Tuesday 9th June 2020

Jools is officially furloughed.

This means that from Wednesday 10th June, she cannot work, cannot log into work e mails, or answer questions, so her employer qualifies for Government support.

Despite it being out of her control and nothing to do with her work or its standard, it feels like a kick in the teeth.

She will be on 80% wages without having to work for at least three weeks.

All we have to do is to figure out her new free time can be fitted around my work. Initially, that is fixed by me taking a week's emergency leave next week. So, Friday will be my last working day for 10 days.

Yay.

So, just three days of work this week, and then some relaxing time. If I relax any more than I am now, I will be a pool of very relaxed water in the kitchen.

But first there is Tuesday to get through, probably my last day working alone from home. There is always phys.

We have a cross-trainer. It has an odometer for keeping how much it is used, each single number on the odometer seems to equate to seven and three quarter minutes actual workout time. I have no idea why that is the case, but I have spent months counting the minutes and seconds ticking by. And by yesterday morning we were within ten clicks of reaching 1900 on the odo. Which meant with my first workout, then Jools', I would have just over 30 minutes in the afternoon to reach that 1900 to tick over.

It means noting, really, but it would mean me increasing workout time from 40 to 50 minutes, which has to be a good thing, unless I had a deep-fried haggis sausage to celebrate with.

Anyway, so once Jools went out for a walk, I did my first session, which was very easy to be honest. My mind was going crazy and before I knew it I had done 15 minutes.

So, I was done, made Jools breakfast and her cup of tea to drink in the car, make my breakfast and second coffee.

Then it was time to eat, drink and be ready for work.

I wish I could tell you that exciting things happened through the day. It didn't. But with leftover roast lamb, I grind it up, boils some potatoes and onions and mix it all up and make bubble and squeak. So good I have it for a second breakfast after I had fruit, and again at lunch.

Yummy.

It was warmer, but for June it's still cool. But not cold enough to put the heating on. And sunny enough to go to the garden to take some snaps.

There is always something to snap in the garden, and I sometimes forget how wonderful it has been to see it grow and bloom as spring and summer progress.

It has been a real joy, and still is.

I get the mail from Jools saying she is finishing at five that night, so I request short notice time off, and in light of my recent post, I now only have four and a half weeks to take after next week.

So it goes, so it goes.

Warm enough not to have the heating on, but not warm enough, or still enough to go butterfly hunting. And yet, I went out into the garden just after lunch and see a butterfly on the white valarian, and to my shock it was a Small Tortoiseshell, only the second one I have seen in at least four years. I grab the camera and take a fw distant shots, then edge closer, while the freshly emerged butterfly carries on feeding.

It does take off twice, but returns, so I can get the shots I want.

Happy with that.

The afternoon continues.

At four, I get ready for the half hour session to get to 1900. Deep sigh.

But it was fine.

Seems to get to a certain level of hot and sweaty, and that is it.

The 31 minutes was easy, and so into it, I almost miss it when the odo goes from 1899 to 1900. But I did it.

And, relax.

I have a shower, get dressed, and am ready for when Jools comes back, but as she has a yoga class, we would not be eating until half seven. I am tempted to sit in the garden with Scully, in the late afternoon warm sunshine whilst waiting for Jools to return. So happy are we that I don't hear Jools come back, and go inside to find her looking for me as the radio was on, but no one home.

We have coffee and choclate, and then it is time for her to get ready for her class, and for me to prepare dinner: panko chicken, stir fry and noodles.

And wine.

By the time we had eaten, cleared up and made another coffee, it was quarter past eight, and too late for Uckers, and nearly time for bed.

So it goes, so it goes.

And tomorrow, the new normal, with Jools not working and her finding out what it is I do, or do not do, at my job.

Crikey.