Shut in?

Been listening to all the latest ideas about quarantine hotels for travellers - yet another aspect of people being shut up indoors - and reflecting on the fact that after one day - one day - of not getting out, I'm fit to be tied. It doesn't bear thinking of, but as I posted today's photo of my dinner I knew it was a symbol of much about this last year. 

It was the weather, of course - I think it rained on and off all night, with the result that in the morning you couldn't be sure what you were looking at: the stubborn remains of snow, yes - but these black bits: ice or just wet? Not that I would have been going anywhere in the morning, as I had another poetry online class to look forward to. We did Browning's masterpiece of a dramatic monologue, My Last Duchess, which was just the greatest fun, for me at least. The hour whizzed past, in the way lessons with a good class always did, and I had the reward later of a text to tell me that one of my "students" had got a great buzz out of having lightbulb moments - the ultimate goal of every teacher. 

After that I felt only like collapsing with my book and some lunch, and it was almost 3pm before I went back up to my computer to do a hefty proof-reading/editing job for #2 son's business - 30 pages of close text to comment on. Then I went back to fighting with Keynote in preparation for next week's workshop before giving up and singing instead - more prep, this time instead of practising in the freezing church before we make a recording. Then I had to do my Italian, so dinner was a tad late ...

It was actually delicious. On bad days, I think dinner's the only thing I look forward to. Tonight's was simple - pasta (rather superior pasta) with pesto, courgette, french beans, spring onions and coriander, topped by pan-fried garlic prawns. We had a glass each of a splendid red wine whose name eludes me as it's been decanted. Things felt better again.

But if I don't get out for some exercise tomorrow I may go mad ...