October 2020 - Exeter Cathedral and a muted Halloween

My driving lessons were not going fully to plan. I was struggling with both the individual aspects, and the process as whole. It was perfectly summed up by my instructor teaching me how to parallel park, but I somehow ended up bay parked on someones drive. This is not good.

I had the weekend off before I started the new role, and James took me to Exeter Cathedral for the day. We had been before, but he wanted to get me out the house and go somewhere nice and familiar. So the Cathedral it was. I mean you can't go wrong with a visit to a cathedral. I would have preferred something outdoors where I could have myself a bit more space, but to be fair the Cathedral was not busy, and there was plenty of space to move about inside without feeling nervous of being close to anyone. I know I've already posted on the blog about Exeter Cathedral, but it's a fun place, especially this view of the window over the minstrel gallery.

A view of the organ.

The cutest little embroidered duck next to a saint. Can't tell you who the saint was, I was transfixed by the duck!

The very end chapel. I think Covid proved that even if you pray hard enough, no divine intervention is going to save you.

Covid wise, things were getting worse, and there was further local lockdowns, businesses closing early, cases & deaths increasing. There was talk of a further lockdown, and indeed, at the end of October it was announced there would be further 4 week national lockdown to contain the virus. It almost seemed a relief, does that sound crazy?

My new lunch box for work. I have no idea where James got it from, but it delighted not only me but my co-workers too!

Solitary swan on the river, the heavy rain in October stopped all but only the hungriest of birds appearing when we came to feed them.

My first attempt at making Turkish Simits, a sort of sweet sesame bread roll crossed with a bagel. They tasted good, but my dough work and shaping was terrible!

Halloween came and went, and it was unusual for us, normally we go out, or have the family round, but instead it was a quiet night, me, James, two pumpkins and a bottle of wine. And this was the result. Can you guess which one is mine?

And finally the new job as Team Support Manager. It was hard, but enjoyable. I was more accountable for the running of the shop floor, and was responsible for the late shift and the ambient department. So much to learn, but yet no training. I had a day sat in front of a computer doing some e-learning, and that was it. On the floor and ready to go. I felt rather unprepared, but sometimes you just have to learn on your feet. Rapidly in fact. But I knew a few people there from my time working in the City Centre branch, and the rest of the team were lovely, so it was all good. And isn't that all you can ask for at work?