Locked down with my Ukulele 41

These are strange times and I’ve had to get my car serviced.

It’s not a big deal but I arranged it when we were in tier 2 (or was it 3). I was going to go to family and have a cuppa. Now I’m not allowed.

I might have mentioned before, I hate the cold. If I could do my job and earn enough to live in comfort, I’d much rather live in a warmer climate. I also may have mentioned that I’m useless at languages. This seriously impedes and limits my options.

I did learn British Sign Language (BSL), although the way I did it was more sign and say, your supposed to change the syntax but my brain couldn’t handle the switch. I was told I was entertaining but when a deaf person signed to me that my signing was awful. The deaf can be quite direct and he told me this with an angry face. I thought it was time to call it a day. My signing is better suited to radio.

So I took the car to the garage and left the key in a plastic bag held in front of the plastic screen (that screen seems to be part of life now). I found I had between two and three hours to burn.

I had a couple of things to do in the main town centre so I took a deep breath and then realised it was freezing. I had been prepared and had a few layers on. Then came the dilemma. I needed to go inside a couple of shops. If I kept moving outside I was reasonably comfortable, but if I was inside a shop, particularly wearing a mask, I got unbearably hot. I didn’t fancy the prospect of dressing again if I started unpeeling layers. It’s getting them to lay correctly, otherwise your left trying to wriggle a single layer straight, then you disrupt the other three and your then into an uncomfortable twist.

In this sort of weather I’d like to be in a soft fleece onesie to be totally covered in soft warm cloth. I envy children that can still get into a flannelette baby grow. Although as a child I wasn’t as bothered about the cold. I seem to remember spending most of the year, summer or winter in shorts. I was reminded of this when a couple of boys passed me at the entrance of the local community gardens. They where obviously trying out their latest presents. A boy of about seven, on a shiny red bike. His younger brother excitedly following, with a scooter. Both were in shorts but they were so excited to be trying out their new toys. The looks on their faces really made me smile.

I wonder when feeling the cold became a thing for me. I hadn’t noticed so much when it started to be “a thing”. I found that the layers work best. What I do find annoying is that I have what look like perfectly good gloves but have worn away from the inside at the finger tips. So the ends of my fingers are cold. I suppose there is a good argument for mittens there. I wonder if I should run a string up and down the arms of my coat, across my back and have a mitten on each end.

I had made sure there were no gaps anywhere in my clothing, especially the midriff. I really don’t like cold kidneys. I looked around and it didn’t seem to be a problem for others out in the cold. Ankle to shin joins, scarf less necks, the occasional bare strip of back, and ripped jeans. Another enigma I have contemplated.

When dressing and have had a hole in my jeans (usually the knees and usually unintentional) my toe gets caught in the rip and I’m stuck bouncing around the room on one leg. Until I can either loosen my toe or I propel headlong into whatever is directly in front of me at the time. I can only hope its something soft. Having noticed one of my students with the now fashionable rips in his trousers. I asked if there was a flesh coloured material behind the rip to stop the toe catching occurrence. He informed me that “said jeans” are now bought with intentional holed rips. The occurrence is a frequent reality. He suffers risk of injury for looking good. I offered no opinion as to if his objective was achieved.

Cold

I could have chosen Frozen for this one but I think this song by James Blunt suits better. Especially, if you view the video. I got cold just watching it.

The song is the follow up to “Your Beautiful” which was released 14 years earlier. In the video to “Your Beautiful” Blunt gradually disrobes and jumps off a cliff into the sea. In reference to this we start with James in the sea. He climbs up a hill and a cliff picking up discarded items of clothing from the items he discarded in the “Your Beautiful” video. Apparently the shots of the cliff climb are James as no stuntmen were used in the shoot.

He married in 2014 and the song is written to show appreciation that his wife is left at home with the children for extended periods of time while he is on tour. When the song talks about “oceans between us” he really is an ocean apart. The song was released in September 2019.

The press release says the video was filmed on the Isle of Skye but I have read that it was filmed in North Wales. Either way I wouldn’t have done it. However brooding it might be. I’d have never got up the cliff. AND! It looks bloomin’ freezing.

Stay safe