One foot in front of the other

[dolorosa_12]

I've been feeling pretty blah all weekend. I suspect it's because of the (premature) relaxing of the lockdown (honestly, any government slogan that requires the immediate publication of clarifying footnotes is insufficiently clear), and impending (online) meetings next week to discuss our eventual return to work in the library/offices.

As a result, my weekend plans, which looked like:

Weed garden

Finish stressful administrative task

Write long review blog post about Black Sails

Thoroughly declutter clothing drawers and wardrobe

Read

ended up being more like:

Scroll idly through social media for hours

Flip through new Sami Tamimi cookbook

Drink wine

Sleep

I did at least manage the stressful administrative task, but other than that it has been a weekend of drastically lowered expectations. I finished one book and am contemplating doing a Pagan Chronicles reread, since I don't have the mental energy to start something new. My two favourite Kidrouks, and the overwhelmed people who love them might be just what I need to cut through my current feelings of fogginess.

Other than that Matthias and I finished off the third season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and (re)watched Strictly Ballroom, which ... has not aged well in some regards, but is still the cheesy love letter to daggy Australian suburbia that I remember.

Tonight we will probably finish off the latest show in our Netflix backlog, Freud, a ridiculous German-language series set in nineteenth-century Vienna, in which the eponymous psychotherapist finds himself solving mysteries with the Viennese police, and caught up in political machinations that involve Hungarian aristocrats and occultists, hypnotised mediums, grisly murders, and the upper echelons of the Austrian army. I love it to bits: to my mind it's like a mashup of Vienna Blood and Penny Dreadful, with the worst parts removed and only the best elements remaining. It's definitely been one of my TV highlights of the year so far.

Right now it's pouring with rain, so I think I will curl up with a cup of tea and the first Pagan Chronicles book, and try to salvage my mood for what is left of the weekend.

Comments

[naye]

Good wishes re: the work situation in these times. I hate your government and I'm so sorry you're having to deal with them now, in this.

And I have massive sympathies for the whole expectation vs reality of the weekend. I've ended up doing way more dozing on the sofa and way less anything else than I was hoping. Words - reading, writing, engaging with - are being so hard?

[dolorosa_12]

They're just awful, and it's so obvious that every decision they've made (including the decision to lock down in the first place) was made on the basis of popular sentiment rather than public health. I mean, obviously they were right to impose a lockdown, but they didn't do so for the right reasons, which is why they're lifting it before it's safe to do so.

Sorry to hear that you've had a blah weekend as well — it's so hard when you go in with good intentions and high expectations, and then find yourself too tired to fulfill them. I hope you've had a good rest, at least.

[geckoholic]

I hope you'll feel better and find yourself in a better mood soon!

Huh, I hadn't pegged Freud to actually be good, tbh, maybe I ought to move it up my to-watch-list. XD

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

I really enjoyed Freud. I think if you liked Penny Dreadful (and like melodramatic 19th-century mysticism+politics in your fiction) you'll probably enjoy it.

[geckoholic]

I mean, I do enjoy that, and I really liked Penny Dreadful (except the ending; did anyone actually like the ending?) so hey, maybe I'll give it a go! Thanks.

[lirazel]

It's amazing how hard it is to get stuff done right now.

I would never have even though to watch a show called Freud, but I looooove fin de siècle Vienna so I am checking out both it and Vienna Blood (which I also hadn't heard of) immediately!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[dolorosa_12]

To be honest I've generally found myself to be more productive during the lockdown than when things were 'normal', but I know that's not the case for a lot of people. Perhaps that's why this week has hit me so hard — my fear about the impending lifting of the lockdown made me lethergic and unfocused.

I hadn't heard of Freud, but then I saw a German friend posting about it on Facebook, and it sounded like my kind of thing (and even more my husband's kind of thing; he loves melodramatic fantasy shows set during the nineteenth century and making use of spiritualist tropes of the era). Vienna Blood is more of a conventional case-of-the-week procedural show, whereas Freud has a longer arc, but both of them feature Freudian psychotherapists (I mean, Freud obviously features the actual Freud, whereas Vienna Blood has a young therapist who wants to follow Freud's teachings) working with more straightlaced Viennese police officers. I think Freud is better than Vienna Blood.

[lirazel]

Yeah, I haven't heard a lot of people talk about not looking forward to the lifting, but it's definitely a thing quite a few of us are feeling.

he loves melodramatic fantasy shows set during the nineteenth century and making use of spiritualist tropes of the era

Me too! Thank you for the recommendations!

[merit]

My mouth turns to ashes at the thought of complimenting a Coalition govt, but yeah, at least the road map was released when cases were <25 a day (never mind four figures!).

I hope you're able to continue working from home. We're only beginning to talk about that too, but it dependent on schools going back as well.

Freud sounds like an absolute adventure of a show. A joyful mess! Thanks for the rec, because I haven't heard of the show before.

[dolorosa_12]

It looks as if I will be working from home for at least another two months, based on the immediate rush to clarify what was announced on Sunday night.

The problem now is twofold — fuzzy and mixed messaging (e.g. ministers stating that people can now go and meet up to two other people in outdoor areas, then different ministers saying that's not the case, different rules for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but everyone still having the ability to drive freely between all four countries), and changes which are drastically unequal. For example, it was announced last night that everyone who can't work from home (and who is currently furloughed and being compensated by the government) should immediately go back to work — but not use public transport, and with no plan announced for children to return to school or childcare. This led to a situation where trains in London were packed with construction and retail workers forced back to work, but with no guidelines in place for their safety. And yet of course middle class office workers (such as me) are still safely ensconced at home.

It's a complete debacle. The media and devolved/local leaders have to constantly clarify that Johnson is speaking only for England, and not for London or any large cities, etc, etc.

Freud is fantastic, and I highly recommend it.