If you'd asked me how I'd most like to spend my 30th birthday, I'd have said something like this:
- The day off work;
- Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon for breakfast;
- A walk round the London wetlands with my camera;
- Pick up either takeaway mac'n'cheese or KFC for lunch on my way home;
- Spend the afternoon messing about on my website, playing video games, or just relaxing;
- Then, once Alison was home, either head out to a real ale pub for a few pints with friends, or Indian takeaway and a movie.
So, basically, the same thing I wanted to do on my 29th. And my 28th. And my 27th... you get the idea, I'm a simple man. Luckily, for the most part, being quarantined due to a global pandemic doesn't really impact that list. I had hoped the wetlands would stay open, given it's an outdoor space, but unfortunately Saturday was the last day the public could go in, so that was off the programme. As was the pub with friends part... sort of. But the rest?
I already had the day booked off, but with Alison working from home she decided to take the morning off too. Our original plan had been to go early through to the B Bagel Bakery in Chelsea for that most delicious of breakfasts, but instead we had a lie in and had the bagels delivered to us. Ah, the wonders of Deliveroo and Just Eat! Also, to make life simpler, we bought extra bagels and had those for lunch as well. Delicious 🤤
As we waited for the bagels to arrive, I opened a few presents. Understandably, I recieved a lot of vouchers for when the world was behaving a bit more normally, so there's lots to look forward to. For right now, though, my parents got us a subscription to Disney+, which means sudden access to the entire Pixar, Disney Classic, Marvel, and Star Wars movie/TV catalogues - so that was the evening film sorted!
Except, Alison had another trick up her sleeve (along with an incredible assortment of homemade treats: white chocolate macademia passionfruit chunks; sloe gin truffles; and Baileys cheescake pots!). She'd arranged for a couple of nearby friends, Tom and JK, to have an Indian and a couple of beers "with us" via Skype. So, once the bagels were polished off and Alison was back at work, I spent my afternoon pottering about on the PC, before ordering the best curry we've found in South West London and having a catchup with friends remotely.
What an excellent way to start a new decade 🥳
