Tuesday 27th July 2021

Pay day.

And we woke up earlier to find it cloudier and gloomier.

We had to put the table light on.

End of July? More like October, even if it is early.

It was to be a full day for me, with the audit planned and then a new work laptop due to be delivered.

In fact, for a while I thought I would be going to Warrington to dot he audit. The audit was for the offices of our parent company, or the UK branch. It is in the building next to where we had our Offshore offices. I could have gone up, had a face to face audit, looked into the whites of their eyes as I quizzed them, and in the evening go to visit friends who live nearby.

But even with the unlocking, it didn't seem safe, and the guy in charge has most of his staff still working from home, so, via Teams it was.

In fact I have two audits I needed to be at, but being lead auditor I could only do the one, so Warrington it was. The others will just have to fend for themselves.

I hoped.

So, after breakfast and a strong third coffee, I logged on and off we went. I suppose we're the same, think of ourselves as ordinary and what we do has little effect, but as the day went on, I uncovered gaps and things that could be done better, and rather than making a big deal out of it, we all had a rather good day, and I was even thanks at the end of it. Maybe there's something in this for me?

The laptop did arrive. I open the package to see what I had, a tiny thinkpad, it's no good for a work station really.

And another delivery was seeds for next year's lawnmeadow display. I just have to wait about a month before sowing, and then leave for ten months.

Its not all hard work.

As forecasted, the wind began to blow, and thoughts of going for a walk were abandoned, and instead I looked out over the garden, to the house at the bottom and the Dip beyond then to the cliff edge a mileaway. Its not a bad place to leave, really.

For dinner I used a jar of curry paste that Jools had bought, and so I used it to marinade some defrosted pork. I gave it little thought. And once I began to cook, however, it was more like chamical warefare, I had to open the back door, the windows and the fumes given off caused me to cough and my eyes to water. Maybe it wouldn't be that spicy, I said, not really believing it.

I did some noodles and a kind of stir fry, and served it once Jools came home.

I think to be fair, it was vindaloo hot, maybe hotter. I did finish mine, but Jools gave up even after coating the pork in mayo. Just too hot.

But we had ice cream in the freezer, so we soothed our mouths with a Magnum each before throwing the leftover food into the bin.

Tomorrow, I would try to use the new laptop, I gird my loins for that.