2021 - Chat about whatever you like: the weather, good stuff, bad stuff, family or pets!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Anna - perhaps you had a little vegemite and a tim tam to celebrate with us? :)

[Anna]

Ha hah! Most of us, including me, are doing our shopping online and my Tesco and Ocado online shops would probably get in a spin looking for them. I'm so pleased that Australia isn't so affected as we are.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Haha! I guess they would! We have been incredibly fortunate; our governments have done well for all of us. I hope it continues - and I hope your numbers start falling very soon. Stay safe Anna...

[Anna]

Thank you!

[Leonie]

I see WA is going into a five day lockdown as of 6pm tonight. Stay safe everyone!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes I hope it doesn't get away from them - 1st in 10 months would be a shock to the system!

[Niamh]

Leonie wrote: "I see WA is going into a five day lockdown as of 6pm tonight. Stay safe everyone!"

Thanks Leonie. Do any of you lovely readers have some advice on how to spend time during this lockdown? Last time we had the lockdown in March-May last year, I was working, so I only had to fill my evenings. For this 5-day lockdown, I had the week pre-booked off work, so all my plans have just disappeared, but work is quiet enough for now that they don't need me to cancel my leave. Obviously, there's always churning through the TBR pile, but can anyone offer some other tips for what to do during the day, especially with it being so hot? TIA, and stay safe everyone, especially my fellow Perth-ians ❤❤

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Take care Niamh :) Something I've done is go through 'spaces' you've wanted to reduce in size (e.g. a clean out), go through your physical books to reduce their numbers by donating to a charity when you're out of lockdown. Cook.

Bad luck about your holiday but at least you can stay home in the air conditioning with that horrible heat wave you have. Be safe **hugs**

[Niamh]

Thanks for the advice, Brenda. I reorganised my bathroom earlier this week, and that felt good to get on top of, so maybe this week I can go through the wardrobe and the bookshelves and do a de-clutter.

I'm just glad my house has air-con, and I'm looking forward to the (currently forecast) rain next weekend from the remnants of the cyclone about to form up north

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

It always gives great satisfaction when you manage things like that I think. Good luck and I hope you get the rain!

[Carolyn]

Niamh wrote: "Leonie wrote: "I see WA is going into a five day lockdown as of 6pm tonight. Stay safe everyone!"

Thanks Leonie. Do any of you lovely readers have some advice on how to spend time during this lock..."

It’s a good time to start a new project whether it’s craft (sewing, knitting, art), organising your photos, learning something new, listening or watching something you haven’t had time to do, trying new recipes or tackling a big book you’ve been putting off. Youtube exercise videos can also be fun!
Hope the time goes quickly for you!

[Joanne Farley]

Niamh, good luck with the lock down. I am in NSW and we have had a series of lockdowns over the last 12 months and it can be quite a stressful time and really hard to manage. i agree with Brenda I made a list of tasks that I to wanted to get to around the house that I just never did and I ticked them off each day. I also did a coursera free course which I really enjoyed. There are hundreds to choose from.

I hope the weather is not to bad for you and I hope the five days goes quickly and smoothly for you. Please let us know how are going.

[Niamh]

Thank you all for the advice. It wouldn't be too bad if I were able to go to work. I've recently found a new podcast that is quite enjoyable but there's a lot of content to get through, so I'll likely be listening to that while doing the tasks around the house and the arts and craft stuff.

[Niamh]

The YouTube exercise videos will also become a staple in my house, because I don't like exercising outside when it's this hot, and adding a mask just makes it even worse, even in the cool mornings

[Kahlia]

Stay safe Perth!

I did a few days in quarantine earlier this month and I found it really helpful to try and avoid not watching/checking the news every few minutes, since you're unlikely to learn anything new from it and just feel exhausted. It's a good excuse to binge watch a show for that reason if nothing else.

I also decluttered my apartment, did some baking and did a lot of squats/lunges and other exercises on my balcony while listening to an audiobook.

[Niamh]

Hi everyone, an update from the Perth lockdown!

It's going okay so far. Just need to keep finding things to do. Sleep may be one of them; I had the best night's sleep last night that I've had in a while. Exercising in the heat and a mask is annoying, but I tend to go for a walk in the morning before it gets too hot, so it's not as bad. I decided today that the walk wasn't enough, and went to do a half-hour follow-along work-out video on YouTube. 5 minutes in, I went too deep on a squat and pulled a hamstring, so I doubt I'll be getting to any of those suggested tasks today.

There's a pretty bad bushfire in the hills to the north-east of the city. Smoke has settled, the sky is fully yellow. My friend and his family had to evacuate at 4:30 this morning, so that was scary to think about until I heard from him at 9 saying they were safe.

Stay safe everyone! xx

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Oh dear, you're not supposed to injure yourself Niamh!! Take care :)

The bushfires sound bad - they're on the news here and I see 7 houses have been lost. Terribly sad. So glad your friends are alright.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and home today with a huge plaster cast. Not fun 😥

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thank goodness you're okay Phrynne! I've been worrying myself sick about you!

[Leonie]

Phrynne wrote: "Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and ..."

Oh dear...you'll need a nice friendly physio once that cast is off!

[Leonie]

Niamh wrote: "Hi everyone, an update from the Perth lockdown!

It's going okay so far. Just need to keep finding things to do. Sleep may be one of them; I had the best night's sleep last night that I've had in a..."

Glad your friend are OK, Niamh! I grew up in the hills, and have lots of friends and family there. The fire is huge, and just awful. Some have evacuated, and others are on watch and act.

[Niamh]

I'm currently in a safe area, being in suburbia, but the yellow watch and act region on the DFES map is a little too close for comfort, so I've packed an evacuation bag just in case. There's so much smoke in the sky that it looks like it's overcast, and it's been raining ash for the last two hours or so. So for now, with my sore leg and this lockdown, I'm staying inside in the air-con, listening to a podcast and doing a jigsaw puzzle, just trying to not get too stressed.

Phrynne, that sounds painful! Wishing you a speedy recovery xx

Leonie, I hope your loved ones stay safe in this fire as well. Last I've heard is 30 or so properties feared damaged or destroyed, but no lives lost as of yet.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Take care Niamh... thinking of you and everyone else over there.

[Sarah]

Sorry to hear about your injuries, Niamh and Phrynne. I hope it's not your scrolling / page-turning arm, Phrynne! Thinking of everyone in lockdown in W.A. - a bushfire's the last thing you need.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Luckily it isn't Sarah! That was the one good thing:)

[Leonie]

Just heard that some of our old friends lost their house last night. 😢 No details, but they are safe. House is gone.

[Sarah]

Phrynne wrote: "Luckily it isn't Sarah! That was the one good thing:)"

Phew! That's a relief! I hope it heals up quickly - it sounds really painful. 💪😬🦴

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Leonie wrote: "Just heard that some of our old friends lost their house last night. 😢 No details, but they are safe. House is gone."

So sorry to hear that Leonie. Shocking news, but thank goodness they are safe.

[Leonie]

Brenda wrote: "Leonie wrote: "Just heard that some of our old friends lost their house last night. 😢 No details, but they are safe. House is gone."

So sorry to hear that Leonie. Shocking news, but thank goodness..."

Yes! One of my cousins is keeping me updated on all of the people we know. He said the wind has recently changed, which makes everything complicated.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

And the intense heat wouldn't be helping either. Our thoughts are with them over there.

[Leonie]

Yes, strong low pressure system (might be a cyclone again shortly) at the top, fires at the bottom, and a lockdown to boot. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Not good. Reminiscent of the east coast of Australia this time last year.

[Marianne]

Phrynne wrote: "Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and ..."

Glad you're OK, Phrynne. Let other people do stuff for you.

[Carolyn]

Phrynne wrote: "Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and ..."

That's no good Phrynne! I hope it mends quickly and it at least gets you out of some of the household chores for a while.

[Carolyn]

Sorry to hear about your friends Leonie. It sounds like a lot of houses have gone and the fire is still endangering others. Stay safe everyone in Perth.

[Helen]

Phrynne wrote: "Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and ..."

I am so sorry Phrynne I do hope that it heels fast and there is not much pain

Helen

[Helen]

Niamh wrote: "Hi everyone, an update from the Perth lockdown!

It's going okay so far. Just need to keep finding things to do. Sleep may be one of them; I had the best night's sleep last night that I've had in a..."

I do hope it heels quickly and stay safe

Helen

[Dale]

Phrynne wrote: "Talking about injuring oneself, that's exactly what I have done. I tripped over while I was walking my dog on Sunday and managed to break my elbow. Into hospital on Sunday, operation on Monday and ..."

Can sympathise with you Phrynne. Praying for quick and full healing for you and that elbow.

[Dale]

Niamh wrote: "I'm currently in a safe area, being in suburbia, but the yellow watch and act region on the DFES map is a little too close for comfort, so I've packed an evacuation bag just in case. There's so muc..."
Keep safe Niamh and all over in Perth. Scary situation.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

'add book/author' is playing up today. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't

[Carolyn]

Phrynne wrote: "'add book/author' is playing up today. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't"

Also the search function - same issue I expect. Frustrating!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

It seems to be affecting everyone across the board too. I was lucky when I just used it and it worked.

[Dale]

Phrynne wrote: "'add book/author' is playing up today. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't"

I found the same thing earlier today. Took a bit of juggling to get it eventually to work.

[Niamh]

Update from Perth again:
After having no new local cases, the full lockdown lifts in half an hour! We have another week of restrictions before it fully goes back to how it was last week, but it does mean we can leave the house for whatever reason, not just shopping and work. It does mean that when I go back to work next week, I'll need to wear a mask, and my shift will be shorter and a different time to normal, so that social distancing requirements can be met.
As for the fire, it's now up to 86 homes lost, last I saw. Luckily, my friend wasn't one of those. He and his family were able to go home this morning. The low pressure system that's been slowly coming down the coast is expected to deliver some rain to Perth tomorrow evening and over the course of Sunday, so hopefully that helps the firefighting efforts.
Thank you everyone for the well-wishes, and hopefully I get some solid reading done over the weekend with this cold change to the weather making me want to stay inside.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Good to hear you personally, are okay Niamh. Shocking about the fires and the suspected arsonist who is doing this :( I feel so sorry for the poor people who've lost their homes. This time last year it was the east coast of Australia, now it's the west coast...

Glad things will soon be back to 'normal' for you too. Luckily only a short lockdown, and with no new cases, the government can ease things. It's hard to say when, where and how this thing will go next!!

[Krystal]

Bit of frustration on my end with the tennis bringing in cases for Victoria - honestly, I'm so furious that they thought it was worth bringing in people from all over the world to play tennis when it was inevitable that some would bring Covid with them.

I've been training for my martial arts grading since Dec - I was given two weeks notice, and it's the biggest mental and physical challenge I've ever faced in my life. Due to Covid, the day before I was due to grade in Dec, it was postponed, as our Master, who does the grading, was unable to fly down from QLD. It was pretty brutal.

Finally we got a new date - 5th Feb. So we've been working hard for it again (there are 4 of us grading) only to once again be told the day before that it has to be postponed because he can't come down again due to Covid.

We've been told now it should be on again in roughly two weeks, but it's quite the mental challenge! When my instructor told me the night before, my reaction was, 'Well, I'm gonna eat a burger tomorrow, then!!' XD

[Niamh]

Krystal wrote: "Bit of frustration on my end with the tennis bringing in cases for Victoria - honestly, I'm so furious that they thought it was worth bringing in people from all over the world to play tennis when ..."

Oh man, that has to be super frustrating. When I heard that the Australian Open was going ahead, I just shook my head. Was it actually worth it? You're bringing in all these big name players and their families and crew, so of course there will be some positive cases, and you won't be able to have the normal crowds, and people from interstate might not be able or want to come over. I'm scared to travel interstate because I don't want to suddenly have the WA government change their stance on the state and force me to quarantine wren I get home.

Really sorry that you've now had grading day delayed twice when you've been working so hard towards it. All that mental and physical preparation, and then for the thing you were preparing for to be cancelled/postponed. No matter what the thing is, it's frustrating when you get delayed like that. Hopefully your third date comes through and you can actually be graded.

[Dale]

Brenda wrote: "Good to hear you personally, are okay Niamh. Shocking about the fires and the suspected arsonist who is doing this :( I feel so sorry for the poor people who've lost their homes. This time last yea..."

Glad you are ok Niamh. Very sad situation for those who have lost homes. If it is arson stiffer penalties need to apply to those responsible. Just dreadful!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Krystal wrote: "Bit of frustration on my end with the tennis bringing in cases for Victoria - honestly, I'm so furious that they thought it was worth bringing in people from all over the world to play tennis when ..."

We have been saying the same Krystal. WHY would they stage an event which brings in many players from hotspots all over the world? Money of course!!! $ signs in their eyes is more important than anything else!

[Leonie]

Krystal wrote: "Bit of frustration on my end with the tennis bringing in cases for Victoria - honestly, I'm so furious that they thought it was worth bringing in people from all over the world to play tennis when ..."

I agree, Krystal. I may have blogged my frustrations out a tad. 🤷‍♀️

There's so much hypocrisy around sport, COVID and politicians. Makes me incredibly frustrated.