The Coronavirus Diaries, 4th January 2023, Quiet Times

Unplanned, I seem to have started January dry. Octavia does Dry January which is not quite the same thing. The Nozeco opened on Christmas Day morning is still in the fridge. Yes, there’s very little alcohol in Nozeco, very little in Becks Blue, and I have several bottles of that, I just don’t fancy anything alcoholic or even approaching the idea of alcoholic. Benilyn continues to be my tipple of choice, which is odd because it tastes disgusting. I couldn’t get Benilyn original, so have Benilyn Non-Drowsy after the pharmacist assured me it didn’t contain any ingredients which would keep me awake. It’s also red, but a brighter red than Original. Just as unpalatable though.

Still my cough has definitely lessened. It’s not yet gone, but it’s in departure. hanging around the duty free section perhaps, or in the bookshop, flicking through books it has no intention of buying. I hope its flight is called soon. I feel as though I have been coughing for ever. Work continued all last week and then into the weekend. I was up in the morning, out and about, doing my stuff, home and eating good healthy food washed down by water, and then to bed with a Lemsip around half past eight.

I’ve not worked today, and the diary is gloriously empty until next week. That’s how I feel now, but by Saturday I shall probably be fretting and worrying about my income. Well, being freelance and self employed was my choice. It can be precarious, but I don’t have many extravagances, so I get through. Also January and February are always quiet and a chance to recharge batteries, and as I didn’t do a jigsaw over Christmas this may be my chance.

Michèle gave me a copy of Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader, a cautionary tale about the Queen becoming an avid reader. It’s light, but not frothy. Bennett makes the case for reading in general and literature in particular. Did Her Maj ever read it I wonder. I understood she had a taste for detective fiction which would explain why PD James was ennobled. I’ve finished it now and am casting about my shelves for my next read. I am still on a light book diet. Len Deighton may be the one. Again, well written, and he loves food so there are always lots of cooking scenes. Several years ago I realised I only really enjoyed detective fiction if there were details about food. I’d been reading Donna Leon and Qiu Xiaolong. Both Leon’s Inspector Brunetti and Xiaolong’s Inspector Chen enjoy their food. There are scenes in the kitchen, at the dining table, in cafés and restaurants. The only one I didn’t enjoy was a description of cruel food where animals are tortured in the name of haute cuisine.

Romeo is still hunkered down in the storeroom of the shop which is his official home. Hartley may be missing him, but MasterB has clocked his absence and is asking to go out every day. He’s still wary of Hartley, but he’s spending time in the garden, sniffing at the plants, raising his little pink nose to the wind, mooching about happily. It’s both lovely to see and a sad reminder of the enjoyment he used to have before the two more assertive cats took over his territory.

Not working gave me the chance to tackle my to do list which featured such tempting tasks as doing the washing and ironing, giving MasterB his second litter tray while I washed out his first, taking a sample from my nose to send off as part of the ONS Covid survey, carrying a bag of textile recycling over to the council reuse and recycle site off the Old Kent Road. The latter got me outside and walking for an hour and a half while at home the same wind which buffeted me dried my bed linen. Tomorrow I need to do some paper work; tally up my earnings from the last ten days, pay commission where it is due, make sure the books balance. I also spotted some forgotten broccoli in the fridge so lunch will be include that. Then I shall need to find a task which will get me outside.

It’s nearly nine o’clock and the fact that I am still awake, still up means I am heaps better. However, the washing up has to be done and if I am going to read before I sleep I had better stop now. There’s another board game evening planned for Saturday. I want to be there, maybe even have an alcoholic drink. Maybe not.

How long does an open bottle of Nozeco last anyway? Happy New Year. Thanks for reading. Do comment if you can. It’s nice to have online interaction. Sweet dreams.

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