Lockdown… again…

How do I feel about it?

Tuff one.

Thanks to some crackhead idiot from interstate, this was a shock as it was a snap Lockdown. Covid positive, the creep escaped from quarantine after allegedly entering the state illegally, then roamed freely in the community for 18 hours. Currently we await testing for all those unfortunate enough to have been in the sod’s ambit. That’s why to be safe, our Premier and health officials have shut the southern half of the state of Tasmania down – we only have 130-ish ICU beds in the whole state and a less than well-funded medical system (our government would rather fund football and basketball teams).

But enough politicising…

Our personal coastal area has reverted to the 1950’s-60’s. No folk, no itinerates, no shackies, grockles, thrip – call them what you will.

We went bush for our legal exercise today, and saw no one as we edged the road, apart from a rogue leech that attached to my ankle.

The snap Lockdown has only spoiled one thing though.

Today was supposed to be a family bash for my 70th birthday, something my husband had gone to enormous and touching lengths to organise – food, balloons, cake and of course our immediate family.

We have the food, balloons, cake … but cannot have the family with us.

I woke this morning to howling gales and rain and wondered if I could just shut my eyes and open them again in a few weeks when all was better, and I felt quite bereft.

But I hate lying around and doing nothing, so in the spirit of the special day, slapped on some makeup, pulled on a sweater (blue is the colour de jour), even put on relatively new jeans and a pair of navy ballet flats. My mood lightened with each layer of artifice.

Thus, he and I ‘celebrate’ in the peace of seclusion, our gates shut, only venturing out with mask in hand for the legal two hours of exercise (we divide it into daytime/evening) with Dog. I’ve had a Zoom session with my family, including my grandson. I’ve opened wonderful presents from family and friends, with my husband being generous beyond words.

So you see?

It’s all okay really. The rain has stopped, the sun is shining and in as much as it is possible to be, all’s right with my world. I could celebrate again when we can all get together but to me it’d be redundant and besides, Life moves on. Better to get together ‘just because’ and not for septuagenarian reasons.

Cheers…