Soul food.

Saturday. I got up around midday. I fell asleep while on Zoom so I guess they would have had to mute my snoring. It was the last Electric Happy Hour for some months as Machine Head are going on tour. As a result, our Zoom session was well attended. My Musical Compadre joined me to watch the show. It’s great to share it with someone who gets it.

I spent most of today going through my finances with a fine toothed comb. Same as always. More than anything it’s my debts that are the problem. Time to kill all the cards and get on with sorting them all out. It’ll be a mission but with the coming recession I can’t carry on living like this. It’s been two and a half years since My Lady died and I’m still barely in control of my finances. I will be soon however. It’s been really hard though. The anxiety that rises whenever I think about it gets so bad sometimes, it actually prevents me from doing the one thing that would make me feel better. Sorting it out.

Sunday. I’m at the Ding vaccination centre today. It’s dead. I’ve been told that numbers will pick up by the end of this month with it back to mass vaccination numbers by September. That’ll be bloody handy. What I wouldn’t give to only have a day job though. Much as I love the vaccination work, I’ve come to love having a full weekend off just as much. I can get so much more done. There is so much that needs to be done too. Repairs for one. The garden is horrible. The dry weather is killing everything. A hose pipe ban comes into effect in a few days so I’m going to give the lot a good drenching beforehand. Probably tonight after it cools down.

It’s always the same when I do a shift at the vaccination centre. I don’t have to be here long before I remember how much I love the job. I’ve probably said this countless times, but the people I have worked with in the vaccination program are all lovely. Every single one of them. It’s the best soul food after my music. If only I could keep some of them. Trouble is, the nature of the job is that people are never on the same shift all the time. Also, the team is made up of people from all over the place. Some disappear never to be seen again.

So it’s nearing the end of my shift. Despite the low numbers, today has gone quite quickly. We finish earlier these days. We used to open til 8pm but now it’s 6pm and chances are we will be allowed to go home around five. The lovely management often let us sign out for the original time too so we don’t lose more pay.

Sure enough, we were allowed to leave around five and let us sign out for six. Where else would you get to do that when you’re working for an agency? I took my time driving home. The Sun was still blazing and I had chilled deep house playing in the car. I’m always very contemplative on the drive home from the vaccination centre, I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s night and day from everything else in my life. Surrounded by beautiful souls, their only concern, the health, happiness and welfare of others. My friends are beautiful souls too, but my vaccination colleagues have a completely different vibe from anyone I know.

So it’s half seven and I’ve been home for some time. My Princeling is out so I’m enjoying the peace and quiet. I often need quiet solitude, and it’s become somewhat rare these days. My morning routine before work is in total silence. Originally because I didn’t want to wake up my Princeling but now it’s also because I simply enjoy the silence. (Cue chorus from the Depeche Mode song.)

I’m not entirely sure what to do for the rest of the evening other than to call work husband and do my nails. I’m not allowed to wear nail varnish in the clinical areas of the vaccination centre. It’s been strange having “normal” nails today.

I ended up going to bed early in a shitty mood. The backlash from all the good vibes is it puts my life into stark contrast. It sucks…