Corona Journal, 26 April: Day 42
10am Wake up to the sound of the Eurovision theme tune. Think I am dreaming, but then realise boyfriend has got back from his night shift and is catching up on the messages in the Eurovision WhatsApp group.
11am Cleaning up the mess from last night. Ooops.
12:15 Brunch with pals! Hooray! Might as well finish the prosecco from last night. Make a mimosa.
And while we’re here, let’s all appreciate my NEW PHONE which has a GOOD CAMERA (or four – I’d actually say it has too many cameras). I have been waiting for this day since my old phone got stolen 4 months into its 24 month contract for which I had no insurance and had to replace it with a phone from the NINETIES (basically) because it was all I could afford. Small victories, everyone, small victories. Now you can all stop messaging me asking me to clean my camera lens, it was just a crappy phone.
2pm Feeling super happy after brunch. It was a real laugh. Water my new tomato seedlings and whisper to them to grow big and strong because these plants are the closest thing I have to a pet right now (excluding boyfriend).
We’re all rooting for the little guy on the end.
4pm Spend the afternoon planning. Have been in a bit of a funk this week but think I can plan myself out of it; include such plans as ‘eat lunch’ and ‘start running’ – yep, you heard it here first; I’m going to give my mangy foot a spin in the old running trainer this week. I also wrote out weekly deadlines or goals for ~my novel~ (you know, the one I’m always talking about but never actually writing) so you can all look forward to lots of posts where I’m complaining about not being ‘inspired’ enough (don’t all unsubscribe at once).
5pm Go for a walk. Finish reading/listening to City of Girls by Liz Gilbert and start Sex, Power, Money by Sara Pascoe (should probably stop making new accounts on Audible and actually give them some money one of these days, but it’s not my fault I get a new email address with every job I have. I tried to keep the last one). I loveSara Pascoe; I think she’s basically me but a couple of years ahead. Or at least, that’s what I like to think. I think she has a house in Hampstead now so that’s obviously where I’m headed (please, God, please).
7pm Back home and doing a bit of reading for this week’s book club. We had meant to pick a trashy novel but ended up accidentally choosing the collected journalism of Marian Keyes – which has turned out to be a lovely, funny read. Marian Keyes is a brilliant writer and a very funny woman.
7:45pm Get a call from mum. Answer: “Hi, mamma!” She responds, “Are you coming?” I am confused. “Coming to what?” She sighs. “The family pub quiz?” Oh Christ. Not another one. Quickly log into Zoom and spend 4 minutes writing my questions.
9pm Family pub quiz survived, sister and I synchronise Netflix to watch a film ‘together’. The film is Wine Country and was recommended by a friend from work; I had been saving it for the opportune moment, which turns out to be exactly now. It’s about a group of women going away to Napa to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays, and it’s silly and lighthearted and doesn’t take itself seriously which means it’s genuinely very funny – plus, Brené Brown has a cameo and we all know how I feel about her (she’s pretty much the Goddess of Basic White Women like me).