Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke has some wise advice during lockdown - don't ride a bike while wearing sandals.
Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke has some wise advice during lockdown - don't ride a bike while wearing sandals.
Lock down can't be all doom and gloom. After all, the Mayoress has given me some reprieve from the lengthy list of jobs I am supposed to be doing.
For me keeping busy has been the best therapy. After all you can only watch so many repeat episodes of Gunsmokeand Dr Phil before you become crankier than some of the people he has on his show.
Being able to go to the fridge any time during the day has not been a good thing. I have tried to offset this with some regular exercise in the form of bike riding but even that has proved problematic on occasions.
Speaking from personal experience - some advice for new riders. Don't ride in sandals as they can easily get caught up in the pedals. The pain from the slow motion fall was less than the embarrassment caused or the pains of laughter coming from the sole witness.
Back to the jobs, I reckon. Lawns, hedges, gardens, window cleaning, car cleaning, tidy shed and more…. it's never ending but is rewarding.
In amongst this the council work continues and the number of online video meetings has been almost ridiculous. Using the Zoom App we have coined a new word for these video talk-fests or hui, the word is ZUI and we have had a few of them. Sometimes these have proved a challenge for a few participants but after using this form of communication for three weeks now, most are now user competent.
If I use last Thursday as an example, I took part in six of these Zoom meetings stretching over nearly five hours. After that length of time talking to an iPad screen on the kitchen table, maybe a therapeutic consultation with Dr Phil is not such a bad idea?
Adding to the regular council business is the Civil Defence response and the meetings that relate to that. Our regular Civil Defence briefings and Mayors' meetings are usually held at 7.30am meaning an early rise and start for everyone involved. A quick shower helps the wake-up process and gives a few moments to think about the day ahead.
Our regional Civil Defence workers and council staff deserve a huge vote of thanks as they have gone about their work in challenging circumstances almost without a hitch. Some of our council staff have also been seconded to the Civil Defence team and are doing the real hard yards. That is true commitment.
In the lockdown period, I have been to the supermarket just twice. I was genuinely impressed by the behaviour of fellow customers who were all keeping to the lockdown rules and abiding by the social distancing requirements. I also acknowledge the supermarket staff who have worked through this civil emergency and maintained high levels of professionalism. Congratulations.
But the final word goes to those hilarious people who have taken to social media to keep us entertained with a daily diet of jokes and funny video clips. Some of them have been incredibly clever and had the Mayoress and myself rolling with laughter. Like music, laughter is good for the sole and I enjoy both.
