Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 27th October 2020

Even though the clocks have gone back, it was still a struggle to get up this morning, and it wasn't because today's a working day. Part of the problem is that I seem to be going through another phase of sleeping badly.  I know I woke up at around 3 a.m. and definitely had some strange dreams about being back at university in Leeds with a vague feeling of being somewhere but not being able to leave, for reasons I can't recall. I have had an idea that I should sleep with the curtains open in the expectation that as the light comes up around dawn, it should start to wake me up before my alarm, assuming I'm not getting up too early for that.  It might make me feel more awake or at least receptive to waking.

Today will be dominated by work, give or take any minor interruptions.

The good news is that my wife is already responding to the antibiotics and looks much better and more awake.  Her temperature is still fluctuating a bit, so we're still going to have to administer liquid paracetamol, as and when.  The community matron has called to check up on things and she should be paying a visit tomorrow, which is reassuring.  I'm sure all these infections must be taking their toll, but E seems to be very strong and always manages to fight back. 

Listening to music while cooking dinner with son #2 - with the usual compromise now, that is the Spotify family mix, which somehow seems to always find music I don't especially like for my choices.  The algorithm that selects music based on what I listen to seems not to pay any attention to what I actually listen to.  Just because you like one album or one song by an artist doesn't mean you like anything else by them.  

Big dilemma with TV choice for tonight: do we watch the 100 minutes or so of edited highlights of the 12 hour 'The Third Day' episode or something else? Both son 2 and I need to get up early tomorrow, so we decided to watch episode 1 of comedy  show 'Taskmaster' that has transferred to Channel 4. 

At the end of the first episode of 'Taskmaster' my conclusion is that the guests were having more fun than I was.  It was amusing and I did laugh once, but nothing like as funny as the guests found it.  Maybe it needs another episode or two? Not sure what my sons made of it, I'll have to ask them tomorrow.

Time to clear up and wind down to the day's end.

Probably not the most accessible track by Can, but a personal favourite from the album 'Tago Mago'. The track is 'Aumgn' which uses the spelling, and most importantly vocalising, of 'Om' or 'Aum' favoured by alleged black magician Aleister Crowley. The story goes that guitarist Michael Karoli was freaked out by the recording of the track, fearful of what might be unleashed. It would make a great Halloween soundtrack. 

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