A Tenth View from the Apocalypse.

Rather inevitably as the opening-up gathers pace so do the virus outbreak spikes: Because people forget something important – that nothing has substantially changed. I see it out and about – more people in small groups (as allowed) doing normal stuff. Followed – 2 or 3 weeks later – by illness and hospital admissions. Some of my friends are having family get-togethers at the moment which is fine I suppose, but we’re still very much shying away from getting together ourselves so nu pubs and no restaurants that we’d normally be frequenting between the rain clouds. There are more people out there wearing masks and there will be a lot more of that from next week as we’ve been told that masks will be part of the shopping experience from 24th July. In preparation I’ve purchased a box of 50 disposables which should last me a little while….

Speaking of masking up, I visited the recently re-opened Mall last week. Partially it was to ‘check it out’ to see how it was operating and partially that I needed some things for the house and, naturally, to pop into my fave bookstore. As I bus everywhere I needed to be masked up to use Public Transport (apparently no mask, no travel) and, this time at least, had very little hyperventilating or misting of glasses. No mask required at the Mall (at least not yet) but I was greeted at the main entrance and informed – as this was my first visit post-apocalypse – on the new rules. Essentially they had instituted a one-way system (which most people followed most of the time) and plenty of hand-sanitiser stations at each entrance, throughout the Mall concourse itself *and* outside (or just inside) most shops. Being Monday lunchtime there was very little activity – I’d say about 100 people in there – so everything was pretty smooth going.

I’m still hacking & slashing my way through the brambles that had taken over my garden over the winter and lopping off the odd low hanging branch from any tree silly enough to encroach into my garden. I’ve even trimmed one of my neighbours (with permission of course) which was fun. I’d LOVE to chop the whole thing down but it’s FAR too big for that and I’d have no idea where it would fall. That’s going to be a professional job I think – for NEXT year! I’ve also been hacking at my hair too which sorely needed it. I purchased a Braun ‘grooming’ kit so will be trying my hand at some serious trimming soon enough. I just need to cut back the flowing locks a bit before I ‘go electric’. Otherwise it’d be like tackling a wheat field with a lawn trimmer.

Apart from that things are fairly quiet. Everyone I know of are still fit and well including friends and family. I’m still reading copiously (although I’m presently almost 500 pages into an almost 800 page novel) and still enjoying Oxygen Not Included despite losing my 2nd colonist/explorer to an unfortunate accident/oversight. The last 4 months have honestly rushed by in a blur and it’s hard to believe it’s already the middle of July (the weather here isn’t helping much with that!). I’m getting the hang of the ‘retirement during a pandemic’ lark and am keeping busy enough easily enough. When things normalise a bit more (post-vaccine) I’ll be able to do some of the things that I had been planning to be *before* the End of the World. But that’s probably still a year away – so we’ll see. Onwards!