I wake up early (for a person who worked all night) to the news that the BI* has a confirmed case of Coronavirus. It s soon confirmed that Matt Hancock ((Health Secretary) also has the virus and, later in the day, Chris Witty (Chief Medical Officer) announced he is self-isolating with symptoms. The irony is not to be ignored.
There is a knock at the door. I open it to find my neighbour standing the requisite 2 metres away holding out a bottle of wine. It is a thank you for going out to work. It is the loveliest thing.
I set to work catching up on cleaning the house. The kitchen. The front room. The bathroom. Several loads of washing. These things pile up when you are working long shifts. The day is sunny and bright. I hang my washing out on the line for the first time this year. I yearn to go for a walk but feel bad doing so when so many others are unable to do so. It’s ridiculous.
It is Mr. C’s birthday on Monday. We decide to celebrate tonight. It has been a tough week. I walk to Sainsbury’s to get some supplies. The road is very quiet for Friday afternoon at rush hour. I play the Infinity War Snap game. It works.
Sainsbury’s is a surreal experience. The shelves are much better stocked now. Not so many empty crates. It is not nearly as busy as I imagined. I find everything I need. Tape marks the floor at 2 metre intervals for physical distancing whilst queuing at the checkout. There is a new Smart Shop app that allows you to scan your own shopping as you go to avoid physical contact. I download the app but do not use it today.
Mr C. comes to collect me. People have decided the apocalypse is a good time to abandon their vehicles at the pick up spot even though there are plenty of parking spaces.
I make some snacks and we start the evening. It is really not how we had planned to celebrate. We are missing friends and family. We make the best of it with Strongbow, Corona, and vegan chocolate cake. We finish watching Crisis on Infinite Earths. It is such fun with so many excellent cameos. They really did some hard work on that and it paid off.
We continue our viewing extravaganza with an Avengers double bill. Infinity War and Endgame, interrupted only by our takeaway Indian meal being delivered. The delivery man does not apply social distancing rules at all as he almost steps right in my house to hand me my food.
I fall asleep full of alcohol and food before Endgame finishes.
*Bimbling Idiot from Number
