Day... Seven? Unsure. It's been a while.

So continuing after I failed to continue owing to a small bit of whirling panic about work. What happened today? I offered again on a big author. We'll see what happens. Two very nice publicity things happened though: for one author (amazing sharp and funny man), Russell T. Davies - THE Russell T. Davies of Years and Years and Dr Who fame - got in touch with the author to say he loved the book! So very exciting and much needed, given we're publishing in May and all the bookshops are closed. And also, had the very, very rare thing when a piece of PR says absolutely everything you've ever wanted said about a book you've edited! I'm proud of the book and the package anyway but reviews have been mixed (they were always going to be BUT): https://www.mailplus.co.uk/food/food-news/3618/new-a-book-and-a-bottle-with-sarah-vine.-its-the-series-thats-made-for-locked-down-lovers-of-literature?utm_source=newsletter&signin=none

After work finally finished I did a bit of yoga, day five on a fourteen day challenge. I balanced my legs on my shoulders. I think I bruised a leg but I did also feel quite proud. Ooh, and I did a proper crow pose: https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/14-day-yoga-challenge-day-five. I do feel like I'm definitely getting better at yoga  but also that's because there is NOTHING ELSE TO DO. What if, once this all ends, I've forgotten how to go out and also lost touch with all my friends? Finally the bans will be lifted and I'll just... shrug and turn back to Netflix? Also today, I had a big piece of chicken covered in gravy (made a roast last night with a tarragon, lemon and rosemary butter under the skin and a lemon in the chicken - the chicken was still a bit frozen inside so took way too long to cook, but even a bit over-crisped it was nice. Also made boulangere potatoes which actually worked for the first time ever - though remember to try adding milk next time actually as think that would work even better, shaved courgettes in a garlic and basil olive oil (nice but not sure about the luke warmness) and a 'mash' (sort of, mostly just a bit crushed) of turnips, carrots and swede that was surprisingly delicious. Well that was a bit of a tangent wasn't it but it was GOOD). Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, chicken. Anyway, I was trying to read with one hand so obviously using the knife like an actual evolved human was impossible. So I just picked it up in one hand and gnawed on it like a feral beast, gravy dripping, bones crunching, no napkin... Felt a bit guilty but tbh only because I thought I should - after all, no one had to know. And then my friend Rachel told me tonight that she got potato on her hand during dinner and accidentally touched her hair. When her hand came back down it didn't have potato on it anymore. She drew conclusions, considered options and realised that no one would see. So it's still there, somewhere. She's fine with it. We're all fine. In no way have bwe discovered tonight that civilisation is a thin veneer enforced only by the social judgement of others.

Alice made a mushroom and jerusalem artichoke stew tonight. Smelled beautiful, tasted a bit dull and also was very grey. Finished the night after chatting to mum (in Archer's mode today thank god) watching Noughts and Crosses with Alice and James. I am so very lucky to have housemates at the moment.

Until tomorrow. And all of the joy that awaits. Sufficient unto the day. 

Day five: LOCKDOWN (yes we're all getting increasingly dramatic deal with it)

Am rewatching Buffy and currently we're at the point when Buffy believes she's in a mental asylum. Currently that feels like reading the news. Boris (our Prime Minister in the new reality that slowly invaded our country post-Brexit), has Coronavirus! As does, ironically, our Health Secretary, whose name I've forgotten but who is another shiny-faced 50-something rich white man.

So, what happened yesterday? The days are slightly blurring into one. I cooked breakfast - omelette with gruyere and mushrooms and a salad of kolhbari, tomatoes and radishes with a mustard vinagrette. It was very yummy if a bit too fatty on the omelette front. Then went for a long cycle to Norwood Park and then Crystal Palace park. Beautiful, hilly, hard work and very strange seeing all the boarded up shops. Sort of sad and epic and weird all at once. I've realised I often feel very dramatic when cycling around somehow. And now I'm allowed to (it is now the morning of Monday and I'm skittering helplessly between emails). Now it is the afternoon. Am panicking a bit. Scary author call coming up and mid-negotations and I need to do two offers and I'm meant to have sent highlights and UGH. Working from home is tough at times.

Day Three Corona Virus and Role Playing Games

So didn't manage to write yesterday but it was a long work day followed by an abortive Zoom attempt with family and followed by making a nice butternut squash curry. For future reference, roasting the squash first in ground spices really works. Coconut milk, tomato (and puree) and lots of onion, And cinnamon - it was actually nicer than I thought it was at the time (had some for dinner tonight). Today I have had five meetings, which is - next-week-Anna please remember - too many and also spacing them every hour is a bad plan for it doesn't leave enough time to actually do anything else in between. However, it's actually been quite a satisfying week, workwise. Lots of new challenges. I know, that sounds v corporate and horrid but do actually mean it. Such ridiculous circumstances have really taken the pressure off. Realistically we were v unlikely to make budget this year across our two lists, and I was quite worried even though I am trying (with a great lack of focus) to find a different sort of job. NOW, I can just explain that it's cos of Corona. There should be a name really for the blaming of Corona/Covid 19 for everything. Covustification. Covidsplaining (when a man takes it upon himself to explain The Situation).

Things that have made me laugh: a tasting of white wine last week. James (still learning to taste wine), tried some and then said, loudly, 'tannins!' I said, 'No.' He said, 'But that's a word people say about wine!' So we've got some way to go before getting to sommelier level. We then imagined what if James had a very middle class version of Tourettes and just stumbled around the world shouting things like, 'Mortgage!', 'Excellent schools!', 'Jerusalem artichokes!', 'Single Origin!'. And now I can't stop thinking about it and giggling because also we haven't spoken to any other actual humans for some time. Except a lady I met while picking up the vegetables on Thursday. Her hand touched mine when she passed me the padlock and I winced. Strange times, indeed.

Tonight, I had a family Zoom call which was nice - lovely to see Adam and Elle and the cats, and lovely to see Mum (though she did immediately tell me off for not speaking to her the day before). I did yet more yoga, which I'm currently getting very very hooked to. Stood on my head the other day and then thought... was this a good use of my time? I remain unsure.

Later I chatted to some friends to set up a role playing game. It's only my second one of them, and playing it remotely should be interesting. I'm a noble, with a demon part and some Dark Powers that currently remain unspecified. Owing to a slightly drunken brainstorm, we unfortunately worship a Leaf God (i know) and live in a treehouse/old watchtower. We are a cult and our reputation is 'strange'. The last one I played I managed to break in under an hour by calling the character who turned out to be the big bad on the phone and explaining all of our plans to him. I would have said this one could only go better, but, well, I did help create our leaf god. Also we're called The Horticultists. And we worship the 'Curious Arborial'. One thing is for sure: even if we are once again allowed to touch strangers, I'm unlikely ever to have sex again.



  

Coronavirus, lockdown, strangeness

Well, what a difference a few months makes... I feel as though I'm currently living in one of the books I publish!

Coronavirus, a flu-like, infectious virus without a current vaccine, has spread around the world since December, beginning with China. 

It sounds like a (clumsily worded) beginning to a book pitch, and to be honest writing it down feels very, very odd. I can't believe it's actually true. It makes me realise how very strange the whole thing has been! I'm currently working from home, as is my whole company. All non-essential shops are shut. Except for Sports Direct who continue to insist they are 'essential' (for the wealth of the twatty owner). It's not a terribly lethal disease, in good news, it's a bit like very nasty flu, but has a higher death rate for those with underlying conditions. It's now in every continent in the world. EVERY CONTINENT. As of yesterday, the UK is on 'lockdown'. We are not allowed to meet more than one person in a public place, all pubs, bars and so forth are now closed by government decree. It makes me realise how generally anxious I've felt about not going out enough and now that's just - gone. It's sort of freeing/scary, until I found myself today managing to be anxious about what would happen when it gets better and opens up again and would I be invited to enough post-Corona parties? There are deaths, Anna. Actual deaths and terror and lives ruined and THAT is the bit I choose to worry about.

Also, in charge of the US is still this man:

Which I think we can all agree is a shame. Thus far he insists on referring to Covid 19 as 'the China flu', has decided on a hunch that it is 'very mild' (global pandemic), said there would be a vaccine by the end of March (there won't be) and told America that insurance companies have agreed to pay for treatment (they haven't). So, business as usual.

Work is... weird. Worried about the team. Happily am living with Alice and James who remain lovely, and together we are watching films, drinking wine, and generally just trying to weather it as best we can. Also worried about keeping my job, having to take a pay cut, no longer getting a load of promotions through that I'd fought for and generally just hoping everyone doesn't go mental. At least people are going to need books to read, I suppose. I've told myself I'm going to try and keep a diary, as these are officially, as designated by the Chinese curse, 'interesting times'.

So. What did I do today? Ate a late breakfast (sourdough, avocado, tomato, blue cheese, balsamic yes I know don't judge me and thank god no one reads this but if I'm going to be stuck in the house I'm going to damn well make nice food). Answered emails, sat on Teams calls, emailed authors. Didn't really achieve a lot but did catch up with everyone, which I do think is important also. Had miso soup and dried mango for a sort of lunch and did two (terrible) exercise classes with Alice in the garden around lunch time, then the first of the amazing Fiji McAlpine's 14 day workshop: https://www.doyogawithme.com/content/14-day-yoga-challenge-day-one. Tonight, Alex has decided to have a 'virtual pub', so we'll all be chatting on Houseparty with wine (online apps for Facechat are now HUGE). At some point I'm going to eat rice I made yesterday which is flavoured with black and green cardamom, fresh turmeric, coriander seeds (that bit was a mistake - too floral) and chicken stock. And it is going to be nice. Will also call mum for today's episode of The Archers meets I Am Legend, which is always a pleasure. She's on her own in the house, to be fair, and doing amazingly well. Thank goodness for her garden, for Netflix, for Amazon Prime and for the BBC. Definitely the new gods for this new and strange time.

Until tomorrow...