Wednesday 22nd April 2020

My phone buzzed to tell me another person had signed up to receive notifications for my blog posts. Out of curiosity I thought I’d see how many there were. 9,600. Nearly 10,000. It blew my mind. It blew my mind that nearly 10,000 people were reading my ramblings. I’ve never used a marketing scheme like “sign up to my emailing list and receive a free Benidorm guide” or anything like that. I’ve never wanted to. I wanted to know people had signed up because they wanted to read my posts, not because they had to to get something.

I used to write every blog post on the computer and try out all these fancy heading photos and add fancy signatures. Then back in January, I questioned why I was doing it. Did it make the writing better? No. Did it get more views? I don’t think so. Instead, I starting writing on my iPad. It’s been infinitely better. I started writing blog posts about our adventures in the car ride home when it was fresh. Here’s hoping we get out on adventures soon.

More details were shared about children being able to go out after Sunday. They’ll be allowed to take walks of up to 1km and under 14 must be accompanied by an adult who lives with them. The kids, and their parents, definitely deserve it after their confinement for so long. I’m living in hope that they’ll give it a week or so and then announce adults will be allowed to take walks too. Parks are remaining closed, but they’ve disinfected them all in case children touch anything. I hope they open the beach soon and let us walk along there. I do miss it.

We’re really quite fortunate. We are fortunate to have views of the sea and panoramic windows that open to let lots of air in. The ottoman means we can lay out in some of the sun without being outside. We have a garden space we can access, even if we can only go once a week, we have a car to get us to the supermarket. We have our dog to keep us company. We have a job to keep our outgoings balanced. We have a good relationship and we are in good health. We are very fortunate. I know that not everybody is.

I started reading a new book today, The Man who didn’t Call and I’m really enjoying it. I ended up reading 77% of the book in one day, I was just so curious to find out why he didn’t. Now I’ve found out, it’s a shocker. I could’ve carried on reading, but I’m a stickler for bedtime so I left the 23% for the morning.

Alex tried a Pilates class yesterday and wasn’t happy when he came out. He wasn’t happy that he can’t touch his toes, or bend forward. I mean, he is partly comparing himself to me who did cheerleading and dancing and just bend in half, yet I can’t do half of what he can do. I couldn’t even sit in his kayak without falling in. And there’s no way I could do the workouts he does. He ended up doing a yoga class which I did with him and now he’s onto yoga too. He said he’s going to do his yoga in the morning and a workout in the afternoon. He’s actually doing it now and it sounds so funny that he’s doing my class.

I was in a flow of good ideas yesterday. I came up with a few content ideas for the cake business and made some new creative videos and imagery. She loved them and I was quite impressed with myself. I tend to have these spouts of creativity, and they come at such random times.

Alex had a few live classes to do and some meetings throughout the day. I felt so sorry for the kids in his class. They’d all answer with the same relatively flat tone “yeah, I um Easter was ok but I mean I didn’t do anything. I just stayed home. Like everybody else I hope”. They were told they can go off and do the task or stick around and they mostly stayed. Desperately trying to talk to each other and Alex. You just knew they needed somebody to talk to other than the people who live with them. You can tell the kids love him.

We’d had eggs for breakfast as all of the meat was still in the freezer and pancetta with salad and chips for dinner. I found I loved the pancetta where it had gone hard and crispy. It tasted like pork scratchings! Maybe I’d like bacon crispy too.

Nothing else really happened throughout the day. It was a case of Alex working and me reading. I did a bit of cleaning and tidying, filled in my bullet journal, spent some time on my languages and did my ab blaster. It’s funny how the days just pass by so quickly and for the most part of the time I don’t even think about going outside. Most of the days, it’s already getting to sunset before I even contemplate it and by then, we wouldn’t have been going outside, we’d have been coming back in.

I’d seen on my Facebook memories that this time two years ago we’d finished work and were sitting by the pool in swimwear sunbathing. I’d finished work at 6:30pm so it would’ve been about 7pm we were sat at the pool. I can’t imagine that now, it’s not been nice enough weather! There’s been some clouds looming for the past few days that just don’t seem to shift. It’s not supposed to pick up until about Wednesday where it’s going to be 22 degrees and full sun. Although confinement is extended until May 9th, maybe by next weekend we might be permitted to take walks once they’ve monitored the children being out. I live in hope.

I guess living in hope is what we are all doing at the moment.

We watched Asa’s Lockdown TV at 8pm followed by the three Disney fireworks shows. I found out that I’ve watched every nighttime main event firework show that Magic Kingdom have ever done. Fantasy in the Sky in 2001, which ran for 34 years, Wishes, which started in 2003, when we went in 2007 and 2008 and then Happily Ever After replaced Wishes in 2017 which we saw last July. Happily Ever After is by far the best one yet. The design, the technical stuff and the complete visual experience. I’ve cried every time I’ve watched it. If you’re thinking really, a firework show at Disney then watch Happily Ever After 4K on YouTube and you’ll see what I mean. It’s the full resolution video of the show and it’s outstanding. You don’t have to love Disney to appreciate how spectacular these shows really are.

The sun started to set in the sky and the sky went a brilliant blue and faded into pinks and reds and purple hues. I’ve always been obsessed with the sky. What’s out there? We can’t be the only ones in this galaxy or this universe? Surely? there’s so much out there undiscovered. There’s this fantastic sky out there: the road to overseas adventures and the best part about the sky? Someone somewhere is looking at the sky at the exact same time as you. You’re never on your own when you’re looking at the sky.

I know this because every time there’s a brilliant sunset I see my friends here in Spain posting the same style photo to their social media. A beautiful sky means you’re never alone.

That’s when I hopped off to bed to read. I’d never before chose to go to the bedroom to read. It used to be a room that stressed me out. Now with all its space it doesn’t feel like the walls are closing in on me. There’s photos around the walls and a little chest at the end of the double bed that I’ve always wanted. We’ve got a cupboard door that is a mirror so you can sit on the chest in front of the mirror to get ready. Such a major improvement.

I’ve been avoiding most news wherever possible but I have just been reading the headlines the morning. They said the deaths have been stabilised here, with 435 in the past day. It also talked about the deescalation of lockdown. Other media outlets have been sharing that it brings hope for the U.K. But personally I don’t think it should yet. Our deescalation lockdown is still a tighter lockdown than the U.K.. Children (and adults) are already allowed to do exercise in the U.K. so in a sense it just puts us in closer alignment.

There was a report that said hotels may remain closed across Spain until 2021, or the possibility of opening up later in the year but with tighter restrictions involving cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing. A suggestion of handing out coronavirus tests at reception before check in was made.

I imagine life will be a little strange once again when we get out of lockdown. We’ve learnt this new normal and then we’ll have to adjust to another one. New rules and legislations. New guidelines. New social norms. It’s all very strange this world we’re currently living in. It makes me wonder if this is how the people were when the plague shook the world. But without iPads and Netflix.

Take care,

L x