Lockdown Diary - Friday 13th November 2020

Last working day of the week with a few things I must get done before the end of the day, such as complete and send to my manager my end of year summary as input to the upcoming review/calibration process.

This is the second day I'll have gone without walking this week: somehow or other I did something to my back on Wednesday and ever since I got up yesterday morning my lower back has been painful.  The only position that is comfortable is lying down flat, especially on the floor, all other movement is painful, including, most annoyingly, walking. I've taken painkillers for it but all they seem to do is take the edge off, but nothing more.

Found enough time to listen to a couple of songs then start on making dinner:  mussels and chips tonight, probably one of least effort dinners we've made recently, but makes a pleasant change - you can't beat a bowl of mussels!

Whilst shells were tossed from bowl to bowl ('Or, like grief itself, filled with gentle hope, It becomes lighter in the shore-less dark, Thus the moon barely wanes. Winding her way above the storm-tossed sea.' (J.M.W. Turner, not me, alas) we started to watch the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit': great opening episode! I think I'm already hooked.  Can't wait to watch the next one, but won't be tonight: up early for shopping tomorrow and need to be back pronto as I have a half-day of guided silent meditation with the NHS from 9:30 a.m.

My music listening has been all over the place of late, probably reflecting the un-anchored state of my brain.  I guess Revolutionary Army Of The Infant Jesus (or RAIJ for short) are probably leftfield? They haven't released that much music since they formed in Liverpool back in 1985, so they're certainly not prolific. 'Paradise' is from the 2020 album 'Songs of Yearning', which is an exceptional album, quite unlike anything else in my collection.


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