smoke and living with a go bag packed just in case.

When the winds changed near the end of 2019 the residents of the city of Sydney were whinging about having smoke in there backyard and having the constant smell of smoke. I know it was hard for them, but have a thought for us and others that were living this every day for months on end. No one seemed to worry if we had smoke where we lived but as soon as it blows into someone’s fancy penthouse or apartment it is national news story. Oh well there is my whinge about that issue.

Just before Christmas 2019 we were planning on visiting family but decided to leave a day earlier as they were closing the road going to Sydney and had already closed the road to Mudgee and beyond. Yep, where I live there is one road in and one road out… so if they are closed and the emergency department says ti is to late to leave you are stuck with no where to go. We thought it best to go while the road was still open and as we have 3 young children cannot just make quick decisions for all. We were lucky our place wasn’t burnt down and still in one piece, however there were burnt leaves that were still on fire flying into our yard, black ash over everything and heavy smoke and a red fire sun on our return in 2020.

Fireworks has been cancelled nearly everywhere. Sydney cancelled the 9pm fireworks and has told people to watch on the TV for the 12pm fireworks.

We thought that if we could only just get through the fires we would all be okay. Have the public holidays in January, get jobs and move on from there.

The fires were not the only thing that happened to our local community. We had floods and weeks and weeks of heavy rain that caused a lot of damage. Again, we were lucky to escape this damage on our property but we knew others that didn’t have such luck. Many had trees come down on roofs and one had a tree land on a car (the only plus here was that they were not in it at the time).

Many job applications later and nothing from anyone. It was all okay we thought, it is just the fact that it is just after the holidays. More job applications and many people who finally spoke to us said they were putting jobs on hold. At the time we were not sure why, but thought that it might be due to budgets.

Fast forward to March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic had hit Australia, we were on the brink of a full shutdown, border closures, and schools telling parents that if you were not an essential worker then you will need to home school your child or children. We were not considered essential workers and this then meant that all three kids were home with us doing school work all the while I was trying to do some paid work. This as you imagine was very hard.

Homeschooling only lasted for about four months, I do know that other countries have had nearly a whole year of having kids at home learning. I am very happy that we didn’t have longer with all three kids at home, it was very testing to say the least….many swear words and more were uttered due to the horrible circumstances.

With the second wave that happened in Melbourne and Sydney suddenly facing more infctions everywhere, well it seems everywhere but it has been a little over a hundred new infections currently. Although it seems low the powers that be have cracked down hard due to the fact that the virus can spread quickly and infect many in a short space of time.

I was hoping that on the last day of the year that we would be in a better position, however, borders are closed to everyone from New South Wales, wearing masks is now said should be mandatory and we need to make sure to only have 5 people visit our home which includes kids and adults.

I’m very grateful to have a contract that is bringing money into the household and has made Christmas and life a little bit easier. It is nice to be working again in the corporate world, although I do miss some fun things with the kids. In a year where we desperately needed someone to work I have taken on that role to give us all a helping hand.

My relatives in the UK are having a much harder time. A full shutdown is happening and a mutation of the virus is so much more infectious. More people are in hospital and intensive care since April, and thousands and thousands are getting infected each day and sadly dying. Over 40,000 people tested positive during the last seven days in the UK. (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55494800)

I also feel for everyone in America as the numbers for infections are enormous. I must say that I feel very happy to be in a country that doesn’t tie your health care and other help to your job. In a crisis, you can lose your job and then all other benefits and assistance dry up.

2020 showed the world and big corporates that people can work from home and still do their jobs. Remote working isn’t a thing to flash in front of prospective staff or exisiting ones to hopefully keep them on or interested, it is something that actually works and remote staff have been shown to be highly engaged, do more work and yes, get more shit done!

As a mum and a person who would love more flexibility with her work life having businesses have remote roles are fantastic. I also don’t think they can go back now to saying that they cannot offer this. It is not just the young things that are working away that want to be flexible or have a remote schedule, no matter your age, where you are in life, having a flexible work life is a great thing to have and to strive for. 2020 has shown us that this can happen, it is not a new concept and one that I have always been promised at every place I have worked and yet it never ever happened or materialized until now.

See how a crisis makes things happen, sad don’t you think!

I hope that big business continues offering remote and flexible work to people. It has been proven it works and can be done, oh and it is cheaper to not have a dedicated desk for someone…. see it can have its benefits for both parties.

Being with family more this year has meant that we have spent more quality time together, and sometimes this time has been annoying. If you are a family of five and you cannot escape due to restrictions you have nowhere to go…I was keen to go to the library earlier in the year but it was closed, although now open.

I wish people wouldn’t panic over toilet paper

And don’t get me started on the stupid panic buying of toilet paper that has happened again. Yes, more idiots are stockpiling toilet paper due to new infections. I recently went to get some toilet paper to find that the aisle has yet again been emptied by people who are making sure they can go to the toilet with massive amounts of paper they are hoarding! I don’t understand why this is happening and still a thing. If you were worried about not leaving your house, wouldn’t buy bread, milk, and canned goods?

With 2021 nearly upon us I find it is a time to reflect on how lucky and grateful I am. I am very grateful for the house we live in, although it is not perfect and I want to fix so many things, it is ours, and it keeps us safe. I am grateful that we have all stayed healthy and not got the virus, I am grateful for the help we have had from the government to help us out when we had nothing and I am grateful for getting a job just before Christmas.

I did have big plans for 2020 but like everyone they didn’t occur due to the world health crisis, no money, no job, and then no way to travel. My big plans are waiting until things get better and some of my other big plans are going to happen next year in 2021.

I hope you and your family are well and safe. This year was horrible for all and I know that many are still suffering. I hope that things improve and 2021 brings you more of what you want.

Maybe Happy New Year is not what we should be saying…maybe we should be saying we survived, and we can do anything in 2021 after this year.

What are your thoughts on 2020? How did you cope during the pandemic and the economic crisis?

Categories
Family

1 in 4 Not Isolating…WHY????

I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.
I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.

I like many of you are sad and upset to learn that 1 in 4 who have tested positive to COVID-19 are not self-isolating.

This group of people is walking free among us, going about their business all in the full knowledge that they have the virus, they are intentionally spreading this to others and making it harder to get control of this illness.

I learned this while listening to the news on the ABC while I drove to pick up my son from childcare, well it was officially last Friday 31st of July when I heard the news. The newsreader announced that the armed forces had gone door to door to ensure that this group was at home and doing the right thing, only to discover that they were not at home! And some of this group was not home from the last checks!

My family and others have been in lockdown from March to about mid-May, we stayed at home, kept to ourselves and if we did go out we only ventured to the local oval to let the kids play a bit and then walk home. Our outings consisted of getting food and supplies from the shops and the odd visit to the doctors for the kids.  When we went shopping only 1 person went to the shops, we didn’t make it a group outing.

I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.
I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.

We’ve kept well and would like to keep it that way. We have explored a little bit now that restrictions have relaxed a little bit due to the spike in Victoria and some new cases in Sydney, these restrictions might come back with force.

Many have lost their jobs, are working from home, and are in real financial difficulty due to the impact of COVID, why would people want to prolong this horrible pandemic even longer than is necessary.

I do get the fact that you might need something from the shops, but many are doing home delivery now, and if you say you are at home isolating they can leave it on the front step and you can get the package or delivery at your leisure.

If it is work, the government said that they will pay you $1500 for a fortnight to be off work if you have to self isolate. It is not fun to be facing not being able to work but the community doesn’t stop the spread of this deadly infection then we will be in this terrible state as a country and worldwide for many years to come.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot face years of this situation! I want it to be over like yesterday, but in reality, if we can all just self-isolate and stop the disease spreading we will have a chance to get on top of the situation.

Yesterday the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced strict stage 4 restrictions and even declared a statewide disaster due to the second wave of COVID -19 cases.

All people in Victoria are now on a curfew with many other rules about what they can and cannot do.

Homeschooling starts again for all in Victoria on Wednesday this week and many will also be impacted by businesses and workplaces closing due to not being deemed essential.

I found it tough doing homeschooling and work, I feel for all those in Victoria as I know things will be tough and hard during the lockdown.

In Sydney, we have had more cases, and some areas have been dubbed clusters.  I just hope that we can get a handle on it and be in a better situation for next year at the earliest.

Woolworths has made an announcement that all customers for all their stores and other businesses should wear masks. I now like others are donning a mask for my everyday tasks, however, my mask seems to slip off my ears… and for some reason, I only have this issue. Maybe I have weirdly shaped ears???? Where would I go to get a mask that fits and sits well with my odd ears?

I am very disappointed. I did hope that by August we would be in a better situation with this virus.  I am sure I am not the only one that is ticked off that a few is making it harder for the many.

I am annoyed and frustrated that this year has been so broken, upsetting, and just miserable for many.

My kids have lost out on many events, not only due to COVID but also due to the bushfires that were happening over summer earlier in the year.

We all need to do the right thing to get us all back on track. If we cannot do the right thing we will have months and months of lockdown and even worse restrictions than what Victoria is facing.

It is really simple… if you are sick stay at home.

If you have a positive COVID test stay at home.

Please don’t give this terrible illness to people who are doing the right thing and also older/immune comprised.

Don’t try and go to work, don’t visit other areas, don’t go shopping or visit friends and family…..JUST STAY HOME!

I get it, it is super tough.

We are struggling too, both hubby and I are working many jobs and doing whatever we can to survive.

The stress is intense and constant and one that I wish would take a break.

I really don’t understand why anyone would leave their house if they were COVID positive…. maybe these people don’t believe it is real. Maybe they are conspiracy theorists? I really don’t know but the one thing is for sure, the only thing that can stop spreading this deadly infection is if we stay at home, wear face masks, wash your hands, take hand sanitizer with you, and again if you are ill or feel sick stay home!

Are you finding it crazy that people are not self-isolating?

I do hope that everyone can do the right thing and in the next 6-8 weeks, the situation has greatly improved.

Let me know if you are annoyed with this behaviour too.

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