A Safe Stroll

Hadn't been out to breathe natural air for a few days so I felt like I was due for a walk. Rebecca and I took a stroll around the park on our lunch breaks and I was reminded about what a boon this park is. Under normal circumstances they'd be young children playing and couples having picnics, but today it was full of joggers and dog walkers keen to keep their distance. When all this is over, I want to throw a big picnic so we can finally enjoy our park for all its worth.

Work wise, I sent off a CV to a friend, spent some time updating and polishing it to a mirror sheen. I'm also waist-deep in writing a review for Animal Crossing, hoping to wash my hands of it by tomorrow evening if I'm lucky. Once that's done my slate will be pretty clean, always got Louis' game on my mind but when I've exhausted that I can crack on with some new projects.

Korean Frothy Coffee

I wish I'd never heard of Korean Frothy Coffee. It's all over the internet at the moment as a quarantine craft', something you can make with all the ingredients you have at home to produce something a little quirky. The recipe is simple: 2 tablespoons each of instant coffee, sugar and hot water beaten into stiff peaks, then spooned onto a cup of hot milk. Done right it'll look like this:

I managed this:

If alarm bells didn't start ringing as you read the recipe, and if you dare endeavour to follow my steps then you'll be left with a drink which is the embodiment of all style, no substance. It's a very roundabout way to put too much sugar into a coffee and drinking it only resulted in me feeling over-stimulated and cagey (its a very strong coffee). Hard avoid, don't waste your precious quarantine rationed groceries on this.   

Save the Slipping Day

The whole clocks going forward thing really threw me through a loop today. I woke up far too late in the day and before I'd even eaten my breakfast I felt the day slipping away. Luckily, Rebecca had an unpaid debt to me and her work colleagues: this weekend she vowed to at long last, watch Lord of the Rings with me. What's a better movie to watch in self-isolation may I ask? It was glorious too, Rebecca was nonplussed but glad she could watch it with me (I hope). That film alone saved the day, but things get even better once Louis announced we'd be playing an old school game of Team Fortress 2 with a gaggle of friends. We keep trying to make this more of a regular thing because we always have such a blast playing, tonight was no exception as Louis in particular couldn't stop giggling while playing.   

Take-out > Dining Out

Funny how the quarantine has re-established some of my social liberties. Any normal week I'd be rising early to open the coffee shop but now I can experience a weekend in all its lay glory. We had scrambled eggs for breakfast as Rebecca remarked how nice it was not to eat a cereal type thing first thing in the mornings, as I ate my first mouthful of eggs it was hard not to agree with her. I spent the rest of the day playing games with friends and watching Downton Abbey with Rebecca. We even treated ourselves to a Chinese take-away this evening, though we'd done nothing really to deserve it. Expect perhaps to congratulate ourselves for a whole full week in self isolation, it almost felt like going to a restaurant!

Slo-Mo Supermarket Sweep

Not that we were running out of supplies or anything, but Rebecca and I reckoned we needed to stock up on some food. So I braved the outside world and headed to Asda, Louis had been recently and told me to prepare myself for a 2 meter queuing system to get into the shop. I grabbed my trolley and walked to the back of the queue, as I approached the end of the queue, I realized it was only the beginning as the line of people snaked around the road and almost tripled in length. I spent 35 minutes in line before I finally got into the shop, I say that not as a complaint, just as an observation on how seriously they are taking everything which is good. What was better still is that I managed to get everything on my list, toilet paper and eggs included! I walked home with bags brimming with spoils, certain we'd be good for a couple of weeks. Moments later we ran out of cling film. 

Weaving Past the Wrong 'Uns

Figured I should stretch my legs a bit so I slapped on my running gear and did a very brief run around my local park. Found myself weaving through more people than I expected, but I was able to keep a fair distance from any wrong 'uns. Otherwise I was once again committed to Louis' game writing today, my goal for the end of the week has always been to hit 100 total lines and today I just hit 94. I read some of them back today, I'm pleased with 99% of them, very much looking forward to seeing them incorporated into the final product.

A Short Hike

Back to work on Louis' game today, until I got a message from one of my group chats. A chap who runs a semi-poplar YouTube channel was looking for someone to help him capture some game footage, his PC was out of bounds thanks to the quarantine. I lept at the chance to help (he did promise some exposure after all). With my good deed done I turned back to Louis' vegetables and since it was such a nice day, I brought my notepad into the garden to write, then I cracked open a beer, felt the sun on my skin and felt like a free man.

As previously promised too, here's a link to my latest video: A review of A Short Hike. It's an adorable indie game about begrudgingly enjoying a vacation, a feeling I'm far too familiar with.