It finally happened. I got out of bed, had a shower, got dressed and then realised I had absolutely no reason to do any of those things. We’re not supposed to leave the house and Hayley had offered to bring my breakfast up to my room – why did I even bother to get up? Then, out of nowhere, a lightbulb appeared above my rather large head. TikTok! It was finally time to give in to the app that has destroyed any remaining shred of dignity I was clinging on to. I had been watching Sian’s quarantine TikToks so I was hoping I could follow in her footsteps and also become that… talented? There I was, sitting next to my Mum explaining what she needed to do and why it would be utterly hilarious (a slight exaggeration perhaps). After some persuasion, she relented and my latest monstrosity was born. I can’t say I’m proud of it and it’s nowhere near as majestic as Sian’s masterpieces, but at least it kept me occupied for ten minutes and hopefully gave you a little chuckle. 

I was speaking to Lewis earlier and he mentioned how glad he was that we managed to make it to the Cheltenham Festival considering the situation and I agreed wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, this got me thinking – who knows how long this could go on for and what else could be cancelled? It’s all well and good complaining that I’ve been without horse racing for a few days but if I can’t go to Royal Ascot because of this virus I will be seriously annoyed. How am I supposed to stay sane if I’m unable to pretend I’m not working class scum at least once every few months? I’ve also got a two week all inclusive holiday booked to the Dominican Republic with Sam and his family in July. I cannot even begin to explain how distraught I’ll be if I’m deprived of the opportunity to ogle Morris in his budgie smugglers for two weeks. For me, and for a lot of others too, it still hasn’t quite become apparent just how much life has changed, and will continue to change, because of this virus. 

Tonight I cooked steak for dinner for the first time ever. Obviously I don’t like to toot my own horn but I’ve become rather a good cook over the past few years, largely thanks to my friend Oliver, who has been teaching me whilst I’ve been at University. I think the reason I enjoy cooking is because it allows you to forget everything else going on for a short while and just focus on what you’re going to do with the ingredients you’ve got in front of you. It’s also very satisfying to eat a meal that you’ve shopped for, prepared and cooked yourself. It may only be a little thing but all the little things add up and I like to think Hayals appreciates it now I’ve moved home, even if she does keep getting in my way when I’m trying to slice the fucking potatoes. 

Earlier today I saw #ClapForNHS on Twitter. I had no idea what it meant so I read a few tweets and apparently people were meant to clap on their doorsteps at 8pm to show NHS workers how grateful we are for their service. I don’t hide the fact that I’m a rather old fashioned cynic so I declined to take part when Hayley asked me as I’d rather show my appreciation in my own way. Nevertheless, when it actually came to 8 o’clock, there was actually something quite inspiring about the whole affair. With the front door open I could hear people clapping & cheering, passing cars were even beeping their horns. Not only did it fill me with a peculiar but pleasantly reassuring feeling, there was also something quite surreal about it – from just a few posts being shared on social media, people had come together to celebrate our health workers in this amusing yet uniquely British way. Despite my cynicism, it’s hard to deny that this virus has instilled a sense of community & solidarity upon us and it was nice to be reminded of this whilst I watched my darling Mother show her appreciation. 

Elia, if it turns out you do actually have coronavirus, I will be praying for your quick recovery. I’m pretty sure god still owes me a favour. Stay safe.