Lockdown Diary - Saturday 7th November 2020

Not much to say about the start of Saturday, as it began in the usual way, for a lockdown Saturday.

After shopping with son #1, the usual chores broken up by me phoning my mother-in-law as I'd not heard from her for a couple of weeks. I just wanted to make sure she was OK, given she lives on her own in the Wirral and is getting both old and dodgy on her feet.  She was there and OK and updated me on how she was doing and what the world looks like from up there.  I think I was on the phone for 40 minutes or so, including a brief moment or two while she spoke to her daughter.

After that, son #2 made lunch and we sat together and ate before I started preparing to go for a walk. First, though, as the sun was going down and the temperature starting to drop, I brought the washing in. It's not dry, so some goes in the dryer and some gets hung out to air.

I can delay walking no longer, otherwise I'll be returning in the dark, which I'd rather not.

Back from walking and pleased to have walked for the 6th consecutive day.  I'm going to read the papers now before getting in to the dinner process.  A brief break from the papers leads to me reading some wonderful news, Joe Biden has won the US Presidential Election! No more Trump! Four long years finally come to an end (well, In January strictly!)  This has been the best news during the covid-era, by far!

No time, nor any appetite, to listen to music - I'm just not feeling it today for various reasons too boring and soul-destroying to go in to.

It's film night tonight and son #2 has chosen 'American Gangster', which is over two and a half hours long, so we're going to have dinner around 7:30 p.m.  

Another good film with fine performances from Denzil Washington, Russell Crowe and several others.  A pretty bleak tale, very loosely based on a true story, set against the political upheaval that the Vietnam war inflicts upon the United States. Overall a good film I'd recommend.

This song has been stuck in my head for a few days now capturing, as it does very well, the feel of live music.  Lyrically, it's perhaps not as strong as Neil Young's greatest songs, but in the live context it is really powerful and has spikily edgy guitar playing from Young - at times it sounds about to overload or feedback which gives it an added sense of danger and excitement. For these reasons it's one of my favourite Neil Young songs/performances.  It's from the live double 'Weld', which also includes great versions of 'Cinnamon Girl, 'Cortez The Killer', 'Like A Hurricane' and 'Powderfinger'. This, however, is 'Love To Burn', a 10-minute masterclass in playing a song live. Live music. Sigh.

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