I know some of you guys in the Northern Hemisphere or in other countries have it way, way tougher than us on many COVID fronts, but I'm going to rant and complain anyway, because that's what this community is for, right? And maybe I can get it off my chest and deal with it like a big girl.

But for now, I'm pissed off.

The Victorian Premier has announced that we're going into a snap 5 day lockdown starting from midnight tonight, due to an outbreak of cases in a Melbourne quarantine hotel. 13 cases is enough to lock the entire state down it seems. Whilst this 5 days might be over quickly (who's tipping it will last for longer?) there's some things about it that make me so angry I could scream.

Stage 4 Lockdown means I cannot go surfing.

Only yesterday I was in cool water on a hot day. No real surf - just a few takes offs, but I got to dive under the surface, frolick, feel at peace in a life that doesn't feel very peaceful.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh. You have no idea how much this pisses me off. It's the only thing that reduces the amount of cortisol I have build in my body. The ocean is my sanity, my saviour. I only live 20 km from the beach, and it's the same shire as me, but no, I can only exercise in a 5 km radius from my house. I'm so upset I could cry.

And it's not as if the surf is forecast to be flat. I was tipping the weekend going into next week might be alright. Had it been a usual working week, I would have enjoyed a few mornings in the water. But no, I have to figure out Microsoft Teams so I can teach remotely for the first time.

I thought I'd get away with not ever remote teaching, but here we are.

Yes, I'm looking on the bright side. I can stumble out of bed, not bother with pants, teach for 15 minutes, and then leave the kids to do their own thing. So that'll be what - 45 minutes teaching on Tuesday and Wednesday? Monday they've given to us off anyway, so we can prepare for remote teaching, so if it's only 2 days we'll be okay. If it's longer - well, I'd be happy, because teaching from home seems awesome to me. My dream job.

And I don't have to wear a mask, because I'm exempt, and even if I wasn't, I'd figure out a way to make sure I was, because I am NOT wearing a mask in situation where I feel perfectly safe, like going for a walk in nature, more than 2 metres socially distance from anyway.

So I could put up with a few things, sure.

Except for that darn 5 km rule.

Do NOT console me with the fact 'it'll only be 5 days', please. 5 days is a long time for this girl not to have ocean time.

The other thing that pisses me off is that we are in this situation in the first place. If we've gone through hell to get to a state where we have so little cases, why on earth haven't they got the hotel quarantine thing under control so we didn't get more cases in the first place? And the Australian Open - it's FINE to let in a heap of tennis players but what about all those Aussies stranded overseas and paying a gazillion for flights? So now they're talking on only letting people in on 'compassionate grounds' and not 'all the other reasons' people might need to come home, to like, where they live and all. And we all know what they're like with 'compassionate grounds', right? Some bureaucrat, yawns, puts in under a pile of other stuff, waits til someone Dad's dead and then maybe lets them out - maybe. Or says 'yeah nah, that's not a good enough reason'.

Yes, this pandemic sucks. Yes, if we just be patient it'll be over - soon? In a few years, maybe. Or not. Maybe this is life now, a series of injustices and rolling lockdowns and laws that make no sense. Like the fact some of us live in regional Victoria and haven't even been to Melbourne let alone gone within - excuse the expression - spitting distance of anyone who has.

I could deal with it, if you let me drive to the beach.

Anyway, I'm not the only one. There's my sister's neighbour who spent all week packing for a camping trip this weekend. There's my boss who had finally got a table at a restaurant for her and her husband, and lined up a babysitter. There's my parents who were meeting with friends this weekend before going down to Port Fairy. There's plenty of people inconvenienced by this.

But it's all about me, okay?