AMID the cost-of-living crisis and the meltdown of politics both here and in Britain, it is sometimes forgotten that we're still in the middle of a pandemic. That reality hit home when Covid yet again visited the O'Kane household.
My wife had been feeling unwell but numerous lateral flow tests had come back clear. Two days later the dreaded red line on 'T', indicating infection, shone bright.
One of the arguments used by anti-vaxxers is that vaccines don't stop you getting Covid, which is true, but they do make it less likely you'll need hospital treatment if infected - a blessing on our already stretched NHS.
As during previous infections our sleeping arrangements had to change, so I dispatched my beloved downstairs. Well, I couldn't be expected to sleep on the couch with my bad back. My wife says the only positive in catching Covid was getting to sleep with our two dogs. I'm unsure how to take that.
I retrieved my home made two-metre pole – a brush handle with red insulating tape on the end – from the garage. I knew it would be needed again and triumphantly waved it in her direction having been proved right.
Whenever she came near I prodded her away with it, much as was done with plague victims in the past. I found this hilarious until, through clenched teeth, I was told if I pointed the pole at her once more she'd park it in my posterior. I mean, some people have no sense of humour when sick.
As she had to isolate, I was sent to the shops. It's been a while since I went on a food hunt and found it stressful. The big supermarkets had very inconsiderately changed their layout since my last visit a decade previous, meaning I spent a lot of time wandering confused.
Seeing my bewilderment, a few kindly ladies offered their assistance and I eventually found what was on my list. I also found a mountain of other goodies my wife had inadvertently left off, but which I believed were necessities.
These included pens, notebooks, miniature superglue, a computer magazine, antiseptic hand wipes, a baseball cap – on sale - a pair of shorts – also on sale - a camping towel and a rather expensive insulated water bottle.
I'm certain these items will prove invaluable when Armageddon hits but I knew my wife would view them as impulse purchases, so I secreted them in a separate carrier bag which I sneaked into the house when she was in the bathroom coughing up her lungs.
Joking aside, stepping in over the last week has been an eye-opener regarding how much my wife does of which I've been unaware.
It isn't just the cooking and cleaning; it's things like making sure the uniforms are sorted for the kids, their lifts to school and to/from other activities, buying the right dog food, paying the window cleaner; in short, things I presumed fairies took care of.
So, if your other half is taking you for granted, I suggest you take to your bed for a week; I guarantee you'll have a much more appreciative partner at the end of it. Thankfully, my better half is on the mend which is great; I now won't be needing to take that trip to Thailand.
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ON Tuesday, as a motley crew of political wannabees traipsed into 10 Downing Street to be rewarded for their loyalty to Liz Truss with various positions in her Cabinet, it looked like she would have to press-gang someone into the role of NI Secretary of State.
Her first two choices of Sajid Javid and Penny Mordaunt took to their heels when offered the poisoned chalice, with Chris Heaton-Harris only selected after he presumably pulled the short straw.
As a rabid Brexiteer we won't need a crystal ball to guess which side of the Protocol debate Mr Heaton-Harris will come down on, though being the third Tory Secretary of State in as many months he's unlikely to be spending that long this side of the Irish Sea.
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SOME suggest this dysfunctional Tory government may act as the final nail in the Union's coffin. That presumes a rational mindset, something not exhibited by the likes of UUP MLA Tom Elliott who, speaking in his role as Fermanagh grand master of the Royal Black Institution, urged people to "not give up on the Union" whilst acknowledging the British government had 'treated them badly'. I'd suggest such behaviour isn't indicative of loyalty but rather someone suffering from Stockholm syndrome.
