This is a challenging read, that slowly brings me around to a position I never thought I’d hold: We Need A Massive Surveillance Program)
This morning: teacher Now: cook Afternoon: back to working Evening: 🥃
Repeat for an indefinite number of weeks.
Perfect timing for the quasi-lockdown: Disney+ is live in the uk
Tuesday
Yesterday was a good day. After a bleak start to the morning, I managed to find my mojo and buckle down to work. And there was good work news - one client was happy to switch to an online version of the workshop I’d been planning for them, and I had constructive discussions with a small team of fellow trainers who may be delivering a project collectively.
I still hope that the government do something for the self-employed - but I’m beginning to hope that I might not need to take advantage of it.
Home-schooling is going pretty well. The girls are excited and having fun, so we’re riding on the crest of that wave for as long as we can - hopefully it will carry us through to the Easter holidays. We are lucky enough to have a small garden, so they can run around outside in their breaks - and the weather has been conducive to that. Goodness knows what this is all going to feel like in 5 weeks on a rainy Wednesday, but for now Team Tinworth is enjoying itself.
I had an extended session with the girls teaching them some of the features of their iPads beyond playing games. That went well - but I was slightly disappointed to discover that my eldest didn’t know what a programmer or programming was. Something to work on.
The quasi-lockdown announcement last night wasn’t a surprise - and we’d already been living like that since the schools closed. We can still do our daily beach walk, thankfully, as long as we maintain social distancing. That’s reassuring.
Day four in the house — and it’s going well so far.
There are times when I think one of the fastest ways to stop coronavirus misinformation spreading would be to shut down Medium.
A quick history of technology lesson - now the girls understand why the return key is called the return key.
Computing lessons with Mr Tinworth. The pupils are learning that there’s more to iPads than games.
Currently staring at a newly-arrived “while you were out" card from a delivery company.
I mean, WTF?
Monday
I do find myself wondering about the long-term mental health implications of this crisis. We’re making massive changes to our lifestyles and economies to keep many of our most vulnerable alive. And that’s the right things to do.
But the consequences of that decision will be with us for years to come - long after (hopefully) a vaccine has been found, and the restrictions end.
For example, as a self-employed worker, the abrupt closure of my work pipeline, along with the government proving support for all categories of worker apart from us, is having a corrosive effect on my self-confidence. While it’s not their intention, I’m sure - it sends an unintentional message that “you lot don’t matter”. Couple that with abrupt cancellations and work conversations going silent - it’s brutal.
Isolation and lack of reinforcement is part and parcel of being self-employed. And most of the time I can handle it. But right now, it’s taking every bit of willpower I have left.
I’m up. I’m dressed. I’m working, doing my best to keep the clients I have left, and figuring new things I can offer that people might want to pay for at a time like this.
This afternoon I’ll swap in with my wife and be home school tutor for my kids.
The only way is forward.
Well played, Beach Deli. Well played.
Highly socially distanced beach walk. Hoping the idiots who are carrying on as normal don’t take that from us as well.
A Tory rebellion for the self-employed?
There is a growing Tory backbench rebellion on the lack of measures aimed at self-employed people. MPs expect Sunak to have to “go further” once again next week to protect the self-employed.
Good. Because we really have been hung out to dry so far.
That’s one way of social distancing.
Doing Brownies at home.
Not one of my better timed recent purchases…
“Does anybody remember the old days, the days before, when we used to have coffee shops and pubs, and people used to go to work in offices?”
“Stop being weird, Dad.”
Looks like the whiteboard has arrived - ready to start delivering courses remotely.
Look, I know the world doesn’t need more “how to work from home" pieces. But I wrote mine anyway, because, unlike most people who have been writing them, I’ve actually being doing it for eight years…
And I mean it about the clothes and plants.
Every gamer who is now working from home and video conferencing is feeling very smug about their microphone quality…
Just saw my daughters off to school for the last time for the foreseeable future. Homeschooling from Monday.
Strange times.
At this difficult time, I would like to reassure everybody that, for the sake of the nation’s — nay, the world’s — morale, I will NOT be participating in any viral singing memes.
Thank you, and good luck.
All respect to the Debenhams marketing team for giving it everything they’ve got in this moment…
‘Conan’ To Air New Shows Beginning March 30 – shot in his iPhone:
”The new shows will be shot remotely on an iPhone, without an audience and with guest interviews being filmed via video chat, according to the network. O’Brien’s production staff will remain working from home.”
Has anyone seen any reporting on how the anti-vaxxer communities are reacting to the pandemic?
So, I’d like to apologise for wishing to spend more time with my family, whilst holding the monkey paw.
My bad, everyone.