Well I will once again apologise for having a long gap between updates but that said I had been without a working laptop for a while due to the one I had been using giving up the ghost and not being able to purchase a laptop that I wanted due to a lack of availability. I now have an Acer Aspire 5 which is much slimmer, faster and overall better than my old laptop. I also don't have to rush to plug it in after 30 minutes of use! I have also had less time on my hands due to being back at work. I started back in July and I have to say it has been good being back at work rather than being stuck at home feeling guilty about not being able to do proper work. The lab has social distancing measures in place along with hand sanitisers at each of the buildings. It did take a while to adjust back into things but things are fairly normal at the moment but just with a far lower volume of regular samples being brought in and our lab manager has had difficulty being able to purchase certain items that we need for our lab due to everyone needing them for covid testing. Our lab is involved in some covid work but the samples are inert and only a couple of my colleagues are involved in it.
Obviously with the pandemic there isn't a lot else happening. We did go away for a week up the North coast but we only ate out a total of three times and in each case we were comfortable with the social distancing and procedures in place. It was more for a change of scene and getting out for walks. We also went on a boat trip out from Ballycastle along the coast which was great. I am volunteering as a dog walker at the animal sanctuary still but there is social distancing in place and also a rota system in place. My brother and his girlfriend did get a puppy which has been a lovely boost to our family. We have had lots of fun and entertainment from him and he has helped boost all our moods.
In more TCS related news I made the mistake of letting my BAHA headband get far too stretched and loose. I could hear fine for the most part but struggled when it came to watching TV etc. I recently found out about a woman who makes her own BAHA headbands as an alternative to the Cochlear and Oticon ones so I decided to buy one. My hearing has definitely improved due to the tighter fit but I've been impressed with the headband so far and will probably do a blog update of its own about it.
That's all for now,
James
