Day 33 Sunday
Warm but rainy here today, so no bike ride this morning. However, some baking happening as Lady P has made line/lemon syrup muffins and I will make baklava later today. Howling southerly the past couple of days, starting around noon and keeping it up until dark. Maybe it's the sign of something dramatic about to happen.
Day 34 Monday
What a busy day today. I spent most of the morning writing lesson plans for teaching next week. This is a real challenge when you have to deliver lessons live but virtually via Zoom. I try and break the day down into segments so there is not too much screen time and then go for a short drive to get something such as petrol or a take away coffee. I do make sure though, that I shower, shave and dress in work clothes for the day. When I get a creative block or need a break, I may cook something. For example today, I decided to preserve some beautiful lemons we got at the market. And tomorrow I will probably smoke some red capsciums and preserve them in olive oil.

Day 35 Tuesday
I had one of my four JCU students contact me for some tutoring. She's doing second year B.Com and has to do a 1,500 word essay on statement of advice (financial) relating to her conceptual map. Now of course I know all about this but as her tutor, under the contract I can't tell her, just suggest how to answer, what language structures to use and possibly where to get (and cite) good information. I see that the states are starting to relax the Covid 19 restrictions. We can now have a picnic with two friends (didm't stop the bloody backpackers for the past four weeks) and we can travel up to 50kms for non essential reasons. I think the esing of restrictions is a good thing but for some people.. you give 'em an inch ... be interesting to look at the parks and beaches over the next few days.

Well, more later

In these times, when many of us are in lockdown, or at least confined in our socialising, or even retired, projects pop up or are imposed on us by thoughtful spouses and others. So, as Penny and I having been doing a lot of cooking and recipe reading, we have decided to produce a book and we have asked the family to provide recipes and food photos.

Our book will be called “Secrets of the Runcible Spoon.”As you would expect, it will be a recipe book. 

Day 32 ANZAC Day
Unlike many others in my street, I was up at 0530, into my suit and medal and out in my driveway at 0600 to play the full ANZAC service on my phone, courtesy of RSL Qld. There were a few of the suburban visitors parking their cars and getting ready for exercise. They ignored me even though you could clearly hear the Last Post.

Afterwards, we kitted up for a 11 km bike ride in search of a coffee and breakfast, which took us on a patrol to the south. Very few people in the 'hood, some dogs about and some Indigenous youths drinking beer, so all normal in the south. Finding our intended cafe closed, despite contary advice on their Facebook page, we rode down to the wharf and found Wharf 1 cafe not only open but a line up of middle aged cyclists waiting to be served by the lone waiter. A very average coffee and lousy egg benny roll, so back along the waterfront to home.

There seems to be a mood about. Something in the air. It is the prospect of the easing of restrictions. My tip is that those younger generation folk will go nuts and totally ignore any social distancing restrictions and if we had beaches here like Sydney, thet'd be all over each other like ants on honey. We shall see eh?

We logged onto the Queensland (or is it Brisbane?) Library site to access some foreign language movies. We have already seen a funny French movie, so today we watched a very good Italian movie. As it is a special day today, I broke the rule and had a Guinness with my meatloaf on biscuit for lunch and a little lie down after, so I will be good company for this evening's gin and tonic, to be taken at 1701 hrs.

Another difficult day of virtually teaching. It's hard when ou have 15 students and 13 blank screens because of their crap technology. Ah well, it's a paid gig.
We are making meat loaf for dinner tonight. That good old fashioned CWA type of meat loaf, with real meat I might say, not tinned mutton or spam. Food photos will follow.

Day 29 Wednesday

Teaching from home today and in future, for a couple of reasons. Main one being my boss at work went down with flu like symptoms on Monday night. "Nar worries mate, it's just the flu." I'll give you one guess what generation he is and no, he hasn't been tested. So two of the last three teachers using the school to deliver virtual lessons have pulled the pin. Teaching from home has its advantages. One being the coffee machine is only 10 steps away. However, I still maintain discipline. Up at 0600 to prep until 0930 first class. Making sure I am in uniform and showered and shaved. Limiting coffee to three a day.

Cairns hospital pathology department had a case of CV19, so they tested all pathology department staff and discovered thre of them, while never exhibiting symptoms, had virus antibodies. This indicates that they had it too. All personnel entering the hospital are now scanned and some checking will be carried out.

We have cancelled Hump Club tonight as there are some conflicting engagements. Also, I am a bit over the virtually connected experience.

Gado Gado and udang goring for dinner tonight. I may have an accompanying wine.

Day 27 Monday
My isolation sort of finished today. I have this week teaching as part of the Job Keeper program and some of us are going into the school to work virtually from empty classrooms. The reasoning is that we have all the photocopiers/scanners there as well as being close to the servers. There is also some social interaction and a change from the home environment.
Teaching 15 students who have a variety of IT equipment, most of which is either crap, in a poor reception area, Mac based or just old, makes for very challenging and slow delivery.

Now I have to plan the next couple of days, so this week the blog might have to be a weekly report, pre-gin time on a Friday

Day 26 Sunday

Twenty six days. Not far off a month of isolation. Well, it’s not as bad here in Qld as NSW and Vic with the ability to have two friends visit. However, when you go for a ride or walk, there is no bar open to have a refreshing beverage like we used to. Life is tough eh?

Last night’s virtual wine dinner was fun, with three locations and12 people. The internet connection and various IT skills (not sure ‘skill’ is all that accurate), makes it a bit tiresome. I think the conclusion of our team was that a webinar would be a better format, with specific food and wine presentations taking place at pre-determined times. People could then log in, hear the expert opinions and have a discussion, before returning to their dinner and wines. I’m sure if this goes on long enough, we will get it sorted. Here's a screen shot of us all in different locations and all appropriately socially distancing.

One of the positives was the food delivered by Ochre Restaurant. Beautifully prepared and delivered in pristine condition. Our menu was: Oysters natural and hot smoked Atlantic salmon with horseradish cream and Barossa Bark to match the House of Arras, Premium Cuvee Sparkling; then kangaroo spring rolls, Thai beef salad, chilli quail and compressed watermelon, tempura prawns and a range of native food sauces and pickles, to match a 2017 Stonier Reserve Chardonnay (gorgeous); Lamb rump and pork ribs for the main went beautifully with a M. Chapoutier 2017 Crozes Hermitage; the cheese selection matched the Campbell’s Bobby Burns 2017 Shiraz and an extra Petersen’s Hunter Valley Chardonnay for George and Roger helped digest the rich chocolate pudding with raspberries and cream.

Most of today has been taken up with lesson planning for my teaching on-line tomorrow, with the occasional break to give the eyes a rest from the screen. 

A patrol to the south picked up hardly any infringements of the isolation orders and no real need to make a phone call.

Day 25 Saturday

Most of the day today has been preparing for tonight’s la Chaine des Rotisseurs virtual wine dinner. A detailed report tomorrow.

Graeme won the trivia last night after a tie-breaker with the Phillips’ family. He correctly answered the question as to the dimension of the world’s largest natural pair of breasts - nipple to nipple.

I see in my Coronavirus readings, that NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has warned the state's young people that they are not immune to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister reported that overall trends in NSW have been positive, with the state seeing only ten new cases in the past 24 hours, where over 5100 tests have been conducted. But Mr Hazzard reminded the state's residents that 42 per cent of all cases contracted in NSW have been in people under the age of 40. I doubt they’d even register.

And how about this one.

For the first time in decades, crocodiles are crawling onto the beaches of La Ventanilla, Oaxaca, according to Mexico News Daily.

The emboldened reptiles have taken to the sandy shores usually occupied by tourists and local beachgoers who are now self-isolating in the wake of the COVID-19 health crisis.

The Mexican government ordered the beaches to be closed as they fight to contain the pandemic that has wreaked havoc north of its border.

And now that the crocodiles have returned to the shorelines, there is little doubt that the government will need to enforce its restrictions too frequently.

Off to virtual wine dinner now. More later.