Nine Feet Underground

First working day of the week for me, at least.   I've been fairly busy, so this won't be much of a diary entry. Keeping up with the 'Wake, got in touch with a couple for friends online and arranged a call with one tomorrow.  Written a brief letter to another, 'cos that's what it's all about at the moment - communications. Work continues to present challenges and things could change quite dramatically over the next couple of weeks, but for now I carry on as normal. Yet again, work has filled my day and I haven't managed to take a break outside, but tomorrow and for the rest of the week I intend to put in a thirty minute slot to go out, walk and get some fresh air.  I have at least managed to keep up my daily 20-minute meditation, which is something, though not a substitute for exercise and fresh air. The day has been rounded off with a takeaway from our local Italian restaurant - makes a change from cooking, and no social interaction closer than 2...

Started the day, as always, with press ups and bicep curl weight lifts, but with renewed purpose today: in about an hour I'll be doing my second yoga class over Zoom.  Same time as my usual Monday yoga class, except in my front room, televised and with added jeopardy in the form of furniture. Normally I can fall and be assured of a soft-ish landing, particularly as I am usually the only male in the class. (I should hasten to add I have never fallen on anyone yet) Yoga online was good - no injuries or damaged furniture - I may even return for the early morning breathing session at 7am on Wednesday, assuming I can get my arse out of bed in time. It's been an unexpectedly sociable day: I had a long call (we both really can talk!!!) with a friend in Germany, where things are pretty much as they are here; my sister phoned from Yorkshire to see how we all are and vice versa; then my father-in-law phoned from Merseyside, with one of his regular 'checklist' calls. I also ...

For the first time in I don't know how long, I've not read The Observer today. In the old world I used to go and pick up the paper, along with coffee and fresh food items on a Sunday morning, and maybe say Aloha to a few of those I'm on 'How the devil are you?' terms with.  In the new world, apart from the coffee shop being shut, I can't really justify going out to buy a newspaper.  Even if one of us weren't highly vulnerable to Covid-19, the risk of going out where there are other people, is too great for them and for us. I had attempted to rectify the newspaper catastrophe (yeah, I know it's not even on the scale, but everything is so over the top now, everything's a fucking catastrophe), however I left it too late: we do get some papers delivered but when I called to amend my order they told me they'd been overwhelmed with requests - 150 new accounts opened in the last week (I'm guessing a lot of people are ordering The Sun, Mail and...

Been shopping for the first time since last weekend and only the second time I've been out in a week - went for a run on Monday.  Despite good intentions, work has kept me so busy during the days that I've not even managed to squeeze in a walk the rest of the week: by the time I've stopped work it's been getting dark and, to my shame, I couldn't be arsed. Next week, I've promised myself I'll do better. Gonna put something in my work Outlook calendar each day so I do some walking. (I have been exercising every day though: press-ups and weights which is better than nowt, I guess) Did my first Zoom-hosted Yoga class on Thursday evening, which was an experiment by our Yoga teacher.  It was successful, though very odd to be adopting the tree pose in the living room while watching it on the laptop.  This is going to start in earnest next week, so it'll be back to Yoga at 10am on Monday, except no need to leave the house first. Zoom is fast becoming th...