A few weeks ago, Mass Observations were calling for people to keep a diary of just one day, 12th May. I did it, and sent it in, but I never got round to actually putting it on here. And so, belatedly, here it is. It wasn’t, as it happens, a particularly typical day, which generally consists of work, tea, and slumping!
Woke up, looked at the clock, it said 5.20 a.m. Went to the bathroom where the clock said 6.30, checked other bedroom clock which agreed. Rebooted DAB radio to correct time. Put on leggings and t-shirt, went downstairs.
Turned on Wii for first time in months. Neither remote was charged, nor was the balance board, due to our habit of shutting everything off at the wall, including the Wii. Sat watching appalling infomercials on Sky (although that 3 Minute Abs thing looks good!) until there was enough charge in a Wii remote, then did 45 minutes of Zumba. Ouch.
Had a bath, then had a bowl of porridge with a little brown sugar, and two large mugs of Earl Grey tea. We work at home as web developers, so no commute required. Currently doing new intranet app for client, and setting up a new server for home. Wrapped presents for grandson’s 4th birthday, put them in a bigger box, then wrestled with Royal Mail’s postage site, eventually winning. Sealed box to take to Post Office later.
Henry, one of our five cats, is being very skittish – not easy when you’re a huge blue beast. I think there will be claw marks in the floorboards …
10.15 – Received e-mail from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust looking for volunteers to participate in http://www.bigseasurvey.co.uk/. Looks quite interesting – training day in North Shields (!) on 5th June, free transport. Have responded positively.
It’s now 11.43. Wondering whether to water the post in the front and back yards. Very grey out, but forecast doesn’t say rain, and we desperately need some here in the East Riding. Decisions, decisions.
12.40 – go and cook lunch. We only eat asparagus when it is local, so we gorge a bit. Put some fusilli on to cook, trim a bunch of gorgeous asparagus and steam it while the pasta is cooking, toss asparagus and pasta with walnut oil and some shaved parmesan. Lovely, but would have benefited from some lemon juice. Followed it with an apple. Still hungry.
13.50 – post arrives. Ridiculous, but some days it’s 3 p.m.! Brings bank statement (shame on Yorkshire Bank for new layout – hateful waste of paper and silly font too), this week’s Private Eye with brilliant cover, new swimming goggles for me. Hoping these goggles will allow me to swim wearing contact lenses.
15.00 – weaken, and split two bars of Green and Black chocolate with ‘im indoors. In my defence, they are the teeny tiny bars that that come in a sort of selection box. Very nice, though.
15.40 – depart for Leeds, via Boothferry Road, to post parcel. Am served by a woman who looks worryingly like a younger Margaret Beckett. I drop off on the way – good job Pete is driving. Find a horrendously expensive car park (£5.50 for the evening), then go for a stroll around, before having an unexciting meal in the Spice Quarter. Thence to the Town Hall to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain who were, as always, utterly wonderful.
Got home at about 11.30, ignored by cats, bed with a cup of tea and a page or two of the latest Private Eye.
I donate my 12th May diary to the Mass Observation Archive. I consent to it being made publically available as part of the Archive and assign my copyright in the diary to the Mass Observation Archive Trustees so that it can be reproduced in full or in part on websites, in publications and in broadcasts as approved by the Trustees.