Lockdown in Paris : Day Fifty-One
Wednesday 6th May
9h30 : Woke up to an email from Etsy saying that my niece’s birthday present has arrived. Only three weeks late - not bad for me. Briefly flash back to the fact that I sent her a birthday card that declared “You’re Five Today!” when in fact she was four. So all round we start with a great slew of aunt-related achievements.
10h : The sun is back. Must spend time on the balcony today. Feel like I don’t really want to do anything at all. Got tired of waiting for my dungarees so emailed Gap to ask where they’ve put them. This was kind of pointless but it made me feel better. (Yes, I am a bit worried by how obsessed I am about their arrival. )
12h : Listened to a French podcast about Greta Garbo’s life and tried to understand what happened in it.
14h : Realise I can’t settle to anything - I just can’t concentrate on anything at all. Check my Moon App - it’s a full moon. Luckily this time around there’s no existential despair or anything, just the chronic fidgets. I move from place to place in the flat, thinking of other things to do, none of which I can put my mind to. It’s annoying, but it’s definitely better than feeling like your whole life is a train wreck. I’ll take it.
14h15 : Estelle texting about how she’s about to go out inspires me to put on my shoes and go out to buy stuff to put in the fridge. I take out all the cardboard and polystyrene clobber that the fridge came in, which is definitely showing that full moon who’s boss.
15h30 : Decided to buy two pots of mini roses from Franprix to plant on the balcony. This was prompted by the fact that I spent this morning pulling dead plants out of the plant pots that have been there since last year. I always feel sorry for the plants and flowers in Franprix, because no one ever buys them and they just look very, very sad. So, for today’s achievements I can list rescuing two orphan mini-rose plants and giving them a home. Also I have something nice to look at that isn’t dead. Take that full moon. Checked my post-box on the way up and have a “missed delivery” slip, which is ironic really when you think about it because everyone is always in. It says I can collect the parcel from the post-office tomorrow, and it even tells me which post office to go to! Is it the dungarees? Is it? IS IT?
16h15 : My brain knows that I have a fridge now. The problem is, my brain thinks the fridge is still in the same place that it’s always been, and insists on opening the old fridge every time I need to make a cup of tea. This is annoying, not least because it unleashes a cloud of antibacterial spray mingled with fridge-death every time I slam it shut.
17h40 : Decide to make satay chicken because I love satay chicken.
18h : Time for apéro hour in Berlin. I am celebrating my flat’s ability to create cold things by drinking rosé. Lots and lots of rosé.
21h : Look up to see the full moon that has ruled my day rising over the rooftops. I see you, massive weird-making moon. I see you.
