lockdown notes

Some random notes on my experience of lockdown.

• We were well ahead with the toilet-paper buying, largely because Australia led the world in going into panic-buying mode so we got advance warning. And we've stayed well-stocked generally — we've even acquired an extra freezer unit to store food in.
• Working from home has gone pretty smoothly for me. But I'm a sysadmin, with the least need for contact with outside people of anyone in our team (I sometimes describe my job as "all the IT that doesn't involve talking to people") so that wasn't unexpected.
• We haven't been getting takeaway at all, due to concerns about infection, and so have been relying on ready meals a lot. I miss my lunchtime outings to Pierre Victoire and the Gloucester Green market and our family outings to Taberu and Rice Box.
• I'm not getting enough exercise — I know this, because I feel noticeably better when I do an hour's walking or cycling. It's been hard to get Camilla or Helen out of the house at all, and I've been getting maybe half of my usual walking and a quarter of my usual cycling, augmented with a bit of trampoline jumping with Helen. I've also acquired a set of weights and started using a doorway bar a bit.
  
• Helen's school has been pretty good about providing online lessons, but without the context for it she hasn't been doing any schoolwork in a coherent fashion. We're not too worried about this, given that for her age group the core of the school's message is "get them to read regularly and do a bit of maths every day", but wish we could get her to do some writing.
• Helen hasn't been very keen on online meetups, but has had successful video playdates with two of her friends. I get once a week work meetings (more social than technical), semi-regular Friday "lunches" with a group of geek friends, and meetings with liveable streets campaigners. Camilla has some outside interaction as a school governor, and with her family in Sydney. And we've finally managed to get my mother to do video!