Well, today it all started to feel like a dystopian nightmare much like it did at the start of lockdown last May.
But lets' go back to yesterday first. It was a stunning, beautiful, warm, blue sky day. It was a Monday and I had booked the day off work as I should have been at Equinox Festival watching Cress play and having fun with my sister, but NO festivals this year. None. Nada. So I had a day off and did a little illustration work in the morning (Christmas baubles no less!) and then went for a long walk along the coastal path at East Aberthaw. It was stunning. Shorts weather and just a handful of people around.
Then I came home and made a chickpea and halloumi salad and ate it in the garden. Then I got the sun lounger out and read my new Richard Osman book wallowing in what I knew was the last proper day of sunny (well, sunbathing) weather of the year. As the last drop of sunshine slid behind the rooftops I sipped on a glass of rose and listened to this song: https://open.spotify.com/track/58WWWEsMQ8boUQDp0cNugf
It was a moment.
Today I was back in work, my desk was full to the brim (and four of the files were new Transfer of Equity files - ugh!) the sky was grey and Boris was back addressing the nation. Although to be fair he sounded like a drunken, stuttering, robot. I couldn't listen but he basically said that he was imposing new restrictions which were likely to last AT LEAST six month.
Pubs must now close at 10.00pm. Visiting people in other households is banned. We're supposed to be working from home where possible. Mark Drakeford has asked the people of Wales to only travel if absolutely necessary. All counties surrounding Cardiff and the Vale are in local lockdown, so I doubt that we're far off. Alex is pissed off as he lives in RCT and his golf club is just over the border. Mel is pissed off as she's just about to finish her two week quarantine after returning from France and now Bridgend are in local lockdown. Masks must now be worn by shop staff as well as customers. Poor guys.
So in work the plan is that we're going to split into two teams and work from home on two days a week each, just in case some of us get ill. Sophie (our lovely office assistant) was off today as her younger sister has symptoms, so she's trying to get tested. Oh god I hope she comes back before the week is out, it's her last week and we're really going to miss her. She's been a godsend.
I'm really not relishing the thought of working from home again. We are sooooooo busy at the moment, it's just going to be hell. I am tempted to just hand my notice in then I can just stay at home for a year and work on my art. The whole world has just gone to shit. The thing about a global pandemic is that you can't just decide to pack your bags and go somewhere else. Everywhere is FUCKED!
Then we've got the merry hell of Brexit to look forward to next year. I'm telling you we're going to be having food shortages and riots and a change of PM every six months once the flag waving bastards realise that there are no sunlit uplands once we leave the EU. God help us. (Except there is no god!)
Everything is shit!