Month: March 2020

The Last Piece of Christmas Cake

As I’ve worked from home all week, the phone has sometimes needed an extra top up charge during the day.  The idea that I might have more time by being at home quickly got bashed on the head, after Monday.  Instant messenger has been on fire and the number of emails seems to have been ramped up significantly.  A piece of Christmas cake with a cup of coffee around 10.30 has been a welcome pick me up.

Managed to get into an exercise routine, out at 6.20 for a 20 minute run Mon, Tue, Wed, a cycle round Arthur’s seat in the mist and rain Thursday with a rest day yesterday.   Got up early this morning despite it being a weekend and ran as well to avoid anyone.   Have to say my body feels broken, my back aching and a sore hip.  But for brain and sanity I’ve forced myself through it.

Food shopping seems to be the hardest part in terms of self-isolation, we’ve a big supermarket down the road, a fairly quick moving orderly spaced out queue to get in.  Once in it’s strange with some people body swerving with others just behaving normally in terms of spatial awareness.  Met my next door neighbour in there  Then there’s the masks, the gloves with some folk wearing goggles.  A very unpleasant experience from a shopping perspective and I think the staff are amazing to carry on working in such an environment of what could turn nasty in any moment.  On the plus side there was plenty of food, unless you want pasta, rice or flour.

The boys being off school is hard, we’ve carved out sections round the house and being a man of technology (and a hoarder) there are various old pieces of kit hanging about that have been put back to life.  Even had to make use of the wires that I’ve collected over the years.  So everyone has a makeshift workstation and trying to keep themselves busy.

We are trying to rope them into more household chores, some cooking lessons and a generally it’s been met with good humour.

Friday night was movie night.  We covered Les Man 66 (Ford v Ferrari), and once you get past batman having a broad north English  accent it’s a great film.  Thoroughly recommended.

FORD v FERRARI | Official Trailer 2 [HD] | 20th Century FOX

I can also recommend a podcast on Anxiety (coronavirus-special-how-to-manage-anxiety-in-the-face-of-a-global-pandemic), given where we are as a global society.

The #WeekendCoffeeShare is an informal weekly link-up hosted by Eclectic Alli that serves as weekly heart beat and sort of of a mind-dump. Helps me reflect on my week, with a list of achievements, thoughts and rambles normally whilst drinking a beverage probably listening to music.

Perspective

Arthurs Seat

It’s a strange time folks, I’d ask you to come and take the load off…but it has to be virtual I’m afraid and maybe that’s what makes the weekend coffee share great in terms of social distancing.

The office has gradually wound down and yesterday was my first day of working from home for what could be 12 weeks.  A crazy day with way to many phone calls and simultaneous instant message conversations popping up.  I thought I’d get a minutes peace, and some solitude to think…..it just didn’t happen.

And for the boys, yesterday was the last day of school with their sports (football and water polo) being cancelled a few days earlier I’d be lying to say that the idea of Wi-Fi rationing hasn’t entered into my thinking.  We’ve got a house meeting later on where we will try and find a way to work through this.  An approach where they don’t turn into zombies and ourselves come out fighting.

Both my wife and I have elderly relatives and the prospect of the next 12 weeks in isolation just doesn’t compute.  My father in-law lives for travel and the church.  It’s been knocked on the head.  My mum lives in the lake district and I’m due a visit, I’m too scared now for fear of passing something on.

As an example of this crazy time and the fact the supermarkets have no toilet roll left I’ve just received a phone call to say my first pair of reading glasses are in, but they are cancelling the fitting appointment to avoid any contact.  They will post them out to me which on the bright side has saved me a trip into town now that I’m working from home.

On the opposite side of my thinking I’d love to come out of this fitter and healthier mind wise than going in.  There’s a calm about the city, it’s surreal at the same time thought provoking and scary.  Ultimately, officially we’ve been told to chill.  Routine will be different and the idea of rushing, getting to work, getting to school and getting to clubs has been knocked on the head.   At the same time no socialising or gatherings, no pubs, no cafes and no cinema.  My thoughts are with the folks who rely on this economy to pay the bills and my lack of a glasses fitting is a tiny misdemeanour in the grand scheme of what’s going on in the world….perspective.

Not totally in lock down compared to some places around the world we’ve managed to get out and intend to keep doing so as long as we can, obviously keeping our distance from anyone else doing the same.  Just for health of the mind.   We now have a circuit that takes us up and over Arthur’s seat about 5 mile in total door to door.  The fresh air and the taste of spring is welcome as we head into this storm.

Where ever you are I hope you are safe and staying well and thank you for joining me for coffee.

The #WeekendCoffeeShare is an informal weekly link-up hosted by Eclectic Alli that serves as weekly heart beat and sort of of a mind-dump. Helps me reflect on my week, with a list of achievements, thoughts and rambles normally whilst drinking a beverage probably listening to music.

Need to Know – got to start somewhere

A few days into March and I’ve missed a few coffee shares,  so hello and welcome to March, come on in the kettle has just boiled.  Despite a few chilly mornings and icy days it does feel like it’s starting to warm up and brighten.  Buds opening and raring to go.  The daffs, a sea of yellow urging the sun to come out.

The last few weeks I’ve really been struggling with that feeling you get when you’ve been on holiday, the odd bit of clothing that doesn’t quite fit……it used to but for some reason it’s shrunk.  For me it started with the salopettes.  They have an annual outing and a rough marker in time.  This year the zip feeling a bit tight even as the holiday started and as the days progressed they seemed to get tighter and tighter.

Holidays are for enjoying though, I was stuck up a mountain….hardly the time to give up calories or to start watching what I was eating.

I know for my wife the last thing she wants to know is a post-holiday weight…for me though I needed a reality check, a number to back up the way I was feeling.

The scales are electronic and I can influence the number by moving it around different places on the floor.  The feet influenced by the uneven floor tiles.  No time for kidding myself,  I lined them up with my favourite tile line and took a deep breath.

Not good, 6kg over my target weight, a BMI of 26.3 putting me well into the overweight category.  Previously I’d been sat on the edge a fine balance…..head in my hands time for change.

That was 3 weeks ago…….and since then I’ve brought my BMI down to 25.6 by losing 3kg (Not by moving the scales to another location!).  Still technically Overweight.

I think I’ve been a bit more active despite the weather.  Catching the bus to work when it’s been lethal ice wise or the wind and rain howling and then walking home regardless.  Deliberately drinking a glass less wine at the weekend and trying to avoid chocolate during the day.   The vending machine on our floor at work the Achilles heal when the afternoon munchies kick in.

It’s hard to describe the mental challenges that an office job brings, I’m exhausted every day and I ask myself why write this up……it makes me think.  It’s almost like taking a moment to look at yourself from the top corner of a room.  I’m trying to live well, work well and be healthy and it’s easy to go off the rails.

It’s making me think what do I want to achieve this week…..

The #WeekendCoffeeShare is an informal weekly link-up hosted by Eclectic Alli that serves as weekly heart beat and sort of of a mind-dump. Helps me reflect on my week, with a list of achievements, thoughts and rambles normally whilst drinking a beverage probably listening to music.