OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

To save the Rosebank Glasspecker from his own madness I had to cover one of my windows with newspapers and now I basically have a darkroom in the house. But the relentless pecking and kamikaze encounters with the pane had ceased with immediate effect. He had been at it for three weeks …

I am continuing with my work, my Big Rest very much still the light at the end of the professional tunnel. Or maybe it is the opposite of light. Maybe I need someone to block out the window I have been pecking at like a madwoman for much too long.

A writer came to visit and brought books and chocolate. We drank pink wine and exchanged literary dreams on my stoep.

I slept properly last night, but struggled to wake/get up in the morning. Lots of coffee had been had. And my love brought pain au chocolat when he visited in the morning before work.

This evening, I was alone and decided to have a braai for myself and then watched TV and completed my ironing.

Rafa is in the QF of my favourite clay tournament apart from RG. And a certain other tennis player had been eliminated to my great delight.

My medical aid scheme wrote to me today to inform me that one will soon be able to register for a Covid-19 vaccination. Apparently, there will be two registration processes, one national and one additional – tailored by the medical scheme – but about the first one they say the following:

“Registration on the EVDS is required by all South African citizens and will provide you with a vaccination code that you will present on the day of your scheduled vaccination.”

What about permanent residents?

Young, no apparent comorbidities, not a citizen – I am probably the last in line for a vaccine. All I can hope for is that I will remain healthy protecting myself as I have done so far until – one day – it is – finally – my turn. I am okay with that. Can’t say that any of the safety regulations have been fun, but I have managed to keep safe so far; I will simply continue with following the non-pharmaceutical protection measures.

Be kind. Wear a mask. Support local.

“Physical distancing remains one of the key strategies to curb this pandemic.”

— NICD