Coronavirus lockdown day 14

Thursday was busy, and a bit challenging. Meetings and calls in the morning, and more in the afternoon.

In the bits inbetween I whacked down a fence post, trimmed a hairy feijoa tree which feeds the rats, which get under the floor, which eat the bait, and come from next door…

We watched Jacinda’s address at 1pm. We can see the curve flattening and learned the decision on coming out of lockdown will be made on April 20. Who knows if that will be the case, but the country and the world won’t be the same after this, that’s for sure.

And who would have thought one of our prime minister’s history-making quotes, which will be trotted out for years no doubt, would contain the word bubble?

“In the face of the greatest threat to human health that we have faced in over a century, Kiwis have quietly and collectively implemented a nationwide wall of defence. As we head into Easter, I say thank you to you and your bubble.”

Jacinda Ardern

In the late afternoon It was video chat and drinks with colleagues, then the same with my music-making mates. There was gin, and laughter, and history.

In the midst of that, news that a friend of a friend had passed. It wasn’t from the virus, and was expected, but there are no tangi at the moment, and that will be very difficult for the family. My heart goes out to them, with sincerest condolences. Grieving is always hard, but during lockdown it will be exponentially harder.

My own brother passed on Christmas Day last year. So grief ahas been around a bit; it still feels raw – it was 16 weeks ago. It still hits at odd moments; you crash into the waves of it when you least expect it. The positive I’ve clung to over the past few months is that the memories and stories you share, and the reflections you have give you a chance to reconsider and reassess.

Still a bit shit, though.

How did we spend day 14?

Two weeks… has it been years? I can’t tell anymore.

There was a supermoon, that was nice. The dog has persisted in its normal wake up time, now an hour earlier, which is less nice. Others in the bubble are preparing to go back to school – which will be online and a massive change. We have a teacher and a student in the house so we’ll get to see both sides soon enough.

Easter weekend will also be very different – we normally travel south, but not this year!