Friday 7th January 2022

Alarm at 0800. Felt a bit groggy this morning...very stuffy nose. Took a LFT which showed I was still positive, though the line is so faint I needed my reading glasses to spot it! Celebrated the end of my 10 day isolation period with a cup of coffee! Did some work at the laptop, before we headed out for a walk to Highbury Fields and back. Felt OK, but a bit cold out! Aki made some lunch, then drove off to Waitrose. We both worked till late, so dinner was a bit late too...Aki cooked a mapo. Watched the inimitable Olivia Colman in "The Lost Daughter"...directed by Maggie Gyllenhall. Great performance from the Dame in waiting. The story is one of regret and melancholy, and there was an ominous strain throughout the narrative, which jarred a bit with the strangely happy ending. The jury is out...

Thursday 6th January 2022

Woke before the alarm this morning. Aki brought tea and porridge to my door. It's the final day of my self-isolation, which is due to end at one minute to midnight...it's my NYE!!! Sat at the laptop all morning, working. Broke for a late lunch of pea soup and a slice of sourdough. Ploughed on at the computer for the remainder of the afternoon. Didn't have any defrosted food in the fridge, so Aki nipped out across to Tesco and bought some bits and pieces, and made a fiery prawn coconut curry. Worked till 2030. Read some Shuggie Bain. Bath and bed.

Wednesday 5th January 2022

Woke to the alarm at 0800. Aki left a mug of tea at my door. Ate my porridge in bed, and started work on the laptop in a similarly prone position. Got up around 1000 and worked at the desk.  Did a LFT...still positive, but the line is very faint. Hopefully that means I'm slowly crawling to a negative result. Did some exercising in the back yard. Cold out there today, though. Broke for a late lunch. Aki popped out after lunch for a walk and to get some odds and ends. Got so bored with work that I got back into bed and had an afternoon nap! Aki warmed up the Spanish chicken and bean stew for dinner. Nowt on telly, so listened to Chelsea roll over Spurs in the League Cup semi-final first leg. Bath and bed.

Tuesday 4th January 2022

Woke to alarm at 0800 and dozed in bed listening to the radio. Aki made tea, and brought me some porridge. Raining outside for most of the morning. Rang the Village Practice to cancel my skin surgery today, as I'm still self-isolating. Sat at my laptop all day, working. Aki made some leek and potato soup for lunch, served with a hunk of sourdough. Broke at 1800 to catch the BBC News. The numbers in hospital with covid have doubled over the last week or so, which is a bit worrying. Salmon in a green curry sauce for dinner, served with rice. Very tasty. Read some Shuggie Bain, then watched "Toast in Tinseltown" before bath and bed.

Monday 3rd January 2022

Fitful night's sleep, for some reason. Woke every two hours or so. Got up around 0915. Aki said she hadn't slept well, either, having started worrying about getting her tax return done. I did some work at the laptop. Did some exercises in the back yard before lunch. Aki left a warm ham salad with fried halloumi at my door. She popped out to Boots mid-afternoon. I played some guitar and tried singing...my voice still tired a scuzzy, but a little better each time I have a sing. Read a few chapters of Shuggie Bain. Aubergine parmigiana lasagna for dinner, followed by tiramisu. Watched Stephen Merchant's strange performance as Stephen Port, the murderer. He has a vague physical resemblance, I suppose, and doesn't have to do much acting wise except be a bit uncommunicative. Script's a bit pointed. Bath and bed. Interesting R4 piece on Kurt Schwitters, who I'd never heard of before...a prominent member of the Dada-ist movement, he created sound poetry, his masterpiece being "Ursonate", a 40 minute solo epic sound poem. Intrigued enough to track a performance down on YouTube...whether I'll stick with it for 40 minutes is another matter!

Sunday 2nd January 2022

Woke after 0900. Aki left tea outside my door, and then prepared a breakfast of ham and egg. Feeling OK this morning, but still testing positive. Today is day  6 of self-isolation, and I was hoping for a negative result today, and the same tomorrow would mean I can escape gaol. It's looking increasingly likely that I'll be banged up until Friday!!! Did some exercising out in the prison yard. Looked like it was threatening to rain, but it held off. Passed Aki some bed linen for washing, before she went out for a well-earned walk. I did a bit of work at the laptop before lunch. Pea and ham soup for lunch. Did a couple of hours' work at the laptop this afternoon. FaceTimed mum and dad, who had just gotten in after enjoying yet another jolly, this time to Newburn. They both look well enough. Listened to some footie on R5Live. First half of Chelsea v Liverpool was thrilling! Aki served up a Spanish chicken and white bean stew for dinner. Watched The Tourist, and some MOTD...before bath and bed.

Saturday 1st January 2022

Woke at 0600 with a bit of a cough. Visited the loo, then got back to sleep. Woke again around 0900. Aki urged me to take a test...it proved positive! Looks like I'll be trapped in this room until next Friday, but I'll try again tomorrow morning in the vain hope of a turnaround!!! Aki made a fruit salad for breakfast which I ate in bed. Lovely looking day out there...I opened the back bedroom door onto the yard, and managed a glimpse of blue sky. Could do with a long walk!!! Did some exercises out there for a while...who knows, I may get around to tidying the garden! Kath tested negative this morning...hoping ma and pa still OK. Aki prepared a traditional Japanese New Year's lunch, which we shared via FaceTime. I could hear the crowd watching the Arsenal v Man City game at the Emirates. Looked like Arsenal were due to run away with it, until a second half Man City penalty, and a sending off, saw Man City turn it around. Spent the afternoon pottering about reading and doing a bit of work. Submitted December's expenses claim. Aki cooked up a mushroom curry with rice, after a Jamie Oliver recipe. Very tasty! Watched episode one of The Tourist....it had a good write up in the Guardian, so felt duty bound to give it a go, although the write up seemed to be by an Australian critic..."franging along the road" and other Ausi-isms!?! It was well shot, but the plotting is very contrived and script a bit heavy handed..."Breaking Bad" it ain't!