For the first time in many months we sat and ate a meal at our local cafe.
The sun was shining and, despite the mild morning chill, Dawnise decided she was game to see if Mola had a table available. There was one other patron when we arrived, sitting facing the sun at one the eight or so small tables setup outside the cafe. He was a regular and we’d bumped into him fairly frequently on previous weekend visits. We exchanged small talk, ordered breakfast, and sat in the cool morning sun and ate. The tables around us filled up as we did.
As we finished, Dawnise left me to settle the bill and meet up with her at the grocery store – where we did a bit of food shopping before returning home.
The afternoon continued to be sunny and temperate – and I let the cats out with me on the deck to enjoy the weather and occasional pigeon fly-over.
It turns out WiFi coverage on the deck is basically non existent. The router is only around 15 feet from the door, but the coating on the plate glass – great for privacy and keeping the sun’s heat out – seems great at stopping radio signal. I tried a few experiments – including using one of my small travel routers as an extender, pressed up against the glass – but nothing really worked. At the moment I’m out of ideas about how to get enough network coverage out there to “work from deck,” short of leaving the doors open – which lets both the cats and the flies be places I’d rather they weren’t.
Yesterday had nice weather, too – and with some trepidation Dawnise agreed to take a walk – ostensibly with the goal of getting a bubble tea from a local shop she likes. We ended up taking the long way ’round – and stumbled upon a rather nice art supply store that enticed Dawnise to mask up and step inside. Nearly two hours after we set out for a short walk we returned, bubble tea in hand.
The last two days have undoubtedly been the most fresh air and sun we’ve had in months.
In other news, lock down measures eased again on Monday as planned. Non-essential shops have re-opened, and restaurants and pubs can serve outdoors, space permitting. More people are out and about. I got a hair cut one morning before my first meeting, and signed up for my first vaccination as soon as the NHS opened slots to my age group. (Dawnise had been invited for her first dose a few weeks ago by her GP.)
The day after the jab I felt like someone punched me in the arm, was tired all day, and retired to bed really early.
The UK vaccination strategy of “first-doses-first” means I’ll get my second course in around ten weeks. From a personal perspective the delay is mildly frustrating, but the data supports the strategy, and the results have been cause for guarded optimism.
As of today, around thirty three million people in the UK have had at least one vaccination, and ten million people have had both doses.
I look forward to when Dawnise and I are counted in that group.