Day 52: Mold, odor, trauma
The true meaning of hump day, and non-baking
This Wednesday, I had seven hours of Zoom calls, which is the most talking I’ve done since the day I was born. I am only just beginning to understand the true meaning of hump day.
At the end of it all, the introvert in me rejoiced. I did a living room workout, having beaten the demons of being seen doing strange activities by my neighbours. Once, I was doing high knees, and I saw the girl opposite standing at her window and taking a video of me, which I found amusing and intrusive at the same time. I made eye contact with her (NB: death stare) and she ran away. I saw her jumping up and down on their terrace a few weeks ago, and I did the only thing any reasonable, non-vindictive human being would do: I took a video and posted it on Instagram.
Yesterday we were also sent a survey from work, on whether we would like to go back to the office next week, since we will be entering Phase 2 and some of the lockdown measures will be loosened. The options were yes, no, or only for a few days. It all sounds like a very unpleasant version of shag, marry, kill.
Has it already been two months? I started lamenting all the things I did not do during this quarantine. I did not watch The Handmaid’s Tale. I did not read Infinite Jest (page count: 1,079). I didn’t even bake a single cake. But I then remembered I was never really interested in baking, apart from that one time when my friend and I decided to make molasses biscuits, which were not a very big success. My friend, who was actually talented, went on to do baking and cake-decorating professionally, and I was clearly the friend who was holding her back.
Someone posted the photo below on Twitter, which looks like a really good summary of life right now (also, of all my previous baking attempts). If someone already has a service that deals with all of the following, there is hope, and they will definitely be the new Microsoft.
Lunch: A surprisingly good combination of mackerel, beetroot, feta, cannellini beans, and salad greens
Song of the day: Inner City - Good Life