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.