Day 9 - Friday 27th March
Today is the day of the weekly shopping expedition so I spend some time planning menus and writing a highly aspirational shopping list for hubby, who is our designated hunter gatherer. This provides a welcome opportunity to read recipe books in my hammock in the sunshine. In between I do a larder stocktake and check my emails. Friday is check-in day for the trustees of the charity I co-chair - fortunately we all seem to be well - and there is some discussion about how we protect the organisation from the economic impacts of the crisis while continuing to serve its stakeholders and, of course, keep its staff safe. Its mission is connecting businesses and charities for mutual benefit, so it has a critical role to play locally.
It's my daughter's birthday next week and shopping online for gifts has to be completed today if they are to arrive in time. We've been looking for a way to celebrate with her remotely and as we are all fans of escape rooms we have found a couple of online options that might work. I'm pretty conversant with online work solutions but haven't quite caught up yet with online socialising through apps like House Party so will have to ask my son.
Today's webinar is from the Federation for Small Businesses on what support is available from the government. I really haven't worked out yet what this crisis means for me as a director of a small business also working as a self-employed person, both being run from home so this is really helpful. My consultancy pipeline has evaporated due to the crisis so it seems I can put myself on furlough and claim 80% of salary drawn through PAYE. That will certainly help, but furlough means no billable work so I will only be able to draw a salary while there is sufficient cash in the business to pay it.
Hubby's shopping excursion was surprisingly successful, he managed to get almost everything on the list. He was under strict instructions to visit only one supermarket to minimise the risk of exposure to CV-19, so this was a pleasant surprise. He reported shortages of pasta, rice and baking ingredients, including eggs, but canned goods are back in stock although limited to 3 per person which isn't much for things like tinned tomatoes which we use in almost every recipe. He's going to try to leave the house only once a week, so by next Friday we might be restricted in our choices, but for now we're well provisioned and tonight I can cook pretty much anything I like.
I was supposed to be at a gin tasting tonight so we endeavour to make it happen online instead. Of the original group only my daughter and I can make it, but we connect on Skype and enjoy a G&T and a chat. I manage a brief call with my bestie who is working late and we agree to have a G&T together later in the weekend. I'm a bit late starting dinner and attempting a veggie moussaka I haven't cooked before, so we eat late but I really enjoy the Greek salad having been short of fresh salad for a while.
Today I am grateful for the amazing local businesses who have transformed their business models to provide home delivery of fresh produce.
It's my daughter's birthday next week and shopping online for gifts has to be completed today if they are to arrive in time. We've been looking for a way to celebrate with her remotely and as we are all fans of escape rooms we have found a couple of online options that might work. I'm pretty conversant with online work solutions but haven't quite caught up yet with online socialising through apps like House Party so will have to ask my son.
Today's webinar is from the Federation for Small Businesses on what support is available from the government. I really haven't worked out yet what this crisis means for me as a director of a small business also working as a self-employed person, both being run from home so this is really helpful. My consultancy pipeline has evaporated due to the crisis so it seems I can put myself on furlough and claim 80% of salary drawn through PAYE. That will certainly help, but furlough means no billable work so I will only be able to draw a salary while there is sufficient cash in the business to pay it.
Hubby's shopping excursion was surprisingly successful, he managed to get almost everything on the list. He was under strict instructions to visit only one supermarket to minimise the risk of exposure to CV-19, so this was a pleasant surprise. He reported shortages of pasta, rice and baking ingredients, including eggs, but canned goods are back in stock although limited to 3 per person which isn't much for things like tinned tomatoes which we use in almost every recipe. He's going to try to leave the house only once a week, so by next Friday we might be restricted in our choices, but for now we're well provisioned and tonight I can cook pretty much anything I like.
I was supposed to be at a gin tasting tonight so we endeavour to make it happen online instead. Of the original group only my daughter and I can make it, but we connect on Skype and enjoy a G&T and a chat. I manage a brief call with my bestie who is working late and we agree to have a G&T together later in the weekend. I'm a bit late starting dinner and attempting a veggie moussaka I haven't cooked before, so we eat late but I really enjoy the Greek salad having been short of fresh salad for a while.
Today I am grateful for the amazing local businesses who have transformed their business models to provide home delivery of fresh produce.
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