3 March 2020
Weird night. Bright blue light in the hallway for about two hours. Don’t know if I was dreaming or something strange was going on. There is usually some light because my PC gives off mild blue light – nothing like this though.
Strange things recently – like Nana’s tortoise with the lid coming off by itself.
Strange world though presently. Currently some fascist former UKIP MEP is claiming that hens invented eggs and that a breakfast of bacon and eggs is somehow ‘patriotic’ – even when most bacon is imported.
Invisible PM who hasn’t been seen in public for weeks, apart from at a fundraising dinner, is engaged and expecting another child even though no one knows how many he has already. Poor woman and unfortunate child will be discarded like the rest of them in due course.
Lots of posters about handwashing at work and two small bottles of hand sanitiser. Talk is of masks even though they don’t work. Photos in newspapers would make you think people are using them. I haven’t seen one yet.
The idiot has done a broadcast telling everyone to shake hands – which is of course a great way to spread the dammed thing. It’s like intentionally killing off anyone who thinks he is credible, which might not be a bad thing.
Apparently, supermarkets have plans to reduce their ranges should there be food shortages and panic buying. I am concerned this may make it more difficult to get evil free things which don’t make me ill (free of wheat and dairy) – like suitable flour and bread. Otherwise I have a good stock of tinned and dried goods anyway so I won’t be panic buying – more or less my normal monthly shop on payday once each month – depending on what I can get at the time of course.
Police and health service would also ‘scale back’ in the event of a major outbreak. Which means basically the end of end kind of law and order, not that we have much anyway, and any kind of health service, also not presently very good. This feels like a planned breakdown of civilised society – to probably be replaced by the all reaching arm of the fascist state and private companies owned by friends of those in power. Profit from pain – the motto of these vampiric parasites.
Every person for themselves then it sounds like.
Got my headphones on at lunchtime and it’s like every track I listen to today somehow has greater resonance. Life and death and everything brought into very sharp focus. Hope and despair in every track. Winter’s leaving. Who will sing me to deaths sweet sleep. Children of wind, sea and fire, wolves. Etc
Write it all down at least then it’s of use to someone maybe.
Had a quorn sandwich on an evil free brioche type bun for tea. Too tired to cook and the buns need using up.
04 March 2020
Only one bad dream last night about a sort of image on a screen of a female toothy clown type monster. Didn’t run for it though and was ready to confront it but then I woke up anyway. Good sign that I fight and do not flee. Going to need that.
Weather today is dry, a little warmer, certainly lighter.
Someone designed this office as a series of connected chunks of cheap plywood rather than actual desks. Now I am sat opposite someone for whom the desk is too small I am constantly subjected to desk and monitor earthquakes every time x moves. It’s becoming impossible to work without constantly stopping and waiting for the desk to become stable again.
Crisps, coconut chocolate goo thing and some apple pieces for lunch as usual.
They have now brought in wipes. I think they were going for hand wipes but somehow we have got antibacterial probe wipes. I am concerned at what stage they think they probing will become necessary.
Keep trying to remember that dawn is right around the very darkest corner …
Feels like a long night ahead though.
Had just a frozen pie for tea. Not feeling hungry really.
05 March 2020
Slept like a slab of stone last night. Don’t feel any better for it though.
They have started only letting people board on the front door now on the bus because of the number of thieves on our route who do not pay when using the middle or back doors. God knows I complained about it enough times. They can now either pay or walk. What’s probably going to happen after a week though is that they will just ignore, or fight with, the driver and just walk on with no consequences and we are back to the matter of needing viable enforcement on the ground or just forgetting about having people pay any bus fares at all.
It’s also clearly taking longer for people to get on the bus and therefore making the whole journey longer. They should just stump up and put conductors back on the worst routes.
Light drizzly rain today on the way in to work.
I do hope this whole collapse of society thing holds off for another week so I can get another big food shop in on payday. Also want a larger frying pan. I got a flower shaped silicone pancake template kind of thing but it won’t fit in the little frying pan I have. I’ll be having a lot of pancakes if food supplies get tricky.
News reports show pictures of empty loo roll shelves in Australia. Was plenty in little Waitrose on the way in though. Didn’t buy any more because I’d have to carry it home later on.
I had a great idea this morning for what I am going to do when law and order breaks down totally here. I’m going to leave bits of bread on top of rich people’s cars and let the pigeons do the rest … Thank you lovely crow and seagull on the way in for the inspiration.
HSBC sent a floor of their workers home after one was confirmed to have the virus. That’s not too far from here – a mile or so – and in business terms quite connected.
Later in the afternoon it got dark and stormy and the rain fell much heavier.
First death confirmed today. The usual excuses about underlying conditions. Still doesn’t change the fact she would be alive now if not for this virus.
06 March 2020
Wake up and the first thing you feel or think every day is ‘great I’m still living in a waking nightmare’. It’s like you breathe it in upon opening your eyes.
I’m in a better position tinned food wise etc than most but there is still always the feeling that it’s not enough. Give me just one more payday always. One more shop. One more chance.
My boots are still soaking wet from walking home yesterday.
Did manage to stay awake for the whole of Masterchef last night which is unusual.
No one talks about anything else but hand washing, hand gel, loo roll and tinned food. It’s the cloud above everyone’s head.
Hope, hope, hope I can get my usual monthly food shop at the end of next week – or at least most of it.
Most of the panic buying will involve bread and milk anyway – neither of which I can eat. Loo roll I am good for since 2016. Got three packets of 9 rolls in the cupboard.
08 March 2020 (Sunday)
Talked with Mum and Dad on the phone about the mad run there has been on loo rolls. Dad suggested they could use old wallpaper in an emergency. They say there has been continuous heavy rain and all the ground everywhere is sodden.
Rate of infection is doubling here about every three days. 16 million people in Italy are now living in quarantine. They say it will peak here late April which is bad news for work.
09 March (Monday)
Awful dream last night about sort of a hansel and gretel witch in a house thing and trying to escape in the snow. Knew I had a small window of time to get out and was trying to run around and get things before I left and then one of the ‘hunters’ turned up before I could get out. Then I woke up.
So much to so at work first thing. Broke one of the copiers in the process.
Very upset later in the day to get an e-mail to say my repeat prescription request has been refused because I have about 3 weeks worth of meds left. I always request a repeat at this stage. It’s petty and spiteful when it’s hard for me to get in because they don’t open at the weekend. I’m being responsible and trying to make sure I don’t run out and they go and do this.
Managed to stay awake for Masterchef from 9 until 10 but it was a struggle and I don’t think I’ll try that again. Can always watch on catch up the next day.
10 March (Tuesday)
Was checking the news this morning and ended up dropping the tablet on my face, with glasses on. Bruised around my right eye in the corner.
Then collapsed 10 mins later in the lounge, landing on both my knees. Don’t think I have bruised them but they are sore.
Bus was late.
Got an e-mail round to say that all meetings involving external guests at work will now be held by webex (remote video thing) for the immediate future.
Don’t know if I hurt my right leg this morning or later on in the day but I have defiantly done something painful to a few muscles there.
11 March – Wednesday
Muscles behind knee are awful. Limping even worse than usual.
Health Minster has caught “it”. Could not happen to a nicer individual.
Friends in Czechia and Poland say schools and colleges are closed and large events restricted. Best they have done here so far is cancel an odd football match.
12 March – Thursday
It’s officially a pandemic now. The Chief Medical Officer in Italy has died. Trump bans travel from Europe to the US, apart from the UK where he coincidentally has golf courses.
There was either a riot or a tornado outside in the street last night as there were bins and bits of roadworks equipment all over the place when I left the house. Didn’t hear either a riot or a tornado but I couldn’t even manage to stay awake for the first half of Masterchef either.
Government meeting at lunchtime to decide if we go from the ‘containment’ stage of whatever the hell their so called plan is to the ‘delay’ stage. Guess we should have a better idea by mid afternoon – which is when they usually release the figures anyway.
I’d eat much better if confined to home presently because I have plenty of tinned things in the cupboard and I would have time to cook with them.
16 March (Monday)
Shopping arrived on Friday – no tinned ratatouille, no hand gel – few other things missing but mostly ok.
Had stern words with my Mother last night about not coming to the UK in two weeks time. She said the Lidl near them had been looted.
This morning the little shop on the way to work, usually ok, was out of loo roll, pasta rice, tinned things, tissues. I did manage to bag some paracetamol and hand wipes though.
Some parcels did turn up at work today – pancake rings, cushion cover, Lindy-Fay Hella album. Stuff from Wulflund still not posted and I doubt the office will be open when it does get here.
E-mail late on Monday night to say we should all work from home from now on. That’s it. Office over. Just like that.
17 March (Tuesday)
No problems working from home tech wise. Just an insane amount of e-mails though.
They couriered a phone round to me. Slippy thing and I’m worried about dropping it.
Don’t feel like I have a home now. I feel like I live at work. I am still waking up about 4.30am. Usually get up about 6.30. Start answering e-mails about 8.
18 March (Wednesday)
Feel like I’m working twice the job already. Had to have a manger check in call in the morning and then we had an hour long team meeting by phone in the afternoon – which was supposed to only last half an hour.
They announced in the afternoon that schools and college would close. Something they said only days previously they would not do.
Anything they say they won’t do – expect it soon.
19 March (Thursday)
Made a pact with myself that I would not work before 8am and not after 4.30pm.
40 tube stations to be closed.
Non stop stream of e-mails still.
Nodded off at lunchtime and had the most awful long detailed dream.
That I was a child again but sort of still me and I was living with my family. They said we all had to leave to be well. To take the most important things – I took my camera. We were going on a big boat and it did not feel right. I wanted to leave but could not leave my family. Turns out they were going to put all the sick people on the boat then sink it.
Real feel of the holocaust about it. How people were told they would be safe. Of knowing something is wrong but going along. There was never a right time or a right place not to go along with everyone else.
20 March (Friday)
Day off work that I booked a few weeks ago before we knew any of this would happen.
Was nice not to worry about getting up and answering a tirade e-mails.
I got a lot of dusting done. Turns out that spider that has been over the bath for months is actually a live one. Never seen it move before today.
Cleaned all my desk in the evening.
Pubs, restaurants etc now ordered to close – like they said they would not days ago. Services drastically cut on rail, buses and tube.
21 March (Saturday)
Have lost all interest in the weather. Not checked the forecast. It doesn’t matter if you can’t go outside.
Dusting and hoovering still.
Evening felt absolutely apocalyptic. Continued packing away my work clothes.
22 March (Sunday)
Packed away some of my fancy dishes and Japanese plates in the kitchen so to make more prep and pastry space on the folding table. My Denby dishes now cover two shelves. Determined to try and carry on collecting bits and bobs if they stay open. A nice plate makes even a poor meal seem much better.
Got some chicken out to defrost and I’ll make a curry tomorrow – that should last a few meals – usually about three.
People are still incredibly, fantastically stupid, Gathering in parks and flower markets etc. Army will be on the street within a week I expect.
Broke into those truffles I got in my long service hamper from work. They have milk in so I shouldn’t but they were there and so I did.
Spoke to my folks for longer than usual. Mum says that Lidl are now only selling loo roll in packs of 20. My sister going mad with having an 8 year old at home full time now and also Tescos are limiting sales of wine to only three bottles.
23 March (Monday)
Day off work as booked it ages ago. Slept terribly last night. Usual Sunday night thing I suppose.
Came up with a plan for getting a supermarket delivery slot. Wait up at midnight and try and get a slot when the day changes.
I have cleaned the toaster.
24 March (Tuesday)
Spent an exhausting afternoon trying to fix my PC after windows totally messed up after I tried to install some drivers for my old webcam. Had to call Dell in the end and reinstall windows. Luckily I had earlier downloaded a recovery version of windows to a keydrive. It was just getting it to recognise the keydrive. Needed to plug the monitor cable into a different port of all things. it’s reinstalled – well actually it’s now installed twice so at some point I might need to go through and remove both versions of windows and start again. Need to press F12 as the alienware logo comes up and then choose the keydrive from the startup menu.
Now reinstalling other things.
News from outside today is that they are going to use the ExCel Centre as a 4,000 bed emergency hospital. Don’t think we will be doing Accountex there this year then …
I feel such a mix of emotions. Luck that I am not sick yet, can work from home and have lots of food in. Awful guilt that I didn’t shout longer and harder for people to get a few cans in. Fear of what comes next. Pain for everyone who isn’t as lucky as me right now.
No one is allowed out except for essential things.
Feels like living in a nightmare but you can’t wake up.
Had a longer soak in the bath both to warm up and to try and relax – all full of stress from today.
29 March (Sunday)
Not a lot to report when you can’t go outside. Death toll rising still. Going to get much worse.
Folks called and they are both ok and not going out except for food and medicines.
Cleaned the fronts of the kitchen cupboards. Got out the tins of fruit with the oldest expiry dates. Noted that in future I need to buy more tinned fruit and less of everything else really. At this point anyway – priorities might change if I need to use up some tinned meats and things along the line.
They are starting to say this could last until June, which is which most people I know were thinking anyway. Honestly, I think longer.
Ordered some things on Amazon that I would usually be able to get within a day or so and they will take a month. I suppose they think plates are not essential and yes I do have a huge number already but having something nice to put food on makes even lousy food a lot better.
31 March (Tuesday)
We are all imprisoned. Each one of us. With only what we have to hand. Very hard to get a food delivery slot. Amazon only delivering what they deem to be essential – though taking payment now anyway even though they will make you wait a month for delivery. Some people are really struggling. Govt was supposed to send out food parcels to the vulnerable but they have apparently contained rubbish like fruit squash and angel delight.
1 April (Thursday)
Got Windows reinstalled on my PC today after successfully removing the partions on the drive like the guy from Dell said. All working smoothly and a great weight off my mind.
Wimbledon has been cancelled. I really don’t like tennis so I’m not bothered.
11 April (Saturday)
The weather is apparently nice but I have no idea if that is true or not because I am indoors like every sane individual. Managed to get my prescriptions earlier in the week. It was supposed to be sent directly to the pharmacy but they instead printed it out at the doctors. So I had to go there. Ring a buzzer because no people allowed to just walk in. Then the receptionist put it on a table and walked back to I could get it. Anyway I don’t have to go outside again for about three weeks.
PM is apparently recovering and taking short walks. When nearly 1,000 people died yesterday I honestly don’t give a flip. He isn’t the important story here. Also they are only reporting hospital deaths in the figures – not care home deaths or those who die at home so really many more people are dying then we are being told.
I made a fish pie yesterday. Wardruna album now postponed until January next year.
This is only week three or four. some papers saying today this could go on until next year. I was saying to J earlier in the week that I think those of us who can work at home will be the last ones to be let loose on the world again.
It’s looking more like I might be able to reliably get a food delivery slot just for the sheer luck of shopping with Ocado, who use a warehouse system not stores, and having shopped with them for a long time and being a monthly delivery pass holder. Trying to get a delivery from Tesco is utterly impossible.
This is the Easter holidays but you would not know it. We are all told not to go outside but I can hear people out there. I’ll bet there are plenty of idiots ignoring the instructions. On the flip side though the police are way overstepping the mark and doing things like telling people to stay out of their own gardens.
16 April
It was payday yesterday. We are not getting any pay rise this year. Nothing. Even though the place I work for has very significant reserves. Working our behinds off to keep the place going under awful circumstances and what we get is a real term pay cut. Thanks a bundle. Still got bills to pay and bigger bills too with having to use more electricity etc with being at home.
Payday being payday I paid my bills – then I ordered some fabric to make a new curtain in the bathroom – something brighter and lighter. Did my order too of a few bits towards the Denby set I am collecting. They had some seconds cheaper so I got those. Will see what they are like. Can’t be too bad I don’t think.
Got Civ 6 as well as an interesting diversion. Lockdown will last at least three more weeks they say. got Age of Wonders II too – both were on sale.
26 April (Sunday)
Folks called. Mum got a flamethrower from Aldi. Says it is for the weeds but she is prepared to use it on zombies. Dad is commencing a feud with a rabbit that keeps looking at his salad leaves.
28 April (Tuesday)
Despite being busy with a full time job, although working at home, work have decided to use the furlough scheme and save themselves some money by furloughing me for the next month. The govt pays 80% of my pay. Most companies are topping this up to 100% – not mine. I’ll only get 90% of my pay next month. Already no rise this year so a real term cut and now a 10% cut for the next month. I am a single person household and my wages are rubbish to begin with. As usual it will be the people who can least afford it who get treated the worst.
I ordered a Norwegian dictionary so I can at least scowl under my breath in a menacing way when I get back to the office in a million years time.
29 April (Wednesday)
Alarm buzzer on my wrist didn’t go off this morning for pretty much the first time ever. I’ll check it later on in case I just thought ‘sod it’ in my sleep and managed to get up and change the settings or something …
Or maybe the universe is just telling me it doesn’t matter if I get up early and work hard or not.
As far as obsessive cleaning goes I’m now working on the carpet behind the loo.
30 April (Thursday)
I had an awful dream last night – that I was going through the door of a house like the houses in ESO – when I got in though it was dark and right in front of me was another door – so I try to use the torch emote for light but it doesn’t work. So I go through the door and it’s the same on the other side and the emote still doesn’t work and there is no light and I don’t like that. So I go through that door and it’s a room and there is a window and a man sitting in silhouette in front of it – and I am frantically trying to summon a torch but it isn’t working – then he sees me and I can’t get back through the door. Then I woke up and it was 5.30am …
1 May (Friday)
Had a dream again about that deserted town – same one. With the blackened windows and white dust and collapsing houses. Didn’t feel spooky like last time – just unsafe in a structural way. There was a war memorial there too – an obelisk type thing. Wanted to go and explore more but I woke up.
Got up about 8am and did my daily quota of courses – today was Disability Discrimination.
Cleaned more of the bathroom – this is a long term project.
There was a fox outside – the female one. she was there for a bit then woke up and pegged it. She was pretty close to the door on the grass.
Leftover evil free mac n cheese for dinner. Warmed up in a pan with some almond milk.
Defrosted the freezer in the afternoon and then made and froze some corn fritters.
2 May (Saturday)
Got out the bag of dried egg powder that no one said I would use. Needs to be used by August anyway.
Added a smaller bag to my amazon order for Monday.
24 May (Sunday)
Variations in lockdown mood:
Dust everything!
Melt into shape of sofa.
What shape pie shall I make today?
Five hour afternoon nap.
Losing or gaining weight obsession.
I’ll miss my stuffed animals terribly if I ever have to leave the house again.
How many masks is enough so I have one that matches every outfit?
I hate limescale.
What day of the week is it?
Grateful for tinned food.
I haven’t learnt enough Norwegian today.
I can’t be arsed learning Norwegian today.
Folks called up and they are ok. Dad can go out on his bike now.
There hasn’t been a lot to report in the past 20 days. I have been indoors for all of them. I made a fish pie in the shape of a fish. I have done 20 short online courses for work. I will be back working on 1 June.
I found some pudding rice and so will probably make a rice pudding tomorrow.
Government is imploding tonight. Can’t come soon enough, though I think they will stay there until they are dragged out by their ears. The law means nothing to them any more. Human life means nothing to them any more. We are just numbers to lie at about at their theatre grade daily presentations of pre-recorded, pre- selected questions.
03 June (Wednesday)
Professional cake off is back on – at least some TV cookery related amusement. I don’t normally watch it but it will do right now.
I tried listening to an audiobook last night and fell asleep. I missed the ending of the Anglo Dutch war.
As for the US. Well I always thought it would end in troops on the street one way or another. Probably going to need those same troops to drag him out of there if the protesters don’t get him first.
15 June (Monday)
Not much to report but it is payday and that’s a really good thing. Food shopping arriving tonight from Ocado and from Tescos tomorrow.
Ordered some wooden plates, some storage boxes and a new hairbrush from amazon – mine has lost most of the spikes. Some plates etc also from Wayfair and Sous Chef. Most of life’s happiness is now in the kitchen. Also a few cheap new dresses from ebay. It is summer after all – not long until midsummer actually. Ordered some more fabric for masks too.
Fascists on the streets of central London over the weekend. The government’s little nationalist boot boys. Attacking the police and just anyone else who happened to be there. All very drunk and also fighting with each other. Pubs are closed and football is off so all they want is a fight.
Spoke to my folks yesterday and they remain cautious and are staying at home as much as possible. France has this much more under control than us.
Today in England non-essential shops open up. Sickens me to see the queues of people, many without masks. Lambs to the slaughter. Certain noted evil doers in govt (IDS) are pushing for the rules on 2 metre distancing to be relaxed to one metre. Money, money, money and human life be dammed. The World Health Organisation thinks it is a bad idea.
01 July
Occurred to me last night that when this is over people probably won’t talk about it. It seems to work that way with collective trauma. Everyone just wants to put it in a box, draw a line under it. Because everyone has shared it there is no need to try and explain it, as with a unique and individual trauma. It seems to have worked that way with the last war – everyone mentioned ‘the war’ but no one wanted to talk about their individual experiences of it – because everyone who had been through it felt the same. This meant though that that experience was not passed on to those who were young enough not to have lived through it. So now we have questions that can no longer be answered except by those who left a written record.
The murder clown excuse for a PM yesterday tried to step into the shoes of FDR and it was pitiful. His ‘new deal’ actually boiled down to cuts in spending already announced and thinly disguised attempts to throw planning laws out of the window and enrich his vile acquaintances. Every disaster just a chance for greed.
News this morning is that the US have bought up all the stock in the world of one of the two drugs that can help treat this thing. The drug is still under patent so no one else can make it.
08 July
They have now confirmed the office will remain closed at least until the end of October and they will review it early in October.
In more murder clown news they have said today that hospital staff will have to pay to park again. Clap for them one day, stab them in the back the next.
Monday 20 July
Sunny today but not super warm. Low 20s. We haven’t really had a summer yet.
Read Mary Trumps book over the weekend.
Spoke to the folks last night.
We talked about tinned potatoes and she said that when they used to go to the caravan the first night meal would always be tinned potatoes, tinned peas and a tin of Fray Bentos stewing steak between them. She hated it and won’t use tinned potatoes now because of it.
Mum is also really angry with anyone who isn’t wearing a mask, which is most people.
She mentioned X is back at school for one day this week. So pointless and will be so confusing for them if they can’t be near their friends.
Sunday 9 August
Scanner broke on me earlier this week just as I wanted to scan some photos to show someone. So I got a combination printer and scanner which was cheaper than buying a scanner on its own.
While looking through the photos I noticed in the background a vase I still have. Felt so strange that everything else in those photos, most especially everyone living, is gone and yet I can reach out and touch something that was there.
Then on Friday my legs went on me and I fell into and over the printer box and really hurt my leg. The worst fall I have ever had. Didn’t end up bruising much but was really painful and difficult for a couple of days.
Mum and Dad are the same. Mum has tried to sleep in the downstairs room because of the heat. They sent me a bottle of rhubarb mead via amazon today. I ended up opening it in the evening.
Weather has been hot since Thursday/Friday. A rare sort of mid 30s heatwave. I have even been able to walk round without shoes and socks for the last few days which is unheard of for me but I like very much. Trouble is I am a child of cold winters and all my blankets are thick and my clothes warm. I am simply not prepared for something that happens once a decade. Supposed to break by massive thunderstorms on Wednesday though.
The murder clown was today telling everyone it was a moral duty to get children back into schools. Maybe if he hadn’t have made such a catastrophic mess of all this we would have been able to do this safely months and months ago.
Tonight I am reading another holocaust diary. Sunday nights are reading nights now it seems – and perhaps writing nights too.
Monday 10 August
Slept terribly. Kept dreaming the Archbishop of Canterbury (not sure which one – beard guy maybe) was trying to take my cat to the vets. Also he brought round noodles.
Finished writing my letter to the chancellor about the furlough rules. Will post on Friday when I go to pick up my meds.
Friday 14 August
Payday. Food shopping arrived mid morning. About 3 in the afternoon I went out to get my meds. Wearing a big black face mask and feeling like a cross between a very badass ninja and darth vader. No one out and about was wearing masks but at least the other person in the pharmacy was.
Ordered household things from amazon – bin bags, printer ink, storage boxes and some keydrives.
Sunday 16 August
Found out I had won a small sum on the lottery. Ordered myself a new toaster.
Friday 21 August
Theatre where Nana used to work is in crisis. Donated £20 of my winnings.
There is also a legal action starting by a number of cross party MPs for a proper enquiry into Russian interference in various elections here. Donated £10 to them as well.
Also ordered those goblets I reaaaaly like because they are going low in stock and I don’t want to miss out – that makes probably about £45 of my winnings spent on me. Which is a fair split. Rest goes on the electric bill.
Almost at the end of the bottle of Rhubarb Mead my folks got me.
Made some sweet potato soup today.
Finished a book on wartime rationing yesterday and started one on Neanderthals.
Been going through and tidying up my photo backup folder before I copy it on to keydrive. No one in the future is going to need hundreds of my photos of ducks unless there is some mass duck extinction event. So keep the stuff that matters and junk enough of the rest to make the folder manageable.
This will be a year largely without photos. No going outside, no holiday with my family, no events. So without these writings it would really be a year lost to memory.
R rate (the rate at which the plague spreads) is increasing again and now estimated to once more be above 1. The murder clown is still on holiday in Scotland somewhere.
Saturday 22 August
I have concluded that you can make anything at all taste like Xmas dinner as long as you put cheap port in the gravy.
Goblets arrived. Bigger than my other ones but very thick glass too so probably holds about the same.
Not much detail here I know on daily routine but that’s just what it is – routine and not worth mentioning. Awake at 6.30 during the week, up at 7, start work at 8, if I am lucky grab some food in the middle of the day, work, slump.
Sunday 23 August
Had pork and apple sausages, port gravy and potatoes again for dinner.
Spoke to Mum and Dad in the evening about the Neanderthal caves they visited last February.
Also about the family photos I scanned in. Mum said she had not seen the one of My Great Gran before at the house built by my Great Grandad. She said she used to keep her chilled foods like meat in the meat safe in the shed like thing at the side of the photo. Also there was a big water boiler, clothes washer thing in there.
Dreams these last few days have been very long intense ones – mostly full of people – like having to live in one room with everyone at work.
Monday 24th August
Low, low, low this evening. Feels like there will never be anything joyful in life ever again.
Tuesday 25 August
Raining and dark and like winter out there – but somehow that’s ok. Too weird for the world to be falling apart and the sun be shining. This seems more appropriate.
Got stormier as the day went on.
Sunday 06 September
The seasons have certainly turned. Noticeably cooler, although not quite cold as such yet. Back to using two fur blankets though not quite needing the full quilt yet.
Folks called tonight. Dad has a cough. He had a mild fever at first but that’s gone now. Going to the doctors on Thursday. I reminded them of the existence of whiskey, honey and hot water and he ran off to the kitchen to sort some out.
Still having intense dreams involving a lot of people. Brain trying to compensate I suppose. Wish it would not bother!
About 60% of the way through a really good book on Neanderthals. Not so different from us at all, though they would probably be horrified at how we live. So many of us and the world such a mess.
Off work next week – first holiday I have had all year. Will probably try and see if I can get a flu shot done. Best to get it done early, especially this year. Trouble with not worrying about work though for a week is I worry about everything else – food, medicines etc.
Thinking of getting a scanner to use on photographic negatives. I only have a few but the folks have a lot. Not this payday but maybe next. It’s only about 15 years since film photography was last widespread. Negatives feel like a relic from another age though. I wonder how much of the photo and video material we take now will survive to be of use to anyone later on.
Govt are trying to sneak a national ID card scheme under the radar. This is corruption and fascism. Have no doubt that is where we are – right in the heart of extreme danger for all of us. I don’t know why so many close their eyes to it. Maybe it’s easier for them? Living a fantasy is easier then trying to face the stark reality. Even when their cupboards are empty they will still pretend there was nothing they could have done about it and it will all get better tomorrow. Human nature protects the mind while enabling a crushing reality.
Monday 07 September
Terrible night last night. No sleep at all until after 2am then only fitfully. Sunday syndrome still applies even if I am not leaving the house in the morning and still even when I am actually on holiday for a week (this week).
Made soup with some frozen sweet potatoes and sofrito veg mix.
Tuesday 08 September
Walked to see if I cold get a flu jab done with the voucher from work. They said they won’t have any stock until late next week. So I’ll have to wait until I have time off work again in early October I guess.
Slept better last night.
Made some pastry for making a pie later or tomorrow. Cooked some mince beef so it can cool overnight for the filling.
Sunday 13 September
Folks called. Dad has antibiotics for his cough and is much better. Mum said they have a lot of figs.
Tuesday 15 September
Food shopping day. First shop with Ocado since they teamed up with M&S. The M&S evil free pork pie is a godly thing but I don’t find much of interest in the rest of their gluten free range – it’s mostly breaded chicken and things that still have dairy products in.
Covid antibody test arrived as party of a study. Basically I had to stab my finger with a lancet, drip it in a stick and send them a photo of the results. Plenty of blood – no issues there and the test was negative, though it is not guaranteed to be totally accurate on an individual level. Bit of finger bruising and had to be careful about eating crisps for the rest of the evening.
Wednesday 16 September
Went out and got my meds. Very few people wearing masks still.
Ate the second pork pie. That’s it now until next shopping day in a months time.
In the evening ate a lot of crisps then flaked out on the sofa.
Thursday 17 September
Part of Wales in lockdown and a large part of the North East rumoured to be going into lockdown tonight. Only a matter of time before London is locked down again too. Going to be an interesting Christmas I fear …
The testing system is a disaster. Not enough lab capacity by a long, long way. Testing centres can’t carry out tests because there is no capacity to process the results. The murder clown blames a rise in demand for testing – well most of us could have seen that coming with the schools reopening. So now testing will probably be restricted to NHS staff – which means no one will have any idea of the number of actual positive cases there might be out there in the general population. Making the figures seem much lower than they really are.
Friday 18 September
Most of Lancashire, apart from Blackpool, to go into lockdown.
Monday 21 September
Felt terrible in the evening. It hurt to move. Just so tired. Change of the seasons I suppose.
Tuesday 22 September
All pubs etc to close at 10pm at night from Thursday onwards. How that will make any difference at all I don’t know. Everyone will just drink earlier.
Put all my diaries in two boxes together. Didn’t realise there were so many. These new boxes are big enough for envelope folders which will be my new method of journal keeping. I type faster than I write, it hurts much less and I can put photos and other bits of stuff in the file too.
Another day and another U turn – they are now saying once again we should work from home if we can. They should never have encouraged people to go back into offices yet.
The murder clown made a bizarre statement to the commons in which he claimed we have a much higher rate of infection and death because we ‘love freedom’.
I’m battling to find the balance between being informed about what is going on in this country and feeling utterly overwhelmed by it. Can’t get overwhelmed though. Need to keep fighting back.
Survive the winter and the key to doing that is to survive today.
PM did a TV address in the evening. Utter bollocks.
Bake off was back on in the evening and it actually provided a nice, silly way to forget what year we are living in.
Wednesday 23 September
Performed acrobatics changing the lightbulb in the kitchen this morning.
Friday 25 September
Dark and stormy outside. Had to put the heating on. Especially cold in the evening.
Found a load of new and unused paper envelope files – which is good because I had noted that I should buy some of these next payday.
Had the rest of the timed Tesco Bolognese for lunch. It’s really not bad. I thought it would taste like cardboard but it’s good. Something I will get more of as a very useful cupboard item.
Some supermarkets introducing limits on tinned goods, pasta, loo roll etc again.
Had apple and pork sausages, herbed potatoes and a chicken and port gravy in the evening. It was exquisite. Used my very poshest plate – one of the Japanese sand ones. I’d be happy to have that for xmas dinner.
Numbers of plague cases continue to rise sharply. A significant shortfall in testing capacity in London may also mean many cases are not being picked up.
Wednesday 30 September
Had to go into the doctors today for a blood test. Have they nothing better to do right now? Place was apocalyptic All the leaflets and stuff gone. Only 4 chairs spread out throughout the waiting room. No one else there. Came close to running out of the door. Very uncomfortable.
Thursday 1 October
Doctor called up. Blood pressure too high etc. Got to go back and have another blood test in three months. Doctor was quite snappy when I said I wasn’t going outside unless necessary – insisting close contact for 15 mins was required for transmission. Cobblers. It’s very probably airborne like every single other virus in the same family. Who hasn’t got higher blood pressure or put on weight these last few months anyway? If that’s the worst that happens I will feel very lucky.
Friday 2 October
Woke up to the news that the Trumps have the plague. I can’t say I am surprised or distressed by this news.
Dr Kristopher Lovell 