under another sun

Still coughing till I'm ragged at night. Lorraine off to Paul her hairdresser, then she went to see Pat and Maureen. I read more Raymond Chandler, managed a ten minute walk which felt like plenty.  Watched a couple of couple of episodes of Foundation, a big budget TV series on Apple TV based on Isaac Asimov stories. Sometimes even doomy SF takes you out of yourself.  Lorraine bought a chicken and leek pie at Canham's in Hove today. It was gorgeous. Saw the meme below today. It spoke to me.  

My ability to smell seems to have gone, another Covid indicator. A sleepless night wracked with continual coughing and sore throat. The opposite to the night before slept for a few hours, with waking up to cough every few minutes, then bleakly awake after 4am. Did have a couple of hours before I got up.  A tauntingly beautiful day. I went into the garden for a nice cough, but otherwise sat wanly on the Gold Sofa watching TV. My brain barely able to function. Watched a French documentary on the Chauvet Cave art. Wonderful. Then I watched Chelsea stroll seven goals past Port Vale in the quarter finals of the FA Cup which happened to be on TV.  Chatted to Mum too.  Lorraine ordered us in a curry tonight. Curiously tasteless because of being unable to smell anything. I had a sip of Lorraine's beer, not wanting to drink, but gave it back as it tasted nasty. A truly disconcerting development. Watched Extraordinary Portraits on TV.  Then to bed. Dreading it.  Beautiful...

This morning, Lorraine found some more Covid tests. Lorraine's positive, this time. She has all the classic symptoms. Mine negative again, so decided perkily this morning to do carry some things out of the house into the garage, water the glasshouse plants and feed the fish. This rapidly exhausting so I repaired to the sofa with Lorraine. And this just in from the self-pity news desk, my back has seized up too,  and I have shaved off my beard off, as it was irritating new sore patches on my face.  As we nicely settled, Brian had a horrible fit. It went on for at least a minute. We were quite sure we were witnessing his death. One of the worst things I've seen. Eventually, it passed, and he hid for a while under the sofa. He had thrashed about, and had torn out several claws which were dug in the carpet, so there was some blood too. Miraculously, he emerged a while later seeming fairly normal.   Lorraine fixed up an emergency vet appointment in Eastbourne, and had to ask B...

Trying to get moving again. Went for a walk around the block before starting work. A bit of an error as lungs reacted badly to the cold air, and I felt worse afterwards. Really disoriented talking to Keith at one point this morning. Kept trying and failing to explain a simple idea but just couldn't find the words. We made as much progress as possible and were somewhere near where we should be. Ten minute doze at lunch. Very pleased when we stopped -- feeling barely able to cope. Lorraine, luckily, feeling somewhat brighter, the Covid seems to have been milder this time. After work Lorraine drove us to the chippy, weirdly empty, and I dived in and scored medium chips, medium cod, and mushy peas twice. Home and good for nothing except watching TV just happy to be with Lorraine. Had the bagpipe lungs for a week -- and they are making everything difficult.

So, farewell January. Lorraine and I up early. Bleak mood this morning, back now seized up as I haven't been moving enough. Getting dressed difficult. Then I peed over my jeans in a freak micturition incident, and had to get dressed again. A new fridge freezer and dishwasher were about to be delivered, and the old ones taken away.   Cue sweaty grappling with white goods and wooden doors and kneeling on the floor twisting things at ankle level with a mulgrip. I also broke a screwdriver.  Poor Lorraine clearly unwell. A Covid test: positive. Too late to cancel the delivery, Lorraine stayed in the sitting room, and I aired the kitchen a bit, before two blokes arrived carried the goods in an out, one taciturn, the other with the client facing skills calling me 'boss'.  Lorraine spoke to Maureen during the day. Pat is 'Covis' positive too and Maureen unwell. Lorraine was going to go with Maureen to her rehabilitation meeting this week, but they have had to cancel this. I...

Much brighter mentally, and less stressed. Enjoyed a day of research, and also wrote a good first draft of a new poem to my revised memory brief. Finished reading  The Memory Illusion , by Dr Julia Shaw. Began Metaphors of Memory , A history of ideas about the mind , by Douwe Draaisma, a pricey purchase, but pure gold, and dipped into Gilbert Ryle's  The Concept of Mind  which has a few uninspiring pages about memory.  Lorraine at home as she has a headache and snuffles which as Sam has covid, has to be taken seriously.  Lorraine had to do a proper test so I went along too. Lorraine and I the only people in the test car park. Sam keeping to his rooms, and having conversations from afar. He is doing okay, and apart from being tired and sore throated, is not too bad. Pat still okay in Ashford. Thank goodness for jabs.  Really enjoyed having Lorraine at home, and talking to her helped me untangle my brain.   Planet Poetry went live today. Otherwise little...