Dan Laid Off

I'm a manager for a jewellery shop in Toowoomba, Australia.    I've been stood down indefinately during this Coronavirus Pandemic.   These are my Ramblings.

[danlaidoff]

12th April ... not much happening in Iso-Town.

Blade Runner 2049 was released on Netflix, so there was that.

[danlaidoff]

10th April - A bit of organising, sorted out the cupboard in the study.

Cooked my traditional Good Friday meal for dad, with some variations due to supermarket shortages:

No Barramundi - replaced with Salmon Steaks

No Bread Rolls - Dad made some flat bread

Took some nice sunset shots on my way over there

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9th April - Another Nothing Day - How has this not become our ‘Rona theme song?

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April 8th - Nup. Nothin’.

watched a few crap movies.

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7th April - took a stroll down to dad’s to help put some curtains up

There were a couple of horses in a couple of lots, one pair were still there on my walk home too.

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6th April - Thought I’d scrub up a little bit for an interview with a national supermarket chain. They are looking for people to help out on a temporary casual basis during this crisis, and I figure that I can be of help.

Interview went for 4 Minutes .... WOW, it took me longer to iron my shirt.

... then I thought that I’d merge my photos together ... because why not!

UPDATE: Got a replying the early hours of the next morning (7th April) saying there were others more suited to the role ... FFS, I train people in customer service and am a hard worker! I know that I’m overqualified, but this is a short term placement!  .... Grrrr!

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5th April - my out door  setting had an extra armchair and footstool that I couldn’t fit in to my back yard space, so  i dropped it over to a friend’s place and put it together for her.

sorted my pantry and cooked myself a pretty god pasta dish and brownies with fresh cream for desert!

A little things day!

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4th April - Another quiet day. Dad came around for lunch and I gave him a  haircut using my beard trimmer. Not a bad attempt for my first attempt, but I really couldn’t stuff up a “No.2 all over”, could I?

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3rd April - Went in to work to courier some stock to some clients, really quite in the mall again. There is only one jeweller (competitor) open, and I shake my head wondering why. They have “buy one get one free” ... again, I wonder why, who are they competing with?

Friday night is Uncle Mike night (my dad) so went around there and just him and I again ... but got  the group chat on.

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2nd April - Kinda planed to maybe do stuff ... fell apart pretty quickly!

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1st April - Pretty much nothing

Spent the morning in front of the computer and the afternoon in front of the telly.

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Had a  bit of purpose when I got up today ... go into work and make contact with some clients that needed couriering of some pieces that could not go back to head office when we shut last  week. - Can’t go in solo for company security reasons, so offered to pay one of my colleagues with a home cooked lunch  instead. (Can’t physically pay as both of us were worried that it might affect any govt. payment she might be entitled to.)

Anyway, the mall was dead! Some stores were open, but very few ... and of those I’d have to question how “essential” they really were. ... not quite a true “Ghost Mall”, but reminded me of images I’ve seen https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/ghost-malls-1/

After a stroll around we went into the shop and I tried to log on to one of the computers, but my password didn't work, so I tried the other ... same story! I now felt like we were trespassing in the shop that I’m accountable for .... so we left.

I got dropped off and suggested a coffee ... that got upgraded pretty quickly to a chocolate espresso martini each in the sun, because.... why the hell not!

After that, I pretty much embraced the last pic up there except YouTube on the telly ... :) A bit sloshed, but digging some old tunes such as https://youtu.be/FG1NrQYXjLU

Might order a contact-less pizza delivery for dinner!

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A bit more productive today - some before and afters!

If you know me at all, you’ll know that a gardener I ‘aint - so happy with my weeding effort this morning.

I also mowed my back yard for the first time since I broke my toe!

Dad came around and help me put together my outdoor setting -   The instructions said that it should take around an hour  - THEY LIED! I think I will feel a bit better about life if I can enjoy being outside more.

I did have a beer or two.

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Funky

Woke up feeling funky today.

Never really got over it.

Showered. Functioned. That’s about it.

[danlaidoff]

28th March - Woke up early and watched Elvis Costello’s video raising funds for the NHS, was expecting a bit more of a one man concert from his hotel room in Vancouver, but got more of a Q&A rambling. Enjoyed it anyway. He did kick it off with “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”, a fav of mine.   https://youtu.be/nfXyl0fBcTY

Cooked breakfast for dad, and went online to look at old tools and nick-nacks on e-bay (priced lowest to highest) in lieu of garage sailing that he normally does of a Saturday Morning. 

Took a lovely down-hill stroll to vote today ... coming back uphill, not so lovely! (I might be a bit unfit!)

... I truly don't understand why the council elections are not being postponed, it's not like there are going to be many other issues for the short while - I would have thought that the incumbent would have a better chance of guiding us through these times and the upcoming processes. It would then give the public a chance to grade them in a few more months at a re-scheduled election ...

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27th March - Elvis Costello on the You Tube ... he’s announced that he’s doing a live isolated concert at 5:30am my time tomorrow morning to raise money for the NHS, so I hope I wake up in time for it! Anyway, good tunes for finishing my cleaning project that I half-heatedly started yesterday, I didn’t know he did a version of “Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood”, a fav song of mine: https://youtu.be/tE1axH-PocI

Heard the garbo go past. With my lost routine, I forgot it was bin night last night!

Went to dad’s for dinner. Normally it’s the whole extended Toowoomba Clan. Just the two of us tonight ...  but managed to get pretty much all of us on a group facetime chat.

[danlaidoff]

26th March - Went for a walk, listened to some tunes, did some cleaning, cooked a steak, had a glass or two, watched a couple of my favorite episodes, got out of my head for a bit.

“the illness took her in the end”