COVID-19 Journal: Day 41

Happy... Friday?

Today's been full. Good chats with good folk. Spraying ideas into a slide deck. That sort of thing. I had a righteous giant sandwich for lunch. Probably shouldn't have 4+ caffeinated drinks again? It was a late night.

Just yawned.

When I spoke to Laura I said as we started that I was going to go for a walk as we were chatting and would she like to as well. I think she did but now realise I have no way for knowing and didn't check. I wandered around... it's the first time in two days I've left the house. Went to Tescos. Amongst other things I got some cheapo fish fingers! YASS.

I went past the window of the cobbler again.

His name was Kamil Ahmet

I liked his shop. It was full to the brim. Some dusty corners, and active bits, and a rickety cash register from about 1972 on the counter. I remember thinking I'd like to take his picture, but didn't at the time. I can't remember why. I love ingrained workspaces like that. You know Ahmet was there practically half his life and there was definitely his bum indentation on the chair behind the counter. All his tools worn to his hands, and him the only person in the world who knew the contents of his full to the brim shop.

There's another full to the brim shop just around the corner, on the way to the Tescos. I'm not even sure what their main product lines are... car stuff I think? It's an older couple, maybe in their 60s. And the man likes gardening, so he also sells spider plants and cactuses and things in cheap Ikea pots in the window. I have two of his babies. I bought three loose candles there once. 75p each.

When I came out of the Tescos it was raining steadily. I began walking home then got pissed off at a dude who was walking the other way down the middle of the footpath. Dickhead. Then I went a bit further and stopped under the awning of the artisanal Swiss cheese shop which frankly I'm surprised is surviving. Two more men walked past me not even giving a whiff of a shit about making space. Dickheads. WTF. I set out into the rain after they'd passed.

Then it started to hail. And I just walked in it. I was smiling and a gnarly chap with a straggly beard leaning on his bike under the bus shelter smiled back because it was clear I was enjoying myself. Got home soaked. Had nothing waterproof. Love it.

I've half-heartedly taken a few photos of COVID-19 signs on shops, but am not in the right mood to take a proper run at it.

Now I'm not quite sure what to do and I miss my friends. I'll watch telly, I guess.