Day 213 - Schedule

 SCHEDULE

Prompt - Schedule : Take a look at your calendar and use the schedule for inspiration in writing

THE RETURN OF THE GREEN AND BLUE

Like many people I colour code the entries in my calendar to make an at a glance assessment of what's coming up that bit easier.  Not that it's been all that difficult over the fifteen months as there was hardly ever anything in there.  2020 was a quiet year for doing.  The majority of entries didn't involve going anywhere, but marked video calls with friends or livestreams of entertainment and sport.  

The colour coding is simple enough.  Uncategorised events are in maroon, anything to do with my voluntary work is yellow, reminders are a mid blue.  Regular reminders (the really mundane stuff, like cleaning the dishwasher filter once a month!) are apricot, my wife's appointments (we share our calendars) in lilac.  They have all, to varying degrees, been around for the past year.  But there were two colours that were noticeably sparse, and each reflected something taking place online, rather than their intended purpose of marking the intent to be somewhere oher than home.

Green entries show entertainment.  Dark blue indicate rugby matches.  It is sooo good to see both starting to make a reappearance.  August shows a splattering of green, and that shade reoccurs each month thereafter, albeit infrequently so far.  Of course it doesn't look anything like the pre-pandemic Augusts, which had few non-green days, and many had multiple entries.  By our 'usual' Fringe standards it will be a modest effort, but anything is in improvement over the emptiness of twelve months ago.  And, although the final dates and times have still to be released, from mid September onwards the number of blues will become regular.  Marking either an Edinburgh Rugby away match to watch online, or, at last, a trip to Murrayfield to do a bit of shouting.  That should be in our new stadium, if covid infection rates permit, otherwise we've been told they may still use the national stadium, with appropriate social distancing.  Whichever it is will be hugely welcome.

But it's Fringe time soon, our first gig booked for Monday the ninth.  We went to one gig in the Jazz and Blues Festival and that proved a stimulating reminder of what we have missed out on for so long.  Yes there will still be masks, yes we'll still be keeping our distance from others, but even in those circumstances there is nothing to beat the thrill of the live.  Here's to a lot more green and blue in my calendar.