Memories of Jet Gyro

Google sent me these memories from 2021, the second year of Covid. It's like my total recall! 

Those were my car boot die-cast days and a period making home-made Thunderbirds toys like Jet Gyro in 2020. Well, you had to do something stuck indoors for months on end didn't you!

The black and white is me staring out the window wondering when I could go out again! 😂

Jokes aside, a serious time for many. The Missus got Covid and then our very elderly friend in our bubble. I escaped.

I remember posting lots of money boxes in 2020. We were all saving money! 

Just before Lockdown

 I've been deleting old snaps and came across this bunch showing old games and toys I set out for a collector to browse.

It was a couple of weeks before Lockdown in March 2020. It seems like a lifetime ago now.

I recall my Missus had seen an ad of this chaps on FB, a collector of board games.

Besides games I set out a few other bits and pieces to tickle his fancy.

A lot of this was left over from my old toy stall I had at toy fairs. It had been languishing in the loft for years.

I seem to remember the collector buying quote a lot.

Another two weeks and he wouldn't have been allowed to leave his bubble and come to our house! 

Have you ever had a collector or dealer come to your house to buy stuff readers?

MASKING

 

I had to smile when I saw this mask that's available online by Timothy Smith. Its our old friend the SpaceX Nova rocket on the front!

Is this something you would wear?

What would you like on your mask?

PS.

Just had a go at placing a design on a Vistaprint mask online, the Tri-ang SpaceX Moon Base HQ box art!

Far too dear but fun to mess around with!

Have a go yourself on Vistaprint.

https://www.vistaprint.co.uk/masks/all/custom/

SECOND HAND SATURDAY

Today was the first Saturday since last December the Missus and me have been able to go out charity shopping. 

Boris opened all shops earlier in the week and like many people in England we couldn't wait to get out again. We spent a happy Saturday rummaging among people's donated tat and toys and we managed a pannini and a coffee sat outside as well. Result! It was great to get out into the world again.

So in the spirit of Paul A's fab blogged haul last weekend here's some of the stuff we got today and some of the stuff we didn't.

The Missus surprised me with two small action figs she found. The zombie is from Scooby Doo. Unsure of the alien. Do you know?

My own biggest investment today was £4 for this boxed Harry Potter board game, Mystery at Hogwarts's Game. All complete, its hard to believe its already 21 years old. I've been searching for a first edition hardback Philosopher's Stone for years, so I could retire early, but for now I'll enjoy this game instead but I won't be retiring early!

On top of the box are three die-cast cars I picked up from one of the many baskets of mostly modern Hot Wheels. I've yet to fully ID these three but they looked older than the rest and three I'd not seen before in those colours.

For Moonbase Junior and Miss Junior this bundle of fun will help. Some modern Thunderbirds Are Go vehicles and a bell along with some other bits.

Some of the lovelies we didn't get include this beautiful wooden 'Quality Shop', which I think was home made. It reminded me of a Dinky garage at forst glance. Alongside was a large plastic train set reminiscent of my beloved Big Big Train. At £6 it went as I was stood there.

A treat for me was seeing A spirograph set in its home address almost. The toy was invented by one Denys Fisher and his famous toy firm was based in the area we were visiting. This particular set was a Chad Valley version rather than his own Denys Fisher brand.

Fisher price was out in force too. This gorgeous old plastic tug was new to me. We also tested an old FP record player. Sadly the mechanism was slow so we put it back. Old Fisher Price toys are classic designs now.

As mentioned there were tons of modern Hot Wheels in all the Charity shops. Here's one basketful all at 49p each. I found my 3 old cars in here.

We also visited two proper toy shops with proper toy shop prices. Here's a Playmobil and Lego stack.

and a pleasant surprise, the re-issued Masters of the Universe Battle Cat. I've found quite a few llose originals of this toy over the years but they are harder and harder to find at boot sales. This modern window boxed remake is priced £24.99! Would you buy one?

No idea what Eternia Minis are underneath but they looked like little Mighty Max sets.

Tomorrow will bring more second hand goodness into our claustrophobic lives we hope when we visit our first car boot sale since last September!

To be continued.

COUNT COVID

 At the end of March when Covid struck the Missus she had to monitor her oxygen level with a finger monitor.

As usual I had to fiddle with it.

I slapped it onto a toy Dracula's arm and ...

as you can see he has oxygen in his system, 56 and even more worrying .... a pulse of 70 bpm!

I nearly ran out of the house screaming!

Next the Count will want vaccinating!

Ha ha.

RECOVERY BASE

 

To celebrate the Missus' recovery from Covid a close friend sent some flowers in the post yesterday, which was so nice.

I've installed the Missus and me in front.

Sick Bay is now shut. 

Just the finger oxygen mete still in use. Reminds me of Bones's little Tri-corder.

Amazingly our whole family will be meeting up again in the garden on Easter Sunday. Six of us out of 10 days isolation.

Stay safe everyone and take care of each other.

Thanks for all your words of support.

SICK BAY REPORT

The Missus has had Covid 8 or 9 days now we think judging by when she started to feel ill. Like many folks we thought it was just a cold, the cold I 'd had a week before. Alas it wasn't but things are looking up a bit.

The NHS dropped off an Oxygen finger monitor which has really helped measure daily oxygen levels, an important symptom of Covid. A senior Nurse has also phoned her and spent valuable time discussing all her symptoms and taking her through the different stages of the illness, how it might get worse even after 10 days and how it might recede. Fingers crossed its the latter. The NHS have been amazing all round.

Keeping going, we have lots of windows open here at the Base. Its Spring and the breeze is fresh and warm and lifts our spirits blowing through the airlocks. It hopefully sweeps away any nasties too!

We wear masks all the time, except to eat and drink and sleep, which we do with lots of distance. Separate towels, hand washing and alcohol wiping are mandatory for both base personnel. Last night we had a delivery of food from Morrisons so the base fridge is full again.

We did get a shock yesterday though, as a close elderly friend rang to say she thought she had also been by infected ... by the Missus, during her asymptomatic period! Given that our friend is nearly 80 and lives alone I felt duty bound to get her tested, so I took a home lateral flow kit round and took her through it. I waited in my car for half an hour praying she would be negative as did she. Sadly it was positive. So another person in our small chain has succumbed to Corona as well. Needless to say she is very scared and will need help from her scattered family.

Over at our Daughter's, where her young family, the fantastic four, are all isolating, as she's positive, they seem to be coping OK but it can't be easy keeping everyone happy and healthy cooped in one house for 10 days. Its Moonbase Miss Junior's first birthday tomorrow as well. She was born in lockdown and will be one in lockdown! Still he's a joyous soul and will get lots of fuss from Mum, Dad and big brother.

Finally, my own good news is that I did a home test on myself this morning and I'm pleased to report that it was negative.

One day this war's going to end.

How are you all readers? Safe, healthy and negative too I hope!

ISOLATION STATION

Well, Moonbase is now in isolation. No-one can come in and no-one can go out, except the dog Blue. Missus Moonbase has now been to a drive-in PCR test and we await the result. This is the recommended UK Gov response to getting a positive result from a home test kit.

We certainly don't need any proof the Missus is ill. She's gone downhill from yesterday with little stamina and some breathlessness. Her taste and smell have vanished too. Looking at the calendar and when she first 'had a cold' I would say this is day 6 of the virus. Most reports seem to peg it at lasting around 2 weeks with a fair wind. Fingers crossed we get one and it stays as it is.

I'm not ill and will test myself again at home with the Missus in a couple of days. We are wearing masks in the house and not touching shared touch points if we can. Lots of disinfectant wipes and hand washing too, together with some windows open to create a breeze of fresh air. Who knows what the right way to isolate with a covid patient is. Do you?

The Missus has gone to bed. Best place when you're unwell. I just hope it stays as it is and we come out of this unscathed.

Outside its Spring and the Easter break has begun.

If you see the Easter bunny limbering up then ask it to put a mask on!

INFECTION

Alas, Missus Moonbase has been infected with Covid so we are both in isolation as of tonight. I am keeping my eye on the Missus. Currently its like a bad cold with no sense of taste or smell. Our daughter has the virus too so her family is isolating at hers.

Its quite gutting to have kept the virus at bay for over 12 months and then suddenly have it in our homes. 

I hope all our readers are staying safe and keeping vigilant for this dreadful bug.

L E A N E R

 

as darkness descends

 

C A L D E R A

 

LOCKDOWN LIBRARY

Well its lockdown number 3 in England and the virus does not seem to be going away. We're heading for a year of all this soon. I imagine I might have even mentioned it in January on the blog last year. I remember watching it unfold in China and then Italy with horror back then.

I've just done a morning shift looking after keyworkers' schoolchildren and I'm back home now. Just time for a cuppa and some dinner before a virtual staff meeting, the new way of communicating at work.

It also gives me chance to read a chapter of my current novel, which is so topical its untrue. Lockdown by Peter May, which I picked up second hand last April, but never read it.

I must say I'm enjoying it tremendously. Without giving anything away it concerns the discovery of a small skeleton in London during a worldwide Bird Flu pandemic. Peter May wrote it years ago but it was rejected back then as an unfeasible scenario. No, there's no such thing as a global pandemic!

As Julia Roberts said. Big mistake, BIG mistake!

If you like crime thrillers and damaged detectives then this is for you as long as you can cope with the familiarity of some of the lockdown stuff that May predicted so well!

What are you reading readers?

C R O W N I N G

Amorphous fist,

it grew in the dark,

a master worm.

 

Godless crobe,

it bludges its way

through the breaths.

Cosmic leech,

monster coronated,

It will be done on Earth.

JABBERS RISING

 

A HAIR IN ITS THROAT

 

CALENDER'S WANING

 

C O R O N A

 As if the haul of stars

will fall like apples

or melt like rime.

It is the ghastly things

the awful things

that will rob us of our time.

D E S O L A T E twisting

 

THIS YEAR'S BIRD