Lockdown Diary - Saturday 21st November 2020

All the usual Saturday rubbish that I'll not bore you or me with.

I've been debating Christmas Crackers (they can't argue back). I feel like they are an essential part of the Christmas meal, but equally they are not good for the environment as they contain plastics, non-recyclable paper and so forth. My mission is to find crackers that contain no plastics and are fully recyclable and only then buy some.

A bit of research uncovers the fact that some of the big retailers have taken this on board and now include no plastics and fully recyclable packaging.  There still seem to be two subtle differences: the eco-friendly ones (not generally from major retailers) have fully recyclable gifts inside as well, not only that, with some of the major brand names it's unclear whether or not the other contents (hat etc) are recyclable, which probably means they are not. The challenges of being kind to the environment. I know which way I'm leaning, but I'll discuss with my sons.

Son #1 accompanied me shopping, which meant he had to get up early (a relative term), and so, after eating his breakfast, returned to bed. Son #2, in contrast, was, unusually, still up when I unwrapped myself from the duvet. I think he was chatting with someone all night. Consequently, it's now 3 p.m. and I am the only one up. Normally son #2 and I make lunch but I decide to cut my losses and knock up a sandwich for lunch because I suspect neither son will see the light of day. 

I read the interesting parts of The Times, but have only a neutered copy of the Guardian - apparently the good bits, for example the book review section, arrived late and so the papers were delivered without them.  I am told the rest will be delivered tomorrow.

What this means, however, is that I am out of things to do. For reasons I'll not delve into I am still struggling with both reading books and listening to music, an admittedly bad state of affairs, but if I have learnt anything over the past two years (which is probably debatable, but let's leave that for now), it is that sometimes you just have to give in and do what it feels like you need.  Uniquely, then, I find myself watching a couple of episodes of 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)' (original series, I should stress) on a Saturday afternoon. It's the TV equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate (metaphorically, as I hate hot chocolate) or maybe a duvet day (another thing I'd never do, at least not alone). I was watching it in high definition which lent the episodes a strange air - on the one hand it was visually very bright and shiny, making it seem modern, yet what was in the images - the cars, the clothes, and the locations were quite obviously from the past, though a past that was familiar to me.

Somewhere around 6 p.m. son #2 emerges.  We have a bit of a chat, and I think he's half-expecting me to be annoyed that he's got up so late, but I am not.  If there's one thing this household needs its flexibility and the chance for us to do what we each need to get through the day.  That is one thing that has changed over the past two years. I am so much more chilled about things like that.  Life is too short. Especially mine. 

The sun rises and the sun sets, every day.  In the same way, at least whilst locked down, Saturday night is film night.  It's my turn this week and, as always, I'm spoilt for choice.  I am planning to pick one of the following: 'Electra Glide in Blue'; 'Being John Malkovitch'; 'Easy Rider'; 'Altered States'; and 'A Field in England'.  Of all of these only the latter would be new to me, but that may not be the deciding factor.

Right up until the moment dinner is served I'm undecided.  Whilst helping son #2 with the serving,  the decision of which film to watch comes to me, as a thought from the depths.  Most appropriate, given the film.

Around two hours later, 'Altered States' comes to a close. I haven't watched it in a long time, but I think I enjoyed it even more this time than I have before.  It's a pretty weird film and I'm not sure what my sons made of it: one thought it was good the other seemed uncertain and thought was weird (I think he was implying maybe too weird, not sure, yet).  It kept me gripped from start to finish.

In an unaltered, but increasingly tired, state (the drugs do work), it was time to take my leave.

One of my favourite albums is 'The Correct Use Of Soap' (a very pertinent title in 2020) by Magazine.  From that album comes 'I Want To Burn Again' (The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot that the video comes from the compilation 'Touch and Go', which appears to be the only way to get a licensed copy of the song on YouTube in the UK)

[[]]