Lockdown Diary - Thursday 7th January 2021

Only my third working day after the break but it already feels like it ought to be Friday. I guess by this time next week I'll have be back into the swing of things and it will feel normal.

The big news story this morning is of the appalling scenes in Washington D.C. overnight. The sooner that man is gone and tried for numerous crimes the better.

For the usual reasons I'm not going to have time to say much today...

My working afternoon (late) has been interrupted by a call from the Abbott Hospital to Home service, who supply all the stuff, including feeds, for my wife. It transpires that someone at the GP surgery has decided to change her prescription, which means they aren't sending the liquid protein sachets. Strange, because apart from handling the paperwork (i.e. sending the prescriptions to Abbott), they have no involvement as it's the NHS Community-based dietitians who determine what feeds and supplements my wife requires.  I am going to have to chase the surgery to sort this out - no doubt an admin error and I have a suspicion I know why.

I call the surgery but there's no reply, I guess it's getting late now - I'll try again tomorrow morning, I really can't be arsed listening to those bloody messages for hour on end, and I do have work to do.

'The Fire of Joy' has arrived and so the poem for the rest of this week is now 'Western Wind' which is by the famous poet, Anonymous. Here it is:

Western wind when will thou blow

that the small rain down can rain.

Christ, if my love were in my arms

and I in my bed again.

Apart from containing roughly 80 poems, the book has an introduction on how to read poems aloud and, for each poem, Clive James' commentary.

For dinner tonight we're making chickpea, chorizo and spinach stew. Team effort from son #2 and I, primarily chopping stuff up and then adding it to the pan gradually as things cook.  Supposedly it takes 15 minutes to prep and 15 to cook - well, it may do if you're a chef and expert at finely chopping things, but it doesn't if you're not. Nevertheless it was quite a quick recipe to make, timing quibbles aside.

We sat and ate it while watching 'Raised by Wolves'.  I had forgotten how much I like chickpeas and the recipe was very tasty, as well as being very healthy, with a kick of spice from the hot smoked paprika.

After that bins and bed, though son #1 and I did the bins alone as son #2 was struggling to stay awake - makes a change, it's usually me!

Yesterday would have been Syd Barrett's 74th birthday and I had intended to mark it with one of his songs.  Well, I am a day late, but I'm still doing it. Question is: solo or early 'Floyd? The 'Floyd stuff is too well known, so I've gone for 'No Good Trying' which is from his first solo album, 'The Madcap Laughs'. (Though this official video is from a recent(-ish) psychedelia compilation)

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