Worked from home today - the new normal. I'm not keen to be honest. My set-up's reasonable enough. A room set aside, a big desk and a nice chair so it's comfortable enough but home's home and good and work's work and tolerable.
I try to work hard at home but it would be silly to deny that I'm a bit pre-occupied at the moment. Anyway, as it's the new normal I decided that listening to music is going to be part of the new normal and that this week I'd concentrate on listening to The Kinks. Why the hell not?
I know little about The Kinks. Obviously Ray Davies and his brother Dave was in them and in the sixties they had loads of great singles, they played a memorable (in my opinion anyway) concert on Christmas Eve 1977 that was televised live on the BBC and they brough out a great Christmas single that bombed. They had a long list of great songs that were covered by other artis. David Watts (The Jam), Stop Your Sobbing (Pretenders), Days (Kirsty McCall) and Victoria (The Fall) immediately spring to mind and I'll argue all day long that in the sixties, songs wise (everything in my world) they were only bettered by The Beatles.
So I listened to the The Kinks Pye Album Collection which I'd ripped to my iTunes comprising of the 10 albums they recorded for the Pye label and although a little patchy there were enough great songs to get me through the day. Especially enjoyed The Kink Controversy, We Are The Village Green Preservation Society (originally panned but latterly revered) and Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. Think I'll listen to them again tomorrow.
I went to Shamila's after work to set up her new TV (I wonder how much longer I'm going to be able to travel between our houses?) and watch the nightly government address. And Ian was right we're going to be in (our version of) lockdown from tomorrow. Pretty much the same restrictions as in Italy and Spain (can go out to work if you have to or go to the shops or for medical treatment or to visit a sick relative) but we're also going to be allowed to go out to exercise once a day. It doesn't sound like it's all been ironed out yet (nothing does) and I can't imagine how they're going to police it.
I guess that's it for now then. What the hell. I can't work from Shamila's so I guess I'll be locked down in TS3. Jeez, how did it come to this? It's mad, it even seems a good option.
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Monday, 23 March 2020
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Day 2 - Last day in the countryside?
Hardly the countryside but the Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park was beautiful today. It's just on the edge of Billingham, semi industrial and a quite smelly in parts but we like it. From what Johnson said tonight it might have been our last trip out for some time. Not as many people out as yesterday. Lots of talk on the news about people being irresponsible. In fairness not us, we managed to get out twice this weekend and our social distancing was text book if I say so myself.
Had a chat with my brother in Spain. He said we're going to be locked down tomorrow. I didn't think so at the time but when I saw Johnson on the news I can see what he's saying.
Spoke to my ex-wife about Michael in Lowestoft. She assured me he'll be ok so I'll stop fretting for now.
That's enough for tonight. Working from tomorrow in solitary confinement. Here's a few snaps from today. As I used to say more filler than thriller.
This lake might have it's own name a name but I'm buggered if I know but it's in Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park
Village Hall in Greatham oldy worldy stylee.
Distancing with Shamila in Greatham
Some random pylons in a farmer's field near Greatham. Looks a bit blurry? Hey ho, looked ok on the phone.
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Day 1 part 2
Definitely felt a bit weird
today. There were about 10 people stood outside the pharmacy as I parked
up to pick up my 4 weeks supply of tablets. When I got closer I read
the sign in the window "3 customers only at any one time".
Fortunately only 2 of the 10 were waiting in the queue.
As I entered the shop I got a view
of the pharmacist with a mask over his mouth.
For some reason his assistant didn’t.
I really hope it wasn’t because of a shortage of masks. I received my tablets and exited and sighed
with relief.
Quite rightly lots of talk about
heroic staff in NHS but lots of heroes also elsewhere. I’ll start with shout for chemist staff, shop
workers generally, post workers, carers, bus drivers, logistic staff, (all)
cleaners. Lots there and sure will be
more.
After that we drove over to Coulby
Newham Farm (of course closed) for an 8 mile walk through Fairy Dell, along Marton
West Beck through Marton to Nunthorpe Village and back over the fields via
Brass Castle Lane.
We loved it, it’s a great walk we’ve done many times but it
felt very different today. There were
lots of people out, unusually so but it felt like everybody knew the score
keeping a fair distance apart when we crossed. Lots of smiles and a few hello’s
but no stopping to chat.
I wonder how much longer we’ll be able to do this for?
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My Corona - Setting the Scene
So I haven’t posted for a while (again) but all good things
must come to an end.
I’d never even heard of social distancing a week ago but the
government has advised anybody over the age of 70 or under 70 with an
underlying health condition (defined as anyone instructed to get a flu jab as
an adult each year on medical grounds) has to be “particularly stringent in
following socially distancing measures”.
Count me in (under 70 and a flu jab).
I treated today as the official day one of my social-distancing
but it turns out it doesn’t start until Monday (I must have missed something). In any case I’ve actually been
socially-distancing since last Tuesday when my employer offered me the chance
to work from home. I’ve done home
working before and I’m not keen but I’ve been told by
BJ that it’s my duty to try not to catch the virus so I felt it was the right
thing to do.
I don’t feel particularly vulnerable but I had a mild heart
attack nearly 6 years ago. They patched
me up and put me on tablets for life with an annual flu jab thrown in for
free. I was devastated and it took me a long time to
come to terms with it psychologically but I no longer feel any stigma. I’m pretty fit and healthy, I go to the gym,
I’m not particularly overweight, I eat pretty well, blah blah blah and in the
interests of full disclosure my heart wasn’t even damaged by the heart attack. But if the government considers me vulnerable
that’s fine by me. I’m determined to not
to catch the virus easily.
My social distancing is not going to be without complications
but then again is anybody’s? I manage my life between me and Shamila’s
homes. I’m planning on working from my
home and Shamila will work from hers. She
is well aware of the issues and is also taking the SD seriously so for now I’m
going to continue to travel between our houses.
Shamila also has her elderly parents (who live locally) to consider and
staying fit and keeping my weight down may become an issue if any restrictions
are made on leaving our homes (like in Spain and Italy). I also have to shop and get my drugs from the
chemist.
I also have my 2 adult sons to think about. I don’t see them much but they are never far
from my thoughts. My youngest son, Chris
lives locally with his girlfriend and is supposed to be getting married on 10
April followed by a honeymoon to the USA.
I think he’s resigned to the honeymoon being cancelled off but the
wedding? Mmmm. I’m not so sure what he
thinks but If I was a betting man (which I am) I’d wager it’s just going to
happen either. Thankfully he’s a
level-headed and philosophical, I’m sure he’ll be ok.
My other son, Michael lives in Lowestoft in the East of
England. It’s fairly close to Norwich
but it like the back of beyond. It’s a pain in the arse for me to get to either
by road or public transport. He’s lived
there coming up 3 years and to my shame I’ve only been to see him once
(actually it’s not true – I took him down to try and find him accommodation
before he moved there. In my defence I
managed to find him a house though). I’ll
put it on my post retirement to-do list but in the mean time I’d rest a lot
easier in my bed if he came home but he’s having not of it.
So that’s the scene and off we go.
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