Day Something: Couldn't do the fingerprick antibody test

Well I tried. When I got my positive test result, the text message asked if I was willing to do this, and of course I said yes, because I wanted to help out with Covid research. 

But I should have watched the instruction video first - it's a lot harder than 'fingerprick test' makes it sound! 

You're meant to do jumping jacks, clench your fists, swing your arms around, soak your hand in warm water for two minutes and do the whole thing standing up. Obviously it's not impossible, but it's a bigger ask when you've got covid.

You're meant to almost fill up the tube with blood, but in spite of following all the instructions, I could hardly get any. I tried massaging it down my hand like they said, and could have tried again with a different finger, but then I started to feel faint and gave up. Sorry folks - I did try.

Weirdly, I had to pack it up as if it was done and being posted, and then throw it away in normal household rubbish. I suppose the packaging is a warning to anyone who goes through the household waste later. Still, seems a bit strange, like is it dangerous waste or isn't it?

Day 11: More Covid tests

So apparently I started blogging again just in time to get Covid. Yay. 

Youngest son and I have tested positive now, along with possibly my oldest son. I thought it was inevitable once my husband got it - we don't have a big house, all share a bathroom, and the three of us sleep in the same room too.

I've been taking him up food, water and medicine, and of course even with a mask on that's a risk, but what else could I do, nail him into the shed? We tried not to let it spread - wiped door handles, taps and surfaces with disinfectant wipes, did separate laundry, stayed out of the room, etc etc. I'm guessing the damage was done before his symptoms appeared anyway. 

It's not too bad so far (touch wood), but I'm also not complacent: someone from my primary school died of Covid a few weeks ago. 

So we're waiting for the PCR tests but the lateral flow tests were already positive.

Also waiting to see if the teenage lifestyle of staying in their bedroom will have saved my older two boys from catching it.

The three oldest of us are double vaxxed now, but the youngest two aren't at all.

At least I had a chance to stock up for it a bit: since I tested negative on Wednesday, I went to the shop as many times as I could to make sure we had enough food and medicine.

My husband seems to be getting better, so it's over to the one teenager that's definitely tested negative to sort anything else out for a while.

Meanwhile, I've got cash out for him, cooked a couple of big enough hot dinners to leave two more meals' worth of leftovers, and I've filled up this lovely 'Covid selection bowl' - who could resist!

Day 10: Birthday pizza boxes, and their little plastic tables

My son had a good start to his 16th birthday, I thought. 

He had some nice presents, that he liked. We were planning to take him out for dinner, and he chose the Hard Rock Cafe. I was also planning to take him out to buy new pyjamas once my ankle had healed enough for walking and driving on.

Around midday, my husband was feeling increasingly ill, and tested positive for Covid.

So that meant an afternoon of getting the kids out of school and going for PCR tests. Not a great birthday activity at all😦

Obviously, going out for dinner was out too, so rather than illegally turn his birthday night out into a super spreader event, we got some special takeaway pizzas and watched a movie called Minari instead.

My husband said later that he couldn't really taste the pizzas thanks to the Covid, but they were great - hot, tasty comfort food, cheaper than a night out, and enough for lunch the next day as well.

It's also good that we live near the cardboard recycling.

But it got me wondering about the little plastic tables they use to hold the lids of the boxes off the pizzas (can't think about Covid all the time after all).

There must be so many of these thrown away every day. Couldn't something else be a more sustainable alternative?

So I've been thinking through a few options.

1) Presumably a wooden version of the table would be too labour intensive

2) A ring of cardboard? Would it look too much like a toilet roll? 

3) How about a triangle? Would it go soggy with grease from the pizza?

4) A U shaped perforation that could be folded down from the lid? Same problem with the cardboard, plus a gap left in the lid that would let the heat out and dust in?

5) A toothpick? Too spiky, might scratch people and wouldn't stop it sliding down.

6) Final idea for now: a dough ball / garlic knot on top of the middle of the pizza. Most pizza places sell these anyway so it would look like a nice little bonus. The question is how to keep it in the middle. Sticking it to the lid would work, but might pull toppings off when the box opens. What if there was a small hole cut out of the middle of the pizza with a dough ball in it, like a record? I think it could work.

Day 9: Covid test: it's here

Yesterday was my middle son's 16th birthday, and my husband woke up feeling ill.

It started off well anyway - he liked his presents. We wanted to go out for a family dinner and he said he'd like to go to the Hard Rock Cafe.

We were just booking it and reading their Covid guidelines when my husband said he didn't think he'd get through the temperature check.

"Should you perhaps take a Covid test?", I said.

And so here it is. After all this time, it's here in the house.

https://youtu.be/xAYSqTu5_ZY

Day 8: Ankle

Thankfully I'm not actually throwing my ankle away, but it is a nasty sprain. 

I meant to be talking about wrapping paper today, because it's my birthday. But then I did this instead. 

That'll teach me for carrying a basket of laundry down the garden steps with platform sandals on.🙄

Here's some wrapping paper anyway, as it seems to fit with the theme!

Also: awesome sandals. But can I forgive them?