Author: ianmay

Categories
Chatter

Zoom? More Like Crawl!

A typical Tuesday at work. Checking the workplace and participating in interviews during the day.

When I got home I made some dinner. Nothing fancy; chipolatas with carrots, leeks and a new (to us) vegetable called Oca. It’s a tuber, like potatoes, and can be cooked in much the same way. Boiled, mashed, roasted or fried. It’s got a citrusy flavour. Kathy wasn’t too keen, but I said I would roast the rest of them and see how they turned out. Still, if you don’t try new things, you never know do you?

A delivery turned up. It’s from an online butcher. They specialise in grass-fed organic meat. I ordered a chicken, some topside of beef, and some lamb neck fillets.

Grass-fed Organic Meat

After dinner it was time for the regular Tuesday Virtual LOI. Mind you, it’s really just time to have a chat with some of the boys from the lodge. It’s always fun, although the free version of Zoom limits you to about 40 minutes. However, we spend about fifteen minutes trying to get it all to connect this evening. It was up and down like a toilet seat in the rush hour! Eventually though, it settled down and we all had a decent chat.

That took the time around to a little after nine pm, and it wasn’t long after that I decided to call it a night and settle down in bed for a read. I’m trying to get through a few Kindle books on my iPhone, and I tend to read several pages and then fall asleep, which I surely must have again.

Categories
Chatter

Monday, Monday

Monday was a strange day in strange times. Most days seem the same by and large. However, I think many of us have got a bit fed up with the Covid-19 lockdown and for various reasons. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been working all the way through this, and except that I’ve not been able to go out and about on days off, life has, by and large, remained the same.

Yesterday the news was totally dominated by Boris Johnson’s advisor’s northern dash to visit his parents during the lockdown and after he had displayed symptoms of the virus. This was totally against Government guidelines. a row has divided the country into two camps; one camp excusing his behaviour, the other baying for his blood, or well at least his job.

Although it was a Spring Bank Holiday here in the UK, I was at work. It was rather a quiet day.

When I got home Kathy had cooked some ham, along with asparagus and a rather good butter bean salad.

Dinner time

After a short while sunbathing, I went to the computer and got on with some web work and emails. Around 9.30pm I called it a night and headed for bed.

Categories
Chatter

The Weekend Went

These days I often get the weekends off. In normal times it doesn’t matter much to me about Saturday as Kathy usually works. I do like to have Sunday off when possible though as we can have some time together. Right now, with the Covid-19 lockdown still pretty much in place, it hasn’t mattered much as Kathy has been at home on furlough.

That’s changing though as she goes back to work, albeit on part-time hours, from Tuesday. I think she might find that a bit difficult in that she’s gotten used to sitting up half the night watching movies on TV and sleeping in late. I’ve not really changed my habits, as I’ve been going to work all through the lockdown period in any case.

We really haven’t been out at all, except to the stores at the end of the street; for me it’s just been to work and back and that’s it. We’ve been lucky with the weather and been able to sit outside. I’ve also taken advantage of online deliveries when possible. Some, like coffee beans, weren’t really affected, save for slightly longer shipping times. Others, like supermarket deliveries, stopped altogether for a while. I’ve also sourced cask ale from a local micropub and cheese from a cheesemonger. I do feel it’s important to support these local businesses as they’re surely likely to be less able to weather the storm than some of the larger operations.

This past weekend was a typical lockdown weekend for us. Just got up and pottered around the house and garden. I had some strawberry plants in pots arrive; also planted some runner beans and took delivery of a lime tree, that is able to be repotted into something bigger. The theory is that it won’t grow too large and we can bring it inside during the winter. The roses are blooming well and we’ve had blooms from all three bushes. The scent is rather delightful in the living room!

Didn’t watch any actual TV over the weekend, but found some interesting YouTube videos to watch. Some old railway, some travel documentaries. Mostly stuff you don’t see on the TV. One I found very interesting was a tour around the Admundsen-Scott base station at the South Pole.

As always though, the days off (and it makes no difference what days of the week they are) soon went and it’s back to the grind.

Categories
Chatter

Loosening A Bit

The lockdown has started to loosen. There are more people about, but nowhere near normal amounts. I think the buses will start getting back to normal soon. Front door opening will return, after drivers’ cabs have been sealed more firmly. Nothing can be made 100% of course.

There’s a debate now going on at work about air-conditioning. Some buses have an airflow that goes around the passenger area and the drivers cab. Some of these buses can be modified, but some can’t. Those that can’t will be turned off. This is causing complaints about overheating in the warm weather. It’s not an easy situation.

Most of the staff that were off work have now returned although we do have staff furloughed and some still off sick, but nowhere near the amount we had just a few weeks ago.

It’s been a lovely day here today. Sunny and warm with afternoon temperatures reaching 82°F (27°C). It’s a warm dry evening too.

Getting some web work done this evening before turning in for the night.

Categories
Chatter

That Was Tuesday

I had a few issues to deal with as soon as I got to work today. Got everything sorted though. Waded through some emails, answering some, and finding out more information about others.

I had some random drug tests to witness around lunchtime, and then I eventually got to sit down and have a sandwich and a coffee or two. As there’s nowhere open at work to get coffee, I take a flask in with me each day.

I got home just after 5pm, and had leftovers from yesterday for dinner; sliced roasted pork and bean salad which was tasty.

I then did some web site work, before settling down for the night.

Categories
Chatter

Sunny Sunday

Got up a bit late, so breakfast was really brunch. Simply done, it was chipolatas, fried eggs, tomatoes and toast. With coffee of course.

Watched a few more music shows on the TV, and then in the late afternoon, I cooked some chicken in the sunshine.

Chicken

In the evening, we started watching a new series. James May in Japan, on Amazon Prime. Very interesting and with James’ dry sense of humour, quite entertaining too.

Headed off to bed around ten.

Categories
Chatter

Simply Saturday

Awake at 6.15am. Early of course, because I didn’t;’t need to get up for work today! That’s just typical. I made a pot of coffee and took it back to bed and spent a half hour or so reading the news on my iPhone.

Morning Coffee

I get dressed and wandered down to the kitchen and cooked bacon eggs, tomatoes and crumpets for breakfast. More coffee to wash it down.

I cleaned the patio windows. No fancy cleaners, just white vinegar and kitchen paper towel does a good job.

Then I spent some time on the Mac, one of the tasks being to write this!

I had a surprise for Kathy in the afternoon. I found a new place in Feltham that has just opened and is doing Creole and Cajun Food. We ordered a seafood boil and it was delicious. I can’t post a picture of it, because it was so good we got stuck right in and ate half of it before I thought about a photo!

In the garden, our rose bushes, which are really quite a humble affair, are producing some nice blooms. The ones we have we chose for the fragrance, but nonetheless they are quite beautiful to look at too.

Beautiful Blooms

In the evening, I enjoyed a few beers while we watched some old soul shows from YouTube on TV. Didn’t go to bed until around 11.30pm, which is quite late for me these days.

Categories
Chatter

A Late Start

This morning I didn’t have any interviews to do at work until 11.30am so I had a lie-in. I got up and made a cooked breakfast of sausages, mushrooms, eggs and crumpets.

I also made a pot of coffee to put in the thermos flask for work.

I got into work and got the interview out of the way by 2pm. Then I got some emails sorted and some queries answered. I stayed into the early evening as I wanted to to speak the the cleaning supervisor and make sure that everything was being done correctly with respect to the bus cleaning and viral treatment.

SP94

I got home just after seven and, after taking a shower, ate dinner, which was quiche and salad.

I spent some time on the computer upstairs and then went off to bed around 9.30pm. I didn’t get to sleep that early though.

Categories
Chatter

No Rubies This Tuesday

Awake and up and about before seven as I had to be at the office by eight for a meeting. In fact there were a series of meetings going on all morning.

Eventually, I got to walk around and deal with a few issues. We’ve got masks but we need to split them into workable amounts before we can issue them. It’s all in hand though.

I didn’t stop until the afternoon when I finally got around to eating my lunch. I finally got away from work just after four and arrived home around five.

Kathy made a delicious dinner of boneless pork belly with potatoes and carrots. I was too hungry to take a photo of it!

A stroll in the garden revealed some roses blooming on two of the three buses we have. Here’s one of them.

A Whiter Shade Of Pale

A beer was in order with a little mouth watering cooking with Nigel Slater on the TV. I noticed though that I really do need a haircut…

Wild Hair!

Headed off to bed around 9.30pm. I don’t remember ten…

Categories
Chatter

Another Monday In May

Yes, it’s Monday. It’s a Monday in May. It could be a Wednesday in July or a Friday in February though. All the days are so similar. I’m still going to work, so it must be even worse for those who are not and are at home every single day.

Me, Myself.
In the office.

I was half expecting a lot more people out and about after Boris’ announcement yesterday evening, but really, thinking about it, I think the trickle of extra people will turn into more of a flood by the end of the week and into next week.

Pate sandwiches and a couple of hard-boiled eggs were the order of the day for lunch washed down with a flask of coffee. Such gourmet eating!

I got some email and some walking about and checking done around the garage during the shift. I went home around 4pm.

Kathy made a nice dinner, which was a stir fry with spinach and onions and chickpeas to accompany a rainbow trout fillet.

Rainbow Trout with chickpea and spinach stir-fry.

After dinner we ate up some ripe mango, before it got TOO ripe, and then had some cheese and crackers and salami. This was part of the box we got last week, which was delivered by Cheddar Deli in West Ealing. Very tasty indeed.

Watched a couple more episodes of ‘Trying’ and then I retired upstairs to finish a little computer work and then to listen to some more of the Audiobook ‘The Philosopher’s Toolkit’.