annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary

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Face 2 face

My pal J the musician called me before I'd even put my teeth in this morning, saying she was in the area and would I like to have a cup of tea with her, outside my house. She'd had Covid back in November and has been told she has immunity and can't carry it or transmit it for five months. So I said YES YES YES and she was there in a flash so I moved my car onto the street, got the two camping chairs out of the boot and put the kettle on. Ah, it was great. Really cold so we had coats and hats and gloves and blankets and sat a good 2m apart. It's easier to stay apart when you're sitting down, though it was cold. I took Shirley out as well on a long lead, as she never gets the chance for a good sniff round the front because we're always either coming or going. To be honest I don't think it's legal, sitting down like that, but we'd have fought our case of they tried to fine us. Mental health, mate. She lives alone, I wish I did, we've both been good. People who walked past smiled to see us, which is a bit fucking revolutionary for this neck of the woods.

As soon as she'd left and I'd brought the stuff in there was a massive rain and hail storm - we'd have been drenched by the time we got indoors. Then I started drawing the Lowry painting - The Cricket Match - I knew I wasn't going to finish it as I wanted to go for a walk before it got dark, but I shall do the painting either tomorrow or on Saturday. It's so weird doing these classes - the teacher looks right into the camera and I feel as if we're friends. Sigh. That reminds me of when I met Marian Keyes and I was so sure we knew each other I had to bite my lip to stop me just picking up where we left off, as if that hadn't been me listening to her on the radio.

I walked three miles in the hills this afternoon and it took me two fucking hours! I felt as if I was marching full speed ahead, but shit, that's slow. I did stop to take quite a few pictures, but they only take seconds, and I did have a fairly lengthy conversation with a bloke who turned up going the other way just when I was starting to doubt that there was a path I could take to avoid turning round. He said he'd been walking for four hours and Jesus, he told me his route and it was fucking miles and miles. The only other excuses I can come up with are a) it was very muddy a lot of the way and I had to step carefully as I'm paranoid about falling over again, especially miles away from a road. I take my stick and use it whenever it's a bit slippery. b) I walked up a lot of hills and I'm not used to it - in the end I went the long way round to the top of the hill I'm still planning on climbing when the weather is better or when I start earlier. When I got to the top it was definitely the highest point for miles - though probably not that high, being right by the coast. I took a little video but when I went to post it later I had to turn the sound off as it was just me huffing and puffing - louder than the wind. c) I'm a very slow walker.

It was almost dark by the time I got back to the car. I'd had a choice of routes for the last few hundred yards, one being down a very muddy, stony lane, the other across some grass and through a less muddy wood. I chose the latter but as I was almost at the path going into the woods, something flashed across between the trees. I didn't quite see what it was, just a flash of movement, and my heart immediately started pounding. It's one of the few things that makes me wish I was a bloke - to not have this fear of what may happen when you encounter a lone man, out of sight and sound of anyone else. I seriously thought about retracing my steps and risking the slippery slope in the murky light, but then thought fuck it, what are the odds? It'll be all right. If it was a man, it's probably just a dog-walker and it was probably just a bird in flight anyway. And nothing happened, but that flash of fear, that knowledge that women have been raped by unknown men in this area, that it was a risk, pissed me off.

Three Good Things:
1. My thermal lined waterproof boots arrived - I wore them today - too big but I borrowed Bloke's thick socks and it was OK as I'm used to sloshing around in Uggs and things. Warm feet! Dry Feet! Brilliant!
2. Just spending time with J, seeing her face, hearing her big raucous laugh ring out across this dull little housing estate. I'm going to invite M to come and do the same. I got chairs, I got blankets, we can do this.
3. When I tried to get on zoom for my yoga class this evening and realised that I hadn't booked it and now booking was closed (sob!) I didn't just flake out on the sofa but did a youtube class. Go me.

Night night. Hugs and best wishes all round xxx

11:38 p.m. - 21.01.21

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Thursday - 28.01.21
Struggling - 27.01.21
Meeting MC - 25.01.21
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