Marty

It's just after 1:00am here. So I think it's time I got my beauty sleep. Goodnight all! But before I go, I'll just drop the following here for you all to listen to. And maybe I should dedicate it to young Albert. If only to partly apologise to him, as he didn't seem too happy when I dedicated Neil Young's Old Man to him a number of nights back...

As was my Mam. She'd have been 99 on Paddy's day this year. My one regret is that I won't be able to meet up with my six siblings at her graveside in England this year on Paddy's day, something we have done every year since her death in 2004. I'll just have to place my trust in the Great Cod in the Sea that we'll be back to some sort of normality in 2022, and we'll all be able to meet up to celebrate her life on her one hundredth birthday.

Only in places like America, on Paddy's day. They even poison their rivers with green dye on that day.

Well, there are (at least) Forty Shades of Green.

True. But my understanding is that no vaccine, for any disease is 100% efficient. One of the main functions of any vaccination programme is to build such a high level of immunity in the general population (known as herd immunity) that the number of people in the community that carry the virus is lowered to such a low level that transmission becomes much reduced (if not actually eliminated completely).

So I was lied to? You just can't trust anybody these days.

I feel sorry for your neighbours...

And I also heard the moon is made of green cheese.

Maybe... But poison is poison. (And, anyway, none of the shops over here sell dog poison.)

And I do also worry about the fate of the poorer countries in the world, with the richer countries apparently buying up vast quantities of the vaccines... But I'll say no more, as I am in danger of sounding political.

The official Irish website is showing that 143,000 people have received their first dose of the vaccine, as of 8:00am this morning. The first doses were administered on the 4th of January. A rough calculation that I have just done suggests that, for our population of approximately 5 million, it will take just over two years to vaccinate the whole population at the current vaccination rate. Hopefully the supply of vaccines will increase in the coming weeks and months... I was talking to someone who lives in France earlier today who said that France has not yet vaccinated one million people, but has indicated it is on schedule to have everyone vaccinated by August. He also said that he reckons the French Health Minister should resign when that doesn't happen...

Well, the thaw came. Which meant the roads were safe to transport the Victoria sandwich to birthday boy. It was a pleasant change to visit my social bubble for the first time in over three weeks. We had tea and cake, and enjoyed several hours of pleasant chat. And the cake was delicious! (Even I had to agree with that. ) Perhaps the only sad part of the visit was that birthday boy's younger brother (one of my two male strippers) had to spend a good part of the time stuck in his bedroom doing online classes; as the schools have not yet reopened due to the pandemic. But if school had been open, it is likely I may not have seen him at all. With the number of Covid-related deaths here now having surpassed 3,000, the government this evening announced further restrictions on travel and socialising. They also stated that it is unlikely schools will reopen until the end of March. Hopefully, as the vaccination program moves forward, things will start to improve. It seems as though the biggest roadblock at the moment is sourcing sufficient supplies of the vaccine itself. Although it's looking likely that the EU will approve other vaccines shortly, so maybe that will speed things up. That said, the online "Vaccine Queue Calculator for Ireland" is currently suggesting that it may not be until 4th April before I receive my first dose, even taking into account that I am over 70 and have an underlying health condition. Which means I may still have to be socially isolating for another two months...

Which may explain why I offered him to @Bucket1..?

And the trier loves Cod ... and chips with vinegar. Just as long as you eat Cod with a pure heart. And the vinegar is made from red wine.

No. Just the rats who try sneaking into my house overnight to steal my food.

That was the fake one I laced with rat poison. The real cake was safely in a sealed tin under my bed.

Hmmm, you're a bit of a tease, I imagine it being a pic of a pair of crumpled speedos lying on the corner of a bed.

Snap!

Happy Australia Day, Mr B. I think you deserve the following T-shirt... So expect it to arrive by special delivery very soon. You can have the person wearing it as well, if you like. So hands off, everyone else! (At least until Bucket says whether he wants him or not.)

Keep breathing, Albert!

Cod loves a trier!

Good night, all. ❤️

Hey, Albert! All's well in Albertsville, I trust. And I hope you are getting better used to the to the CPAP after these first few days?

Once again, I managed to make a Victoria sandwich without the centres sinking after they came out of the oven. Yay for me! My baking skills are improving. Here is the chocolate version I made today, to drop in to the birthday boy tomorrow... The chocolate buttercream filling should hopefully have hardened slightly by the morning, making it easier to transport.

Greetings, Drew!