Pension lawyer meets world: Afternoon tea in the garden and Lockdown Day - God knows

So here we are under proper lockdown. And as I am not going out, even for exercise, I should be feeling this badly. But honestly it isn't as bad as I feared it would be.

I must set aside first the "Missing Out" element. I am missing all the gigs I had planned and my next holiday is written off. And all the going out for dinner, and having people around and all that jazz. Yes that is very annoying.

But on the positive side - well just being able to message people. I have had video calls with various mates. I am having a virtual drink with my mate Jae in Edinburgh every Saturday evening, which is more than I would normally see him. And had another three way call on Zoom with Bish and Andy (and Andy was still late for that and its in his own flat! But was great to see him.) Obviously would be happier to be having a real drink with them, or being at a gig, but one has to compromise. We also had an online pub quiz within my department. Just lovely to hear (and see) the department, including some of their family members.

And I could while away most of a day just messaging people. Sometimes almost a relay. And one day I found myself in a conversation with both my mate Dan and his son simultaneously, although they didn't realise it, presumably messaging from separate rooms. So, contrary to expectation although alone, I don't actually feel lonely. That was one of my big fears.

Of course as someone who goes out a lot and does things, this is a bit of a blow, not least as I have little to blog about, or indeed talk about other than the V word. And I try to avoid that, and persuade others to do the same. I am not saying one should runaway from one's problems or drown them in alcohol. No, face up to issues IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. But we don't know when this thing will be over, or what the economy will be like, or how many people will die. Frankly that is all speculation and we can do nothing about it. So ignore it all. That is stuff you should be running away from. It will only serve to depress.

I have been using some of the free time to catch up on reading back copies of Current Archaeology. Reading articles like Leprosy in Medieval England takes one away from every day concerns about the plague.

I am not missing the football to my surprise. Given the amount I either watch or read about I thought that would be a hole. But frankly I have tons of stuff to read, and there is the internet. For exercise I also have a cross-trainer. So I get on that every morning before having my bath. I would like to say I enjoy that, but I don't. It's boring. Unfortunately I have a known health condition. I am a lazy bastard. But it is tough to find an excuse when your diary is empty, and you have nagging friends who evidently care.

So Thibault is at one end pointing out exercise sites I can learn from, while Elaine, who is, amazingly kindly, doing all my shopping for me, is scrutinising my diet. "No leafy greens" she says when I put in my order, and sends me a link to a site extolling the virtues of various forms of vegetative matter that I would expect to be fed to bovines when the good fodder runs out. I succumb to cabbage.

Thing I can't deny is that they both look so much better than me, not just now but thirty years ago. Sigh. They must be right.

But the other advantage I have over many people is a garden. It's not a big one, but large enough to sit out in and more importantly, to potter in. It has become better weeded than ever before.

Even nicer in sun!

And I managed to get a delivery of plants online.

So the gaping holes in the garden have now been filled.

Before and after shots:

And as for afternoon tea, well my (newish) neighbours kindly put a little note through my door saying if I needed anything at all from shopping to just a chat across the fence all I needed to do is get in touch. So we ended up arranging Sunday afternoon tea. Now I hadn't totally worked out the logistics of this in advance, but my intention was to get up on my ladder and perch on the top of it with a mug of tea. I hadn't reckoned on how uncomfortable that would be! They had the brighter idea of lifting one of the wooden fence panels up the concrete posts between them and propping it up enough for us to chat together across the flower beds.

So, that was nice enough on its own, but also gave the excuse to actually talk to my neighbours, and to start to get to know new people. And who would have thought it but I have a genuinely lovely young couple living almost literally on my doorstep? Ideal. As I have said before, one of the nice things about being a pension lawyer is that everybody else's jobs are more interesting than one's own. And since they are in film and TV production, that knocks the spots off pensions law. And we could swap travel stories and just general stuff. And hopefully we can do more over the summer. I didn't quite feel comfortable grilling them on the detail on what they did on first meeting!

And I will enjoy watching my garden coming into bloom. Just the act of getting out of doors is a joy. Even if this is hardly a rural paradise. Can I bear another three months of this? Well will have to, but I think I can do so without climbing the walls. (Although that might be good exercise.)

At least I have a tree in blossom.