COVID Thirty-Five

That’s five full weeks of isolation and distancing here. No coffee at Rick’s, no brunch at Queen’s Lane or the Vaults, no reading and writing at the Bod, no leisurely break-time afternoons in my study, no whimsical trips out to Majestic Wines, not even any browsing for fountain pens at Antiques on High or Pens Plus. My morning run takes the edge off isolation, since I do in fact get out of the house every day, but it’s a peculiar sort of outside-ness, since the running bit of it precludes a full appreciation of what’s going on around me (and even then, there’s not much going on, as it’s before 7:00 in the morning, sometimes as early as 5:45). This morning the temperature was 6°, my joints were stiff and a bit achy, but my time was still 9:55, and under ten minutes I shan’t complain.

Then a 7:00 trip to Sainsbury’s, where there was only one other shopper. They haven’t been stocking Margaret’s preferred chocolate (Galaxy Minstrels), and some of the prices are distinctly higher than at Tesco, but it’s good to have a grocery trip with minimal social contact. The staff at Sainsbury’s recognise me now and exchange pleasantries, but from an appropriate distance. Breakfast, then the Office with Fr. Yaro at St Martin’s Ruislip. The middle of the day working on Jowett and Newman, then a lovely chat with Pippa from Maine. Margaret made crepes with a delectable savoury sauce, then several episodes of Spooks.

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