February!

We look to the horizon, in hope, though alas there is still a long way to go before normality returns. I wish Covid-19 was not the dominating factor behind so many Muses, but it’s impossible to avoid how the pandemic treads upon virtually all aspects of our lives. Take work for example. Over the last couple of weeks the store has been reduced to two members of staff, as I mentioned in the previous Muse. This has meant I’ve worked on my own on a number of occasions, an experience that is utterly boring.

Things would be different if we were allowed to let customers into the store, even under limited circumstances. As it stands, starting work at 8am and leaving after 5pm with virtually no human contact is excruciating.

Family Trees

I posted recently that I had been looking into my family history, at the behest of my daughter. Among the early highlights is the discovery that one of my ancestors might have been a Gypsy Queen! The details are sketchy, which is hardly surprising when you go back hundreds of years, but it’s fascinating stuff, and I’ve yet to truly delve into who my ancestors were as people.

Gatekeepers

It says a lot that an early highlight of February is a ‘conversation’ with a rather arrogant gatekeeping Trek fan on Twitter, who subscribes the ridiculous notion that being a fan of Star Trek Discovery is ‘treacherous’ to the franchise. I’m seriously considering writing up some of his ‘highlights’, though by the same token, why should I give him airtime?

Football Manager

For the first time in my history of playing football management sims, I’m keeping a running record of my exploits (which serves as a welcome distraction from a series of disappointing matches in real-life) on Football Manager 2021. I’m currently in charge of Aldershot Town, who were the first team to give me a shot (groan) at management.

Sameness

What I can’t get away from is how each day feels very much like the last, and how weary I feel knowing the next day is going to be the same. With no customers, very few phone calls (and the calls relating not to new business but to issues), the days are proving monotonous. This malaise has influenced my attitudes toward my Awakening re-write, something I’ve been grappling with without satisfaction lately. I’ve made little progress, though to give myself a little credit, a few new ideas have popped into my brain to explore.

Snow

February has brought the first major snowfall of winter to my little corner of Essex. As I referred to in this post, snow can be lovely to look at, providing a sense of serenity. Those first crunchy footsteps in fresh snow are a thing of magic. Snow also brings a chill, and it brings ice (often unseen and underfoot). I don’t mind the stuff in small doses, but the novelty quickly wears off.

Marvel

There isn’t much more to say. On Wednesday I’ll be at work on my own, which I am not looking forward to. It’s growing hard to look forward to much, though the regular delights of Wandavision are providing a talking point. That guest appearance right at the end of Episode Five tees up all kinds of possibilities and discussions, especially when you consider how meta Marvel are. Friday nights have something going for them!

That’s it. That’s the Muse. I have a funny feeling the next one will look very similar.