You would have thought that with a send-off like this on Friday (my last day of work for the year) that 2020 would have taken the hint, read the room and declared the rest of the year drama and bad news free.
But no, the year that keeps on giving has spoken from its almost grave in one of my work confidential shredding bins.
With the growth of the Northern Beaches Covid cluster, we’re pretty much in Lockdown 2.0. Just in time for Christmas. Throw in the travel restrictions placed on residents of Greater Sydney and my much-anticipated block of annual leave is going to be spent holidaying in and around SSG Manor 2.0. I’m in the process of cancelling our New Years trip to Hobart but while I’m sad, disappointed and frustrated, I’m also too Covid weary to think too hard about implications, emotions and that increasingly distant light at the end of this long dark tunnel of uncertainty and restriction.
So I’m just doing (and imagining) with what I’ve got. The house is no longer ‘just’ a house, it’s become Hotel Lockdown 2.0 by virtue of my making full use of the light and air that comes through the main living area when I push back the shutters and throw open those glass double doors.
The view from the hotel gym this morning as I treadmilled up and down the hills of Kalabaka, Greece.
The gym’s pandemic themed water cooler. Remember way back in Lockdown 1.0 when we panic bought everything? Not just toilet paper and bread-making ingredients.
Indoor greenery is vital in any hotel. These are our terraria. I’m trying to rescue the one I nearly drowned by blotting the excess water out with paper towels.
Even the ‘Great Lawn’ has a touch of the resort about it with a few stray frangipani flowers dotting its imperfectly manicured patchy greenness.
The day spa features baths scented with Lush bath bombs with that authentic water jet experience provided by your own personal quick fill Super Soaker.
But that’s not all the excitement guests of the hotel got to experience over the weekend….
We celebrated a certain persons eighth (!!) birthday. Those bracketed exclamation marks convey more disbelief each year. Disbelief at the speed of the passage of time. Disbelief that despite the endless challenges of the year that was, we have both landed on our feet. Me a little more weary than usual while the Master SSG has come through the year with maturity, enthusiasm and an alarming amount of street smarts for his tender years.
These were part of the party bags. Joke.
This was the catering from The Grounds.
Which I highly recommend for friendly, efficient service and irresistible finger food.
I ‘made’ the ice cream cake.
Which featured an entire Woolies Mudcake as its base, crushed to fit the bottom of your lined springform tin.
Layers were softened 1L cartons of Connoissuer icecream. Two were perfect for my tin.
After freezing each layer of ice cream, I added a layer of homemade fudge sauce. Smitten Kitchen has a very addictive recipe that reheats perfectly with a rich gloss.
How are you coping with this pre-Christmas lockdown?
Take care and stay safe.