Lockdown Diary - Thursday 22nd October 2020

Up early, exercised and dressed, thinking I'd have time to lie down and chill for a few minutes before the cleaner arrived, but it was not to be - barely had I started to relax when the sound of intruders approaching was triggered and I sprang off the bed and down the stairs.

Cleaning underway and it's barely 7 a.m. - there'll be no relaxing now!  I've had breakfast and am going to start work, with a brief interlude whilst my office is cleaned.

Work now. Brief interruption late morning as the cleaning is done, and our cleaner says 'goodbye!'.

At lunchtime I go upstairs to my room to find something that mystifies me every week.  How is it that, in the process of cleaning, everything that the cleaner has moved to dust etc has been put back somewhere different. You'd think, on the balance of probability, that at least one thing would go back to where it was, but you'd be wrong.  She is determined to contribute to the entropy of the universe remaining high.

Work and lunch follow, though I actually work through lunch in practice.

It being Thursday and plans having changed, it was time for this weeks Idler drinks, with today's guest being Gaia Vince, who is a science journalist who has written extensively on humanity's impact on the planet. Her latest book, 'Transcendence', is about how the 'smart ape became a planet dominating force', focusing upon four things: fire, language, beauty and time.  

As always, an hour well spent, with the added benefit that this time I didn't drink alcohol, primarily because I am trying to reduce my calorie intake.  Not sure what difference it'll make, but I guess I'll find out over the coming days.

Over dinner we watched the final episode of 'Lovecraft Country'. It wasn't a bad final episode of the series and it could even be the last, full stop, given how it ended. Equally they left the outcome open enough that there was room for a second series, though I wouldn't mind if there wasn't another - I'd definitely be glad if they left it there.  We shall see.

...and on that note, it's time to escape from the day...

As so often happens, a song pops into my head out of nowhere: as I was getting ready for bed I found myself playing this in my head. Stevie Wonder, 'Living For The City', from 'Innervisions'

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