[[0042]] Day 19 of Self-Isolation

I'm betting tomorrow we will no longer be allowed out once a day for exercise... Hancock has threatened to ban it so...

Day 19 (I'm slowly running out of house to tidy...)

Okay, so, a quiet Sunday, can't complain at that.

I'm nearly at the three week mark for being in the house so about 9-10 weeks potentially left to go but we shall see how that pans out. I have managed to avoid a large proportion of the news today, just for the sake of my own mental health but also because it is getting worse in the East Midlands and I just can't see how it will plateau here with so many stupid people about. Just saying. And because well, I do know a lot of people so this virus may not directly affect the friends and family I am close to, but could affect those that they know too, and that is somewhat sobering. So, news has been very avoided today.

I haven't really done a lot of house stuff today, but I have put away about five bags of washing which is something right? And made a banging dinner whilst the other half sorted out his stuff to go under the stairs and so on. So that is more rubbish for the rubbish pile although when we are getting rid of that is beyond me cos well, lockdown, lol. 

I did organise the washing today mind you, so I now know that it'll take about two more days to get it all washed and dried and put away, so I am taking that as a win, considering I started all this washing shit about two and a half weeks ago. If you are wondering why it takes so long, it has to be dried in 60min cycles in our condensing tumble dryer because the water tank needs emptying a lot to get stuff dried and yeah, I could hang it outside alas, can't really get to the washing line because my back garden really needs a skip cos so much crap to throw out. Either way, soon, all the clothes will be away and I can finally start my twice weekly wash days and I am so sad but very excited about this, you have absolutely no idea.

But yeah, made a banging healthy dinner. We have actually done well with food this week, we've had to top up on drink a couple of times as well as snacks but, for main meal foods, we are doing proper well. Nothing is going to waste which is fantastic. For example, needed to use the rest of the cabbage, broccoli and green beans from last week cos well, fresh stuff, so I did some chicken with cheese and ham kiev things, made some tiny mini roasty tatos, couple of yorkie puds and a lot of veg and I don't know about the other half, but this is the food I needed and need to eat more often. Not a large amount of carbs, I think about 40g, the rest is all veg and protein so less insulin, woooo! Might try do stuff like this every Sunday, especially with the house being tidier and stuff.

Other than that, I've mainly been faffing with Animal Crossing to help me chill out and stuff and stop me getting snappy or bleh over tiny little things. It helps a lot. So therapeutic and chill. I mentioned yesterday that I made a load of Versailles, Jupiter and Kamijo stuff for Animal Crossing so last night, I decorated a room with it all and I love how it turned out. Just need some more musical instruments, maybe some gothic furniture and a purple rose for Jamine You and the whole thing will be complete! Hopefully you all like it too and another hopefully, you're all having fun being creative on your islands as well. I can't wait to visit you all and take a looksie myself! I am going to make some Versailles outfits I think cos OMG seeing my Animals Running around in Doctor Strange has been awesome so seeing them as members of Versailles would be so blood cool. But I ain't gonna rush these things. Need to leave myself plenty to do whilst I am off!!!

So, that is it for today.

As for next week, I think my advent calendar arrives on Tuesday so that'll be a nice wake up treat in the morning. My shoes should be shipped out tomorrow as well. I just need to try and not stare at the letter box throughout the week for birthday cards because I am doing everything I can to avoid the downer of what Thursday is going to be.

I'm also concerned because I am running out of house to clean, which ain't a bad thing, its nice to know the end is insight. And it does mean I can go back to using the office for arting and stuff again, so finishing a friends commission, maybe draw some cheer up gifts for the other half to take to work, finally start drawing my Pokemon GO shiny calendar... I don't know. I have plans. Oh and read some books in the comfy new book corner I am creating. And organising a Harry Potter and Garth Nix and Philip Pullman shelf, so excited for that bad boy.

Anyway, that is all for next week!

Stay safe, hope you are all okay!

Over and out, mes amigos.

[[0032]] Day 9 of Self-Isolation

As said yesterday, and I repeat... GOOD MENTAL HEALTH DAY GOOD MENTAL HEALTH DAY oh and good diabetes day too, badum ching~

Day 9 (Just keep swimming, just keep swimming OMFG IT IS PAY DAY TOMORROW I AM COMING FOR YOU INTERNET SHOPPING)

No need for a mood sandwich today, although I could make one, but it wouldn't be based on my own mental health and diabetes but the sheer fact that curve we keep hearing about on the news is rising, and I am honestly so glad I am able to protect myself from the outside world, even if it does take its toll on my mental health and emotions and then my diabetes. Seriously, after having gastroenteritis last year and my kidneys dropping to less than half function because as I have said before, they are the wimps of the body, as well as having flu that one time as a teen which I should have gone to hospital for but didn't... I don't think my kidneys could take me having another illness.

Yeah, it's respiratory... but, kidneys react to many different things and being type 1 diabetic, I kind of feel like they are more sensitive and prone to things you'd hope they would not be, so yeah, it might be a respiratory disease that covid-19 causes but... me being sick again would be a strain on my diabetes causing high blood sugar and ketones which can damage my kidneys further and at this point, I cannot afford for that to happen. 

Eitherway, things are worsening in Lincolnshire and getting worse across the whole UK and I still don't feel like this is the worst of it yes. I know, it is going to get worse.

ANYWAY FUN TIMES.

Haha, I said yesterday that things would be more bearable today thanks to amazing family helping us out with finances so we could get some essential stuff in to last until we are paid tomorrow. And yeah, not having to eat pasta has been an absolute God send, seriously, my body is so relieved and I am starting to feel less lethargic and bloated... heck yes. I've managed to eek out my food throughout the day, drink to, so it lasts till tomorrow so I think I've done alright... thinking ahead and all that.

But yes, it has been a much better day of being at home and a little bit productive as well, which is always nice. I haven't felt the need to livestream Pokemon GO today for the sake of talking to people as I have had so much more energy to run around and do things or heck, sit and enjoy myself planning things.

Planning what? Animal Crossing fun stuff, that is what!

I got a little bored this morning and have been seeing people creating amazing things online for Animal Crossing so I thought it was time that I gave it a go too!!! I have wanted to do this for a while but never really was able to pluck up the courage to do it, plus, I know I can be lazy, especially when it comes to making and creating (even though I am alright at it). When I used to play Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I scanned loads of QR codes for cool outfits people had designed, such as a Lugia dress and hat, Vaporeon dress and hat and a Loki coat with cape... but, I could never seem to find a Doctor Strange outfit. SO, I changed that today, gave myself a couple of hours this morning/afternoon with pictures of Doctor Strange on the laptop and I finally came up with a design for him. 

Sadly, I don't have a QR code to share but I do plan on sorting this out soon so others (well, the Doctor Strange Cosplay Group) can also wear the design as well. Watch this space for a swanky QR code soon haha.

But then after design this and then putting up the little Kamijo artwork the other half made for me so I had my fave singer in my lil Animal Crossing home, it got me thinking about things I could do on Animal Crossing to make my home more awesome, and more like my dream home I guess haha and with all the time off too, it'll give me something to do!

So yes, I have been planning fun things to do on Animal Crossing whilst I am off. So, for the house, I am thinking either a geek room, or a super hero themed room so I can put cool costume designs in there like the Doctor Strange one, customise furniture to go with the room, maybe games consoles n stuff, we shall see! I am also planning a music room so I'll try and make little posters like the Kamijo the other half has done for me, of all the band members I like and place them on a wall, maybe logos, bedsheets, stuff like that and so on. I'll probably put music instruments in there when I eventually get them as well haha! I am so excited.

I still don't really know what I am going to do with the rest of my island, but we shall see. I do want to make a fun outdoor play area, a garden of roses because Versailles, try and make it more gothic and so on, maybe even somewhere for live music? But we shall see haha! 

Speaking of live music and stuff, the character, named Katt, on my island is the cutest little fluff bean ever and I love her so much. She keeps singing on the plaza and it is the absolute sweetest thing. I love her so much omg. I think she's my fave out of my animals, not just cos she is pretty cool, but she reminds me so much of my team leader at work, also named Kat and honestly, it is the absolute best. I have informed my team leader about this but I have not had a response as of yet. On a serious note, I do miss her and our vape/smoke breaks outside ranting about stupid people. But for now, replacement Katt will do, cos heck, she even says things that reminds me of the real person haha!!!

I think that is enough about Animal Crossing (psst, it will never be enough) and don't worry, I have not been sat on my butt all day playing the best game chill game ever (even though I totally could, just saying). I have actually finished sorting out the bathroom and washing every piece of soft furnishing stuff I could (so all the towels and bed sheets and so on) and now, bar the fact the floor still needs doing and some walls and plastering, the bathroom is looking proper dapper. Well, as dapper as a bathroom could. Plus it appeased my need to organise things, so everything now has a place and so on and it just makes me feel so happy inside. 

There are still some BIG house things left to do, so prob like a couple more weeks of deep cleaning and organising and chucking stuff, but the kitchen cupboards are all sorted, everything has been washed up or dish washed in the kitchen, the living room is tidy and organised for gaming sessions or casual TV watching and the hall way is also nice and organised and no longer cluttered with piles of coats. It doesn't look or sound like much (the upstairs and office are the biggest challenges) but, it is starting to look better and it is showing in my mood, and tbh it is true what they say, "tidy house, tidy mind" so fingers crossed, my house will be a perfect little geeky music sanctuary soon.

Speaking of tidying, my last load of rando towel washing is done, so prob should go sort that out.

Stay safe people, just keep swimming, just keep swimming!

Over and out, mes amigos.

(PS: OMG did I mention, it is pay day tomorrow OMG YES)

[[0027]] Day 4 of Self-Isolation

The weekends are kind of nice as they seem a lot quieter than the week when it comes to news on anything big and bad. Unless the big bad thing happens on a weekend, alas Covid-19 started ages ago so I think we are good. For now.

Day 4  (Things seem okay, is this still the calm before the storm?)

Okay, honestly? Not a lot to report today, kind of like the news I guess, which is not a bad thing at all, don't get me wrong. No news is good news. Queenie hasn't killed a bitch yet. Still kind of have food in. Less than a week till pay day. 

All in all? OKAY.

As I said yesterday, we were going to live stream the new Animal Crossing New Horizons game which went well and was awesome and worth the wait, and not just the date for it to release but waiting for the other half to get home so I could FINALLY play it (alas, did not get enough stuff last night so have to wait till tomorrow for my house and museum bleh). 

Either way,  I think the stream went pretty well, it also look well pretty what with this cute AC screens and shizzles we had for the theme stream, so cute oh my gosh. That being said, the game might be all cute and adorable... the stream was definitely an 18+ as we ripped literally everything that Tom Nook had to say with good old sarcasm, but hey ho, in these times, you kinda need the laughter!

I can see more of next week that I am probably going to just lay in bed and play AC and sleep, which I am not complaining about, it's a good way to spend the week. Might tidy the bedroom, who knows? Depends how much time AC takes up.

Hoping I can get the other half to show me how to set up the stream with all the cute AC stuff so I can lice stream it while he is at work, cos no doubt peeps will get bored of the repetitiveness of Pokémon GO eventually.

We also received our first embers on the stream last night as well so monetising the stream was definitely worth it! We didn't realised at the time that you need about $50 of embers to receive the payout each month, but they do roll over to the next month so eventually you will get a payout from them. Seriously, the other half's friends have been so nice to us, whether chilling in streams and chatting, to throwing sparks everywhere and now the embers and honestly, could not do this without you guys!

As for today? I have given myself neck ache playing AC so have had to take a break before we go online to stream Fortnite later. I did spend hours re-finding all the QR codes for outfits I had on Animal Crossing New Leaf so I could have cute clothes, and I think that might be what has done my neck in, oops. Eitherway, more streaming later, so be sure to check us out on Queen & McBooty!

I'm lucky this weekend if I am honest, the other half doesn't work weekends so means I actually have company in the house all day which is nice. He is off next Wednesday as well which is going to be a big help as that will officially be day day 8 of self-isolation, although technically that would be day 5 cos bloods at hospital yesterday. Either way, I am gonna start being very much not okay around mid week, if not sooner, as I can already feel my energy and happy just drifting slowly between the cracks in the windows of this house. Like, I am okay, no worse than normal and same can be said for my diabetes but I can honestly just feel things starting to niggle at me, especially after all my sarc at Tom Nook gaming last night and then just inadvertently feeling mad at people randomly online for no reason.

So long and short of it, the mental head fuckery IS coming. I feel sorry for the other half for having to potentially see and deal with it, especially what with him working all week and so on so we keep going.

Anyway, today is a short one as little to report.

Keep well, wash your hands, stay safe, stay happy.

Over and out, mes amigos.

[[0026]] Day 3 of Self-Isolation

Today... was a weird one. Very weird. You can see the changes slowly happening across the city, the panic buyers still out there lugging heavy bags, an empty hospital waiting room... is Ghost Town coming?

Day 3 (This was more like social distancing day through NO choice of my own, but whatevs)

Good evening and welcome to your third instalment of Queenie's self-isolation diaries. I will point out, today was more of a social distancing day and honestly? I have realised how hard it is to social distance if you are using public transport or going to the hospital. 

Let's try and turn today into a mood sammich!!! 🥪🥪🥪

I see you are all recoiling in shock? Yes, I took a bus, well four buses today. And then hospital too. Alas, let me explain! This is essentially the last day I will NEED to leave the house. Long story short, I have three appts, of which two are today and one would have been tomorrow. SO, the diabetes support nurse appointment ended up being a phone appointment (I also forgot I had it so wouldn't have made it in time) and the appointment at X Ray for the kidney and bladder ultra sound has been cancelled for now, but have to contact them in two weeks if I end up being isolated for twelve. HOWEVER, renal told me to attend the bloods, so conflicted, I did. But I tried to make the best of a bad situation regardless. 

I got to see a work colleague which was wonderful cos there are a few people I am missing at work. And a couple of nurses, one I saw in renal and one I just tend to see in the smoking area, were outside so I got to see and chat with them (the dark humour was STRONG today). And I got to see my fave phlebotomist too (the one best at getting my bloods) so take that as a big win too. SO all in all, my short time out was pleasant. And don't worry, I made sure I used social distancing the whole damn time. 

Now, for a double filling of bad, well bad and gone off filling for the mood sandwich.

So I said in the opening that you can see that things are starting to change, and considering the last time I went out was on Tuesday, a lot has changed since Tuesday. So, for example, less people on the first bus to town so was able to comfortable social distance near the back, and then I got to the bus station and just DAMN SUNSHINE, you could tell there was a change in the atmosphere (luckily, I missed an idiot where some jerk had a go at an elderly person for coughing).

Considering I was stood at stand B... this is pretty empty for the local station. And buses coming from the nearby places and villages all seemed to have at most, four or five people on them, for what I could see. One bus turned up and no-one got on, which is kinda weird to see. I must admit, there were about eleven people behind this photo, queuing for my bus, so I did my best to distance from all of them as we eventually got on, and thankfully, 9 people all say on the left hand side of the bus, so only three of us spaced far out on the right, so can't complain too much. However, I can imagine at rush hour and work start time, the station is a lot fuller, so in a way, I am kind of glad I am not dealing with that, cos social distancing would be a lot harder that way. And tbh, it is going to get MUCH harder.

Caught these signs shown on the right, stuck to the doors before you get on the bus. And long story short, they are reducing their services, which I actually understand as it may encourage people to stay home and not bother going out, perhaps, and I guess help reduce the increase in transmissions that more regular services will cause. BUT, with reduced services, I can imagine that is more people piling onto a singular bus, specially int the morning... and again, I don't know if I want to be on the tail end of that, least of all at rush hour and home time, I can imagine what is left of the services will be rammed.

Anyway, get to the hospital, sanitised my hands like a good NHS worker, and then I saw the haem waiting area and oh my, it was such a change (a change for the better though no less). I'm used to seeing the haem clinic a lot cos I tend to work mainly on notes for haematology clinics, so I speak t the receptionist a lot and so on. Normally, you get a numbered ticket (for routine bloods, like forms from renal or diabetes clinics or from your doctor) and then sit in the main waiting area, people only wait in the seating area outside the double doors if the main area is full. Not today though. We get a ticket then go and sit in the outside area until called, whereas the main waiting area I think was clinics and emergency only?

But yeah, the new place to wait was, different. But clever and I see the logic behind it. So that is how the chairs are now arranged as you wait, so means you can distance quite nicely, so yeah, pretty clever. There were other rules like no kids under 12 and chaperones limited to one person and stuff like that. So kudos to haem, you're doing great!!! The whole waiting area was talking though, mainly about Covid-19 but it was nice to wait and not like, be bored and fall asleep like I normally do. 

Either way, places are definitely following with drastic changes, whether the hospital or the buses and shops and things. Things are changing and it is really really weird. 

So, for another icky sammich filling.

OMFG OW. SO MUCH OW. LIKE WHY AM I EVEN DIABETIC IF THEY CAN'T EVEN GET BLOOD OUT OF ME EASILY? WHY ARE MY VEINS SO CRAPPY? WHY WHEN I PREPARE FOR BLOODS TO BE TAKEN DOES MY VEINS SHRIVEL UP AND SAY LOL NOPE NOT TODAY MOTHERFUCKER.

Urgh.

I have this massive problem with blood tests and I don't even know why. Like I am not anxious when I get them done, I kind of find it fascinating if I am perfectly honest (and the colour is pretty haha). 

So I get in, explain to the lady I am a nightmare for bloods, she tries in my arm first, fat nope. Warms up a glove full of water for my hand... says nope. This is pretty much twenty minutes later and thankfully, she finally got taken off for her lunch (bless her, she was over running with me) and the lady that can get my blood came out. Saw her a couple of times when I was on the ward last year and seen her a couple of times since, she actually remembered me, and yes, she got it out. Alas, ouch. So much ouch omg. 

Again, you can tell there is a virus about because you have to keep the cotton wool and plasters on for a couple of hours now, to stop infection. Normally, I heal straight away as crap at bleeding, alas, have to be safe now. I could prob take them off now actually... I kinda forgot XD

AND NOW for the GRAND FINALE!!!

IT IS HERE IT IS HERE TODAY IS THE BIG DAY I HAVE WAITED FOR FOR SO DAMN LONG... ANIMAL CROSSING NEW HORIZONS IS OUT NOWWWWWW OH YES!

As you can see, I am so excited about this, you have no idea (you totally have an idea, I can see it now haha. I think I was gonna wait till my birthday to get it cos dollar is low atm, but the other half came up with a plan for the sheer fact that we all know I am going to go absolutely spare in the house once it is all tidied and I have run out of things to do. Plus, Animal Crossing is such a calm and chill game, you just can't be mad when you play it!!! Absolutely loved New Leaf, so the fact I was able to get this on release day is absolutely mental (alas I am gutted I missed out on the tote, the badges and the free poster the other half gave away cos he is too nice and yes I am still mad about it cos that kid can have a birthday outside and I won't be able to). ANYWAY, we are gonna hopefully stream it later, as I cannot play till the other half is home (the fact he has given me it now is sooooooooo infuriating as it is right next to me and so tempting plus I might need to make space on my switch...) But yes, please go and check us out later tonight and maybe tomorrow, over on our mixer, here and if you are bored now, check out my personal stream over here as I begin the Genesect research story event!! 

Well, that is it for now.

Over and out, mes amigos.