Running in the rain. Deliveries and online shopping. Where to work. Changing times.

I got nicely wet running in the rain this morning. Yes, I knew it was raining but I decided to go out in it anyway. It wasn’t torrential, just what my milkman described later as “that thin rain that gets you really wet”. As if there was rain that didn’t get you wet. Well, yes, I suppose there is fine drizzle that doesn’t actually soak you but still makes your hair go all frizzy!

I spoke to the milkman later in the morning, after I was showered and dressed in normal clothing. I had been looking out for him since Monday as I wanted to ask about the non-delivery on that day. He assured me that they had delivered as usual. So that means we have a milk thief about, someone walking past, spotting the bottle of milk on the doorstep and making off with it. According to the milkman it happens quite a lot, especially with deliveries of eggs, for some unknown reason.

I wonder if he would be willing to leave deliveries outside the back door instead, it means he would have to walk down the side garden but my milk and eggs would be more secure. Or I could ask him to ring the doorbell when he leaves the milk by the front door. Delivery men of all kinds seem averse to ringing the doorbell, however, usually giving the excuse “I never know if the bell works or not”. There is really only one way to find out: ring the bell and see if answers!”

The other day we were in the basement kitchen drinking coffee when I heard a faint knocking on the front door. Dashing up the stairs to open the door, I found a box of bottles of wine on the doorstep. Not really a surprise - we had been expecting a delivery. As I contemplated it, a delivery man came panting up the side garden and told me he had left a second box by the back door. Did I want this one taking down as well? He looked so puffed out that I took pity on him and simply asked him to lift it into the hallway for me. He was another delivery man who did not know how to ring a doorbell!

We now have wine to last us for a good while! And we are moderately restrained, having no intention of becoming one of the UK’s statistics for people who sit at home drinking too much during lockdown! It is apparently a major problem. Perhaps we are just too sensible.

I have just ordered items of children’s clothing online, intended as part of birthday presents for the two smallest people in the family, who both have September birthdays. Now I need to find an online toyshop- of which there are no doubt plenty - as small children need proper presents they can play with as well.

Actually I miss going to shops looking for inspiration for birthday presents, and pretty soon Christmas presents as well. Its months since I went window shopping even, let along going into big shops and supermarkets. Online shopping is all very well but it’s hard to browse!

I just turned on the radio news and the first thing I heard was Donald Trump droning on in his very imitable fashion about how Jo Biden will run America into the ground. I gather it was his end of convention speech. Whenever I hear him speak I wonder that anyone can be convinced by what he has to say. Mind you, I feel the same when I hear Boris Johnson wiffle-waffling in his sort of semi-hesitant fashion. And yet I hear both of these politicians described as good communicators! Really? Personally I think they both need some lessons in public speaking.

Much discussion is going on about getting people back to work in the office. New research shows that nine out of 10 people in the country who have worked from home during lockdown want to continue to do so. Some people, such as our eldest granddaughter, had already been working from home for part of the week before lockdown. She is among those who would be happier to continue to do so and in fact has panic attacks whenever she is pressured by her managers to consider returning to the office. It seems that productivity has not suffered from office workers doing the job from home and maybe a compromise needs to be reached so that people like our granddaughter can opt to stay home at least part of the time. Of course this changes the nature of our city centres, described as ghost cities by one commentator on last night’s TV news. Interesting times.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!