Saturday 2 May – Friday 8 May.

Life is pretty normal for me now. The restaurants re-open next week which means I am back to my cookie prep this weekend, and on Tuesday I will have the first Cookie Run (my weekly delivery to Salzburg) in about eight weeks, I will be wearing Malle’s Rose & Cuir. The longest break I have had from work since we started the business some twenty years ago. Despite it being a bit weird at the beginning it has been a pretty relaxed time. I know the I am both privileged and lucky to be able to say that. So many people have lost their jobs, are still in lockdown, are having to teach, feed, and keep kids happy. People have died, people are sick. I am aware.

I delivered some cookies to a store in a huge shopping mall just outside of Linz. As you know masks are mandatory inside shops and buildings, public transport and so on. We spent a good hour walking around the mall and I tell you this. There is no way I am gonna do that again. By the time we left we were ready to freak out. It’s like you can’t think properly with the mask on. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not against masks in any way. They serve a purpose and were necessary to get us out of the lockdown. We drove on into Linz city. I have no problem going into a shop on the high street wearing a mask, when you come out you can take it off. That is doable. But a shopping mall? No chance, I hate them at the best of times.

In the Linz harbor, there are a lot of warehouses, containers, and cranes. The whole area has been pimped up by turning into a graffiti gallery. Some of the artworks are enormous. The artists came from all over the world, and it is quite a hotspot. It was not really open when we were there, but that has never stopped my husband and we were on our bikes so we just biked through the whole area. Very cool.

I am trying to call it physical distancing now, and not social distancing. Makes more sense.

My cat continues to be fine, and I continue to find lurking bloody sneeze drops in the bathroom.

That is really about it. The drama of the last few weeks has died down for me, back to business as usual. Well, not quite. Gyms are not open yet, that will be at the end of the month. But I have done at least four proper workouts a week over the last eight weeks and am dead chuffed with myself. So —– I will pop back in a fortnight with an update and see how it is going with all of you in different countries. Anything dramatic should happen just drop it into the comments here at anytime, Tara and I wanna keep up.

Lockdown Free Perfumes of the Week.

Chanel 1957 and Boy. Frederic Malle – Une Rose. Vero Profumo – Mito Extrait. Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait and a ton of Bombay Bling.

“And you may ask yourself, well how did I get here?”  Talking Heads.  Once in a Lifetime.

CQ.

Tomorrow at 07:30 I will be at the hair salon. And taking brownies for the reopening.

Saturday 25 April – Friday 1 May.

It is Friday morning and I am writing this update a little earlier than usual. It’s my radio show tonight and wanna get ahead of myself. Today is May Day and a national holiday here. It is also the first day of no lockdown. That ended at midnight yesterday. Seven strange weeks.

The rest of the shops will open tomorrow, the shopping malls, etc. I am guessing that the fire brigade, or police, or army, will be patrolling the parking lots of the bigger complexes. After living with the same furniture for seven weeks, IKEA would be your first stop huh?

Restaurants will open on the 15th, which is what I have been keeping my eye on, as my cookie business depends on that happening. Four adults will be allowed at a table, along with their kids if applicable. There will be social distancing between tables of course, but not at the table you are on. Obviously. Waiters and waitresses, and the cooks, will wear masks. You cannot choose the table you want to sit on. I think you may have to put on a mask if you get up to move around the restaurant or go to the bathroom, but don’t quote me on that.

Churches and some schools will open at the end of May, as will hotels and swimming pools. There are certain rules accompanying these openings, just ask me in the comments if you really wanna know. Universities will stay online for the moment.

We can meet up with friends again and legally go hangout with Oma and Opa for hours. Masks will remain mandatory in all shops, and on public transport. I will update you on theaters and cinemas and stuff when there is information.

Life has felt much more normal the last couple of weeks, but then when you look around in the supermarket and everyone is masked you know things really have changed. I mean I now keep a mask stash in the car. As one does.

This is my cat before the drama and after the drama and when there is no drama tbh.

CAT DRAMA

Tuesday evening the cat suddenly got a nosebleed. And by that I mean the blood poured out of her nose and it did not stop for 20 minutes. We called the vet who told us to put her in her carrying box to calm down, and to go to the vet in the morning. The bleeding slowed down as she sat in the box, and if a cat can look green, she did. So did we. She started to rub her head on the bars of her box, and I chose to let her out as I was sure that would start it all up again. I Googled it and then stopped as I did not want to read about cat tumours. She went out and hung out on the balcony most of the night, and appeared normal enough in the morning. Until she went into the bathroom and sneezed. It looked like a scene from Carrie. I put her in the box and headed to the vet. We got seen immediately. He checked her mouth and teeth and throat and ears, took her temperature and all that was okay. He did say that if it was a tumour in the nasal passages he would not be able to detect that and we would have to go to a specialist. She got an antibiotic and cortisone and who-knows-what-else shot and we went home. Yeah well, three days later and she appears to be fine again. I know it could recur but hope it doesn’t as that would indicate a bigger problem. I went and bought her some special cat treats and some new expensive gourmet cat food, She rejected the lot. So far, so good.

(Last week of the easing up) Lockdown Perfumes of the Week.

Frédéric Malle – Portrait of a Lady and Dans Tes Bras. Vero Profumo – Rubj EdP. Chanel – 28 La Pausa. Neela Vermeire – both of the Mohurs.

No lockdown, semi-lockdown, who-knows-when-it-will-end-lockdown? Update us all please.

“You keep me running round and round, well that’s alright with me, nothing, nothing, nothing’s gonna step in my way. Living on the ceiling, no more room down there, things fall into place, you got the joke, fall into place.” Blancmange. Living on the Ceiling. 1982.

CQ.

“Life’s a bleach and then you die.” George Takei Tweet 24 April.

Saturday 18 April – Friday 24 April.

Life is moving along. The rest of the shops will open on May 2, including hairdressers. I am seriously counting the days! Schools go back between the 4th of May and the beginning of June. Staggered. Restaurants and hotels as planned on the 15th of May. That should have me back with some sort of Cookie Run. I am not yet sure of the new rules that will be put into place but they will include masks somewhere. I honestly don’t mind any more. If wearing them is what it takes then so be it.

A friend lost her father to C19 last week.

I baked up and delivered some cookies to one of the MyIndigo (the company I supply) stores in Salzburg. They have a new guy doing their marketing and running their social media accounts. He wanted a picture of me. Not a hope in hell with this hair. So I substituted my head, as one does. I also saw how difficult it was to have a proper conversation with people whilst wearing a mask. And it turns out that the marketing dude used to work with Zenology, Jeroen Oude Sogtoen’s brand. (Also of Mona di Orio). Seriously.

Fragrant Tidbits

It was two years ago this week that I was in London with Portia. We also met up with Neela Vermeire and her husband at the same time, at the Art and Olfaction Awards. As mentioned in my last four CV19 posts, I have been wearing NVC Mohur EdP a lot. This week has been no exception, and my daughter (@ b.londeswunder) came home for a few days and stole my Mohur travel. AND the highlight of the week? I got a travel of Mohur Extrait in the post. Richer, more condensed, deeper, warmer smoother. Sandalwood and kid leather. Good things come to those who wait. I was and still am as excited as a child. That perfume can to do that to me is a rare joy, and one I live for.

Portia filming our thoughts on Roger Dove in Harrod`s.

My girlfriend drove down to the Italian border yesterday, just to see if it really was shut.

As we move onto the next stage of opening the country back up, and there will be many, I know that a lot of you are still in stricter lockdowns. My posts may get shorter, but I will continue them until the last reader is free. So please don’t stop with all of your updates.

(Still easing up) Lockdown Perfumes of the Week.

Hiram Green – Lustre. Ormond Jayne – Woman. Mona di Orio – Musc. NVC – Mohur EdP and Mohur Extrait. Vero Profumo – Rubj Extrait. Chanel N°5 Dry Oil.

“Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town? We danced and sang and the music played in a de boomtown.” JERRY DAMMERS. GHOST TOWN. 1981.

CQ.

This is a fairly rushed idea of the week with an eased up lockdown. I had planned to take some time with it but then the radio show happened. So much for sunbathing and writing a blog post.

Saturday 11 April – Friday 17 April.

I just this second got back from doing my Baking Bad with the Cookie Queen live radio show. It was planned that I return on the 1st of May, but they called today and asked if I wanted to do a two hour show tonight. I had nothing prepared but said yes anyway. So excited to go back. A little bit of normality. I have the playlists from the last ten show so just picked a few tunes from them. Apart from disinfectant bottles in every corner, and wiping down the equipment before and after the show, it was pretty much the same.

Easter was nice. We went to my in-laws after four weeks of isolation. We had a socially distanced schnitzel in the garden, and only stayed a couple of hours. Was a really hot day which made hanging out on the lawn, with them in their garden house ideal.

Tuesday saw the reopening of all the shops under 400 square meters, all garden centers, and the hardware and building supplies stores. This included our shop. In case someone is reading this who does not know – we have a bike and cookie shop. My husband was and is absolutely snowed under. Manic. So much work. It has gone crazy. High season overnight, There is usually bit of a build up around before Easter, but it was shut then. I made some cookies for some of the stores I supply, and delivered them myself, for them to give away to their order-and-pick up customers. The restaurants and hotels will not reopen until at least the middle of May, so we all do what we can to support each other.

We have to wear masks in all the stores now and also make sure our customers are wearing them too. Everyone is just doing it though. And you could feel a lightening up in the air with the change in the lockdown. Social distancing will go on for months obviously. There will be no large events until the 31st of August, if then. I cannot imagine summer here without all their different fireworks and fests and ……. but I know that is gonna be the scene for all of us, wherever we are.

Not much else to report really. Bumbling along in this new reality. I did have one morning where I burst into tears in the shower. Not that it helped much! I should know to have coffee beforehand. I washed and ironed our cotton facemasks and no way in a million years would I ever have imagined I would be doing something like that. And yet here we are.

If you feel so inclined update us here at ABR as to how your lockdowns are going. I know I have an easier time than many others. Don’t get me wrong, it has been the strangest of months, and my old life seems like a dream, but it has not been hard, not really. You wanna know what really stresses me, big time? The USA government and the lockdown stories there. I have had to stop looking at it, as it makes me so upset and so angry.

(Easing up) Lockdown Perfumes of the Week.

Malle – Rose & Cuir. Lutens – Un Lys. Jorum Studios – Trimerous. Hermès – Galop. Neela Vermeire – Mohur. Chanel – Bois de Iles Parfum.

I have to go to bed. I nearly had a normal day.

“Those who feel the breath of sadness, sit down next to me, those who find they’re touched by madness, sit down next to me, those who find themselves ridiculous, sit down next to me, in love, in fear, in hate, in tears ….” SIT DOWN. JAMES. 1989.

CQ.

CV19 LOCKDOWN WEEK 4. 

Continuing with the luxury version of lockdown, and a flicker of light for next week.

Saturday 4 April – Friday 10 April. 

The Austrian government rolled out a plan this week, one of which in theory sounds great.  There is going to be a staggered opening of well, everything.  Small shops, meaning those of less than 400 square meters, will reopen on the 14th of April.  Next Tuesday.  Our business falls into that category.  All the bigger stores, and the HAIRDRESSERS will reopen on the 1st of May.  Which is really the second because the first is a national holiday.  The fact that we have just had four weeks of some kind of forced holiday plays no role. A holiday is a holiday I guess.    Restaurants and hotels are expected to be reopened in the middle of May, although I don´t know quite how that will pan out yet.  No public events until at least the end of June.  I have no doubt there will some kind of second wave of CV19, but with the continuing mandatory wearing of masks in supermarkets and stores, and with the lockdown rules staying in place until the end of April, I hope it will be a handleable amount.  I mean this virus is not gonna suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke, so we are going to have to learn to live with it.  Gotta get back to a life boys and girls.

I have been shopping with a mask.  Have had to remember to wipe off my lipstick before I put it on as my lips stick to the material.  Which was pretty funny the first time I wore it.  Breathing through my nose steamed my glasses up and trying to breath through my mouth whilst my lips were glued to the mask?  Honestly.  By the time I got to the checkout I thought I was gonna pass out.  Glasses totally foggy – the checkout lady, (I know all of them) took one look at me and started laughing.  And then I started to laugh and we both ended up in tears.  Seriously, gonna take some time to get used to this shit.  I have coloured cotton masks at the moment, but have ordered a couple of black ones.  Will have to color coordinate with  my outfits if they are gonna become a basic, so black it is.  There is technique to wearing them and I am getting better at it.

The highlight of the week was finally getting a date as to when the hairdressers would reopen.  (This would not be a CQ post if I did not mention hair obvs.). My stylists, (yes I have two actually) messaged me at the butt-crack of dawn on Wednesday morning.   What time would I like my appointment on the day that they open?  07:30 thank you very much.  So I will be leaving my growing out buzz cut until then, so we can put a style back into it more easily.  Whooohoooo.  Priorities.

Meanwhile I have been doing my workouts and bike rides.  No walking.  I have actually slowed myself down a little and have spent several afternoon on the balcony, reading and lying in the sun.  That has been good for me.  Also watched all the Bourne movies, as did my cat.  Looking forward to Killing Eve III starting next week.

So the shop will be open next week, which is brilliant.  It is high season for the bike part and we have most of our turnover in these couple of months, so it is kind of crucial.  Full  on cookie production will not start until the restaurants re-open, although there will always be some in the shop.  I am hoping I might have time to clean the windows in the apartment.

We are going to visit Oma and Opa for lunch on Easter Sunday.  They will eat first, inside, and then Oma will feed us at the table out in the garden, just as she does with the birds.  As fit and active as the are, they are both in their eighties and who knows what next year will bring.  No way we are not dropping in for a socially distanced schnitzel.

LOCKDOWN PERFUMES OF WEEK 4.   

Vero’s NAJA.  Lutens La Fille de Berlin.  Hermès Galop.  Malle’s Superstitious and Rose & Cuir.  NVC Mohur.  Chanel N°19 Parfum.

Peace out.    This too shall pass.

“Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me, other times I can barely see, lately it occurs to me,  what a long strange trip it’s been.”  Truckin’. The Grateful Dead.  

CQ.             

CV19 LOCKDOWN WEEK 3.

The beginning of this week marked half way through the official four week lockdown. I am fully aware that I have the easiest of lockdowns but nevertheless continue to journal them.

Saturday 28 March – Friday 3 April.

Three weeks into the lockdown now, and it looks like we might have some easing of the restrictions after the Easter weekend. I am hopeful that we will be able to reopen our business. There is no doubt that our behaviour will have to change though, as a nation. Social distancing, face masks, number of people in the shops and so on. This is the foreseeable future. But so be it.

Had a Zoom meeting with some friends in different places around the world, including NYC. One of the guys was riding a bike through downtown. As he rode along 6th Avenue, he showed us the empty and desolate space. We all have disaster movies burned into our brains, and this looked like a scene out of one of them. Dismal.

Monday was still Monday, the mood matching. Woke up to snow and freezing temperatures, but that did improve throughout the day. Ran for 45 minutes in our underground parking garage. My knees hurt the next day, I bloody hate running, and in reality, it is gonna take more than a pandemic to get me to do it regularly. Which means I quit.

Wearing face masks in the supermarkets will be mandatory as of the coming Monday, and also where there are larger groups of people. I ordered a material one, which I should get tomorrow. There are some people walking round looking like stormtrooper rejects, I wonder if they can breathe at all?

I did vacuum this week, but things still not bad enough to clean the windows. Watched the third series of Ozark.

Managed a 42km ride on my carbon frame Rocky Mountain. I have been riding an e-bike for the last couple of years, and it is most excellent fun to be back on a light bike. We rode through the country side, where there is next to no traffic at the best of times. Nothing looked wrong, and made you wonder it was all just a dream?

Chris took grocery shopping over to his parents yesterday. They are well into their eighties and fall into the high risk category, although it did take someone in their town to give Oma a bollocking for doing her own shopping during the first week of the lockdown. We never come back empty-handed from their place and yesterday was no exception. There is a small biscuit that is very popular in Austria during the Christmas season. “Vanillekipferl” – and to some they are the Holy Grail of all the “Weihnachtskekse”. It is an unwritten law that these are only made at Christmas time. (Actually knowing the Austrians it probably is written down somewhere.) These are my very favourite biscuits in the whole world. Oma had baked me a boxful and sent them home with Chris. This act of kindness totally blew me away.

It was Vero´s birthday this week.

I had a text from Neela early Wednesday morning saying “Trump is dead.” I knew that it could not be true, but confess to checking my BBC updates! (I assumed she meant that he was dead because of his horrific handling of the whole pandemic. ) Before I could message back I got another one – “April Fool.” Still laughing.

LOCKDOWN PERFUMES OF WEEK 3.

NVC Mohur – several times. Vero’s Rozy Extrait and Kiki EdP. Malle’s Superstitious. and PoaL. Hermès Cuir d’Ange.

A few people asked me if I could put a photo up of my buzz cut, on Instagram or here in the post. Over my dead and mangled body. But …. I spent the best part of an hour this morning taking selfies. Cringe. Close up ones, and then ones in the mirror. I sought help from my daughter, who suggested I try a few more poses. Scream. Seriously who bothers with this shit? But I did learn something from the close ups, apart from never taking them again – I have a lot more wrinkles on the right hand side of my face, no doubt caused from only ever sleeping on that side. Time to switch.

You guys know that I know how serious this is don’t you? May your weekend have some joy in it regardless.

“Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow, but if we are wise, we know there’s always tomorrow.” Lean on Me. RIP Bill Withers. 1938 – 2020.

CQ.