Laborious

The cow theme continues. My favourite thing about lockdown life is escaping the house in the early evening light for around an hour’s walk, catching up with friends at the same time. Today’s was much needed after being on calls solidly for seven hours from midday onwards. Pals never fail to lift the spirits up to acceptable levels.

At one point during the call marathon I snatched a five minute ‘convenience break’ and rapidly scoffed a chocolate egg (still obtainable in shops but stocks dwindling) whilst sat on the toilet. It gave me the boost I needed for a further two hours on the phone (by which I mean Zoom video call as this is the only medium the world is now using) with a Portuguese NGO partner and a complicated spreadsheet. The work will be great if we win the bid we’re working on, but it’s arduous getting to that point.

When not on calls I’m listening to a lot of Angolan pop music, which is popular in Mozambique. This song by Anselmo Ralph, who never ever seems to be without sunglasses, got me pumping when I needed some motivation to finalise a budget. I recommend a listen, if people wearing sunglasses indoors won’t vex you.

Today much of the world celebrates Workers’ or Labour Day. In the UK did we never shake off the yoke of capitalism enough to mark this day properly? Rhetorical question, with a patently clear answer, but it does seem that we’re more bothered about honouring a maypole a few days later than we are about promoting the cause of workers’ rights.

Talking of workers’ rights, I received an email via our new fancy payslips system with the subject ‘your P60 is now available.’ I panicked then remembered it’s a different P number when you’re fired.

Today’s entry in the food diaries went like this:

Gugs, at 9.45, as I was finishing my breakfast: ‘what do you want for dinner tonight?’

Me: ‘a cheese sandwich’

Gugs: ‘no, not on a Friday night. Do you want fajitas or chorizo spaghetti?’

Me: ‘whichever involves less washing up’

Gugs: ‘they’re about the same’

Me: ‘whichever has more carbs’