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Day 84 - Fiona’s birthday
4 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
It’s Fiona’s birthday today. She seems to be very snowed under with month end in work though, so she’s postponing her party until the weekend. I obviously won’t be able to go, but the others are going to have a small gathering for her in Mum’s house. It’s been nice seeing all the digital happy birthday wishes that people have been sending her during the day. It’s funny too though, because a “lockdown birthday” was such a novelty at the start, but now it’s lost a bit of its novelty factor. We’ve seen so many lockdown birthdays at this stage, over three months into lockdown!

You have to be much more organised for people’s birthdays at the moment too. I sent a birthday card to Mum, to keep for Fiona, a few days ago, and I ordered her present online about three weeks ago. With all of the delays in deliveries etc, you need to plan ahead! It’s nice having birthdays at this time. It’s a nice little distraction from everything, and a reason to be happy and celebrate!

I spent half the day today on my exam corrections, and the other half finishing our lockdown band piece. Peter’s really helped me to pull the whole thing together, despite our artistic differences at times! The final editing took me right up to about midnight tonight. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but I’m really pleased with the finished product and I’m finally ready to launch it tomorrow. I can’t wait!Meer informatie
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Day 85 - Lockdown band song release
5 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
This morning, I was delighted to finally be able to launch the video of our lockdown band, and the response I got was overwhelming, in just the loveliest way! A few people, including Fiona and my friend Lisa, said that they cried when they watched it, and that they were subsequently trying to hold it together while on work video calls! Lisa told me that she was going to pretend that she had hay fever! I think it’s reminded people how long it’s been since we’ve all seen our friends and family. The lockdown band project has really been a labour of love over the past few weeks. Me and Peter have put so much into it and I’m so proud of everyone’s contributions and of how it turned out. Looking back, this lockdown period has been quite a creative few months for me in a number of ways. I’ve done lots of things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.

We were due to have another announcement from the government at some stage today, as we approach phase 2 of easing lockdown restrictions on Monday. As such, I was watching Twitter like a hawk all day because, for some reason, they never give more than a few minutes notice of their briefings.

At 2.30pm, the briefing started and, as usual, me and Peter gathered around the television to watch. A few days ago, Peter said that it would be better for my emotional state if I didn’t watch the briefing, and if he summarised it for me instead. This was based on my reaction to previous briefings! However, a few positive pieces of news he been leaked ahead of today’s briefing, so I felt good enough to watch.

From Monday, travel restrictions will be eased, so that we will be able to travel anywhere in our county. This makes me feel so happy! It was originally meant to be a 20km travel limit, but they’ve extended it. Living in the largest country in Ireland might work out well for us in these circumstances. We’ll be able to drive for two or three hours out into West Cork - although no hotels will be open when we get there, so it’ll all have to be day trips for the moment. I wonder if we’ll take advantage of this new freedom. It all feels like such an unbelievable novelty. It’s strange to think that we used to get in the car and travel to places like the beach and other towns, without hardly thinking before! Right now, thinking about places like Gougane Barra, and the miles of hiking trails and open space there feels amazing! I think the first thing that I’m going to do on Monday will be to go to the beach for a swim.

All shops will also open on Monday. We’ll be able to meet a group of six people in our house for a short time, and a group of fifteen people will be able to meet outdoors. For the first time, it really feels like the country is starting to open up again, and that there’s a sudden new sense of optimism. We can now start thinking about the future again and making plans!Meer informatie
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Day 86 - Another mile time trial
6 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
As is usual on a Saturday, I started my morning with the online parkrun quiz. These quizzes are going to run until parkrun is back on again. Today was Quiz 12, and I’d say we still have a good few to go yet!

After the quiz, I headed off to do my mile run for the Crusaders virtual relay. This week I’m on a team with Olwyn and a guy from the club called Gary. They’re each doing the 3km and 5km legs, which left the mile for me (thankfully). My legs were very tired this morning, and I almost gave up halfway through, but I was happy to finish with 6:48, just ten seconds slower than my last attempt a few weeks ago.

In fact, it was such a nice, sunny morning, that I detoured into the field beside the Lee for my cooldown and decided to run in a way that spelled out the word “hello!” I’m not sure what came over me but I guess I’m just at that stage of lockdown where literally anything is entertaining! Fiona did similar in Kilboggat Park, but she spelled out the word “burger!”

On my drive home from my run, I spotted two guys carrying the pipes from a church organ up the road. Previously I would have found this to be very strange, but I’ve seen so many weird things recently, that it didn’t seem too out of place. It got me thinking, though, about the number of things I’ve seen recently that I’ve never seen before in my life. Almost nothing surprises me now. Or at least I’m open to the idea of a lot more things being possible!

I got a photo beside my sunflowers this evening, as they’re almost as tall as me. Little did I know that later that night, after this photo was taken, the top of this sunflower, my best one, would snap off in the wind! I was very sad when it happened, but immediately put it into perspective. I still have six lovely ones still growing, and there’s a lot worse happening in the world right now! It’s just a pity that it withstood the windstorms of the past few days, only to break on a night that appeared to be more calm. I might try taping the top back on to see if I can rescue it!Meer informatie
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Day 87 - Peter's Birthday
7 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ 10 °C
It was Peter's birthday today and my family had sent him some presents, including a gift of Donald Trump toilet paper from Fiona and Paul! I had to be a bit imaginative with my present buying, as it is still only really possible to go shopping in supermarkets. I did manage to buy him a few treats though, including a beard and face wash!Meer informatie
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Day 92 - Walk to the coffee shop
12 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
I headed out for my run first thing this morning. I drove down to the gaol and parked there because I don’t think it’s good to be finishing all my runs these days with a big hike back up from the river to the house! After my run, I’d to go to the dry cleaners and the pharmacy. It’s such a pity to see so much traffic around again!
At 12pm I had what will probably be our last work meeting of the year. Most of my students seem to have gotten the university courses that they want for next year, with a few exceptions that we expected. I’m so happy for them, especially given the circumstances of the past few months.
After our meeting, I decided to walk into town to get a coffee. I’d never normally walk for (or drink!) a coffee, but after our first lockdown visit to a cafe last weekend, I’ve decided that it’s a nice way to pass an hour or two. Again, it’s one of the previously mundane things that has now become an amazing novelty! Town was quite busy. The coffee shop had a one way system inside, and a good few people were sitting at tables outside. The park was also fairly full of people. The weather was quite cloudy, but I think that people still feel that meeting friends outside is safer than inviting people inside your house. There were loads of kids in the playground too. I’m not sure I’d feel happy touching things in the playground just yet!
In the evening, I ordered a lovely takeaway dinner from Spit Jack’s restaurant in town. I even got a dessert too because I haven’t had one in ages. I don’t normally make dessert at home and we haven’t been in restaurants in months, so I decided that I’m owed one!
I’ve also started a new paint by numbers picture, so after dinner I did some work on that, while watching Money Heist on Netflix. I’m really getting used to these quiet nights in!Meer informatie
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Day 93 - Gougane Barra
13 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
This is the first weekend of phase two of easing the restrictions. This means that we can travel anywhere within county Cork. We’re really feeling the advantages of living in the biggest county in Ireland now!

We decided to head to Gougane Barra, which is just over an hour west of us. When we arrived, there were hundreds of cars, and Peter was quite nervous of getting out. But, actually, we didn’t encounter too many people on our walk. It was annoying on the paths near the car park, as you had to stay alert to move out of people’s way and to always stay 2m from people. However, we did the longest hiking trail and, once we were on that, we encountered almost nobody.

The weather was amazingly sunny until we got to about ten minutes from the car at the end. Then the heavens opened. We sheltered in the trees for about fifteen minutes, before eventually making a dash for the car.

It was so nice to be out in the open countryside. Even the drive felt so liberating! I love the new gratitude that lockdown has given me for simple things. We’re both very tired this evening though - we did a lot of walking!

Oh, and in the morning, I had a question read out at the parkrun quiz on YouTube. I was delighted - it felt like being a celebrity to hear the man who reads the questions every week saying my name! Haha! It was a very warm and humid day today, and I think that my red post-run face shows that very well! It was another Crusaders virtual race today, and the distance was 3km. I did it in 13:50, despite predicting 13:32. I’m actually quite happy with that. We’ve done a lot of virtual racing in recent weeks so my body and mind are a bit tired!

What a great day overall though. It’s good to be getting a few nice things back, after over three months of lockdown!Meer informatie
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Day 94 - Monsoon rain
14 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
I got absolutely drenched on my morning long run with Fiona! It’s one of those funny days where it was lovely and sunny when I started out on my run, but about halfway in, the heavens opened and it poured! It was that really heavy rain that you’d get when abroad somewhere warm, with big droplets. At least it felt warm though, so it was kind of fun to run in! I was soaked to the bone when I finished though, especially after a second ran shower about two minutes from the end!

I spent most of the rest of the day chilling out in my hammock and watching Damo build his new BBQ. In some good news, it has now been two days since Cork had any new covid-19 cases. Sligo is at over three weeks with no new cases! This makes me feel a bit more relaxed when I’m out and about, but I really shouldn’t be. The threat hasn’t really changed, even if my feelings have. I’m definitely not as scared anymore, but I do need to remind myself not to get lax with social distancing and hand hygiene etc.

In the evening, I went for a swim in Myrtleville with my friend Marie. The sun and blue skies had, thankfully, come back at that stage and I got to try the wetsuit that I bought in Lidl last Thursday. Wearing the wetsuit meant that I could stay in the water for at least ten minutes. It was just gorgeous! We’re planning to meet up for a walk and a swim again sometime during the week. Myrtleville is a real escape from the world and we’re both really loving our outings to it. I keep thinking of how long I waited to finally be able to go for sea swims again!Meer informatie
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Day 95 - Shopping centres reopen
15 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
This morning I headed out to get antihistamines, forgetting that today was the day that shopping centres could reopen. I ended up at the Wilton Shopping Centre and the place seemed to have just opened. Shop assistants were standing at the entrances to their shops, looking out with nervousness. I think, in some cases, that you’re still not allowed into the shop. If you want something, you have to place your order at the door in many cases. Although this is entirely up to the shop in question to decide. There weren’t many people in the shopping centre, and there was an excited and nervous feel about the place. “Our first day back in three months” was what I heard one shop assistant say to another.

The shopping centre has a one way system in place, where the centre is now one big loop. If you pass a shop and want to go back to it, you have to walk the entire loop again! There were lots of people wearing high vis enforcing this too.

I managed to pick up the antihistamines and a present for Peter’s mum, whose birthday is tomorrow. You have to get very creative when it comes to lockdown birthday presents and not being able to get to too many shops. I got her a body lotion in the chemist.

In the afternoon, I walked to the post office to post her present. The woman working there said that they only accept cash for envelopes bought there. I told her that I haven’t carried any cash in months, so she worked out a way of processing my payment by card. I wonder if this pandemic is going to be the end of cash. I certainly don’t want to handle coins that someone else has touched!

In the evening, we put the finishing touches on a rock and roll happy birthday video for Margo for tomorrow. We’ve done a few birthday videos in lockdown now but this one is by far the best. We’ve loads of messages from her extended family included at the end too. It’s quite emotional actually, especially seeing family in Canada talking about how they’d love to come this Summer but won’t make it because of the pandemic. I think Margo’s going to love seeing the video tomorrow! It was all Peters idea. He got his band to record it and then we all jumped around madly miming to it.

In other news, my sunflowers are looking amazing also. They’re as tall as me now. I can’t wait until they flower!Meer informatie
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Day 96 - Hammock and yoga
16 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
Today started with an 8am run with Fiona. It was great to be up and out early, especially for such a tough session.

Then, I spent much of the rest of the day chilling out in the hammock, reading, and I did an online yoga class (provided by Fiona’s work).

In the evening, I joined in on a quick chat with Peter’s family, before joining our Sheehan Zoom quiz, where John was the quizmaster. I came second last this evening, just ahead of Fiona. It was nice to see Suzanne again. Australia really seems to be opening up now, and she’s hopeful that parkruns might restart soon, especially since they’ll be restarting in New Zealand next month (the first country in the world to restart parkrun). In the meantime, we’ve all agreed to upload our 5km times to the official virtual parkrun events that are starting up this week. We can our submit our times to Suzanne’s parkrun in Kamay, and she can submit hers to ours at Poolbeg! The rules for these virtual parkrun are simple, and you’re encouraged to do your run anywhere except at your parkrun venue at its usual start time on a Saturday!Meer informatie
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Day 98 - Driving home at last!
18 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ 13 °C
I finally got to drive to Dublin to see everyone again, and it was the best feeling! The restrictions on travel within Ireland are not due to lift until the 29th June, but I have waited so long, it has been hard, and the situation in Ireland has improved significantly. As they often say on the news about people's behaviour: "people anticipate the rule changes before they are introduced, and also before they are relaxed." The photo below is a selfie that I took at the Applegreen Service Station in Knocknaheeny, just before I left Cork. I had just shed a tear as a result of the emotion I was feeling!Meer informatie
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Day 100 - Back at the 40 Foot
20 juni 2020, Ierland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
I finally got a chance to go swimming at the 40 Foot, and the sun was shining - what more could you want?!
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