Creative Writing

 Because of this ass of a virus, among many other things, we haven't been able to go to Catalunya this year, and my Catalan is struggling, especially as I am studying French for a couple of hours a day.  So, when the library from our town sent out a message saying that their book club has gone on line and they now have a short six week creative writing course again, free and online, I signed up as fast as I could.  Listening, speaking, reading and writing. All good. 

It has been much better than I had hoped. I didn't think I had much interest in creative writing at all, but it's actually pretty interesting, and fun to do!  Something to consider as I go forward.  Not gonna write a book or anything, I think you need a pretty hot fire lit underneath you to embark on that, but writing some things up.

On another note, nothing like a rainy day and a deadline for tasks you hate doing to really make you burn through every little thing on your to do list!

Buying online

 

 I love that we can buy stuff online and it just comes to us in the mail.  Absolutely fantastic, until it isn't.  Somethings I just want to buy in person; to whit, art paper and trousers.  I LOVE going to an art store and feeling your way around everything they have, the heft of the paper, it's exact colour, what the edges are like, feeling the texture.  Loathe it online.  I mean, if you have a pad you adore that you can find and order, all well and good.  You miss the joy of seeing and feeling what's there, but at least you know what you're getting.  Online.  Meh.  And returning stuff?  Please, such a gigantic hassle and even more so in Covid.

Trousers.  I am sorry.  I didn't realize I was such a weird shape, but seems I am.  I go into a store to buy trousers, bring 10 pairs with me, maybe one works, rinse and repeat till I find something I like. This is not convenient online.  My jeans, the only pair of trousers I have left are literally dissolving, but here we are in COVID, in the middle of a mass of muddy fields miles from any store.  I may have to resign myself to leggings and skirts till I can get to a store, cause damn this sucks. 

And while I'm whining, what I would do to have a bit of take away, but nope, too remote for that too.

 OK, time to stop complaining.

Change, and a loss

 Well, just found out that a job I've had for a long long time isn't going to be happening next year, and we don't know about the year after that.  Life is odd right now.  We know precisely what we'll be doing for the next three months or so, exactly what we're doing now as we hunker down and wait COVID out, but then things are SO wide open.  So so so.

Can't lie and say I'm happy about it, I really love that job.  And there is the financial angle to it too, fortunately I usually have quite a few gigs on the go, so no massive disaster, still.  Not nice.  Lets see how all this plays out.  I'm still employed till the end of June anyway.

Ho freaking hum.

Covid, 10 months in Jan 2021

 As a quick update, we left the Netherlands at the very end of Aug, made it down through France into Belgium, the canals were closed and there was no where to stay, so, back up to Belgium, across the bottom of the country.  Very very industrialized, and down through France.  

We ended up having to go up the Siene and went through Paris completely alone.  There are no tourists and there was not another boat in sight. Very odd.  Stayed for one night in Arsenal, where we'd like to spend a month next fall if we can.  Had to stop for the year early as they were closing up the river we're moored in for an entire month starting the beginning of Oct, so rather more time at the dock this year than we'd hoped for, even by our travel standards, but we've landed in a nice place with super helpful friendly people.  

That sais, we're still very isolated, still waiting, likely for quite a while.  One striking aspect has been the complete inability to make any kind of plan.  We know exactly what we will be doing for the next two and a half months, basically absolutely nothing in one small tiny part of France and then hopefully a very basic van trip down to Catalunya for a week to see youngest, hopefully!!!  Then we have no idea at all.  None.  

 So weird.

Hopefully we can travel around this spring on the boat.  Hopefully I will have work this summer.  Don't know if we'll make it to Canada or not.  Hopefully we'll be able to travel around this fall.  Maybe we'll come back here next winter.  Hopefully we'll be able to have Christmas together next winter. Hopefully we'll be able to go to Catalunya next winter.  Hopefully we'll get the vaccine this spring or fall.  Hopefully we'll see some of our family and friends in 2021.  

 Thank all that is good for my darling sister and her family, at least they're nearby.  And we're lucky that the people in the club we're at are so great.  Much to be happy for.  If they don't lock us down to a 1K+1hr radius again, it'd be better.  We'll see.