It's been a truly dystopian year, I realised that the 'novel coronavirus' wasn't going to stay something that only affected foreign people far away. I've had to confront my fears of society collapsing in a way that makes my early 80s fear of nuclear war seem like a fucking picnic. I've toiled away at my remote working table in the front room in callous spring sunshine, summer heat and winter chill. I might never work back at base again before I retire. And yet there are still cunts talking about 'dying with COVID' and pretending it's all a hoax.

Charles in Survivors was accused of finding that life after the plague suited him just fine. And there are many things I've enjoyed about this one. I like my own company and I like not having to go in to work.

0600 0/8 very low cloud Moon-through
HEAVY FROST
-2°C
->Some sun
Cold

'Major incident' declared in Weffolk re coronavirus. Rates in Benfield and Bragston are 3x the level here!

0400 0/8 As Moon halo FROST
-><8
Some sun
Cold

Miserable dark cold winter day, but dry at least.

8 S
Dark
Same all day
Colc
200 0 Moon

BANK HOLIDAY.

0100 0 Moon FROST
0400 8
LIGHT RAIN?
0700 ~4
->Sun

Must've been quite windy last night, because all the empty bins at the end of the garden had blown over.

Went out about 12.30 - the weather was clearing rapidly and I felt a lot better for the exercise. By the time I came back it was a fine sunny day with shower clouds, ideal for a post-Christmas walk.

0800 8 Dark
1030 Clearing
1130 Sun
1230 4 large Cu
Some virgae

BOXING DAY.

8 S/Sc all day
Cold
2200 WINDY

CHRISTMAS DAY. Am waiting for 4pm Zoom with parents.This is, as I said, the first Christmas I've ever spent on my own, but it's been surprisingly good fun so far.

Typically 4 Ci Sun
Cold

CHRISTMAS EVE. Remembered last Christmas Eve that chat with A about how he'd been turned down to work 100% remote. I bet that position won't have survived the events in 2020.

Picked up Little Women after lunch to look at the opening quote, ended up reading for an hour, beyond the pickled limes episode.

0600 8 Cold
->
0900 Some sun
1400 HEAVY SHOWER
~1900 SHOWER

8
Brighter at times

Moon overnight
0700 HEAVY FROST
Very cold->≤8 Sun

Was up extra early, as I wanted to call at the Tesco Express when it opened at 7. Turned out my timing was excellent, because the new variant virus led to France closing its border, and the lorries - which had already been queuing into Dover because of Brexit stockpiling - tailed back for miles and made everyone panic-buy again.

Wasn't just France either, loads of other countries round the world have cut Britain off. The UK seems to be on fire and drifting towards a waterfall.

0500 8 RAIN
0900 Heavy
--> stops
INTERMITTENT RAIN later

Ironically parents turned up unasked in the afternoon with my presents. They shouldn't've left a Tier 4 area really, but since they were at the door I brought out their presents.

Into town for hurried 1-person Christmas dinner ingredients. The only turkey that would keep was turkey burgers, so got those and an individual pud.

Another good view of the conjunction about 4.30. Closer together than yesterday, about ¼ Moon-width (7').
NB altitude 12°, visible over opposite houses from downstairs.

Early SHOWERS
->Sun
Cold

Jupiter-Saturn conjunction being talked about, but it's very low down, and on my worst horizon (SW).
(4.55pm). Just seen it - Saturn about 15' from Jupiter, at about half-past ten from it. New Moon away to the S.

New rules were announced re coronavirus at 5pm that make it seem irresponsible to go to my parents' as planned. It'll be the first Christmas I spend by myself. Two pluses though, firstly it'll be good practice for when I'm very old, secondly I'll be able to drink all the Montrachet myself. 'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents'.

0700 8 dark '9p' Sc
INTERMITTENT RAIN
1200 SHARP SHOWER
Sun ever-decreasing cloud
1800 RAIN

0700 ≤8
Bright cracks
Breezy S
1200 RAIN

~2 Sun
Cold

0630 Some *
->much sun
>=1500 Cloudier

Got another 15 boxes down from the loft. My JK Rowling books had all curled up. Almost as if they'd shrivelled from within.

0630 *
->0 Sun

0500 RAIN
0630 *
->0 Sun
1700 RAIN

0700 8 Calm
0930 RAIN
Breezy
1400 Bright

In the evening felt a bit cold and bleak. I really do need to get out of this house. I think I'll feel better when I've emptied the loft.

0700 8
1000 RAIN
1700 cont

Another rainy morning.

0400 RAIN
0800 stops
1300 Some sun
1400 8

A cold grey day with a cold grey East Coast wind.

8 dark 'wet' S

0300 RAIN
~1030 stops
Some sun later

Thick fog in the morning.

0600 SKY OBSCURED FOG
--->
1200 8
1500 MIST

0700 8
->1100 0 Sun

<8 Bright cracks
->Occasional sun
0915 SHOWER

Yesterday's rain carried on all night, so I was surprised to glance out of the kitchen window about 5am and see snow lying. It snowed too, into the morning, before turning to rain.

Made another loaf with beer yeast - let the yeast work for a while in the warm water before adding it, and it came out perfect - certainly better shaped than any loaf I ever made with the bread yeast.

Surprised to glance at barometers and see them very low in the afternoon, 978 mb.

(RAIN cont)
0500 ½" SNOW lying.
SNOW ---> RAIN
stops
1330 Sun-break
1400 978mb

Walked through the park to the storage place in the drizzle.

0700 8 dark S
0930 RAIN
1600 cont
Breezy
(RAIN cont)

Busy day of remote work and putting up the decorations - latter as break from former. Was surprised how quickly I got the tree dressed 4 baubles at a time.

0600 0 FROST
->Sun
-->Clouding
1730 DRIZZLE

To the doctor's for flu vaccination, which was administered in the car park! Good to see that the NHS can get it together to do vaccinations in a way that won't spread coronavirus.

Was glad of my foresight in wearing a top with push-uppable sleeves! Imagine having to take something off over my head in the open! Suppose they had a screen somewhere for that.

At least I didn't have to wait. I was the only patient in sight.

0700 Sun FROST
--->cloudier