Covid-19 diary: car use

I took my car in for its annual MOT and service today.  It has been just the year since the last test and service, but what a year!

I normally drive about 10,000 miles annually.  Over the last year, service to service, it was 827 miles.  (Also, no bus or train travel, and no flying, in that time, either.)

I have saved quite a bit on fuel.  I normally fill up fortnightly.  But I filled up just after last year’s service in March, then again in September, and still have half a tank left…

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CXIII

 The latest batch:

King Charles I surviving

 I don't know whether to be horrified, amazed, disturbed, or admiring.  Why not all four?

What in god’s name have i done pic.twitter.com/VylSEdUx9X

— James 💜 Loxley (@oldnorthroad) March 12, 2021

(h/t BoingBoing)

 

Covid-19 diary: the day after the vaccination

Mild side effects from the jab. I woke up with a sore arm and shivering in the middle of the night. I pulled on an extra blanket to keep warm.

When I got up this morning, the shivering had stopped, but I felt weak and wobbly, with a bit of a headache.  I dozed part of the morning.

By this evening, all back to normal.

Covid-19 diary: vaccination 1

So I walked to the doctor’s surgery (about 15 minutes), put on my mask, was shepherded through an efficient conveyor belt system (name tag / bar code sticker stuck to me on entry, then removed on vaccination), answered a lot of questions in the negative (carefully refrained from being over-pedantic in my answers), had a needle stuck in my right arm, which I felt, but I wouldn’t exactly say hurt, was given a leaflet  (which says “read all of this leaflet carefully before the vaccine is given”), was given a vaccination record card and firmly told not to lose it, then left the centre, took off my mask, and walked home.  

In total, I was out of the house for less than 40 minutes!

Covid-19 diary: phone call

Just before 4pm today I got a phone call from my GP’s office, inviting me to book a vaccination.  I now have an appointment for Saturday to get an AstraZenica jab.

I have been told by a friend that essentially everyone who has the AZ jab gets flu-like symptoms.  My other half got his jab two weeks ago, spent the next day huddled miserably in a blanket, but was fine after that.  I’ll soon find out if I react the same way.

Beats the alternative, though!

Having spent a year quite happily working from home, and not having been ill with any colds caught off colleagues and students, I thought I was inured to lockdowns and whatnot.  So I am somewhat surprised at just how relieved I feel to have this appointment.

Covid-19 diary: a year since...

 ... my last view from a hotel window.