Quite a busy week, which I enjoy and like. Amongst other things, I’ve visited my mother, we’ve been to visit our old house, a couple of fab runs, a writing assignment and a surprise COVID-19 booster jab.
Paying a visit to my mother is always a tender time; it’s also a terribly genteel time with dainty teacups and everything being “frightfully just so”. I did enjoy it, she did too by clinging onto every moment in the 24 hours that I was there. Indeed, tender times.
The reluctant landlord
During this week we have been back to visit our tenants, in our old house. It is about a year since we handed the keys over.
This visit was for me an equally strange feeling; we have so many emotions and memories tied up with the house but now we have to see it purely as a financial asset and a home for someone else. As the reluctant landlord, I still have so many mixed feelings about the large numbers of people who have to rent privately here in the UK. Perhaps I’ll try and work my feelings through in another blog post some other time. At least for now, it is an arrangement which seems to work nicely for both sides.
Two more runs
Jon dragged me around Dunstable Downs on Monday evening, for about six and a half miles. My injured foot complained all the way but I stoically pressed on. I managed to keep up with Jon, well most of the time. We got to a little bump on the Downs where you get a 360° view. We always stop there, just for a moment. We express our thanks to the Good Lord for that spot and allowing us to run there; in silence we marvel at his creation for a few seconds before I say we should press on.
On our way back we ran through a wooded area, thankfully not too far. It was dark and I couldn’t see where I was going. Jon’s advice was to run with our knees up and this prevented us both from falling over.
“Next time” I said “we must bring our head torches”
“Yep, let’s make it in two weeks, Doug”
I have run more with Jon than any other runner. He has taught me how it can be good to run with someone else, although running on your own can be very special in allowing your thoughts to wander as the miles drift by. I used to be faster than Jon; twice I have comfortably beaten him in a half marathon but these days he can thrash my pace. I do enjoy running with him, listening to his take on life is always good. He doesn’t sugar coat things, he shares the highs and lows with me.
Surprise booster
I was quite surprised in the week to get an email inviting me to book a COVID booster. I wasted absolutely no time and booked for first thing the following day. Yet again I find myself in the Sore Arm Club and yet it does feel good to be well protected. Having said that, we remain careful.
Roll back a couple of years, none of us had heard of COVID-19 yet alone believe how it would affect our lives, throughout the entire world and in such a profound way. We are not through it.
What have we learned? Individually and as society? I’m gonna have to ponder that…..