Lockdown Diary - Saturday 13th February 2021

Usual start to Saturday, except incredibly cold.  Thermometer reads -5C, and that's without the wind-chill.  Son #3 and I's shopping trip will be exceptionally cold.

Cold! That was an understatement! The worst thing was putting alcoholic hand gel on my hands in the cold air - as it evaporated it was making my hands red.   Home now so time to put the shopping away, then eat breakfast - coffee and a sausage sandwich! 

I needed that.  I'm ready to take on the chores now, starting with washing up the rest of last night's stuff before really getting into the excitement of washing. I cannot wait. Hold me back.

I've been informed by son #3 that film night might be in the balance tonight, in theory it's his turn to choose, however he may have a better offer - we shall have to wait and see.

Washing's on, time to catch up on the papers for a bit.  

Although it's almost half-past one, only son #3 and I are up, but we decide to make lunch anyway other wise we'll never have it.  I eat my lunch while reading more of the paper, then back to chores.

The carers arrive at around 2:30 p.m. and whilst they are here the phone rings and it's my mother-in-law.  The conversation covers the usual themes and again in the latter stages explores the period during which my wife was experiencing all the negative symptoms of MS but trying to hide it.  It's not a period of time that I find helpful to explore - maybe it's doing her some good, but I'm not sure it's good for me, especially not now. It is in the past and cannot be changed and 'if onlys' and 'what ifs' serve no useful purpose. If I may quote a song lyric, 'There is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow. There is only now and that hardly matters.'

After the call I decide to make some progress on this month's book club novel: I need to seize the opportunity to read it now because I am teetering dangerously close to the precipice that leads to the inability to concentrate for long enough to read or do anything much.  Futility is taking over.

Time passes, the final carer call of the day arrives and I start preparing the rice to cook for tonight's curry. 

Whilst I am cooking the dinner son #3 joins me and tells me he will actually be joining us to watch a film, which he's chosen.  I know he's disappointed on one level because I think he would have preferred to do what he was planning with a friend.  I know the feeling and share his disappointment.

For the first time today we're all together to watch the film '1917', son #1 finally gets his way and one of us chooses the film he wants us to watch.

'1917' was a good story with some interesting takes on the futility and randomness of the conflict, and is inspired by real events though not directly following them.  It had me gripped from start to finish, even though I don't go out of my way to watch war films. Thoroughly recommended.

From the album 'Black Cherry' this is Goldfrapp with 'Strict Machine'

[[]]