Category: project colin

Day 91 – Title-less

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The sky is getting darker, the wind is blowing ever more strongly and the temperature is dropping ever so slowly.

There’s a storm front coming
White water running and the pressure is low
Storm front coming
Small craft warning on the radio

So sang Billy Joel. Mind you, he also famously claimed that

We didn’t start the fire

And as you will read below, that’s actually something I fully intend to do just now.

Yes, there’s another Cape cold front on the way in. It’s not a huge one, but it has been sitting just to our south west for a few hours now, teasing us about its imminent arrival. It’s coming in two parts: one today and one on Saturday. Much like the UK’s coronavirus problem, it seems likely that the second wave will be the worse of the two, but much like South Africa’s coronavirus problem, that assumes that we’ll make it through the initial wave first.

As ever, I have battened down the beagle and I will be lighting the fire presently. But I’m tired and I’ve been making silly mistakes all day. It wouldn’t surprise me if I have actually battened down the fire, so I will double-check before I stick a paraffin-laced cube of white stuff anywhere.

I’m listening to 6 Music on what would have been the prelude to the Glastonbury 2020 weekend. Obviously, that’s not happening for viral reasons, but they have been celebrating what has gone before and what would have been, with some really uplifting, joyful, positively emotive music.

I don’t think that the currently wonderful weather in the UK is helping those people who had tickets for the Festival this year either. It would have been fantastic. And while there’s obviously no substitute for actually being there, I would have still enjoyed watching it in big bold 4K, 6000 miles… away in front of a smouldering hound.

In the meantime, the last bits of online schooling before the staff and students of the kids’ school get a well-deserved week off, several household chores, a bit of football, some red wine.

See you tomorrow.

Day 76, part 2 – Latin

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After a bit of a depressing start to the day, and with tonight’s chili simmering happily on the stovetop, I glanced out of the window, spotted that the rain had stopped and was reminded of the Latin I never learned at school:

Carpe confractus in tempestate

which, as any fule kno, translates as “seize the break in the weather”.

I quickly grabbed a mask and a beagle and headed out into the… wait… sunshine?

Yep. And 4.5 dry and happy kilometres later, we got home, exercised, fresh-aired and much happier.

I’d fully endorse a quick trip out not in the rain.

Day 37 – Escape II

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I managed to get almost 10km of walks and runs with family, alone and with beagle, yesterday. And then another 7km today.

I needed it. I was really beginning to struggle with stuff. That stuff hasn’t gone away, but it’s been pushed a little more to the back of my mind thanks to being able to get out and about again.

It was quieter this morning, probably because of the cool, misty, autumnal weather. The cold never bothered me anyway though, and so we enjoyed a little more freedom and escape from the confines of the house.

I’m not sure that the beagle quite understands what’s going on, but the walks seem to be well-received and I’m loving being able to stretch my legs again.

The pic above was with my phone and with the beagle pulling on my arm to try and eat some nearby guineafowl. Given the circumstances under which it was taken, I think it’s pretty good.

Day 22 – A busy day

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Today:
Schoolwork x2. Advice required on narrative essay writing and multiplication of decimals (separately, obviously).
Singing lesson (online).
School parent meeting (online).
Piano lesson (online).
Exercise (offline).
Make bread.
Make soup.
Give the beagle plenty of attention (the beagle has been a bit sad over the last couple of days).
Take daily photo.

Just now:

Mixed feelings.

Later:
Eat soup. Eat bread.
More beagle care.
Watch movie with kids (and popcorn).
Bed. Much bed.

Day 14 – Deep Clean

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To be honest, the living room and dining room (ok, it’s actually just one room) weren’t dirty. But we do have two kids and a dog, and a large sliding door which is open all day every day in the nice weather. So yeah, I can see where a bit of muck might have got in.

I went at it with some enthusiasm and managed to remove basically a whole garden’s worth of dirt and dust, and at least two beagles worth of beagle fur from the house. I honestly cannot believe that we were living with that.

And yes, I still fully support my assertion that that bit of the house wasn’t dirty, but paradoxically, it does look cleaner now. For a short while, our place (or at least one big room of it) could have taken pride of place on one of those fancy house shows. Until the beagle trailed some grass clippings in from out the back, at least.

Later today, I’m going to pave over the garden and maybe the beagle as well, and I think that will make a big difference.

In other news, spring cleaning is great for your Discovery (health insurance) points. OK, so I did do a little workout yesterday evening as well, but I managed 16,000 steps and I (quite literally) didn’t leave the house the whole day.

Again.