We are well into August! Somehow, we have arrived at the heart of the British summer, but are we in one piece?!

The answer is yes, more or less. The initial experience of the end of July/start of August was one of feeling tired, something I put down to the second covid jab. I didn’t feel especially ill, just very tired, though I think the jab set off some odd (and in some cases deeply emotional) dreams. Some of the dreams didn’t make a lot of sense and others were so weird that I can’t bring myself to talk about them now. I’m disappointed to say that the second jab hasn’t produced superpowers or given me built-in 5G.

Anti-Vax and Anti-Mask Lunacy

The hysteria whipped up by elements of the conservative right over vaccines and masks continues. They don’t want to live through a fearful narrative, yet some – especially the American ones – won’t walk into a supermarket without a gun on their belt. The irony of this ‘situation’ is lost on conservatives, but it is not lost on me.

The measures put into place to control the spread of the virus and to neutralise it work. You need only to look at the freely available data to see the facts. The vaccination itself is administered within a matter of minutes and you might feel a bit groggy for a few days and that’s it. Masks are annoying but not life-changing. Both masks and vaccines are a means of protecting not only yourself but others. For some, this idea, this concept of compassion, is completely alien.

Let’s also be pragmatic. If you don’t want another lockdown, if you resent having to curtail your normal activities, if you want to return to a pre-covid life, get the jab. Wear a mask. Respect social distancing measures and for crying out loud, wash and sanitise your hands! None of these things are arduous, difficult tasks. Doing them will give you back your regular life. Why would you not do them?!

The only excuse here is if you have health issues that prevent you from getting vaccinated or wearing a mask. In those circumstances you should be clamouring for those who can be vaccinated to get the jab, for it will help protect you.

‘Requiring masks or vaccine passports is a sign of tyranny’.

No, just no. Many of the rules around vaccine passports are the wishes of privately-owned enterprises, who desire such things before employees come back to work. It’s good that this idea is backed by governments, and it’s only right that measures are taken to protect people who would otherwise have to shield. A vaccine passport is, like the other pandemic measures, a form of defence against the spread of the virus, and it will not dramatically affect your life.

Dreaming in Technicolor

Last Thursday we had a family day to London, and we enjoyed an experience that’s best described as ‘rare’, in current circumstances. To begin, we ended up with an unplanned walk from Fenchurch Street to Bank station, taking a slightly unique route that brought to us the sights of the Tower of London, and a few other sights as well.

Whilst the Tower of London is hundreds of years old, right outside Tower Hill station is a Roman wall. This wall predates even the earliest portions of the Tower by hundreds of years, reflecting the history of London and the changes and advances made over that time. To see this wall is to see history itself.

We bore witness to something else, something I didn’t know even existed until the trip. There is a memorial to the sailors of Britain’s Merchant Navy, and the thousands who perished during World War II. It was a haunting place, as these locations often are.

Along the way to the station we needed, we also saw a very old Church…

… the oldest in the area.

We also saw some fairly unusual stuff that, in the end, isn’t that unusual for London.

In the end, we had a purpose for our trip to London. After a brief detour to the huge and impressive sci-fi shop Forbidden Planet, we ended up at the The London Palladium, a theatre on Argyll Street. The reason?

My wife and I saw this back in… I want to say 2007, back when Lee Mead played Joseph. This version naturally has all of the same songs and the same story, but it’s certainly been adjusted, with a new stage design and a new cast. Among the cast was Jason Donovan, aka Joseph many many years ago, though this time he played the Pharaoh. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is not my preferred form of theatrical entertainment, but to be at any theatre right now feels like a minor miracle, and standing at the end to applaud and clap and even dance a little was a welcome release!

I also have to admit that some of the dancers were extremely beautiful…

The Weather

The weather has been pretty dismal throughout the summer. I don’t know what’s happened but a sustained spell of summer sun seems beyond Britain. My frustration with this trend has infiltrated my dreams. I yearn for something I cannot control, but I can celebrate the small wins…

Seven Years

Meerkat Musings turned seven on the 6th of August! I have to admit that the moment passed me by – being preoccupied with writing and book promotion drew my attention away from this little milestone. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing this for so long, but there ya go!

Speaking of anniversaries, The Awakening has been out for over a year, though the 2nd Edition has only been out for a short while. I am unable to go into specifics, but the book is being pulled from all places where I’ve self-published. That doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned this project. Far from it.

In the mean time I’ve been working on something else. That something else has seen me write nearly 12,000 words so far, and no, it’s not related to The Awakening.

Wrapping Up

There isn’t really a lot more to say in this Muse. I can’t say there’s been a huge amount going on. Between time off work and the weather, there’s not a whole lot of activity.