Fundraiser envy - In the name of Thiago - Day 103

First it was Speedo Mick stealing my thunder while I was training in Cornwall in February, now it’s Captain fucking Moore. Is there no end to my fundraising competition?

I jest of course and raising £14 million for the NHS at the age of 99 in what doesn’t even amount to two weeks, is nothing less than extraordinary. There was something that Tom Moore’s daughter said in an interview broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday morning that truly resonated with me and that was how a life has to have purpose to have meaning. 

Maybe that’s what’s been causing me extra anxiety and frustration this last few days – coronavirus taking away my summer event and meaning that I’ve lost a bit of that Gibbs steely focus. Ok steely focus is probably pushing it but you get my drift.

Keeping busy helps and I’ve certainly been very busy today. To break up the monotony of the working day the doorbell went while I was in a team meeting and this little beauty turned up. Before you ask, yes I am doing this in the wrong order having already watched the two series that have been broadcast on the BBC and indeed the first episode of series three at the weekend. Naturally I'm hoping that the books will be every bit as entertaining if not more so.

Focus is important to me. So today I made it easy for myself: work from 7.45-4pm, then read, walk and blog until 6pm. From 6 it’s yoga until roughly 7 before eating, tidying up blog (if necessary) and publishing. If it’s warm enough, I may even venture back out into the garden..

Our late afternoon walk started with Elisa on her rollerblades but unfortunately after one too many stumbles she thought better of it and we needed to accompany her home. Angelica and I carried on though and pretty much got our full hour’s worth. This ‘one a day’ is an important part of our relationship at the moment as it properly allows us to talk to each other about the things that are most prominent in our minds.

Angelica has had a tough day. This week really is the first time she’s had to process her own thoughts since Thiago died. We had lots of support at that time – and we definitely needed it no question – but we found ourselves in the situation where it was one thing after another.

Thiago’s passing was followed by my brother and his girlfriend being with us, then it was Angelica’s parents, then my Dad. Allow me to be unusually diplomatic and say that some of those life events may have added to our family stress levels. Angelica then went back to work in February and signed up to work on the Covid-19 ward in March. There has been no let up for her.

So as I said earlier I shall shortly be rolling out my yoga mat and finding out whether the pain in my hip is going to be worsened by attempts at an energetic downward dog or perhaps an overambitious warrior pose. And then I’ll feel as if I’ve earnt a few moments to retire back to the summerhouse to continue reading.  

Okay you lovely people, Captain Moore has raised a cool 14 mill in under a fortnight when he was only after a bag of sand, so you’ll forgive me for pushing my own cause again here. I’m nearly two thirds of the way to my £10,000 target but I have no intention of stopping when I get there. But I do need you to help me get there in the first place. So dust off the wallets and purses folks and click on the link!