Lockdown Diary - Saturday 11th April 2020
Saturday. Shopping day. Washing day. 'Nuff said.
On a more upbeat note, it's the day I get to read the Arts section of the papers, in particular the (books) Review section of The Guardian, which is a small-scale highlight of any week (larger scale, currently.)
Beyond that I've not done much else, apart from a long (phone) conversation with my younger sister who works at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Plenty to talk about in these troubling times.
The weather's been glorious again, so I've tried to spend a bit of time outside catching some rays. I've also been opening all the windows up to let some air in, but unfortunately unwanted visitors - wasps, primarily - seem to feel this is an open invitation. It wouldn't be so bad if they had the sense to exit the way they came in, instead of which, they fly about getting angrier and angrier as their attempts to fly up and out are hindered by the fact that the house has a bloody roof!
I am hoping that later - third time lucky - I'll get to listen to some music, loud, in peace, if that's not an oxymoron.
Just been tidying clothes away and heard one of my sons playing 'House of the Rising Sun', followed by 'Good Vibrations', then 'Sympathy for the Devil' and I'm thinking that's a bit strange - songs I like, but would never listen to normally, because I know them too well. Often the boys pick up old songs from computer games they play - like I heard them playing 'Roundabout' by Yes (don't know what game that's in) - games like Fifa and, for much older songs, games like Fallout which pick up on old songs from the 1950s and early 1960s - in many cases songs I wouldn't give house room to (I was going to say 'wouldn't piss on if they were on fire' but decided that was a bit crude.) (Actually, thinking about it, I might play 'Sympathy for the Devil', but that's something else)
The carers asked me to order some new nightdresses for my wife, short-sleeved, with buttons at the front, so online I went. Nightdresses are the only clothes she wears, so I always attempt to find styles and patterns that I think she'd've liked. I don't think she is so aware what pattern is on the nighties these days, however I don't want to buy her some frumpy item that looks like it was based on a design dating back to the Puritans, nor is there any point buying a skimpy sexy silk number, because it would be totally impractical. It seems if you choose button-fronted, the design assumption is therefore that you want something that Mary Whitehouse would have approved of, style/pattern-wise. The key requirements (functional) are short sleeves (not too hot this time of year) and some buttons at the front (so it's easy to put on / take off) and, though this is about what she would've chosen, not a high neckline (Puritans again). To cut a long story short, found some, ordered them and they are on the way.
Music was listened too, had curry for dinner with the boys and fell asleep watching a film called 'The Platform', which was a bit too gory/grim for the mood. Strange cultural note (the film was in Spanish), the main character (I think) was reading 'Don Quixote', at least at the start.
Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, in fact this song, came up on my random, 63-hour playlist. They made a couple of really good albums, including this 'Hair' in 1989, from which 'You Sent All My Letters'. It has quite unusual instrumentation in a rock music context and I rather like Pia Lund's voice.
On a more upbeat note, it's the day I get to read the Arts section of the papers, in particular the (books) Review section of The Guardian, which is a small-scale highlight of any week (larger scale, currently.)
Beyond that I've not done much else, apart from a long (phone) conversation with my younger sister who works at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Plenty to talk about in these troubling times.
The weather's been glorious again, so I've tried to spend a bit of time outside catching some rays. I've also been opening all the windows up to let some air in, but unfortunately unwanted visitors - wasps, primarily - seem to feel this is an open invitation. It wouldn't be so bad if they had the sense to exit the way they came in, instead of which, they fly about getting angrier and angrier as their attempts to fly up and out are hindered by the fact that the house has a bloody roof!
I am hoping that later - third time lucky - I'll get to listen to some music, loud, in peace, if that's not an oxymoron.
Just been tidying clothes away and heard one of my sons playing 'House of the Rising Sun', followed by 'Good Vibrations', then 'Sympathy for the Devil' and I'm thinking that's a bit strange - songs I like, but would never listen to normally, because I know them too well. Often the boys pick up old songs from computer games they play - like I heard them playing 'Roundabout' by Yes (don't know what game that's in) - games like Fifa and, for much older songs, games like Fallout which pick up on old songs from the 1950s and early 1960s - in many cases songs I wouldn't give house room to (I was going to say 'wouldn't piss on if they were on fire' but decided that was a bit crude.) (Actually, thinking about it, I might play 'Sympathy for the Devil', but that's something else)
The carers asked me to order some new nightdresses for my wife, short-sleeved, with buttons at the front, so online I went. Nightdresses are the only clothes she wears, so I always attempt to find styles and patterns that I think she'd've liked. I don't think she is so aware what pattern is on the nighties these days, however I don't want to buy her some frumpy item that looks like it was based on a design dating back to the Puritans, nor is there any point buying a skimpy sexy silk number, because it would be totally impractical. It seems if you choose button-fronted, the design assumption is therefore that you want something that Mary Whitehouse would have approved of, style/pattern-wise. The key requirements (functional) are short sleeves (not too hot this time of year) and some buttons at the front (so it's easy to put on / take off) and, though this is about what she would've chosen, not a high neckline (Puritans again). To cut a long story short, found some, ordered them and they are on the way.
Music was listened too, had curry for dinner with the boys and fell asleep watching a film called 'The Platform', which was a bit too gory/grim for the mood. Strange cultural note (the film was in Spanish), the main character (I think) was reading 'Don Quixote', at least at the start.
Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, in fact this song, came up on my random, 63-hour playlist. They made a couple of really good albums, including this 'Hair' in 1989, from which 'You Sent All My Letters'. It has quite unusual instrumentation in a rock music context and I rather like Pia Lund's voice.
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