Imagining the end of lockdown

Started by Bill at A Silly Place, and then spreading in a lovely way over the WordPress family of bloggers, I was invited to join the theme of writing a post about what I want the end of lockdown to be. Thank you to over at Smelly Socks and Garden Peas for the invitation. You can find her post on this here.

We are still in Lockdown in Scotland and have diverged a little from England but Im not convinced there is any big difference. People have stuck to the directions pretty well but there have also been people who have bended them a little. Sitting in parks in the sun, going out more than once. So without sticking my nose too much into writing about politics I was slightly amused some of the changes just reflected the natural changes and decisions people were already making. The big difference here is the ‘going back to work’. We will definitely get there I just think it is a slower change so that its clearer what that means for different sectors.

For me though – I have been working throughout. I can’t manage two walks a day and only manage one on my days off. So my imagining will start with some self imposed relaxation!! That may look to some like lockdown :-).

A few weeks in to lockdown lift

It will be harder getting out than it was getting in. Work will be even more tiring. Not because it isn’t brilliant and interesting and fun…its the constant responding to change that brings fatigue. Brain fatigue. Brain fatigue that can only be dealt with by a glass of wine.

So….one thing I may NEVER say again – I might stop drinking wine for a month. I might stop drinking so much wine for a month. I might only drink wine with friends.

This will involve situations such as:

Maybe focus on the wine here….none of us look like that!

But they may just start a little more like this:

We don’t look like this either…but you get the sentiment – right?

Plans

I suppose in general I just want to imagine being back to making plans. Lifestyle, social, silly plans. I miss plans. I miss lunch plans, night out plans, trips away plans. I miss men plans. So I imagine that the hard work outside of work will start with how we all start organising diaries. Probably for Christmas nights out at this rate!!

Ooh to be out and about and able to nip into the shop. I have managed to not have any disasters with a work dress and shoes bought online but that can’t last. I would also like to buy a nice summer dress and feel like I have somewhere to wear it to.

Health

I miss the gym. I miss my actual yoga studio. So I am even imagining being sweaty and red faced in public. Bring it on. I am exercising in the house, doing yoga on Zoom and using HIIT workouts. Yes they work and hopefully I won’t have added to my arse by the time lockdown ends. It is just not the same though as going to the gym for a workout and a relaxing swim.

Neighbours

I won’t miss, sorry, having to only see the same people on my days off. Especially ones that have clearly disparaging thought about my vegetable growing abilities. But I will miss the likelihood of using FaceTime with friends instead of phoning. Hopefully that won’t stop. As everyone starts to be busy again I hope the connections don’t get lost. They won’t…I just hope we keep the creativity in how we connect and why we connect.

Over to you

I am a little hungover today (wine!!) so I nominate anyone who has a read of this post 🙂

Header Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

Kick Some Ass

I’m finding it difficult to find the time to write. Or maybe I am just focused on other things just now. Either way I thought I would do a very, very, very short post and leave you with this video. Some of my favourite female actresses kicking some ass! Respect Zoe Bell!

Header Photo by Arisa Chattasa on Unsplash

I’m one!

Not me, obviously, but my blog is. Yep I started blogging 1 year ago today. So I feel like I should note this blogversary (is that a thing?). I also feel like I shouldn’t note this in an attempt to avoid being passé. Oh what the hell; it is kind of exciting.

Should I buy a cake?

Of course I bloody well should. I haven’t…yet. I have settled for Prosecco. Being a complete Malbec fanatic I only seem to have Prosecco as a tipple at events nowadays. But that would be a right blooming waste of my homemade cherry liqueur; or the sugar cubes, brandy and bitters I have in stock for my favourite cocktail – the classic.

So I bought a bottle (ahem a couple) of Prosecco. Obviously as I was wine shopping I also stocked up on Malbec and even some biers. I’ll save them for another day.

Party of one for one

I don’t advertise my blog to people I know. So this might be a lonely affair. But it is freezing tonight and I am not going out.

Prosecco is popped and some good tunes are on. I might be dancing around my living room later…kind of loving life. I might flop into bed knackered after a long week and a few drinks.

Have I learnt anything?

No. Not really. Probably a little. A few things. I have a list:

• I like writing my blog;
• I think my niche might be amusement;
• I like reading other blogs (especially amusing ones but also reflective ones and poetic ones); and
• It takes a lot of time to do this…its lucky I like it.
• I should stick with the name I chose. Very uncreative but it is what it is. Until I reach 50. That is eon’s away (by the way!).

I am still surprised with how I can continue to generate and write posts and I am even more surprised how consistent I have been with this over the year. It definitely has held my interest which is bloody surprising given I had never given blogging a thought / read / attention before I started.

When I did start I thought I would write lifestyle. Ha! Yes I have a lifestyle and it is clearly fanfuckingtasticly brilliant living in Edinburgh…but I have figured out that I can’t be arsed taking photos of all the things I do. If I did they probably wouldn’t look professional – because the things I do often involve wine and when they don’t…well I can’t be bothered taking photos.

So my niche, even though I still do like writing about yoga and other stuff, seems to be amusing observations, thoughts, musings. It reflects me. I have a serious job and I will never be seen to write about it on my blog. There are loads of well-being, mental well-being and serious blogs out there (side note they are often way more popular than mine) but I don’t feel like jumping into that arena. They do it far better than I could.

I do humour. Maybe I am the only one who finds my sense of humour funny, but it does reflect me well. It reflects that every day…even on the shittiest of days in the shittiest of situations…I laugh.

That said I really like reading a whole array of other bloggers’ blogs. I honestly don’t understand how I didn’t know this world existed before. A definite shout out to those who are also very amusing, to the people who have given me a different perspective to look at, a new found love of poetry and some amazing tunes to move to.

I also think it is amazing that people comment, interact, email and connect. I am lucky, I do like it and I always find a way to laugh.

Another year?

Yeah sure…

Hope you stay around with me.

Header Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash

To Old Times To New times

Happy New YEAR! Hogmanay is my favourite night of the year. At times so fantastic, at times so reminiscent, at other times it has passed by me completely. But whether I have peaked too early and am currently hugging my toilet floor having been shoved in a taxi (it might be someone else’s toilet floor…yes that happened badly one year) or I am watching the fireworks over the castle having popped out from the Black Tie event onto the rooftop (this is the plan so hopefully I am) – Slange Var!!!

Here is to the New Year. Yes yes in case you pick me up on it…I went for the easy spelling of cheers.

To Old Times

My favourite verse of Auld Lang Syne (old long since…for the old times) is the second one.

"And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup
And surely I'll be mine
And we'll talk' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne."

It basically means that we will both buy a pint (or another tipple of whatever is your thing) and we will talk together as friends who haven’t forgotten and who reminisce.

I get a little soppy about the fact that we Scottish people love the New Year and there is no better place to be than Edinburgh at Hogmany. So another favourite reminiscing tune that I will also make sure I listen to is Caledonia. Favourite bit about that song? Most of it…so probably the chorus.

"Oh Let me tell you that I love you
that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you're calling me
now I'm going home
and if I should become a stranger
no it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had"

Anyway. Time to reflect on the year. Its been a good one. Here’s to the next.

Hopefully the next will be brought in having a glass of something good and watching the fireworks. This took effort. The dress I wanted to wear just didn’t cut it so I had a last minute dash yesterday to buy a new one. I bought two. I bought no heels though; which is pretty good going for me.

To New Times

So….When I get over the hangover that is undoubtedly coming my way I have to pack. Usually the 1st means more parties. First footing is still a thing in Scotland although I don’t think we do it enough nowadays. Stovies throughout the early hours of the morning and probably more alcohol.

Then after a lot of snoozing it is usually time to go have steak pie somewhere (my mum usually forces me to attend theirs). It’s a tradition on the 1st. This year I have to pack first, with a hangover (undoubtedly), she said I had to be their by 5pm (doubt it!).

I am off skiing on the 2nd. French Alps, French wine, French snow, can’t frecking wait.

So here’s to the New Year. I will be pointing down a mountain in two days time on things that make me slide down it. Slightly mental I know. Hopefully I won’t be on my backside too much although that is probably too much to ask. As long as I have my wine legs on it should be ok.

Here’s to your New Year. Hope its a good one. Slange!

Six Word Story

You’ll never see sometimes she crumbles