Marty

Hi, Caz! Yea, I'm doing good, thanks for asking. Because I am over 70, I am effectively under house arrest at the moment, although the Government tells me it's for my own safety. I am allowed to go out in the garden and, fortunately, I have a very big garden in the old house I purchased last November. That garden has been untended in the approximately ten years since the house fell vacant, so I have plenty to keep me occupied. And, if the weather turns too wet, there's lots of work needs doing inside the house. I have loads of provisions in the cupboards, fridge and freezer, so there's no danger of me starving to death. So I'm not getting too bored during my house arrest. Initially the cocooning (to use the Government's term) of the over 70's was to last until Easter Sunday, but the health minister suggested yesterday that it may be extended. I must admit, though, that just once or twice during the past week I have felt a sort of helplessness. That has soon passed, but I do worry about those elderly whose mental state may not be quite as robust as my own. My nearest chemist (pharmacy) is around 20 miles (30km) away, and they texted me the other day to say my prescription is ready for collection. They don't offer any sort of delivery service (but told me over the phone that they are in discussions with the Government about that), so I shall either have to arrange for someone to collect it for me, or maybe ring the health centre in my village on Monday. Maybe they have arranged to get basic medicines (which is all I need) in stock. I wouldn't need the medicine for about ten days anyway, and none of it is critical. I wouldn't be in imminent danger of death without it. So, that's my story! Not as bad as many people's during this current crisis, I am sure.

Where I live, in rural Ireland, I am dependent on mobile broadband, which isn't the fastest at the best of times. Normally I would get my best connection during the day time, when the kids are at school. Since the government closed the schools two weeks ago I have found my internet has slowed down to a crawl at all times of the day.

Sweet dreams, Albert.

Source: Scientific American

I could say several things here. But they would probably be classed as political, and earn me a warning from a GA moderator...

Yea, catches up with us all eventually. There was a time when I could pick things like pencils up from the floor using my toes... (Now just a distant memory)

Belated "Hey" bakatya, Page.

And I'm off into the garden for a while. Catch yous all later.

Sweet dreams, B

That answer made me think of the following:

But is the emphasis on the first or the second syllable?

Or, as I used to say to my mother during the school holidays... "You can call me anything you want, as long as it's not early in the morning." (I was one of seven siblings. Mum often got our names wrong, especially when she was angry or flustered)

Sometimes I wonder just how Bucket's name is supposed to be pronounced...

Good afternoon, young Albert. All good here, thanks. I trust all's as well as it can be in Albertville, as well?

Deep breaths, Albert! Deep breaths...

Or use speech to text software?

Toes?

At least let him finish making that new pantry first

On windows 10 now and your drooling face emoticons are showing for me. Let's try typing the emoticon: 🤤 Yay! It works on Windows 10! EDIT: But when I go to my Windows 8.1 laptop the drooling face emoticons have all reverted to wee rectangles again.

I'll boot up my Windows 10 desktop and try :drooling_face: on that...

Nor me. Windows 8.1, 64 bit , latest version of Google Chrome... *shrug*

:drooling_face:

I can't even find a drooling face emoji in the GA emoji menu on my laptop...

Maybe check out this page as well: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blood-type-covid-19/ But, most importantly, just take sensible precautions and look after your mental health, as well as your physical health. Worry can kill you. And reading too many news reports at this moment in time is not necessarily for the best.

Source: forbes.com/sites/(etc...) Stop worrying yourself, Albert!