Life in Lockdown
Day One
At half eight lastnight, we watched Boris make the announcement live.
No leaving your home without an approved reason. Food, essential work, buying medicine, and exercise once per day. That’s our lot. They already closed the schools last week, so the four of us are here at home together for the duration.
It’s so odd, but it’s such a massive relief to know we’re on police-enforced lockdown. Tessa cried, overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. We raised a glass, and said “to the day this is all finally over.”
Having worked remotely for several years, much of my routine hasn’t changed. Our son, Oscar, is finding it hardest. He started school just a few months ago and loved it.
Stuck inside all day, he’s full of pent-up energy and he’s just broken the screen on his tablet so he’s extra bored. Being autistic, any deviation from his routine is stressful, so this absence of comfort is going to be extra hard for him.
We did “PE with Joe” live via YouTube this morning. Lawrence resisted but made it through the 30 minutes. Oscar ran in and out of the room, continuously, as he usual does. He’s our Duracell Bunny.
I went out for my government-approved exercise session. Running down the road, I did circuits of the reservoir close to the house. There were a dozen or so other people, all giving each other a wide berth. The sky was a beautiful blue, the breeze very calm on the water.
It’s been wet and windy for weeks and I’m angry the weather’s brightened up when we can’t make the most of it. It’s going to be bright and warm the rest of the week.
After 2 hours waiting to speak to Amazon support, they agreed to send over a replacement tablet for Oscar but it will take until Sunday. It’s going to be tricky keeping him entertained.
I’m doing my best to work, but the potential for interruption is high. My anxiety has dropped a lot now that we have lockdown measures in place but it’s still not easy to focus.
I’m planning to do some pair-programming with Piotr soon. He’s working on a proof-of-concept project to overhaul the finance part of our deliery software. It’s a tricky project and we’re still unclear on exactly how it’s all going to fit together. To make matters worse, our project manager is off sick with suspected covid-19.
We go through the code and discuss how the new system should all be structured but we can’t find a way that we both like. I guess we’ll come back to it after we’ve slept on it.
Nipped out for bread and milk. Shop was quiet, and thankfully well stocked. Maybe the panic-buying has subsided.
Tessa’s missing the horses she helps look after. She’s also struggling to walk after this “PE With Joe” class two days in a row. I come home to see her struggling down the stairs.
As the day ends, we put Oscar to bed and sit down. Disney have launched their new streaming service and Tessa’s a kid in a sweet shop browsing the titles on offer.
Lawrence’s birthday tomorrow. He’ll be fourteen. What a time to have a birthday! Tessa’s making him a rainbow cake, and homemade steak-and-ale pie. We got him the new Doom game, so let’s hope he likes it.
Whisky in my glass and feet up. Twenty more days to go…
