Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 29th December 2020

The days between Christmas and New Year are when I get my real Christmas break, nothing that needs to be made or delivered or produced, just time to unwind and use the time for things that I enjoy, give or take.

One thing I will try and find time to do is finish reading the book club novel we'll be discussing in early January - if I do it'll be both the first bit of sustained reading I've done in well over a month and also the first book I've finished in as long.

I've finished it! I have completed reading 'The Housekeeper and the Professor' by Yoko Ogawa, well ahead of the 4th January deadline. It was fairly short, more novella than novel, but let's not quibble, I have finished it and that's what counts. I'll not say anything about it though, not until after the book club discussion. 

The carers arrive a little after 12 and hoist my wife into her special tilt-in-space chair, I get all suited up and gloved for the catheter flush when I hear motion outside and realise it's the Abbot nurse come to train me, and the carers, sort of, how to empty and refill the balloon on her stomach feeding tube.

As the process is explained and demonstrated to me, I realise I am not that keen on it.  There are two risks that I wasn't aware of, apart from the simple initial test that you should be able to withdraw at least 3 ml of water, if not, the balloon has probably burst. The first risk is that, if you don't hold the tube in place while you empty it, there's a risk it may pop out!!! The second is that when you refill it with 5ml of water, you have to then turn the tube a couple of times - if it won't turn it means that the balloon is not in the stomach and you have to deflate and push it further in, then re-inflate with water. I don't like the idea that you can't see if it's right or not, you just have to go on feel.  Maybe once you've done it a few times you feel more confident about it, but I'm already not looking forward to the next time.  With any luck I can get the carers trained too and I'll just be emergency backup.

All that fun over I decide it's time to read some more, this time a short story from 'Christmas is Murder', my book club secret Santa gift, a short-story collection from crime writer Val McDermid. 

Approaching 3 p.m. the remaining two sons emerge and suggest we have pizzas delivered for lunch/dinner and I say, that's fine, feel free to organise it, which they do.  Time to return to reading while we await delivery - I read the first two stories in 'Christmas is Murder' and a couple of chapters from 'Hawkwind: Days of the Underground: Radical Escapism in the Age Of Paranoia' before the pizzas arrive.

We watch 'Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe' whilst we eat pizza and garlic bread, after which the boys return to their PC games and I clear up and consider what to do next.

I still don't seem to be able to get myself into the right frame of mind to listen to music, maybe tomorrow? 

Late evening we decide to have cheese and crackers while we watch a programme about Billy Connolly - we all enjoy it but I'm left with the feeling that they really ought to have broadcast one of his shows too, as I'm left with the feeling of wanting more.

As usual the boys head for the hills (PC games in reality, though they are upstairs!) as soon as it's over, though I'm delayed by catching the end of a music programme on BBC Four called 'Metal Britannia' with Budgie playing as I join.  Tony Bourge is an interesting guitar player and they have a very full sound for a trio: a joy to watch.

After that, or rather during a number from Saxon, I start the clearing up (the rest will be done by son #1) before retiring: somehow I've got to get myself up early tomorrow to do yoga at 7 a.m., which will take some effort!

Time to revisit Budgie. Turns out a lot of their stuff is not officially available on YouTube, though all of their best known album 'Never Turn Your Back On A Friend' is there officially, in its entirety.  I've gone for a song from their second album, 'Squawk': namely 'Make Me Happy' which is a quieter number than many of their most well-known songs, but still rather good.


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