Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 11th August 2020

Tuesday means back to work, and I have two very intense days in which to finish a piece of work for a client and then, in large part due to the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, I will have finished at the client that I've worked at for the past 7 years.

Before that, though, I've decided to go for a brief, brisk, walk before I get showered and before the first carer of the day arrives.

Done! Managed to walk for about 15 minutes at a fair pace, and got back in just enough time to get showered.  I was almost dry when the first carer arrived and I went down and let her in. I would have walked further, but I struggled to get up early enough, owing to another lousy nights sleep. The lousy night's sleep at least being tempered with more pleasant dreams, though sadly interrupted by the alarm.

Whilst the carer was here I chatted with her and set up my work laptop and associated paraphernalia, before doing press-ups and weight lifts, to set me up for breakfast - the usual porridge with fruit plus coffee.

I was logged in and beavering away at my laptop by 8:30, which was a result, so far as such things go. (Don't dwell on that)

Then it was a case of work.  Followed by work. (Ate my lunch while working). Then more work.  Screen time broken up by 30 minutes of my mid-year 1-2-1 with my review manager. Then back to the screen and work.  (Just for the sake of clarity, when I'm at my laptop, I'm not literally just looking at it! I am actually writing a document, analysing information from other sources, sometime using both computers, blah blah blah, and also thinking about the information I'm writing and whether it answers the questions it should,)

Mid-way through the afternoon's work son #1 suggested we all go to the pub for a drink, and, since the nearest pub has a large outdoor area, I thought why not give it a try.

[Back to work]

And so it was, shortly after 6 p.m., once the carers had made their final visit of the day, that son #1, his gf, son #2, son #3 and I, all set off to walk to the pub. It seems quite a few people had the same idea, and once in the pub ordering drinks, we were the only ones wearing masks, but I was still glad to do so, until we got outside and away from people. I must admit, in this heat, the first pint of cold draught cider tasted really good, though it did seem to disappear very quickly. Evaporation, I guess?

After a couple of drinks - I do have to get up early tomorrow for yoga and we've still got to make dinner - we began the 15 to 20 minute walk back home.  It was still very hot, and the sky was displaying one or two cumulo-nimbus clouds, but it didn't seem like it was going to rain.

When we got home the NHS app said I'd done 44 minutes of brisk walking during the day (out of 67 minutes total walking), which wasn't bad, though I suspect the alcohol may have negated any benefits.

Son #2 started dinner whilst I did some clearing up, put the garden waste bin out, yada, yada, yada.

Dinner was a bit late, so we watched another 'Peep Show' in lieu of 'The Umbrella Academy'.

After that, I started tidying up (son #1 and his gf were going to finish it) and then mounted the stairhead enroute to bed and fitful sleep. 

Another of those songs that popped up on random play.  There's something really evocative about this song. It's infused with both the chill of loneliness as well as the possibilities that come from meeting someone new. Goldfrapp sings 'Stranger' from the album 'Tales of Us'  

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