Friday 30th May 2014

It is ten to four on Saturday morning. I have been awake an hour and I have just given up on sleep, made a cup of coffee and decided the day will begin here. The journey as to how it came to this is a long one, and stretches back to early on Wednesday morning, but for now, shall we get back to where I left off?

OK, let me begin:

Tuesday.

THe alarm went off at five fifteen, and we get ourselves out of bed and me, tick off the final few items ready for the commute. The commute to Denmark. However, this week would be very different, as although monday was a bank holiday in the UK, it wasn't in Denmark, but would be on Thursday. And that meant no planes home when I wanted to fly. Which in turn meant flying back Wednesday evening, which did make it feel as to why bother going over. But, ours is not to reason why, we shall just do.

The trip to Denmark is so mundane now, I call it a commute, but it is rather special even still. Jools drops me off at the station, I catch the high speed train to Stratford, catch the DLR to London City, check in, go through security, have breakfast, board the flight, leave England behind, arrive at Billund, go through immigration, collect the hire car keys, find the car, drive to Esbjerg, turn the computer on and begin work. It has taken six hours from the house in St Maggies to the office in Esbjerg: still amazing.

Back in England I had left low heavy clouds, heavy drizzle, typical weather after a bank holiday. Here in Denmark, the sun shone through Simpsons type fluffy clouds, and was nice and warm. In the hire car I turned the air con to max and enjoyed the now familiar drive to Esbjerg and the office.

I tried to make plans to meet up with some of my colleagues for beer and ribs in the evening, but their excuses ranged from 'family things' to 'I'm on a diet'. Pah!

At six i check into the hotel, don't really bother unpacking before heading out into the town for dinner. I called Jools on the way and I could hardly hear what she was saying as her 'cold' had now affected her speech and made her voice rasp. I said I was fine and we would talk when I got hoe the next day. Just to give her voice a rest.

I head to bones and order a medium portion of ribs. It is huge, and I feel guilty, but then i have had just fruit all day. Get over yourself, Ian. I do call in at Paddy Go Easy on the way back to the hotel, but it is packed with noisy drunkards: imagine that in an Irish bar! Anyway, sitting on my tod isn't fun, and so I give up after a pint and head to my room and bed.

Wednesday.

I wake up just before six. I have a 90 minute drive to Arhus for a risk management workshop, then another meeting, head to the airport and hope to catch the flight.

Phew.

I clean my teeth, head down to the lobby, check out and skipping breakfast, there wasn't time, I pack the car and head out on the drive north. I drive quickly, this is not because I want to make the risk management workshop, but that the traffic in Arhus is awful, and the nearer you are the eight in the morning arriving at the office, the worse it is.

It is at least a fine and sunny morning, and driving even in heavy traffic isn't really a chore.

The traffic in Arhus is as bad as I remember, and I am driving along the outer ring road at a quarter to eight, cursing myself for those extra ten minutes stretching time I spent in bed. As I arrive at the office I get a text message from Jools which something along these lines: "Don't want to worry you, but just been discharged from Ashford hospital, all is well now."

I was shocked, but there was little time t think about it, and even less I could do from Denmark, at least I was going home that evening and I could look after Jools.

The day dragged: but I got through it, and some two hours before flight time I made my excuses, packed my bag and headed to the car to beat the afternoon rush hour and head to the airport and home. i had spoken with Jools and she was OK, but had been in pain the evening before, called NHS direct and they dispatched an ambulance. They did a blood check and took her to hospital. They did some tests, and would have to go back later on Wednesday for a scan. All this was going on as I travelled back.

I arrived at the airport, handed the car keys in, and checked in, went through security and had enough time to grab a burger from the fast food joint, it was awful and the last time I will be using that! But it was the first food I had eaten all day, and it did feel pretty good.

Once in London, I spoke to Jools and she was feeling slightly better, but could not drive due to the lack of sleep and cocktail of drugs she was on. Her Dad would collect me from the station and take me home.

Once in London, I get the DLY and I work out that if I am lucky I will catch the 18:49 train, and thus be hoe 20 minutes early. I check my watch all the time as the train neared Stratford, and I work out I will have two minutes to make it to the station.

As I pass through the barrier onto the Southeastern platforms, I hear the train approaching, so I pick up my cases and stumble down the escalator. As I arrive on the platform the train is pulling in, I run along the platform to make sure I am in the portion of the train heading to Dover. Once the doors open, I stumble in and I made it!

At Dover, Tony is waiting, and he gives me the lowdown on the day's events. But I also am aware of his dreadful driving and hope that I make it home in one piece as we hurtle round roundabouts without him indicating, and being in the wrong lane. It is a relief when we pull into our street and arrive outside home that I can get out.

Jools is asleep on the sofa when I walk in, but is OK generally. She says she has to go back on Thursday for a CAT scan as the worry is for a blood clot on her lung. After a cup of coffee we head to bed and hope that Thursday will bring an improvement in her condition, and get the all clear from the hospital.