Well, 2020 was an interesting year

Just a few more hours to go and I can say we survived 2020.  The last time this planet faced such a plague was in 1918 with the Spanish Flu.  

Here in the UK, things look scary with our infection rates and hospitals becoming overwhelmed.  But we have hope with vaccinations.  I have been vaccinated and was due to have my second dose in about two weeks time.  Instead, I am going to have to wait three months for my second dose, and we do not know if the first vaccine will cover me for that long.

But I am a patriot.  I know that it is more important to the nation for more people to get one dose, rather than for me to get better protection.  This means that my wife and friends will get one dose, and therefore some protection sooner than otherwise.

Fingers crossed that all my friends and family survive to see the next Nee Year.

I am proud to be British, most of the time.

Right now, I am ashamed at the acts of some of my fellow Brits.

Our nation has a lot to be proud of, as well as things that we need to remember so that we learn from and never repeat.  An example of this is the actions of the UK when it came to the transatlantic slave trade.  The UK profited from it, and despite the huge profits made (something that not everyone agrees on), ended it and tried to end it abroad as well.     

It was reported, that due to the new variant of COVID, Switzerland placed British holidaymakers in quarantine.  Despite the risks posted to others, many Brits decided to flee, some using the lateral flow tests as proof that they were not infectious.  (These tests are good for screening but are not good for testing if someone with symptoms has COVID or not.)

If that was not bad enough, loads of Brits decided to attend a super spreader event in Australia.

Living in Colchester, I can see how most are obeying the restrictions.  But it only takes a few morons to infect and kill others.  I am proud about how most people in Britain are obeying the rules, but I am so ashamed at the actions of this idiotic minority.

Copyright Infringement

I have been warned by Twitter for copyright infringement for a tweet that used a GIF found using the Twitter app itself!  While I cannot link to the tweet itself, I can link to the thread it was on. #Eyeroll!

Battleships

Today, I went into work.  My daughter came with me as she likes to do her homework there and we spent about an hour or so there before returning home.  

At home, after a bit of a rest, we all went out for our family dog walk.  It was a bitterly cold day and when we got there, time was short as sunset was approaching.  Leia loved meeting other dogs again and met more this time than before.  Socially distanced chats with other dog walkers took place and both children took turns holdings her lead.  I suspect that next time, my son will wear more appropriate footwear as he was not as prepared as he would like.  

Anyway, we are now relaxing playing Battleships. My daughter did not realise that she was beating me in the first round at first, but once she did, she did not let go of her advantage and slaughtered my fleet.  My kids are now playing against each other and they will decide who I play next.

My daughter is truly evil.

My daughter is evil.  She knows I do not like to know the football scores before watching Match of the Day.  I did not watch the game last night but I knew that Arsenal was 2-0 up at half time when I accidentally saw the scores when looking at social media.  But my daughter later told me yesterday that the score was 3-0 before it ended, which stressed me out as I know that Arsenal have thrown away leads like that in the past, examples being against Wigan in 2010 and against Newcastle in 2011.  I still watched it, and yes, we went 3-0 up.  And then Chelski scored.  I said many rude words about her.  So when Chelski got a penalty, my heart was in my mouth.  We still won, and Chelski did make it easier for us, possibly because they thought that three points were guaranteed.  To be fair, I thought that they were to win as well.  Anyway, after watching it in the morning, I confronted her about this and she laughed.  I have done similar in the past to others I know, about things like Game of Thrones (one of my friends at work watched the seventh series as a box set and I may have convinced her that something that did not happen did).

On a different note, I had hoped that we were all to go for a walk as a family.  We had agreed that, but my son changed his mind, because he was asked to zip up his hoodie.  I was disappointed.  Leia would have loved us all going for a walk, but I don’t know when we will be able to go for a walk together.  The weather was amazing when my wife daughter and I took Leia out.  It had been raining before which influenced our choice of destination.  Leia got to meet other dogs and we all bonded.

We did bond as a family later though, playing Pointless.  We played two rounds, and it was fun.  This is a game I definitely will want us all to play again.  Maybe tomorrow...

Alan Shearer said - "a week or two ago" - he thought Arsenal might get relegated...

Has he changed his mind?#MOTD on @BBCOne and the BBC Sport website 👉 https://t.co/IQvwYDcJBg #bbcfootball #ARSCHE pic.twitter.com/BpDqbzZPPL

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 26, 2020

Gosbecks Archaeological Park

Today we relaxed. The highlight of the day was when me daughter and I took Leia to Gosbecks Archeological Park.  We had planned on a family walk outside, but my wife needed to rest after yesterday and my son and daughter could not agree on a place to visit.  So instead of the five of us, or even the four of us, it was just three.  She loved seeing and meeting other dogs, though things had not gone to plan this morning when she saw six dogs, meeting one, being barked at by two and ignored by the other.

As the day draws to a close, I am watching Gilmore Girls with my wife while Leia chews on my slippers.

Christmas 2020

The woof alarm, i.e. Leia, woke us up and I went down to keep her company after taking her out for her walk.  She does not like walking about at night.  Well, in the dark.

Later my wife took great pleasure in waking my daughter.  Revenge for may years of her rushing into our room shouting about how it is Christmas was sweet for her.

I had intended to help with cooking but was not able to do so having not slept that well.  But I was woken for lunch which we all enjoyed.  Later in the day we played a game of scrabble.  My son almost won, but I pipped him at the last.  I am proud of him and would have been pleased deep down if her had beaten me.

The day was very different to our Christmas last year, but we all agreed that having Leia with us made it better.  I think that she felt left out when it came to eating lunch naps well as opening our presents.  But thanks to one of the patients that I have seen, she got to enjoy Christmas as well when she got a present.