BACK IN THE COVID - The Lockdown Diary Day 14

I am quite reluctant to say this but I believe we are settling in to enforced confinement quite well behind these walls. We are very lucky to have plenty of places where we can hide from each other, we only have each other to trip over and a sizeable garden (it is 250 Fatbit steps to the top and back!). Of course we recognise that others are not so lucky. I am quite used to being alone and relish the opportunity to think. All creative people need this. Without time for ideas to gestate there is little point in letting them germinate. I am not at all afraid of getting either depressed or bored. In fact boredom itself I have no experience of. Sharon on the other hand is still adjusting to having her own time after caring for Sylvia more or less full time for 5 years. This is a period of recuperation for her. Having said all that it is very, very early days. In a few weeks or months down these entries I might be singing another tune but in the meantime we are not struggling.

We are fearful of course and we miss all the kids and babies and the fantastic family who are keeping us out of harms way. By the time we come out of this Gracie will be walking.

I miss the shops too. I love shopping not for the shopping per se but for the going about in the world, for observing all the odd behaviours, shapes, sorts and manifestations of this species of hominids we belong to. We are all part of a  fascinating crowd of marvellous, struggling but resilient individuals. Supermarkets are one of my favourite reasons to go out and I miss them. Like my dad before me I am often to be found down one of the aisles talking crap and bollocks to any harmless stranger I happen to engage and who shows even the smattering of an interest in the wealth of totally irrelevant shite lurking in this fevered brain. As for the new self-service check! They are a challenge in themselves. A challenge to rise to. Did you know that you nearly get through a checkout without pressing any of their on screen buttons other than the Pay Now. They have re-programmed these checkouts in Sainsbury to record the fun and games we have making them work. They watch and when you get irate issue a new warning message. “Numpty in bagging area”. Here is a photograph of one numpty caught on camera.  (Taken before all the numpties were locked up)