…when YouTube is the fourth emergency service.

Time for the next instalment…..second half of the first week and facing up to the prospect of the tricky second week.

Thursday 26th March

Did a 7am drop off of milk at my mum and dad’s as I just couldn’t trust myself not to want to see them and stay and chat. Felt like some dodgy burglar. Have been assigned a  vulnerable person in the village that I can help by doing their shopping. Felt incredibly nervous before I rang her to see what she needed but needn’t have worried as she sounded very bouncy and said she didn’t need anything until after the weekend. I drivelled on trying to make conversation but I’m not sure she needed me for company whereas I clearly was in dire need of someone different to talk too! Treated myself to my first guitar lesson in the afternoon courtesy of YouTube. The one I watched has 1.2m views. Now closer to 1.3m as I watched it over and over trying desperately to make any sense of it. My conclusion eventually was that I must have an abnormally short little finger as there is NO WAY my fingers can do what he was doing. I must be anatomically incorrect. My 11yr daughter made a dinner of BBQ chicken which was a joy but led to much argument about when the 13yr old boy was going to achieve the same heights. We did have to pause half way through and do the clap outside for the NHS which was very moving. We’d made a banner for my sister who is a nurse saying ‘Thank You Auntie Helen” because she is a star and I really miss seeing her.

Friday 27th March

Called my friend Richard as he had a major heart operation last year so was worried he is particularly vulnerable. He picked up the phone gasping for breath half way up a hill in Nottinghamshire somewhere. Apparently he isn’t vulnerable so glad we sorted that one out. He told me of the old man he is shopping for in his village who ordered just a dozen eggs and a bottle of whisky – genius. My daughter then approached me whilst on the phone to show me a card trick she has been learning. We talked Richard through it live by satellite building up to the big reveal – “And so is this your card?” she asked me, presenting the three of diamonds.  “No,” I replied. She dejectedly scuttled back to YouTube for more practicing.

Saturday 28th March

I’m a massive parkrun fan so I went out and ran in lieu of parkrun this morning up the footpath at the back of our house and felt like a very lucky person to be able to do that. We decided it would be movie night which inevitably went horribly wrong as there was no consensus on what to watch, my husband was called away to a family call and the rest of us were somehow left watching Bill & Ted’s Bogus Adventure – I know!! I think we lasted forty minutes until my daughter bailed and then my son begrudgingly announced that it wasn’t as good as he thought it would be before he sloped off. I quickly turned it off to watch last weeks Masterchef.

Sunday 29th March

Secured a food delivery!!! Feel very happy!!

Monday 30th March

We all seemed to hit a bit of a low today. ‘It’s the tricky second Monday,” my husband announced. All novelty has worn off, the grey skies are back after last weeks glorious weather and we are feeling a bit of disbelief that this week will be exactly the same as last week. On the plus side I am loving the sound of hearing my two children chat to their mates as they do their homework. I will never tire of that sound. It’s the sound of them doing ok – which is amazing. Had a lovely walk with my son where we discussed the US presidential election. Does Coronavirus give Donal Trump the opportunity to extend his term! The lady in the village I’m shopping for rang me with her food order for this week so was very happy to add it to our delivery. Quite fancy tea round at her house one night as her meals sounded a lot more interesting than ours.

Then disaster struck. I decided that my guitar wasn’t sounding the same as my skilled  friend on Youtube so I thought I should perhaps tune it! I found another YouTube video to teach me how and thought I was doing an excellent job until I managed to snap a string!! My dreams of being lead guitarist in a indie band dashed. I went into a proper sulk. A proper gloom. I was going to be that annoying person who manages to do something productive with the lock down and now I couldn’t. I emailed the shop I bought it from and am hopefully awaiting a response that reprises my dream and Lewis Capaldi can start to panic again that Tracy Bloom is back on the path to being the next greatest singer songwriter that ever lived!!

My editor at Bookouture wrote to tell me that NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON HOLIDAY has been put in a promotion on Amazon so it’s just 99p  – just thought I’d share that!!!

Tuesday 31st April

In the absence of a guitar string I resurrected my other hope for filling my time during lock down. I got out the rucksack I had bought that incorporates a water bladder so I can drink water and run at the same time. This piece of equipment is going to help me finally crack doing a half marathon….apparently. Anyway, once again, I found myself in front of my Youtube friends trying to work out how the hell to fill the water bladder. This took some time which almost made me late for my run which I was trying to do at the same time as another friend who is going to also do a half marathon. We are trying to motivate one another. We FaceTimed when we both returned so I could display my minor injury of a scraped elbow having fallen over on route. I was hoping I would get a 10k under my belt but as I don’t wear glasses when I run I can’t read how far I’ve gone from my Fitbit…making my Fitbit pretty useless I have to say! Anyway I was convinced I’d done at least 10k only to find out I’d only done 7.45k – gutted…and it still took me an hour!

 

Food delivery arrived which was awesome – the best – so happy. I sorted out my lady’s shopping and took it down to her. So good to meet her albeit across a long hallway but she looked in very good health and was so grateful for her shopping. I kept telling her she’s doing me a favour. The opportunity to help other people makes this thing so much more bearable.