Quarantine – Week six

Missing Anniversaries.

Monday 2020/4/20
Swelling in my arm has started to subside. Still chowing down on antibiotics.

Tuesday 2020/4/21
A year ago today, I was in Chesterfield.

Wednesday 2020/4/22
Some more motion in my arm and much less pain, decided to make the most of the unseasonable weather and clear skies and do some astronomy. Getting the telescope out was harder than usual. Managed to get some time on M101 – the Pinwheel Galaxy.

M101 – Pinwheel Galaxy

Thursday 2020/4/23
Should have bought train tickets to EMFCamp today, but it has been cancelled this year.

Friday 2020/4/24
Much more motion in my arm now, but strength is reduced. Got the telescope out again to try a new light pollution filter. Added another 3 hours to my Bode’s Galaxy data.

Saturday 2020/4/25
11 Year anniversary of meeting M. First year we’ve not been able to celebrate in person. Bum!
Telescope was still set up and ready to go, so I imaged The cigar galaxy and Bode’s galaxy in the same frame.

Cigar and Bode's galaxy from a very light polluted back garden in East London
Cigar and Bode’s galaxy from a very light polluted back garden in East London

Sunday 2020/4/26
Nothing much happened.

Quarantine – Week Five

Illness in the time of pandemic.

Monday 2020/4/13
Easter Monday, tidied up at home to try to find some parts to repair and old radio. A patch of dry skin on my elbow cracked and bled a little. I put some Sudocream on it and thought nothing much of it. Got a bit sore later in there evening, so I went to bed to sleep it off

Tuesday 2020/4/14
Awoke at midnight in pain from my elbow. Pain worsened though the night and I got little sleep. Phone consultation with GP where he would not believe I hadn’t fractured my arm. Begged for and got antibiotics. Collected them from the pharmacy and began taking them. Went to bed early (7pm) and slept little.

Wednesday 2020/4/15
Almost no sleep all night due to pain and fever. Called NHS111 and was told to go to hospital A&E. Went to Queen’s Hospital, spent much of the day there having blood tests, X-Rays and IV antibiotics. Would have been kept in under more normal circumstances. Got home, still didn’t sleep well.

Thursday 2020/4/16
Arm still sore, but signs of improvement. A little more freedom of motion.

Friday 2020/4/17
AM : Arm much better, less pain deep inside. Some extra reddening  of the skin.
By midday, arm had swelled by 3cm circumfrence, very red. Back to hospital. More blood tests and IV antibiotics, possible cellulitis. Home around 11pm.

Saturday 2020/4/18
Arm still very swollen and red. Swelling reduces somewhat throughout the day.

Sunday 2020/4/19
Arm broadly arm shaped again. More mobility. Sleeping much better.

Quarantine – Week Three.

Social Self-distancing

Monday 2020/3/30
Found out another acquaintance had died, this time not from the virus. Rest well Marc. Marked science reports.

Tuesday 2020/3/31

More marking today. Looked over presentation for interview.

Wednesday 2020/04/01

Student mentor session in morning, remote job interviewing afternoon. It went well.

Thursday 2020/04/02

Getting ready for the Icon ConserveAtHome talk [YouTube link]. Gave that shortly after finding out I didn’t get the job from previous day. As expected. Imaged Venus and the Pleiades

Friday 2020/04/03

Lazy day. Went for a run. Imaged Venus and the Pleiades again, did a better job this time.

Venus and Pleiades though high cloud

Saturday 2020/04/04
Did some work in the garden, chopped wood, cleaned out the small shed. Took two hours of exposures of M101 – pinwheel galaxy. Very faint, needs a lot more time for good results.

M101 PInwheel Galaxy, 30 x 240s stacked exposures.

Sunday 2020/04/05
Started planning a series of videos for conservation people.

Quarantine – Week Two.

Self Isolating To The MAX!

Monday 2020/3/23
Found out an acquaintance had died with symptoms of the virus. Rest well Simon. Clear night – imaged M81

Tuesday 2020/3/24
Didn’t go to donate platelets today. Trains were far too busy to be safe. Kitchen work started. Slow cooker chicken stew for dinner.

Wednesday 2020/03/25
Meetings on MS Teams, Walked the dog. Kitchen work continues. Finished off the stew for dinner. Clear Nights – Imaged two comets.

Thursday 2020/03/26
Didn’t go to the cinema. More meetings and admin on line. Walked dog, park rather busy – 6 to 10 dogs out. Kitchen work done for foreseeable future.

Friday 2020/03/27
Job spec written, interview presentation written. Another clear night. Imaged M82

Saturday 2020/03/28
Went to shop. Fixed a radio I’d bought over 5 years ago in Minneapolis.

Sunday 2020/03/29
Lazy day. Went to shop – saw three people the whole time I was out. Shop now has plastic guards for the staff, and a gallon container of sanitiser with a pump handle. Fixed another radio.