A BLUE PETER BADGE

Once again, the week started, as it always does.  Monday followed Sunday, and I was not exactly raring to go, but I was ready.  Dana had to take his car to have the tyre fixed.  "Unless you want....?"  No. I did not.  I knew, from dropping off some essentials on Saturday, that my 'in box' was quite full.

A new notice had been stuck on the door of our building.  After the misunderstanding regarding me being the person who handled deliveries, a revised sign had been created.  "To enter the building, please call..... we are the first door on the right".  Somehow I did not think this was a better option.  

The ability to 'think outside the box' has become second nature to more than usual.  Everyone is finding new ways to do things, and people who are not normally crafty, have found they are more creative than they had once thought.  Once again, I am reminded about the children's programme, Blue Peter, in which, each week, there was a 'how to make' section.  At the time, the key ingredient was usually a washing up liquid (dish detergent) bottle.  As the leading brand, Fairy, (Dawn,) boasted that you needed much less than other brands, the wait for the bottle seemed like an age.  Of course, the other key ingredient was the inside of the toilet roll, the cardboard roll itself.  Now it is the toilet roll tube that is the golden part!  You would probably get a 'Blue Peter Badge', (a most coveted possession, earned for doing something spectacular in the eyes of those in charge,) for owning a toilet roll tube!  However, I digress.

"Can you come and pick me up, please?"  The car was going to take longer than anticipated, and as there was not really an option to browse the local stores, I headed out to collect my husband.  Thankfully, the journey did not take long, and with the lack of cars on the road, it took less time than usual, and we were back at the office very quickly.  

Apparently, the estimated time that was expected to fix the car was based on a normal Monday, with normal traffic, and a normal amount of customers.  "Can you take me to get my car, please?" came shortly after we arrived back at the office.  It was going to be one of those days.  

I received a call to open the door, and found a fellow occupant standing looking forlorn.  "I have called management to get a key card, but they have not responded."  I suggested she talk to a person rather than leave a message, as the messages are not always responded to.  She thanked me, profusely.  Little did I know what she was thinking.  A little later, I went to open the door for one of our servers, and the same lady was attempting to open the door with a new key card.  It would not work.  She had picked it up from the management office, a few minutes prior.  Mine still worked.  "Well, it needs to be activated properly, or I will just keep calling you and you will have to come and let me in!"  The new note had, once again, been misinterpreted, as a few more indication that I was responsible for admission, as well as the unusable card, were thrown out.  "We are the first door on the right", apparently meant that we (being me) were the 'in house' officers!  I had to think very quickly, to respond in a manner that was befitting of a Blue Peter Badge holder (which I am not, but live in hope) rather than to lower myself to the level of the irate! It is times like this that I 'grade' the English accent.  Level one is caring, rising to slight authority, then to 'don't mess with me', with another few before reaching top level, "I am your mother, do as I say!" I chose to elevate reasonably high to that of 'intimation' level.  "If I am here, I will answer the door!" I did not hear what was said next but I continued with, "I am also just a tenant, trying to do a good turn!"  A little while later, the lady exited, and returned with a working key!  There are just some words, or phrases in the right accent, that send shivers down a spine.  If she had responded with "Achtung!" I would have stood to attention!

I was not sure as to how busy we would be, leading up to the Easter weekend, but we were busy.  We were thankful!  I replaced the sign which now reads, "For entrance to the building for deliveries etc, please call".  Simple!

Samantha has been 'taking one for the team'.  Instead of coming into work, she has been providing us with 'essentials'.  The recommended directive to wear masks prompted her to find out 'how to make'.  "What do you want?" she asked me over a videochat.  An array of patterned material was set before me and I chose the London scenes, of course.  She opted for a military theme for Dana, and of course, for herself, she opted for what I will describe as 'raw sewerage'.  There was to be one for everyone who worked for us, so that the servers, if needed, could comply with restrictions.  She had made a few for Edward, as they need to be washed, but had also decided to put in a 'filter'.  Each one had a pocket so a filter could be fitted.  I was impressed!  However, due to the brilliant idea that coffee filters could be used as an alternative to toilet paper, these are now on the 'most wanted list'.  Toilet paper appears to be on the shelves, for the most part.  Coffee filters and material is not!  There is also a shortage of elastic!  Everyone will get a Blue Peter Badge!

Driving into work I noticed that the local McDonalds was very busy.  The line had caused a small traffic jam along the 'frontage road'.  I was very happy to see the business doing so well.  It suddenly occurred to me that the proverbial boot was on the other foot.  The proverbial smile was on the other side of the face.  All those parents that told their children to work hard at school, with the threat of 'what, you wanna flip burgers for a living?' are so grateful that their kids have a job!  Who's laughing now!  

After another busy day, we went home to dinner.  It was another mystery dinner, one I had taken out of the freezer, with the label having fallen off.  It was stew, I thought, with rice, as there were some long white grains in the mixture.  It tasted quite nice, and once again I vowed to 'double bag' the leftovers, in future, and put a note in between the bags.  Trying to attach a description to a frozen block of food is not always easy!  

Saving take-out cartons has earned me a Blue Peter Badge, or at least I think I should get one for my ingenuity!  Rather than buy silver foil cartons (as I rarely get my containers returned) I have found that the boxes in which we receive our food, when we 'take out', as we have been doing on Saturday, are perfect for my own delivery service!  No, I have not become a 'favor' driver, nor have I become a 'grub hub' supplier, but I have a couple of nurses living next door and an octogenarian living opposite.  As my freezer is quite full, due to my paranoia leading up to recent events, and my concern as to some of my less able neighbours, I made sure I was fully stocked.  Instead of freezing the left overs now, I make food parcels.  Thankfully, those who live at the other end of the complex have all told me that their neighbours take good care of them, should they need anything.  Most can get out, but sometimes they cannot find what they need.  It is nice to know that I live in such a caring community!  

Samantha arrived with the dogs on Wednesday.  The animals were ecstatic.  They are of a breed that not merely like continuity, but thrive upon it.  They were quite wild when she let them in the front door, and ran to each person in turn, to say 'hi'.  She deposited the masks and then we went to Sams and Costco.  It was a rare treat, and we both wore our newly made masks, with filters!  However, as most of the staff did not wear a mask, we took off ours, as the temperature had risen to over 90 and it was stifling.  Obviously, if the directive was an executive order .... !  We had to queue up to get into Costco, and picked up some things for friends and work colleagues.  My text alert sound was continually bleeping.  "Can you get two?"  The limit is one per cardholder I would reply.  The next item was photographed and sent to the appropriate party.  "Can you get two?", and so it continued!  

My neighbour was very grateful for dinner on Thursday.  Storms had come in and the temperature had dropped considerably.  It was a lovely day.  Amazing how seventy degrees is considered cool!  I went for a walk around my complex, and breathed in the spring air.  It was a glorious evening.

We were out of coffee.  I sent Joe a message on Friday.  "Help".  I asked for instructions.  I could almost hear him laughing in his reply.  Joe know how good I am at following instructions.  "Let me know when you are here, and I will bring it out to the table".  Apparently, they have a table for collection.  I arrived a little after eight, having driven to the shop in less than ten minutes.  With very little traffic on the road anyway, it was Good Friday, and most people had opted to take the day off.  Our courthouse does not close, so nor do we, but various government buildings do not open on Good Friday, and this was a Good Friday like no other.  Joe came out with the coffee.  We chatted from a distance for a while, and both looked forward to a time when we could talk a little nearer!  I was grateful that Joe and his employees still had work to do, and were busy, both for them, and for me!

Restocked with coffee, we worked a full day.  It was eerily quiet, but then it usually is on Good Friday, with a few 'emergency' papers trickling in.   Samantha and I have tried to plan our trips (when not meeting my cousin in New York City) over Easter, as it is generally quieter, but we couldn't this year, as she had a wedding, which didn't happen.  Hence our earlier trip, for which I am grateful!

The postman called at his usual time.  I went to meet him.  "Want to hear a funny story?" I said, and started to tell him something Joe had told me.  In my eagerness to relay the tale, I let the door go, and realised that I had locked myself out of the building.  "Should I call your husband to let you back in", he asked.  I looked sheepishly at him, and said, "Bet this is funnier than the story".  He found it highly amusing.  Grant came to the door.  "Funny thing", said Grant.  "When I answered the phone, this voice said, 'Your wife has locked herself out. Can you let her in'.  I thought, 'I am divorced. My ex wife lives miles away, and how did you get this number!"  He then realised who was calling and came to my rescue.  I must remember to tell the postman on Monday, with my foot in the threshold!  

We collected tacos on Friday night, and went home.  One of my neighbours had sent me an email to say that he had received a package from his company, containing some rather delicious Easter goodies.  As he and his wife were on a strict diet, would I like them!  Would I?  Oh yes, please.  I guess one good turn deserves another!  He brought them to my back door.  He, too, was on the 'exempt' list, and had to work.  Strange as the day had been, there was a sense of calm.  

I got to Costco early on Saturday.  I didn't need much, but the office does need supplies, and I wanted to be out and back as quickly as possible.  I stood in the queue, which was longer than the previous week, but then I was earlier so no one had been let in yet.  A member of staff was shouting something at the people in line when I arrived, but it did not seem to be offensive.  She smiled at me and I enquired as to her well being.  She was good.  She reiterated her message, which was to say that there was a list of goods they did not have at the front, so if anyone had come for a specific item, and it was on the list, she did not want us to waste our time queuing.  She was a little 'jobs worth', and did seem to enjoy the power, but as I said, she was not offensive.  Then the 'one' arrived.  "Do you have a return? You have to take that in first", said the lady 'in charge'.  The person with the package started her attack.  "So.  You want me to go in and take this back, then line up with the line getting longer.  I aint gonna do it".  Oh how I wondered if the lady 'in charge' could have done with my accent!  "Ma'am", (an authoritative level word, if spoken correctly,) "You cannot take that in at this entrance. You must return it first or leave it".  If anyone thought the tennis tournaments were cancelled this year, they were wrong.  Heads turned back and forth, and whilst there was not an actual ball in the air, rackets were being swung!  "You gonna stand in line for me when I take this back.  I aint doing it!"  Honestly, think about it.  Who is going to win?  My money was on Mrs. Costco, not the customer.  Eventually, it was agreed, by the people in line, who were now bored with the game, that they would save the place for the offender.  The line was moving swiftly and I went to take out my card.  It was not there!  How was I going to get in.  Suddenly, I felt sorry for the customer!  I could not enter on a 'gift card', as would have been allowed in normal circumstances, so I would have to go to the customer service desk, and then queue up again.  I was almost near the front.  I aint doing it!  "Excuse me", I said to the woman, six feet in front, "I have lost my card.  Um, can I come in on yours".  She looked at me and said, "It happens", then thought about it.  "How are you going to buy anything?"  I explained that I would go in and then go to the customer service desk, thus having entered I would not have to re-queue.  She agreed.  However, on going in I spotted toilet paper!  It was not my preferred make, but I knew someone who does prefer it, so I would get this for her instead of getting for me.  I walked over to the pile, and the nice lady who let me come in on her card gave me a look of, "You fibber!"  

After doubling back to the customer service desk, I asked if I could leave my cart by the check out.  The nice man to whom I spoke on Wednesday, and with whom I have seen many times before, said it was okay.  The nice lady behind the desk recognised me.  "Love your braids, and you always look so pretty!"  Oh my goodness, I blushed.  I had on my stetson, a pair of jeans, 'Marks and Spencer' jumper, and a 'native american print' thin wrap type jacket, with tassles.  Of course, I wore my boots!  I thought I looked nice, but I felt like a Queen!  I then spoke like the Queen.  "That is so kind!" The accent was, "I am your mother!" but with a level one grade tone!  

When I returned to my cart, there was an extra pack of toilet paper, (my preference,) and a pack of kitchen towel.  The nice man at the check out smiled with a nod, and I can only assume he put it there in case I needed it.  How kind!  I did not need the kitchen towel, so I replaced it.  I did not know anyone who did need, so I left it for someone else.  Walking around the store, I found an assistant.  "I assume I can only buy either/or and not both".  He confirmed.  An elderly lady stood looking rather upset.  "I need some bath tissue, but you don't have any.  I like your brand".  He told her that it was at the front of the store.  "I didn't see it", she responded.  I walked over to her cart with the 'spare' pack.  "Is this what you want?" I asked.  She was so grateful, it made me wonder if there was a reason I lost my card, and was standing here, right now!  I picked up the rest of things on my list and headed out.

Samantha and Edward met me at Walmart, and we exchanged a few things.  Edward did not get out of the car, and we waved from a suitable distance.  I then found 'my homeless man', and gave him a couple of bags of food to keep him going for the week.  He was grateful too, and we chatted, at a distance, for a short while.  The weather was nice, so he was sitting on the corner with his sign.  I hoped people would be generous.  

I arrived back at home, and after unpacking my groceries, went for a walk.  The rain was quite heavy, but the temperature warm.  I splashed up the hill and returned to reorder my fridge and pantry. 

Dana and I went to collect our reusable boxes.  They were not ready for redistribution just yet, as they contained our dinner!  We watched a movie and enjoyed the evening.  

Breakfast was cooked by my fair hand this morning.  Not one for a big breakfast normally, Sunday is the exception.  I went for a walk and then chatted with my kids, on video calls.  It is a beautiful sunny day, albeit a bit windy.  I am contemplating going to the pool, but the restrictions allow for no more than ten people at a time.  On any normal given Sunday, there would be no more than ten people, but this is not a normal Sunday.  It is Easter Sunday, and most everyone is at home.  No Easter Egg hunts, no big family meals, let alone services at places of worship.  Is 'normal' being rewritten?  

With a few 'religious' festivals being celebrated (as best they can) over this weekend, I hope all are finding it possible to enjoy, one way or another.  The 'Blue Peter Badge' can be aspired to, but only a few will be chosen.  My badge, however, is awarded to all who can make it through and come up with the most crafty creations, or ideas.  I will not actually being awarding anything, and don't need anyone to respond.  You know who you are, and that will be good enough.  Happy weekend to one and all, and I hope the next week will be eventful in a good way.  We will meet again, in ..... another story!