#DailyCovidUpdate from @LawrenceGilder | 20th February 2021
Cases: 4,105,675 (+10,406)
Average Cases: 11,224.29
Deaths (28-day): 120,365 (+445)
Deaths (60-day): 132,899 (+624)
Average Deaths: 493.86
Vaccine [1st dose]: 17,247,442 (+371,906)
Vaccine [2nd dose]: 604,885 (+15,294)
There hasn't been anything positive to write about in the last few weeks. Lockdown is still ongoing, over 40,000 more people have died and the weather has been either freezing cold or wet and miserable. But there is light on the horizon.
The daily deaths and infection rates are finally going down, the days are getting longer and next weekend it's supposed to be sunny and 12 degrees so I may be able to get out on my bike. I need to start burning some calories and lose my lockdown weight. The Government has said today that they hope to have offered the vaccine to all adults by the end of July. I'm hoping to get mine in April as Wales has already started vaccinating the over 60s.
Nat had hers last week and felt dreadful with a fever for 24 hours but she's fine now. Apparently you react badly to it if you have already had covid. The vaccination centre is walking distance from my house at Holm View Leisure Centre so that's handy.
Work has continued to be relentless and I ended up having a mini breakdown in front of the boss and told her that I don't feel appreciated and that I want to go down to 3 days a week in April. Pippa is going down to 3 days a week in August as she has retrained to become a funeral celebrant during lockdown. I'm still fuming that I never got furloughed and had all this lovely spare time that everybody else had.
My illustrations are coming along nicely. Barry Athletic Cricket Club have licensed my Barry Island image to use on their posters for the next two years. So I'm looking forward to seeing one of them.
I've also designed the single cover for my friend Fabrizio in Italy. Looking forward to that coming out. He says he'll invite me over to Italy once the pandemic is over. So that's something to look forward to.
I did a little journal entry (for a Skillshare class) about Bay 5 Cafe. They loved it and shared it on their Facebook page.
Loads of people on Facebook are telling me that my designs are good and that I should be selling them or doing it full time. That is the plan my little friends. I just need to get better at it first. Here's the dream - quit the 9-5 and just spend my free time travelling and drawing. I mean I love it. I may be addicted. I'm struggling to write this now as I'm itching to bugger off and do some drawing. Buying that iPad and Apple Pencil in July has changed my life. Best decision I ever made.
My delayed Scotland trip is planned for April 30th but I'm still not hopeful that things will be open by then. Apparently the white haired gorilla is announcing his road map tomorrow.
The government were found to have broken the law by failing to publish details of billions of pounds of spending on personal protective equipment. The Daily Fail didn't mention it though and just had pages and pages of crap about Harry and Megan.
There are still loads of odd bods and Z list celebrities who are anti-vaccine, anti-lockdown and anti-mask. What a bunch of cocksuckers. I try not to get sucked into the threads were they spread their bullshit and misinformation. Life was a lot simpler before social media. It's easier to just ignore it and pretend I live in a cabin in the woods.
Just checked on Facebook for an update on Alana's Dad. He's in hospital very ill with Covid right now. They both caught it at the same time and he had to go into hospital for a night. Then he came back home and seemed very chipper but then had to be rushed in again. She absolutely distraught as he's really ill and she can't visit. Hoping he make it as she lost her Mum during lockdown last year. No update for a couple of days now. Doesn't sound good.
Whilst checking Facebook I noticed an article about 70 stolen dogs being recovered from a farm in Carmarthen. Dog thefts have increased 170% since lockdown. They are literally snatching the dogs from people whilst they are walking them. Liz is making sure that she doesn't keep to the same route, walks Margot at different times of the day and doesn't let strangers stroke her. People are bloody horrible.
Tell you what it would be much easier to live in a cabin in the woods and not know about the horrors of the world. I watched a documentary last night about Boy George and growing up in the 70s. He talked about how the 70s were grim, with unemployment, violence, strikes, power cuts, recession etc and how he wasn't really aware of any of it, he was just having a great time. Maybe that's what will happen when this pandemic ends. Everyone will just ignore the shitshow and have the time of their lives. It will be the swinging 20s all over again.