It's amazing how quickly we all adapt to the new temporary norms of staying at home and social distancing, but it is incredably frustrating, I've never had so much time on my hands but been so limited to what I can actually do. Still the days are passing quickly and I'm making progress working through my list of 'films I've never quite understood', the garden has never looked so tidy and I'm told I'm 'Marie Kondoing' my garage. I've no idea what that means, but I'm clearing out the crap and the plan is to be able to find my tools without tripping over something, or something falling on top of me. It had got so bad in the garage that it had almost become a no go zone, with even Oscar the Dog refusing to risk life and limb after a falling ladder narrowly missed him on his last patrol around the perimeter.
I know the Government are using the 'R' measure to make key decisions about the speed of ending the lockdown restrictions, but I'm using the much simpler Marg Simpson scale for hair growth. The problem with my hair is not so much that it grows long it just grows thick and appears to increase in height. I'm approx 20% MS at the moment and I can only see things getting much worse, maybe I should only start to worry when it begins to turn blue. To make matters worse even Oscar made it to the dog groomers last week, I did made a comment about doing my hair at the same time, but it fell on deaf ears. I think our groomer thought it was a joke but I was deadly serious, in fact I'm amazed she could tell me and Oscar apart.
I love a biscuit and whilst in lock down I've rediscovered a passion for biscuits from my youth - Custard Creams and Fig Rolls. I don't know what it is but it's become a bit of a weird obsession and once I start there is no stopping me. In fact at the moment we have probably got more Custard Creams in our cupboard than Tesco. Fig Rolls have also generated a debate in our household, similar to Jaffa Cakes, is it a biscuit or a cake. I have completed some internet research and not really come to any conclusion, but it doesn't really matter, because biscuit or not I'm counting Fig Rolls as part of my 5 a day. So by that reckoning my diet has never been healthier and what with all the dog walking I do, I'm still struggling to understand why I'm not losing any weight.
Oscar the Dog is never one to be slow to miss an opportunity especially if food is involved. In the past week, through patience, stealth and skulduggery, this has included nicking my pork pie and eating a block of butter that was out of the fridge getting up to room temperature. I'm not sure who has missed the pub being closed more me or Oscar, every time we finish a walk we have to go through a ritual where as we get home, he stops at the top of the drive, looks forlonly at the pub and then reluctantly saunters down the path and into the house. It's not that he has a drink problem, he just associates the pub with food, the odd sausage or two, biscuits and crisps that he gets every time he pays a visit - you'd almost think we never fed him! The pub has just reopened for takeaway food and beer so he has spotted some coming and going and whilst using the ruse of helping me tidy the garage one day, I looked up and just spotted his wagging tail disappearing in through the open pub door. I'd got visions of him strutting back across the road with his chops around a pizza or burger. Thankfully it was nothing more than a general inspection of his second home and once he was satisfied that all was in order and more importantly that there was no one in the pub to give him food, he decided he'd trot back home.
Mythering is a great Sheffield word that describes when people just go on and on about something. If you were on the receiving end of it you'd be saying "stop mythering me". Well over the past few weeks I've been mythering Mrs Riley about chickens. Not roast chicken but keeping actual chickens, I've fancied having chickens for a long time but there has always been a reason not to have them, so with the Covid 19 lockdown meaning it's unlikely we will be going away on holiday anytime soon, I've started my Chickens Bring Happiness campaign. I think in the end Mrs Riley just gave in, worn down to a point where she just didn't have the energy to listen anymore. So taking that as a positive and with the 2 conditions that there is no cockerel and she is having nothing to do with them, the chicken coop has been ordered, due at the end of July. I now have some work to do to make sure the garden is chicken proof and to get some chickens bought. There is one small but fairly significant concern and that's Oscar, I'm really not sure how he will take to them, he certainly has a passion for chasing and flushing out any small animals so with his track record, I certainly wouldn't trust him around them on his own for a while. Anyway I'll keep you posted on how it goes, I can feel the start of another blog series coming on!
The regular readers of my blog will know that I'm not a great movie watcher, I always drift off mid movie and generally have no idea what the plot is about. But during lockdown my youngest daughter, Meg, has started me on a series of movies, and I have to pay attention because she asks me questions about what is happening. I think I've done ok with the questions per movie but when we get 4 movies into a series and Meg says can you remember this from movie 1, I just nod my head and hope she doesn't ask me any more questions. I just can't retain the information. So having watched Star Wars, Marvel and now X-Men, if I was to go on Mastermind I think I'd skip movies and my specialist subject would be keeping chickens, ask me anything you want about that suject and I'm on it.
Whilst in lockdown I've continued to pursue my passion for walking, there is something so very therapeutic about being out in the early morning sunshine, listening to all the sounds of nature. Oscar loves it as well and of course it is rabbit season, once he gets the scent, that's it, he's off, they are far too fast for him to catch, but I guess its more his job to flush them out, which he does remarkably well. I've downloaded an app that enables me to identify birds through their song, it does add a lovely dynamic to the walk, plus I'm almost embarrassed to say that my tree identification skills are very poor, so I've also downloaded an app to help me identify some of the beautiful trees I pass each day. Before the lockdown a friend and fellow Bastonian, Bob Wells, joined me on one of my walks as part of his Undercurrent Podcast Series. Although I feared the worst, (I think most people don't like to hear themselves recorded), Bob has done a fantastic editing job and in between all my 'likes' and 'you knows' its a great podcast and well worth a listen. We discuss amongst other things the Carr Dyke Roman Canal, the Roman Road of King Street, the disused Kates Bridge turnpike bridge and a farm that appears to be growing portaloos. Our 6 mile circular walk from Baston, takes in the villages of Obthorpe and Willsthotpe.
Finally just to end my ramblings for now, I'm really chuffed to say that during lockdown both my daughters have managed to find themselves jobs. I think that's a great achievement and I'm really proud of them both. It's great for Ellie as she starts her new life in Kent with Ben and I suspect Meg has her eyes set on earning money for a new travel adventure probably around South America. In fact the latest series of Race Across the word has been really interesting to watch as the contestants raced from Mexico to the southern tip of Argentina. This has been an inspiration to Meg, not only has she got her eyes on a South America trip, she has also roped me into applying for the next seies of Race Across the World. But whatever you do, don't mention it to Mrs Riley as she will need to be chief chicken guardian for 2 months whilst we are off travelling.
Stay safe
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