Week Seven – Day 1 After pretty fabulous weather more or less since we went into lockdown, a change is apparently coming. So I decided to make the most of the dry conditions and headed out on the bike again. I didn’t get lost this time and enjoyed a much calmer descent to the valley floor down Pheasants Hill, far fewer potholes and flints to dodge. There is some discussion of furlough being rolled out more widely across the University, which makes perfect sense to me as I am beginning to feel increasingly guilty about my diminishing workload. Many other Universities have already taken the step and it seems that we are missing out on what could be essential support by not doing it. We are trying to keep Monday as an alcohol free day across the family. Alex is booze free all week and only drinks at the weekend, the rest of us are frankly hopeless, so very pleased with ourselves as we renounce the evils of alcohol on a Monday.
Fear I messed up on the hat photos – posted this week’s last week as I was behind with my blogging
Week Seven – Day 2 Weather miserable, wet & windy, so my walk at lunchtime is postponed until 5pm to see if conditions improve – they don’t. I listen to a staff speech by the Vice-Chancellor, which lays out in fairly stark terms the challenges facing the University (most Universities) in the next year. A bit glum (the weather and lack of exercise don’t help) as a result and so the possibility of a booze free Tuesday disappears out the window. I pour myself a glass of wine and set about adapting a friend’s Thai Red curry with salmon recipe, for a large trout Robert caught on his last pre-lockdown fishing trip. The whole family are relatively complimentary about it, so the recipe has been added to my growing repertoire.
Week Seven – Day 3 It’s raining again! Another day with no walk and I am surprised at how much my mood and motivation is influenced by the weather. Some good news, the mystery meat, taken out of the freezer last night, has turned out to be lamb chops (we should probably start labelling packs as we freeze them). A marvellous excuse, as if you need one, to make Potatoes Lyonnaise. One of my most favourite dishes in the whole world. What would we have done if they hadn’t brought potatoes back from America? The potato is a wonderful thing whichever way you cook it, and largely explains my inability to be a thin person. Decided, as you need a solid base from which to attack a lamb chop, to set the dining table, rather than the usual mid-week trays on knees routine. We had a really lovely dinner, though Alex is thrown by having to sit at the wrong end of the table, because my home office currently occupies the other end. That boy does not do change well.
Week Seven – Day 4 I had a lovely surprise this morning, a box of flowers from Amy (Alex’s girlfriend) who has moved back to Cornwall to a new job. We haven’t seen her since we went to see the two of them run the Bath Half Marathon, which seems like a lifetime ago. We miss her. She is such a kind and thoughtful soul (hence my flowers) and she makes Alex happy, so really can do no wrong in my world.
We have decided to make a seafood paella this evening as a change. Plans suffered a slight set back when Robert failed in his mission to secure required seafood from Sainsburys (the man can find two bags of gravel out of nowhere, but no prawns) so it became a chicken, chorizo and squid (there was some in the freezer) paella at rather short notice. The requirement to match drinks to food saw a return of the sherry and exposed a hole in the wine store (hard to believe I know). We decided the only rioja we have (2 bottles) is way too good to drink mid-week with a thirsty, but largely uneducated wine audience (the boys), so made do with Argentinian red instead. Mr Majestic duly phoned to fill said gap.
It’s a Thursday evening so at 8pm we all filed out to hoot, clap & bang pans for the NHS and essential workers and as it was Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday, our neighbour Karen produced a tray with champagne and glasses on it, so that we could raise a distanced glass to his extraordinary fundraising achievement. We stood apart but together and chatted for an hour which was lovely and it almost felt like normal again.
Week Seven – Day 5 It’s the weekend! A lovely anecdote has made its way back to me about one of my colleagues at the University. He is a Pro-Vice Chancellor and part of the leadership group that is meeting 3 times a week during the current crisis. He decided to post on the Teams chat – great that it’s Poets Day today. This was followed by various other academics posting quotes from their favourite poems, before he explained that it means Piss off early, tomorrow’s Saturday. You’ve got to love them.
Less impressed with the dithering about whether or not to furlough us – hard to remain focussed with it all hanging around in the background. Glad when my morning’s work is done and I can step away from the screen.
In a break from tradition, I was allowed to ride shotgun on the brewery drive through run. Sad that I was so excited to be out in the car. Who’d have thought a trip to Marlow would become such a treat. The weather has improved a bit but I missed my walk again, so headed to the garage and got on the ergo for 10 minutes – nearly died, but the dodgy old back held up. Then amused the boys with my skipping and arm exercises with weights that barely count. Still I felt better for it and not so guilty about the glass (or 2) of wine in the evening.
Friday night involves an hour of quiz night with Marlow Rugby Club – not too taxing, but it involves us all, so a good way to spend an hour from 8-9pm. We had not dropped a point until we got to the music round and then it all went horribly wrong – still there’s always next week.
Week Seven – Day 6 A bit of light bed stripping and housework (Alex cleaned the boys’ bathroom and did a really passable job) saw off the early part of the day, followed by another trip out, this time to Waitrose. Then because the sun was back, I dragged Robert round the valley for a few miles, ahead of the second darts competition. Disaster, the Hoares’ dart board is broken, but Mel has improvised and drawn one for them (very creative).
We lost again (the ring of shame is now ours – see above) but the Hoares are the new holders of the darts medal, with a convincing victory in the game of round the world. Not entirely sure how they propose to prise it out of Hels’ grasp, but I’ll let them work that one out.
Laughed out loud as I turned off my bedside light at 10.30pm on a Saturday – that would never have happened pre-lockdown.
Week Seven – Day 7 Tomorrow is my neighbour Diane’s birthday and so we have decided to celebrate it today, as the weather was due to be better and it’s not a work day. The weather is dry but cloudy, so we decide to press ahead with the distanced celebration and just put a jumper on. I have made brunch bits and pieces all individually wrapped and we have a glass (or 2) of fizz to celebrate. There was a Colin the Caterpillar cake and sparkly candles. All very jolly and a guarantee that not much else got done apart from the ironing pile, which required application but zero concentration.
Finished my latest book, which I can thoroughly recommend, as a light but absorbing read. I am finding it really difficult to concentrate on anything too heavy at the moment. This book was light but not frothy. It was a delightful read, good characters and lovely atmosphere.
Catering outdid himself this evening, with sake marinated beef for dinner, which was just delicious. Mental note to self – the new diet and exercise regime will start as soon as I’m furloughed otherwise…
