Hi.
Sorry.
It’s been a while hasn’t it?
Life and my brain got in the way, but I am feeling more driven to write again!
Here are some plans.
Mum and I obviously had thoughts on the last 3 NT at Home streams. I think one of them might even be a new favourite play for me, so that’s cool. We’ll be posting that in due course.
I also want to write some posts about some of my favourite musicals, cos I love to gush. And then, maybe the opposite, we write about some things we’ve seen that we absolutely hated, cos we love to bitch ha!
Like I mentioned last time (almost 3 months ago now ew sorry!), I also have some what-I’ve-done-at-home-during-lockdown ideas I wanted to get out there, which I might eventually, get out there!
Shall we do a little ‘catch-up’? So, what has happened in our lives during these months I have neglected you (again, soz)?
Well, I had a birthday, 25 now. Woo! Don’t think the quarter-life crisis as raised its ugly head yet, though I am constantly saying ‘how is [insert young-celebrity-who-has-achieved-so-much-more-than-me’s name here] only [insert that young celebs age]?’ and subsequently feeling more and more stressed. Cool. I actually got a COVID test on my birthday cos how else does one want to start their 25th year, am I right?!
I’ve moved! I love my parents but being trapped at home for months was… a lot. I live in Manchester now, with my lovely bestie Kieran. We have the most beautiful home, we visit IKEA far too often and really want a cat. It’s lush!
Because I am a big grown up woman with big grown up thoughts, I read Midnight Sun (the new Twilight book). The Twi-hard 14-year-old in me was jumping up and down, screaming with excitement, whilst also shyly looking up from her extreme side parting fringe, waiting for someone to tell me that I was their life now. Of course, it’s very poorly written and has some super SUPER questionable moments, but it was also everything I expected it to be and more! I read all 756 pages in less than a week, I am not ashamed. (Just in case you were wondering, I am firmly Team Bella’s Dad Knows Best. Both Edward and Jacob are trash supernatural beings and I will fight anyone on this).
Mum, of course, has been much more productive than I have. Take it away Mum!
So, it is now 6-months since lockdown – what have I been up to?
Lockdown itself involved a lot of walks on Bookham Common (we were blessed to have access to such lovely green spaces), lots of ‘At home’ theatre – you know our thoughts on those, and lots of University planning over what would happen for the coming academic year (moving seamlessly from TEAMs to Zoom meetings throughout the days). Although tremendously hard work and stressful, it did give life a real purpose for which I am grateful. Now it’s a matter of putting all that in place – hybrid teaching in socially distanced spaces, following arrows telling us which way we can walk or get upstairs and dousing self and anything we touch in sanitiser. I saw a chalk board the other day bemoaning that hands are receiving more alcohol than mouths at the moment!
I also reupholstered a chair – a project that had been on the back burner. I channelled my inner Grandad – he was an upholsterer by trade – and was pleased with the outcome – just don’t look too closely! Another one to do now – perhaps next weekend! I, like many, turned a bit towards self-sufficiency and planted some tomatoes – I’ve got lots, all green, so am praying that the current hot spell keeps going for a week or two to ripen them up.
Dave and I have managed to take a couple of short breaks since lockdown eased – in Dorset and North Wales. The latter coincided with moving Ellie to her new home in Manchester. Both involved some walking, where COVID felt like a distant nightmare. They also included other times where COVID was very much in our minds, with a lack of social distancing and feeling vulnerable. The difference in approaches in restaurants was notable, from all staff in masks and tables separated by screens, to others where there appeared to be little change - maybe just a couple of tables removed. Ellie maintains the older generation is the worst for maintaining social distancing, and that certainly seemed to be the case in many of the places we visited…. We had a good time in both places, however, and it was nice to be somewhere different.
Now it’s back to work, and the academic year kicks off with (virtual) Welcome week next week. Whilst I’m at work, Dave is remodelling the house – if you’ve seen our house, you’d be shocked by the changes (mainly missing walls – one more to go tomorrow). 26 years on, we’re still getting the house right….
We did a beach trip together! We drove down to West Wittering and went for a walk along the coast and then sat in the sun. We both got sunburnt. I also managed to cut my foot up climbing over some sand barrier thing, because I am clumsy, and my legs are shorter than I thought they were. We dipped our toes in the sea, made a tiny sandcastle with the lid of a suncream bottle and got some chips! It was a lovely day.
We also both had our haircut during this time. Which was a very odd experience. But, we don’t have split ends now!
So that’s it for this little post. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon, and I won’t be replicating this again in 3 months time…
Keep safe out there guys! Wear a mask, wash your hands, fight racism, and protect trans people.
Lots of love,
Ellie and Anita x
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