Another Furloughed Friday in the big Girl Household



Well, dear reader, here we go again. Another friday in lockdown. An exciting day ahead with loads of plans but hey ho, the only excitement on the menu is a quick cycle down with the eighteen year old to the village shop for milk. Catching up with friends for a coffee or going for a walk on the fells is not to be. So another day at the laptop looking for funding opportunities and working out potential projects to draw down financial support.

 But I have got an exciting evening ahead! Friday is family film night where each member of the family takes it in turn to choose a different film and we enjoy tea in front of the telly. Tonight it is the turn of the eighteen year old and, to be fair, her last choice was a pleasant surprise which we all enjoyed. The pizzas are lined up and we await her decision - better than going out to the cinema (ie I can put my pyjamas on and 'slob' out with a beer). She is currently surfing the Netflix catalogue to make her final decision. The excitement is proving too much for me, so here I am typing my blog post.

 The idea of family film night came from N herself. She thought it would be good if I spent less time at the laptop, dad chilled after a day at work and she emerged from her bedroom for an evening of family interaction. Well, maybe not quite interaction, but we are all in the same room (social distancing applies) albeit glued to a screen. Family time. There are times when she bucks the teenage trend and is quite thoughtful.

When it was my turn to make the choice of film, I got very excited. Not necessarily chosing a main favourite but I did want to revisit some flicks I hadn't seen for a few years. As I was not allowed war films (immediately limiting my choices) I thought about 'The Killing Fields' or 'Cry Freedom'. I don't even mind a little bit of Richard Curtis such as 'Notting Hill' or '4 Weddings'. I also wanted to go back to 'Gold' the Bollywood movie that I watched half of at the Raj Mandir cinema in Jaipur, but had to leave before the end. Somehow, though, my choice ended up being a compromise that had N's approval, all for a quick decision and a quiet life.  Luckily, it wasn't too bad and we managed to get through the evening without any of my sarcasm and snide comments.

 Although it is not quite the same as going to the theatre or cinema, I have noticed plenty of stuff being streamed online which I am tempted to watch. But I feel I have enough time facing a laptop screen and the thought of another few hour in the evening is not that appealing. Not sure about anyone else but I feel physically drained with the on-screen meetings and constant laptop usage. So to have an evening off to watch the family film seems very attractive and a chance to recharge those batteries surrounded by my loved ones.

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