Watcha' Doing - 2020 Showing 2,001-2,050 of 2,651

[Peggy]

I prefer the website too, but I don't always have my computer on. When I'm on the phone, I prefer the app, even though it misses some functions.

[Esther]

Jenn wrote: "I have the app too Saar, but only use it for general stuff (usually). It is so frustrating that you can’t open spoilers, and most posts with pictures 😞"


I am also missing work on comments sometimes on the app. I do not use it mush either.

[Renee]

I also prefer to come to the site It just feels better to me

[uncomfytomato]

Yeah! and they need to improving the suggestions for books and searching for books. why is it so hard to find a book? Shouldn't that be the main focus on Goodreads? instead I get the usual popular books that show up every time I search up something, and most of the time its not even the genre I'm looking for. Its not that hard to set it up! when I look up high fantasy books I expected that genre! not some "new books that are coming out soon".

Seriously stop spamming me with Harry Potter every time I search up fantasy. It makes me not want to read it even more!

Ooooh and don't get me started on the rating system and the awards that award only popular/mainstream books!
thats even more depressing.

Anyway, I'll have hope that they'll improve it someday?

[Saar The Book owl]

I only use the app when I need to do a quick update or post, but now it seems to be working again...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Thought some of you guys would be interested. The Ned Kelly Awards came out last night:

"The Ned Kelly Awards is one of Australia's oldest prizes honouring Australian crime fiction, having been established in 1996. Check out the full list of winners below:

Best crime fiction: The Wife and the Widow by Christian White (Affirm Press)

Best debut crime fiction: Present Tense: A Schalk Lourens Mystery by Natalie Conyer (Clan Destine Press)

Best true crime: Bowraville by Dan Box (Viking)

Best international crime fiction: The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Hachette)"

Shortlist was here: https://www.austcrimewriters.com/news...

[Cherie]

Thanks, Rusalka.
Present Tense: A Schalk Lourens Mystery is available from Kindle for $5.99. I just purchased it. I could have gotten it from the Barnes & Nobel book store for my Nook for the same price, but their app is not letting me connect. Kindle wins today.

[Esther]

Rusalka wrote: "Thought some of you guys would be interested. The Ned Kelly Awards came out last night:

"The Ned Kelly Awards is one of Australia's oldest prizes honouring Australian crime fiction, having been es..."

I have The Chain penciled in for the the Trivia Challenge. Something to look forward to.

[Cherie]

Esther wrote: "I have The Chain penciled in for the the Trivia Challenge. Something to look forward to..."

That one just looks too creepy for me. 0.0

[Shirley]

Rusalka wrote: "Thought some of you guys would be interested. The Ned Kelly Awards came out last night:

"The Ned Kelly Awards is one of Australia's oldest prizes honouring Australian crime fiction, having been es..."
Thanks Rusalka. A few I've read, and a few more added to my TBR. Not sure I thank you for that 😁

[Sarah]

Thanks Rusalka. I've added those to be wishlist.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

No worries! I know a lot of you like the Aussie crime genre at the moment. The best fiction book beat Dervla McTiernan's latest, so I will be checking it out.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Shirley wrote: "Thanks Rusalka. A few I've read, and a few more added to my TBR. Not sure I thank you for that 😁"

Nawwww you love it! You have to have something to do in that wonderful QLD weather :P

[uncomfytomato]

For any Robin hobb fans, she's providing a free book signing if you order from https://ubookstore.com and provide a message with the ordering saying you want it signed.


I just ordered from there! This will be such a great birthday gift for me :) so happy and excited to receive it!

[Margo]

That's a great offer Bash.

Some of you may remember me talking about my uncles cancer a few years back, he had a major operation on his mouth and it was really touch and go for a while. Well, looks like he may be in the wars again. This time it's his lungs, he's coughing up blood.

I'm going to go with him to Dublin tomorrow to see a lung specialist. It's a bit worrying that his GP requested the appointment last friday and he's being seem so soon. Fingers crossed.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I'm so sorry, Margo. I remember your uncle's surgery perfectly. I hope things go better than expected with the specialist in Dublin. Keep us posted.

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm sorry to hear that your uncle is ill again, Margo. Do let us know how the appointment goes.

[Annerlee]

Thinking of you Margo...

[Margo]

Thanks guys. I'm pretty worried about him but it will probably just more appointments and more tests.

[Sarah]

Sorry to hear about ypur Uncle. Yes I remember the details from before. It's great he has been seen so soon, but I get the worry too about it being rushed through. Do let us know how it all goes.

[Shirley]

Sorry to hear that Margo. Always so stressful going through the process of appointments and tests. All the best for a good result.

[Esther]

Sorry about your uncle. I hope everything will turn up well.

[Grainne]

I hope your uncle is ok and that the appointment and tests go well.

[Margo]

Thanks all.

We're back at the hospital today again for more tests. CT scan, camara down the throat and biopsy. He's been taken the day ward and should be finished mid afternoon. I'm here in the only coffee shop that's left open as the country is going back into lockdown. The speed at which things are happening is worrying.

It's an eery feeling here as the place is so empty and there are loads of security guards around. I guess they usually merge into the crowd. I've been asked where I'm going five times and I've only been here an hour. Thankfully the doctor gave me her beeper number in case anyone thies to put me out - strange times indeed! On the bright side, I'll get lots of listening done - and maybe a case of caffeine poisoning!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Hope everything goes well, Margo!

[Janice, Moderator]

I hope things go well, Margo.

[Sarah]

Sounds eery Margo. I hope the hospital visit goes well.

[Janice, Moderator]

The flu shot is now available for this flu season. I've decided I'm going to get it this year so have booked a time slot for Friday.

When I worked at Home Care (part of the Health Unit), all staff got the shot at the office. But I haven't had the shot since I struck out on my own. Every year, my doctor's nurse asks if I've had the shot and I reply, "not yet". When she gave me the printout of my health record for my surgery this summer, she'd recorded each year as "refused". I never refused the shot. I just never had the opportunity to get it. (Love the distinction??) If my pharmacist had said, "we have the flu shot available, can I put you down for one", I would have said yes. But I never went out of my way to get one.

I haven't had the flu in years. But since I had the flu last January, I decided it would be good to boost my immunity to it this year. I know it won't affect Covid, but I don't want to catch the flu and then be more vulnerable because my immunity is low.

[Renee]

My husband is driving me mad. He had a fall and has been home for rest. He was not hurt bad. He just needs to rest his knee and allow it to heel. I am having trouble finding time to do the things i need to do to relax, I love him but he needs to entertain himself sometimes.

I feel guilty because he is always so patient with me. I have been have problems getting motivated to read. I need to read to relax. Every time i sit to read he wants to talk, or play a game. At first this was fun but now i really need some read time,

[Sarah]

Good call Janice. I had mine done at the beginning of the month. Here, if we are vulnerable to flu (age or health conditions), we are contacted by our GP surgery as flu season approaches suggessting we have the jab and to confirm if we want to be on their list, then they contact you to book an appointment. I guess if we said no, it would bee marked down here as refused. If anyone else wants one who do not fit the catergory, they can get it done at a pharmacy for a cost. They think there will be a shortage of flu jabs this year.

[Janice, Moderator]

Renee wrote: "My husband is driving me mad. He had a fall and has been home for rest. He was not hurt bad. He just needs to rest his knee and allow it to heel. I am having trouble finding time to do the things i..."

I'm sorry that you're feeling frustrated. You need to communicate to him how you feel.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Good call Janice. I had mine done at the beginning of the month. Here, if we are vulnerable to flu (age or health conditions), we are contacted by our GP surgery as flu season approaches suggesstin..."

I've heard that there may be a shortage here as well. I think Oct 19th was the first day for the flu shot here.

[Jayme, Moderator]

@Janice -We've heard in the states that there might be a shortage as well. I use to get the flu shot when I taught, but haven't since I retired. However. I did get it 2 weeks ago. They have a flu shot clinic that's open at my docs office, but I barely sweaked in with an appt. They were almost filled for Oct. The nurse told me they are seeing record numbers.

@Margo - thinking of you and hope all is well with your uncle.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Renee, I'm sorry life is being overwhelming at the moment. I agree with Janice. I guess if you tell your husband you need a break he will understand.

[Sandra, Moderator]

All my kids got the flu shot in their doctor's appointment the last couple of weeks. I still have to do it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "All my kids got the flu shot in their doctor's appointment the last couple of weeks. I still have to do it."

I wish the doctor's office offered the flu shot, but that's the demain of the public health units. Because of the volume of people getting the flu shot, they contract pharmacies to provide the service. I remember when I worked for Home Care, we had flu clinics set up specifically for that purpose, but that was 20 years ago and things have changed.

[Jenn]

I am really lucky that my Dr. is attached to a pharmacy, so I got a call from them to say that they had the new shots. I was worried that they would be running out, but when I showed up two days later, they took me as a walk-in no questions asked 😃

[Cherie]

Renee wrote: "My husband is driving me mad. He had a fall and has been home for rest. He was not hurt bad. He just needs to rest his knee and allow it to heel. I am having trouble finding time to do the things i..."

It sounds like your husband is trying to make sure he includes you in his activities, since he has to be home "resting". He does not want to leave you out. I take it that he is not a reader. Maybe he does not know how important it is to you. Maybe you can get him to agree to let you read for a time, while he does something else, and then you can talk together or play a game, or watch a movie. I really think he just does not know what to do with himself. It is hard for people that never have experienced having to stay home and rest.

[Janice, Moderator]

Jenn wrote: "I am really lucky that my Dr. is attached to a pharmacy, so I got a call from them to say that they had the new shots. I was worried that they would be running out, but when I showed up two days la..."

That's a great service!

[Jenn]

The are pretty awesome Janice 😃 especially in light of some of the horror stories that I’ve been hearing - my mother in law spent most of a day getting her appointment . . . in two weeks 🤦‍♀️

[Sarah]

Due to covid, our flu shots were delivered outside in the car park. They set up a big tent and made it a drive-through. I didn't even have to get out of the car. Very efficient. Very surreal.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Due to covid, our flu shots were delivered outside in the car park. They set up a big tent and made it a drive-through. I didn't even have to get out of the car. Very efficient. Very surreal."

Love it! That's how they are doing covid testing here.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

So great people are talking about the flu shot. Covid hit at the beginning of our flu season and all health authorities here recommended it for everyone. Not high risk people, etc, every single person was told to get one if they could.

The point was while the flu vaccine only immunises against the most common (last year) flu viruses and Covid is a different virus in the same family of viruses (I'm now imagining virus family dinners), their point was simple:

You do not want to get influenza and covid at the same time.
At all. Bad.

And seeing you can reduce your risk of catching one, why not! We had the most vaccinations here since you could get a shot, and the lowest rate of hospitalisations in a flu season ever. Which was great, as beds and staff were freed up for covid cases.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Renee wrote: "My husband is driving me mad. He had a fall and has been home for rest. He was not hurt bad. He just needs to rest his knee and allow it to heel. I am having trouble finding time to do the things i..."

Oh Renee, I totally understand. This is Lexx on holidays. It's lovely until it is not.

I've just had to explain to him that if he wants me to stay sane, and not be a grumpy bitch, that sometimes he needs to leave me alone for an hour (or more) to read and recharge. It's better for everyone in the long run.

It's amusing as day to day the roles are reversed, something about holidays.

[Sandra, Moderator]

These are the reasons they are giving here too. And also if you start with symptoms and you got the vaccine that gives an extra hint that it could be covid. They think people Will activate protocols faster (auto isolation, etc) specially now that everyone is tired and worn out by the pandemic.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Hope you're uncle's appointment went okay, Margo. I remember everything with the last one, so wishing him lots of healing thoughts.

How surreal in the hospital in lockdown!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "These are the reasons they are giving here too. And also if you start with symptoms and you got the vaccine that gives an extra hint that it could be covid. They think people Will activate protocol..."

Makes a lot of sense! I feel for health workers over there with that level of fatigue in the community :(

Interestingly here it proved that this was what we should be doing when we get flu symptoms anyway. As we all were isolating, the rates of cases were very small as we weren't passing it on. There wasn't that jerk in the office who came in sick as they are "too busy to stay at home" (*disclaimer - this has been me in the past too) and then sneezed and coughed over everyone and everything.

[Sarah]

Rusalka, that's good to hear how things turned out in flu season. I'm guessing it won't be quite as successful here. Many people still think it's a live vaccine and won't have it or think they won't need to because they are young and healthy. I'm sure there will be some people have it who don't usually though. Flu's pretty rubbish but flu and covid?!? It doesn't bear thinking about.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Here you are supposed to isolate if you have symptoms, and I think at the beginning people did it. Now more and more people is chosing to think it's just a cold because nobody want to stop life again. Wrong but it is what we are seeing. Not everyone of course.
I have all my kids at home for a week because they were coughing and with a runny nose. It might be an exaggeration, but they followed their classes via zoom and everyone happy. Not ideal but it has to be done. It won't be like this forever. After the rushed switch to remote learning last March that week looked so much easier with everything organized and the teacher ready to have kids at home.

[Sandra, Moderator]

(maybe we should move this chat to the corona thread?)