RIP Thunder on Wednesday.

Absolutely gutted as I was away and couldn't get back to him in time from where I was. Thankfully, I managed to find a lady to look after whilst I was away and she loved him from the moment she first saw him, even going so far as to sleep in the lounge with him sometimes so he wasn't lonely. She also went to the vet and stayed with him till the end. If I couldn't be there myself, it's the closest thing I could have asked for so I am very grateful. Got home last night and was a reflex to let him in from inside, and to take him out at night to go toilet. It was really hard when I was on the couch and he wasn't just sitting on the floor beside me.

I had an exceptional 13 years with him, he was a far better pet than I was an owner, and his beautiful nature will be sorely missed. My kids were inconsolable when we told them, which was also hard since we couldn't be with them either. 

In some ways though, I am pleased my last memory of him was the picture I posted above, about 30 minutes before we went away when he was still happy. 

My condolences. He is a magnificent looking animal. I have been there myself and know exactly what you are feeling. So sorry for you.

Thanks. It hasn't hit me the way I expected, though I have had many pangs here and there usually around times when I would expect to see him, like when I am gaming at night in my lazy boy and he used to sit nearby.

Geektastic: Covid is a PITA to those of us whose families live outside NZ. It’s now 19 months since we saw any member of our families in the flesh.

I can deal with that fairly well but my wife finds it very hard not being able to visit or have people come over.

We are in a similar situation with us being outside NZ and our families there. I'm not expecting to be able to go home for 18 months - 2 years. We last went home in July last year, it's pretty crappy with elderly parents etc.

I guess that the only plus about COVID striking in the time that it has is that we have technology, so we can actually have video calls and share videos/photos/memories so easily. 

Imagine what it must have been like in the Spanish Flu era...

Eva888: Our only grandchild comes to us every holidays from Oz and she is devastated that she can’t see us. She doesn’t like to FaceTime because she says it makes her too sad seeing us and the house and not getting Granny cuddles. It’s heart breaking and affecting her very negatively.

That's really sad. I must admit, I am lucky that my parents are only in the Sth Island, so my kids have been physically able to see them (they just haven't - they're teenagers and aren't nearly as interested in grandparents as they once were). But by the same token we have a family holiday planned in January to look forward to (they'll come up and we'll all go away to the bright lights of Rotovegas). 

Hopefully AU will get it's act together, a Trans-Tasman bubble can be opened and you can get to have your granddaughter "soon"...

Not related to C19, but I don't feel like starting a new thread to cover this.

Last night was my first points competitive match of squash in 2 and a half years after fighting a knee injury. I thought I'd go along, be the third or forth ranked player in my team, get smashed 3 nil and have had a bit of an intro back into it.

Won the first game, but I was heaving for breath, second game was really tight, 3 points in, lost that one. At the end of that I was shaking and breathing so hard, I actually considered withdrawing, but I thought, if I was talking someone else through it, I'd tell them to go back on court and play one shot and play each point until I had no more. Lost that game 15-9 and was in really bad shape. Got a second wind in the 4th and won it 15-11. Fifth game I lost 15-12, but I am just so happy I was even able to finish, I walked off the court rather than had to be carried, my knee didn't have any impact on the match and within the limits of my fitness was moving freely. I don't feel too bad today, but my mental health got a big boost being able to actually compete. It's a pretty great feeling getting back to it. I hope I can remain injury-free, as being out and about with adults socially also did me some good.

networkn:

 

Not related to C19, but I don't feel like starting a new thread to cover this.

 

Last night was my first points competitive match of squash in 2 and a half years after fighting a knee injury. I thought I'd go along, be the third or forth ranked player in my team, get smashed 3 nil and have had a bit of an intro back into it.

 

Won the first game, but I was heaving for breath, second game was really tight, 3 points in, lost that one. At the end of that I was shaking and breathing so hard, I actually considered withdrawing, but I thought, if I was talking someone else through it, I'd tell them to go back on court and play one shot and play each point until I had no more. Lost that game 15-9 and was in really bad shape. Got a second wind in the 4th and won it 15-11. Fifth game I lost 15-12, but I am just so happy I was even able to finish, I walked off the court rather than had to be carried, my knee didn't have any impact on the match and within the limits of my fitness was moving freely. I don't feel too bad today, but my mental health got a big boost being able to actually compete. It's a pretty great feeling getting back to it. I hope I can remain injury-free, as being out and about with adults socially also did me some good.

 

That's awesome. 

I get a similar mental boost from mountain biking. Even m y fat old broken body doesn't stop me.