Today’s Friday, isn’t it?

John was excited yesterday because it was Thursday. He was so excited, in fact, that he must have mentioned, and checked, that it was Thursday about six times. Put the bins out, Thursday? Yep, put the bins out, Thursday. That’s how I knew today was going to be Friday. So, when he asked me if it was Friday today, I was able to say, with absolute confidence, that it was Friday.

And it’s been Friday all day. The only thing is, we haven’t really had that ‘Friday feeling’. Disappointing really, but now, every day is like the one before and the thrill of the weekend approaching doesn’t quite have the same pull as it used to. Gone are the days when we looked forward to a glass of wine, or a pint in John’s case, as Friday swung into view. We have a glass of wine/beer any day now – tomorrow is never a ‘school day’, as they say. Gone are the days when we’d go out for a take-away with friends just because it was Friday. Can’t go out at all now. And gone are the days of putting on your ‘glad rags’, throwing off your weekly work-clothes and putting on your ‘best’ just because.

However, we have had a good Friday. John has spent all day whittling away at the two doors between the garage and the SnuGym to exclude the draught howling in. It’s been a labour of love and taken him far longer than he anticipated. “Honestly,” he puffed, “it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I’ve allowed a whole day for what should be an hour’s job.” I giggled. Ah…. here we are, welcoming in our old age. I’ve allowed the whole morning to take Mum for her jab tomorrow – in the past it would have been an in-and-out job and back-before-you-know-it, but there we are.

Anyway, John was beavering away in the West Wing, while I was just faffing about with the household stuff, like changing the sheets on the bed, putting the washing on, transplanting the washing to the tumble dryer, washing the shopping and so on.

In between the tasks we’d set ourselves, however, we thoroughly enjoyed a walk in the park again, despite the bitterly cold weather and the stop-go progress we made. John had twinged his back in the course of his labours, so we walked a hundred yards, stopped a bit, walked a bit more, stopped a bit and so on. It was a very nice walk though and we were glad we’d been out. The trees were bejewelled with diamanté raindrops, shimmering and glittering as we walked past. Lovely.

On the way to the park, I had intended to call into the chemists but, I couldn’t believe it, the queue to get in trickled all along the pavement down to the newsagents. I wasn’t going to wait, so I thought better of a visit at that time and went later on in the day when there was, literally, no other customers there.

This afternoon we held a ‘trial run’ on Zoom with Dave and Chris. Had a great chat and spent far longer than we thought we would, just nattering away. Last summer, I had suggested that we get together with them and George and Sue, too. So I proposed Zoom to Chris, but she thought Zoom was a ‘no-go’. I suggested a trial run first, therefore, thinking we’d perhaps have half an hour or so just checking the system etc to make sure they were confident using it. However, we can never see our dear friends without chit-chatting away to our hearts content, and it was no different today. Nearly two hours elapsed before we finally thought we’d better call it a day. But really, we loved it. Great to see them looking so well and hear all their news. Now to set up the ‘real’ event and get in touch with George and Sue…..if they’re listening?

I have finally started to do something about the Christmas decorations today, too. I clambered up into the attic and retrieved the boxes to put everything in and I have bagged up Father Christmas. The tree, however, is still up but I was relieved to hear that I am not the only one. Dave & Chris admitted they, too, are dilly-dallying over the dismantling of their decorations.

Anyway, sorting out the decorations is going to keep me occupied for a few days yet, so I don’t have to think about the horrors unfolding elsewhere. With several areas, including London, declaring a ‘major incident’ because the hospitals are already overwhelmed, I can’t bear to think about anyone who is poorly having to wait for treatment, whatever their predicament. It’s too close to home. And on that point, I have given John strict instructions that he is not to get poorly any time soon.

• 68,053 people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours
• 1,325 people died in the community, in the last 24 hours, having tested positive for the virus in the last 28 days. And stories are trickling through again of people dying beyond that time frame having tested positive, too
• 392 people died in hospitals on 6 & 7 January having tested positive for the virus
• 3,867 people were admitted to hospital in a 24-hour period on Monday

Kirsty Wark reminded us on Newsnight last night, that to visual all the lives lost to the virus since this all started is nigh on impossible. So she showed us the Olympic Stadium, at near capacity during the 2012 London Olympic Games. If you haven’t seen it, I tell you, it’s mind-boggling.

With Day 3 of Lockdown 3, and Day 296 since the first lockdown, coming to an end, I wish you all the very safest of journeys through the coming months. Take care. Stay safe. God bless.