Day 83 – Reflections on Lock-Down

A day of work today, so not much to say for today’s blog!

Yesterday, I had all the signs and feelings of a hangover all day!  Which is strange, as I haven’t drank any alcohol since before lock-down!

So when I climbed into bed last night sometime after 1am, I decided I would prefer another lie in, rather than my meditation group.  So I text the organiser to tell her and set my alarms for 10am.

Honey the Dog and I got up about 10am and had a walk round the graveyard.

I then switched on my computer to do the work I had to do this weekend.  I had originally planned to do it yesterday.  But my energy was so low, I decided to do it today instead.  The deadline was the end of today.

Writing and uploading some courses for a new Living Well College, which is to be launched online in a few weeks.

Working from 11am straight through to 5pm!  It felt like a working day, but with more of a relaxed feeling to it being a Sunday.

Honey had been hassling me for a walk from about 3pm.  So at 5.15pm, we went out for a short 4km run to Arthur’s Seat.

Despite the weather still being a bit misty – the fog had cleared.  It was actually quite mild and humid in the air.  I had anticipated it was colder, so went out with more layers – feeling quite hot not long into the run.

I felt great delight – when we were in Holyrood Park to see that the gates to close off the road were shut.  Every Sunday, the gates get closed from about 8.30am to 6pm (in the summer) and 10am to 4pm (in the winter) to stop traffic driving between Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat.

However, since lock-down has started the gates have NOT shut on a Sunday.  They have not been shut on any day.

But today they were shut 🙂

I have just done a search for Historic Scotland and it says that during the Cornavirus Pandemic all the roads will be closed on both Saturday and Sunday – https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/holyrood-park/park-roads/

That has not been the case at all.  I wasn’t at the park yesterday, but certainly every other Saturday and Sunday the road has been opened.  I wonder if that will now be the case for the rest of lock-down, I hope so!

It’s so much easier with Honey, as I can let her off the lead when we get to the park.  Then don’t have to put her back on the lead when we get close to the road.

 

On the way back from our run through Holyrood park, I noticed a few groups sitting.  Plus, a volleyball game taking place.  And a couple of small groups in the trees with Hammocks!

 

Back home and I had dinner and watched another episode of The Society, before returning to do more work from 7pm.

Honey the Dog reminded me to take her out for a walk at 10pm, before finally finishing the work about 10.30pm!

Felt excited getting it finished and sending the email to say it was finished!

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Readers Corner

 

Christel

Christel posted a comment on yesterday’s blog.  She said:

 

“Hi Jim. With you talking about supporting the local economy I wondered, have you ever heard about the Transition Towns network?
Grts,
Christel”

Thanks for that Christel.  No I haven’t heard of Transition Towns Network.  I’ve just had a quick look, will read when I’m not so tired.  Thanks for that!

 

Helen’s Feet

Helen messaged me just as I was finishing my work, with a photo she found taken in 2007 (see It Made Me Smile).

She followed it with another photo of her feet, saying:

“Another photo from the same night. My feet (since my feet have featured in your blog before)!”

 

Thanks for that Helen!  Looks like your feet are becoming a regular feature 😉

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It Made Me Smile

This made me smile 🙂

 

Helen

As mentioned above, Helen sent me a photo she found in 2007 from Glasgow, saying:

“Looking for photos of my brother and randomly found a photo of you! Nov 2007 I think “

 

I replied, saying – I still wear that t-shirt – Whose that in the photo with us?  Where was that taken?

Helen replied:

“Some random friend from uni, Andy Robertson. Glasgow somewhere”.

 

I commented, saying it looks like a stage in the background? Maybe a gig ?

Helen replied saying:

“Maybe we bumped into you?”

 

She then found another photo from the same place.  Saying:

“Another background photo. A pretty unique ceiling, but no idea where. A bar in walking distance from St Enoch Square”.

 

Anyone recognise where that is in Glasgow?

 

One Question Quiz

And so, care of Helen (not Helen’s Feet) we have a One Question Quiz.

Where is this in Glasgow?  For a bonus point – who was I out with that night?

 

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As I come to the end of today’s blog, I wonder whether in fact it is the shortest I have written?  Thanks for Helen and Christel for providing a big bulk of the content 🙂

No – just did a word count and the blog is over 1000 words, my shortest blog was about 650 words.

It’s been a relaxing day, even though I have been working all day.  Listening to the radio and enjoy some great tunes!

Since my last TV broke in 2005 (it was a black & white one!) I have discovered a love to listening to the radio.

When I go out and leave Honey the Dog home alone, I always put it on for her to give her something to listen to.  Usually BBC Radio 2, but sometimes BBC Radio Scotland or BBC Radio Gaelic.

For the first 2.5 years of her life, before she moved to Edinburgh she lived in the Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis.  That is the furthest north westerly point in the UK.  Up there, the first language taught in schools is Gaelic.  So I put that on the radio to bring back memories of her childhood!  I guess the dogs would have spoken Gaelic too?

I then leave the radio on when I come home.

But since lock-down she now spends 98% of her time with me.  So I have been listening to online radio stations – Deepness Dementia Radio and Off The Chart Radio.  Neither of these radio stations include the news, so I am completely in the dark in relation to what is happening with lock-down or most of the news!

Forgot to take my phone with me on our bedtime walk – so no photo from that 🙁

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend.

Lots of Love.

Jim & Honey xx