Thursday 14th November 2019

Since the 23rd September, life has been full on.

It began with collecting the hire car, then driving down to the Isle of Wight, two days of audits. Then on Wednesday news came Mum was seriously ill. Next day they turned her life support off.

I drove home, spent Friday and Saturday at home before travelling up to Suffolk to sort out the details. Four days work up there meant I could come home on Thursday for three days before catching the train back to Suffolk to have a meeting with the solicitor. One night in OUlton Broad, back home for three days.

Back home two days, and then her funeral. We drove up on Thursday, or to Colchester, then to Suffulk on Friday morning. HAd the fineral, had the wake. Then drove down to London, dropped the hire car off, a night in the UJC, before catching a flight to Chicago the next morning.

15 nights in Chicago, New Orleans and Houston.

Fly back.

Five days at home, then leave for Holmes Chapel on Sunday. Three days of a course, drive to Warrington. A night there, next morning in head office. Drive home.

Four days at home.

Then Train to London on Monday evening. Three days of another course. Train home.

Got back yesterday evening, ten hours home. And today, drive to Suffolk again, this time to inter Mum's ashes.

Quite frankly, I am shattered. Just worn down by travel and weary.

But, as this is about Thursday, better get back to the matter in hand.

I woke at quarter past five after yet another night of fractured dreams and sleep. The dustcart woke me up at quarter past five. Bottles were poured into a metal container.

OK, I get it, I'm awake now.

I put on the radio, but I have lots to do. As least of all, due to being just shagged out, I had skipped doing homework the night before, so I had to make time to do that.

I shower, pack, go down to check out then have a quick breakfast, before going to the Tube station to get to London Bridge.

Then I had an idea.

I mean London Bridge is a five minute walk from Borough, I have an hour and a quarter, why not walk, I had time?

Dirty little hobbitses says short cuts leads to long delays. And they're right. I get out at LOndon Bridge, at the foot of The Shard, look at the map and set out.

In the wrong direction.

I am nearly at Tower Bridge before I realise my mistake. So I turn round and walk back, half an hour wasted.

I reach the venue, go up and get down to homework which didn't take me long. Another bloke on the course has looked at the exam paper (don't ask) and is trying to tell me the questions and pick my brains for answers.

I can only think of one thing at a time.

He leaves me alone when the instructor arrives. No more cheating. Dirty little hobbitses.

We do an hour of review. And hour of audit reporting practice. Another review, then off for an early lunch.

And then, exam time.

Eyes down.

19 pages, in 90 minutes. It was tough, so tough there was barely time to think, answer all the questions fully in the allocated time. The instructor walks round egging us on to answer every question. I am done with four minutes to go, time enough to check I had answered every question, so handed my paper in, collect my stuff up, pack my bag and leave.

Down in the lift, out onto the street, over the road to the tube station, down the lift. A train had just arrived, I dived in.

6 stops. I had 35 minutes before my train left. I might make it.

The six or so stops seemed to be over a large swathe of east London.

I needn't have worried, as some stations are just 500 yards apart.

The last trip between Angel and St Pancras seemed to take ages, but we pulled into the station.

Up the stairs, along a corridor, then up two sets of escalators, and my train was just pulling in. I get through the barriers, go to near the front of the train and climb in, sink into a seat, less than 25 minutes after the exam finished. I now had 15 minutes to wait before it pulled out!

But I was on my way home, I would be home before four, before dark. And be home for 13 hours until it would be time to leave in the morning.

I flag the last taxi down outside the station, and he whizzes me home. I was so happy I give him a twenty for an eleven quid fare, telling him to keep the change.

I was so pleased.

I had an hour's wait until Jools came back home, we had half an hour to talk before we had to go out again, to meet with Jen, Sylv and Scott for a curry as Scott was going home the next day.

Phew.

We went to the Swingate, they were waiting outside, and being a Thursday and England were playing, the place was quiet, so we take a table near the kitchen, which we can see into as it has no walls, if that make sense, so see the chefs making busy with the curries and tandoori oven. Entertainment on its own!

We eat, drink and are very merry, even if Scott is going back home to the other side of the world in the morning.

We say goodbye in the car park, hug, and he is gone.

We go home, back to the quiet house. I have a slug of sloe port and watch the second half of the England game. They win 7-0.

I go to bed, tired but happy.