Repair jobs

One of my great finds of recent years has been the Pilates class I attend. Monday morning classes have become a mainstay of wellbeing, transforming the post-employment start-the-week from something that might well feel like another aimless non-event into a something I look forward to. Today was no exception, beginning with the crazy kindness of the friend I'd arranged a lift with (Himself needed our car to go in the opposite direction) who turned out not to be feeling up to doing the class today but who drove me there and came back for me, as if she was my mum. The class was smaller than usual, because a bunch were off on an outing, but we worked hard despite an irresistible compulsion to giggle and straightened out all the knots brought on by too much computer-time.

I arrived home to find a large box waiting for me - a thank-you from my #2 son's company for the proof-reading I did as a rush job at the end of the week. A collection of toiletries from a fave firm will sweeten even the most technical of tasks ...

In the afternoon I had hoped to visit the bank. It's a long time since I've actually done this, especially since Bank of Scotland introduced remote pay-in of cheques, and I wasn't sure when they closed. I had in mind something like 3pm, or maybe 3.30, with later opening on a Thursday - but no. Nowadays they close at 2pm. Presumably everyone else is doing what I do and using internet banking. But I actually need to see a person, to explain what I want. I shall try again in the morning.

This photo was taken just before I turned off the main road to come up the hill to home. It is 3.30pm on a perfectly pleasant afternoon. It's not raining, it's not blowing a gale, it's not a holiday. But the street is more or less empty. There was a brief flurry of activity at the far end and up the hill when the Primary School got out, but the children and their mothers have scattered by now. There will be people in Morrison's, down a side-street behind me: there always are. But Argyll Street? I passed several empty shops, so very shut down that I couldn't even remember what had been there. The four shops that were demolished in the arson attack in August are still there, like rotten teeth, blackened and full of debris. For some reason they can't be cleared, and they look dreadful. 

It's not been easy for a while, being a former holiday resort within reach of the city with internet shopping an increasing possibility. The pandemic seems to have put the tin lid on it. I found it profoundly depressing. I'll see if it's any better in the morning. 

I made cauliflower cheese for part of our dinner tonight. I haven't made it for aeons, and it was rather delicious. I had forgotten, however, how hard it is to cut a large firm cauliflower into florets. I must be losing my touch. Later I ate a piece of chilli and lime pickle chocolate. It's quite amazing, though I wonder if it'd be rather good for a sore throat.

I've started reading Hamnet at last...