Day 8: Hippos, Ravioli and No Mona Lisa

Friday, Day 8 of 21.

I didn’t feel much like coffee mug traveling this morning. I woke up with a jolt and started working seconds after I opened my eyes. I only had my wake-up-warm-beverage an hour and a half after I woke up. This morning it was a Red Velvet Latte from Woolies. It has beetroot in it. Delicious!

Given that it’s Friday, I went to the spare room cupboard where all my mugs are stashed and looked for a specific one. I don’t remember who gave me this mug (I think it may have been Elizabeth), but it totally summed up my mood. I feel like a hippopotamus. I also feel like a bath. I probably look like Hyacinth the Hippo in the tub. Maybe that’s why I prefer candlelit baths?

I did some work today, but admittedly not as much as I probably should have. The untimely wake-up call left me with a slight headache, so I opted for low impact work today. It’s what I do at the office too. When I feel the way I do at work, I normally nap during lunch in my car. Sometimes it helps. Other times I’m not so lucky. I didn’t nap today. Instead I cleaned and made myself a delectable dinner.

Slow cooked beef ravioli, served with a homemade spicy butter sauce, a small salad, and a hotdog roll that I flat toasted in the George Foreman. I eat my eggs on toast with jam, so there is never margarine, nor butter in my house. Every time we eat out and there are rolls, I bring the butter that’s left home. It’s perfect for recipes like this sauce.

There was also wine. Yes, yes, I know, headache and wine… not the best combination, but at least I will be able to sleep deeply tonight, and not have to wake up with an alarm clock tomorrow.

There is a motion going around for communities all over South Africa to braai in their driveways or gardens tomorrow, safely distanced from the neighbours. Nikita put it on our work WhatsApp group. I won’t be partaking in the braai side of things because A: Lately my pyrotechnic skills leave a lot to be desired, and B: Even if I could make a fire, I have no wood nor charcoal. Oh, and no braaiable meat. My mini freezer is full of crumbed fish, crumbed chicken, soup and dare I say it, ravioli. I will however partake in something to drink and share a photo with them. It won’t be wine; probably a flavoured coffee or a glass of carrot juice.

The plan tomorrow is to have a quick video call with Eliza. She wanted to today, but I not only felt like shit on toast, I looked like I’d been through the Apocalypse backwards. I will make a special effort tomorrow. I’ll put on some red lipstick and mascara and a pretty top, or frock.

Sarah gave me a magnet-making kit for my 40^th birthday some months ago, and I am going to finally get started on it tomorrow. I had the best intentions of doing a mosaic, but I didn’t buy a kit in time. I still have the thousand-piece Mona Lisa puzzle Charles from work and his wife lent me, but I haven’t got around to even sorting piece yet.

If I don’t get around to it, I’m not going to beat myself up. I saw these two images on a friend’s FB page today, and it made me realise that we’re all trying to deal with this madness in our own way, and that way is the right way – for each one of us. We know what we can, or cannot do, and we know when to push ourselves and when to rest.

Until tomorrow, the Misfit-Femme is signing off. Stay safe, stay healthy, and for the love of Whoever/Whatever you regard as holy, stay at home!

Day 8, Done and Dusted. Lucky number 13 to go 🙂