under another sun

Continuing to be lifeless this morning so, while still in bed decided to book a Covid test. Texts with Keith. Luckily he is working this week, so my wussiness does not affect him.  Got up and gave myself a stern talking to about pulling myself up by my bootstraps. Lorraine, working from home this morning, taking my usual madness in her stride. Downstairs I took a lateral flow test which was negative, did a spot of German work, hopefully the last of the dribs and drabs.  Having booked a test, Lorraine drove me to Withdean before dropping me near home, and going off to school for the afternoon. Once home again, I felt like a complete time-wasting charlatan because I felt steadily better as the day wore on and actually did some good work this afternoon. Heard from First Matie too, and hope to see each other soon.  Anton said I was a wuss, when I told him I wasn't feeling well. He is probably right. Cooked for Lorraine and Sam. And felt much happier by evening. Texts with Yvo...

Lorraine feeling somewhat improved today again. Late in the afternoon we got confirmation that she (or I) did not have Covid right now. Felt relieved about this. I felt much brighter after a gold sofa day, and went for a walk this afternoon up to the Hillfort. I enjoyed the pink and orange skies, and the way that makes the clouds seem blue. You could tell it had been windy as I saw three separate dogs wandering about carrying branches in their mouths, which looked sweet. Lorraine decided to buy me a camera tonight, as a combined birthday and Christmas present, with me adding a bit too. Felt a bit scary spending so much money to snap up a camera, but I do take photos most days, so I know it would not be wasted. Reading the book Innis lent me, and fiddling around with the camera he also lent me has been invaluable. Viscerally disgusted by Chelsea merely drawing at home with Manchester United today. I read Grief is the thing with feathers  by Max Porter. An interesting book harking ba...

Off then in the icy rain to get yet another Covid test with Lorraine. Luckily we went to Preston Park where there is a site in the park itself. Drove down some of the way, then toddle across the park. Bloody freezing today and windy. Snow and drama across the north of England. Cold and windy here. A gold sofa day all round, as the weather was horrible and my throat was sore again and I felt lifeless. This cold is a boomerang.  Had planned for Anton to come around but biffed him in case Lorraine had got Covid from school.  I want her to get her booster, and at least she was able to rebook it for a week earlier. She needs to hold on till next weekend. The news, however, full of a new Omicron variant of Covid, first identified in South  Africa. It will already be here of course. This diverges from the last variant in several ways. Nobody is clear what those ways are, or how well existing vaccines will work against it, other than it seems more transmissible than the Delta var...

Feeling under the weather this weekend: a mild temperature, sore throat, headache and general lifelessness. As these are all symptoms of Covid after a double jab, and I had been training up to London and back earlier in the week, and had gone to the gym, I did a precautionary PCR test, Lorraine driving us through a carpark at Sussex University, we got the results early the next morning: both negative. Those drive through places really well organised, cheerful and strangely reassuring.  Lorraine did everything alone on Saturday, while I mainly lurked in bed. She took the cats to the vets for their yearly M.O.C. ministry of cats checkup, all basically okay. She also had an excellent haircut, arriving home with her hair long and flicking out.  Jade back to Scotland on Sunday morning. She and Sam seemed to have great time together. I felt hadn't had much time to chat to her. I delved back into reading about Emily Carr the Canadian painter. I had taken Janet's books on the subject ...