Day 3 and the spring clean begins

Race pins. Which aren't pins
Race pins. Which aren't pins

There’s only so much avoidance that anyone can do. And when it comes to sorting out the office, it turns out I’m very good at avoiding it!

It’s Day 3 of the lockdown in the UK and I’m a long way from the dregs of the to-do list.

Today’s post sits more in the general-blog stuff rather than running focused. Given the lockdown will be ongoing for some time I thought it was a good excuse to get back into doing some regular blog updates. It always helped me in the past whilst dealing with my head and I guess gives a bit of a record of what I was getting up to during this period.

Office Day

Whilst it would have been a good garden-tidying day, the garden bin is already over-flowing but should be emptied tomorrow. The paper recycling bin is also going out so what better time to see what is squirrelled away in the office.

My own paper filing system is actually pretty slim. As soon as something becomes out of date, or is replaced by a newer version, I tend to get rid of the old stuff. So my box files of important things are generally not too bad. Not least because they’re not very big so if I don’t keep on top it I can’t close them. Definitely a recommended approach.

That approach it seems doesn’t apply to the various desk drawers and cupboards that seem to be over-flowing with, well anything and everything. So that was the first port of call.

Strange decisions

Drawer 1 consisted of two paper guillotines, a pile of laminator pouches, an old computer and some socks. Because that must have made sense at some point. Drawer 2 seemed to be a combination of cycling gear and doorbell accessories. And yet another set of epaulettes from my last job. These things seem to breed in drawers like odd socks and network T-connectors! I’m sure I’ve handed back more than I was ever issued and yet they still appear when you’re least expecting it! Drawer 3 some socks interspersed with bow ties and cummerbunds which haven’t seen the light of day since university. Which is quite a long time ago!

So you see the problem – out of sight, out of mind. And perhaps I was out of my mind when choosing the topic of each drawer. Anyway the computer was cleaned up and recycled whilst most of the rest seemed to be returned to their hiding place. Something to revisit! On the other hand most of the contents of the desk drawers ended up in the bin although the 2 calculators I kept as they’re probably worthy of a spot in a museum by now!

By hardest of all the cleaning was the drawers which contained a lot of Mark’s old paperwork. They been left untouched all this time because it’s always fallen in the ‘easier to avoid’ option. Unlike me, Mark tended to keep every last bit of paperwork, be it a supermarket receipt, utility bill or pay slip. Bt there comes a time when it all needs to be sorted and today was that time. It’s a slow job going through everything and in the end I stood outside next to the bin on my drive checking each document before tearing up personal data and disposing of it, piece by piece.

Inconsiderate people

More annoyingly a neighbour from a few doors away was wandering up and down the road with his daughter, coughing constantly. I mean, really? How much information has gone out there about symptoms and about self-isolating? I was, thankfully, much more than the oft-quoted 2m away from him. But it was very breezy and I was downwind at one point because I got myself back in the house. Whilst he stood outside of his house COUGHING CONSTANTLY. At least if I do succumb to this virus I know exactly where it came from.

Finally a run

I decided to leave my daily run until the evening in the hope that it wouldn’t be so busy out there. How wrong was I. Not only were there dog-walkers galore, they were leaving their poo bags strewn across the footpaths for others to pick up. I mean WTF is wrong with people. We’ve got a major health issue on the go as it is without finding additional ways to spread illness and disease.

Anyway my run was short and sweet, being the reverse of my local loop (whilst avoiding dog walkers, buggies, bikes, families and more. I think I might switch to head-torch running overnight at this rate.

The reverse loop

The reverse loop

I’d actually avoided doing the reverse route until today, and even as I set out I had misgivings. I’m not sure why I thought it would be less fun than my usual loop, but as it turned out, I enjoyed it more. The trickier sections were near the start not the end, and climbing up the banking in Norbury Hollow turned out to be much more straightforward than descending it. The result was a longer and more gentle descent rather than the tricky drop down to the road via some precarious  tree routes. I hadn’t intended to push the pace, but it did feel quite swift despite a number of negotiations with stiles, other path users and a pesky untied shoelace.

Looking at the forecast tomorrow looks to be the last of the nice spring days. So with any luck it might encourage people to stay in a bit more, especially if they’re ill and should be self-isolating to prevent transmission of the virus……!

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