And so begins the second of the lockdown diaries… (this instantly prompted a vision of Théoden on the walls of Helms Deep proclaiming 'And so it begins' as the orcs arrive - also there is a specific orc who looks like mashed potato for next time you watch it).
What has the last week consisted of?
A ginger cake that wasn't very gingery and I'm pretty sure wasn't baked
Some yummy enchiladas that did taste like enchiladas
Two new additions to the plant family: Bambino and Achilles
New glasses!!
PP Saturday: Pancakes and pizza
Finished my book which was EPIC in all senses of the word
Deep-cleaned the bathroom and its glistening like the noon-day sun although smells a bit like a chippy with all the vinegar used
Finished 'It's A Sin' and cried… a lot. Nearly as much as mum when she watches the John Lewis Xmas advert.
Got my period again for the second time in two weeks. But on the plus side it has released some kick ass skin hormones. Glowing!
My brother's spectacular answer to a quiz question: 'A scene where she rides bareback on a charging rhinoceros whilst bargaining with a flatulent toad, astride a golden Eagle, for the future of her people and her sacred right of marshmallow toasting.' This was in answer to what has Keira Knightley recently said she won't film with a male director.
Also it's the first day of February so pinch punch first of the month! February is great namely because of Pancake Day and also momma's birthday. But also, hopefully with all my fingers and toes and ears crossed, the month of 2021 where things start to shift in a slightly more positive direction. More vaccines yay and less lockdown double yay! In the spirit of the new month I woke up vaguely on time (only slept in by half an hour), showered, curled my hair, and resumed my daily sitting position at my desk. Ahhhhh… Nothing beats sitting in the same place for hours every day. I think if chairs could talk they would be as baffled as our dogs and cats as to why they are getting so much attention.
So I am sitting, cross-legged upon Dante (the chair) and pondering what to write about a week where relatively nothing has happened. 'Nothing' has taken on new meanings in these COVID times; the list above describes a fairly active week according to lockdown standards whereas before there probably would have been mentions of trips, restaurants, seeing people. We now have a new idea of 'busy' - back to back Zoom calls - and a new idea of doing nothing which in my case involves scrolling through Instagram with 'Friends' playing in the background.
Boredom is the enemy. What is there to do except what you did yesterday and, oh wait, the day before? Look at various screens for hours on your chosen chair, stool, sofa, or perhaps flamingo stance, and randomly attempt baking adventures with varying degrees of success (I blame the oven). Although the end appears to be insight today I feel even more over the lockdown shenanigans. The novelty of the first lockdown has decidedly worn off and COVID's lingering effects make the future even more scary and uncertain than it normally is - which is quite a lot seen as the future terrifies me. Generation COVID will be hitting the job markets and what are we going to find? Doesn't look like much unless you are an aspiring nurse, doctor, surgeon. Bad joke. Even so the government is going to need to pull something out of their ass that is more than 'Eat out to help out' in order to help Generation-C.
After World War Two, American society witnessed a return to conservative, traditionalist values centred upon gendered norms, suburbia, and the nuclear family. In part, this shift was to re-introduce a sense of stability and 'normativity' when in fact it simply glossed over underlying problems that festered below the visage of the happy family. (Read 'Revolutionary Road' by Richard Yates). I am not saying that the pandemic will prompt an exact response but am not ruling out that it could be similar. People want to see things 'go back to normal' but what we need is to be better and remember that, although COVID dominated 2020 headlines, 2020 exposed and rioted against structural racism and injustice that has plagued our societies for centuries. We need to be better, re-create a normalcy that protects everyone and our planet and not return to a utopic dream of the past.
KF