The Best Laid Plans (of Mice and Men and Me wanting my vaccination)

I received this text message yesterday - this was my invitation to book my Covid-19 vaccination when the portal opened at 8.00am this morning.  I cannot ever have imagined, previously, being excited about getting a jab but this may just be a first step towards our new 'normal' and with only 19,000 available for my age group I didn't want to miss out.   My plans for today had been to got down and have lunch with Mum, pick up some pig's liver from the butchers and then, hopefully, go across town and finally meet up with Lumi so that I could get my hair cut at long last and I had put Rachel on standby that, if my jab were Thursday Nicky would be my replacement walker in the morning.

I didn't sleep too well because I was determined to be up and about and on my computer the minute the portal became available.  In fact I got up early and did a test login to make sure all was ok and then at the allotted time THE SYSTEM CRASHED!!!!!!

I tried ringing the helpline number - John and I both tried ringing and after my 100th call I eventually got to speak to someone who told me that they couldn't book my appointment because they use the same system and it was down for everyone and we just had to be patient.

As you can imagine Social Media was working overtime because a few had managed to register in the milliseconds that the portal was up - I couldn't bloody well believe it because I was there - I had been trying constantly and I had achieved a big fat zero and, what was worse was that there was no idea as to when it would be back.  I had to cancel Mum which I didn't like doing because she had had a fall yesterday (but bless Lilian she called in to see Mum in the afternoon).  I had to postpone picking up the meat and even worse had to cancel my hair 😠😠😠

I spent the whole of the day sitting on the portal trying and trying and trying and rang 1474 again to be told that I needed to keep an eye on the NEWS for a progress report.  I have signed up to the PIO (Public Information Office) emails and I got one confirming the system was completely down whilst it was being worked on and they hoped it would be back as soon as possible.

John didn't mind an enforced day at home and chose to watch a film.  Jailbreak is actually the English title of a Chilean film called Pacto de Fuga.  John thought the lead character looked like Philippos from the village!!!  I watched it with one eye on the screen and one eye on the portal!!!   Although sub-titled it was amazing.

It is the story of the biggest prison escape in Chilean history.  A great and ingenious escape.  When, in 1990, during the final days of the Pinochet regime, 49 leftwing prisoners escaped from an appalling Santiago jail via a 60 meter long tunnel dug over 18 gruelling months with spoons and screwdrivers.  Some of the scenes were reminiscent of The Great Escape but the one scene that took our breath away and reinforced what an amazing feat this had been was when the break out started and the camera panned out to show a line of nearly 50 escapees squeezed into the tunnel.

At 4.00pm I got news that the portal would be open at 5.pm so I sat there checking checking checking and dead on 5.00pm I managed to get in - initially the system would not accept my credentials and then we remember that when we initially joined the portal there was an issue with our residency number and they had renumbered us - then I couldn't get the location to show me Polis - it was stuck on Famagusta!!!  Eventually I got the screen with the appointments available on Friday at Polis Hospital and booked 9.30am.  I am to have AstraZenecca even though there are some question marks about it - it was all I was offered even though I was supposed to have the choice - I just want to get it done sooner rather than later.  I got my official confirmation and that is my Friday morning sorted.

It had all been very stressful!