Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 9th June 2020

Last night, just as I was finally approaching sleep at around 11:30pm, I suddenly realised I'd not taken my anti-depressant. I leapt out of bed and took the tablet before returning to the troubled process of entering sleep.  Consequently when the alarm went off at 6am I was in a fuzzy, foggy state.  There was no way I was going to get up and go for a walk. I tried to force myself to get moving, but it wasn't happening. Went back to bed and drowsily teetered at the edge of sleep 'til 7, when I had to get up to be ready to let the carer in and also to ensure I was ready to start work at 8:30. I suspect I'll be a bit out of it all day.

Managed to get myself organised and had breakfast and coffee ready for the start of the working day.  Caught up with yesterday's emails and my meeting invites and the day got properly underway.

Still feeling as dislocated as yesterday but a double-dose of paracetamol put paid to the lingering remnants of headache, at least. No time to dwell on it as I have loads of work to do.

Over the past few days I've been re-acquainting myself with Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone BBC6 Music programme, via the Sounds app. I used to listen / record them all, but time and tide and various chaotic and melancholic interludes cast it to the barren wastelands of the life that once was. I have re-discovered my love for the programme and have caught up on all the available episodes, barring last Sundays, which I'm part way through. A re-discovery was the Czechoslovakian (as was) band Plastic People of The Universe (named after a Frank Zappa song, and coincidentally banned by the Communist regime that deposed Dubcek and also involved years later in the overthrow of the same regime - look it up). Their most celebrated album is 'Egon Bondy's Happy Hearts Club Banned' (with a nod to you know what by you know who).  I wondered if this album was currently available on CD, so I had a look. It's not, though I found an unused copy for sale for the princely sum of £1,392.47 (someone is selling a secondhand copy for about a fiver more!) Crazy money - who would be daft enough to pay that for it? (Before you answer, not me)  Two more things of note: Why the 47 pence? What's that all about? As if someone would baulk at paying 53 pence more (or 47 pence less) when they're spending that much!  Kindly, though, the seller does indicate that postage and packing is free! Jeez! For that money I'd expect it to be delivered by horse drawn carriage with an armed security guard!

Finished work sometime around six. Next thing I knew I was emptying the dishwasher and helping son #3 with dinner.  Where that hour or so went, I have no idea?

Watched a bunch of episodes of 'The End of the F***ing World' - we have only two remaining until the end of the second series. TEOTFW is a masterclass in miscommunication and not knowing what you really want.  This leads to a great deal of pathos and the temptation to shout at the screen 'say what you're thinking'. Mind you, telling people what you really think or want doesn't always have the desired outcomes, especially if you've misread what the other person is thinking. Bring back the days of Jane Austen. Not.

We've also finished 'Killing Eve' series 3.  I thought the end of the final episode would make a good ending for all three series.  Foolishly I checked afterwards and apparently a fourth series has been commissioned.  Far too many series run on to the point that what was interesting and original about them is lost.  I fear this has happened with KE.  I'll probably watch a fourth series to see if there is anything worth watching, but may give up on it. Why someone can't just write a story arc, with a natural ending (even if it leaves some questions unanswered) and stick to that. I guess we know the answer, but...

Off to Bedfordshire, g'night...

Heard this on Freak Zone. Twice. Loved it. Gurgles with their new single 'L'esprit du Clocher'

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