2024: How was it for you?

I am writing this three days early on Saturday, as there is no football on the tellybox today, despite it being a Saturday. The festive period is different every year, so games at weekends, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and all that, so fitting four or five games in two weeks means gams on different days, sometimes. So, with games on Thursday and Friday, a break occurs today, then there is pretty much a full program on Sunday, and again on Thursday and again next weekend.

So there will be lots of football. If not today.

So, we have come to yet another year, so it is time to look back. But really, we are mostly looking forward to what 2025 will bring, as a couple of leisure.

Health has been the main feature of the year, and a few injuries, which were probably linked, really cutting down on me going out a the photographs I would be taking.

It was the 26th January, a Friday afternoon, and once work was done, I put on the wellington boots and went for a stomp. But soon after reaching the farm at the end of the track over the fields and past Fleet House, my knee began to really ache and then hurt.

I had been handbagging going out much through the winter, waiting for what I thought was perfect weather for taking shots. The upshot being I had hardly gone out. My physio told me knee tendons had lost strength, and in the end failed to keep my knee in the right shape, thus tearing my Cartlidge.

This took place a week before we were due to go to Iceland on holiday, so not the best time. But with care, it began to heal, then taking the cases to the car for the drive to the airport, I tore it again. Then when in Iceland, each time I slipped on the ice, it tore more.

I did most of what I wanted, but the Sunday I was in so much pain, I didn't walk much so spent the afternoon in the Irish bar.

As the knee healed, I had apparently changed the way I walked, thus putting strain on my ankle, so that one day filling up the bird feeders, I turned the ankle over. There was a click. And pain.

In the months between the two incidents, my leg muscles had tried to keep all in place, but were hyper-extended, this very prone to cramp, especially when on sloping ground, like downs when hunting orchids.

As it turned out, the ankle was the final act, but it took another trip to the physio to confirm it was nothing serious.

By then it was July, and the orchid season was nearly over, the walking pole I used up to that point was no longer needed, and I even made it up Temple Ewell Down at the beginning of August to look for ALTs.

We had been to Ireland at the end of May so I could see three very localised species on the west coast, and my knee had really meant I couldn't do as much as I wanted, but Sean and Mike were very understanding as leaders, as were others on the tour as I did my best and saw all species and got the shots I wanted.

As the year drew to an end, I am now suffering from mild sciatica, which is literally a pain, and means sitting down at regular intervals on walks to "reset" my back. This might be down to my weight, it certainly doesn't help, so this is why we have started going to the gym infrequently. We plan to make it frequent.

We shall see.

I am hopeful for the future, but aware of how badly I have let things slip.

We shall see.

So, three vacations, all with fine memories to live off for years: Iceland, Ireland than the road trip to Tuscany in September. All wonderful in their ways, but who doesn't love Tuscany? At least away from the crowds.

Yes, crowds.

It seems that the pandemic meant that people, now that all restrictions have been lifted, want to travel, and everywhere is busier than before. Florence was a nightmare to be honest, and a pleasure to get out, despite not going inside the Cathedral. Pienza was crazy busy too, but others places were not, and once we learned to get to places before midday, it meant getting car park spaces, and less crowded experiences.

Also, driving rather than flying made it a very different holiday. More relaxed and enjoyable, without going to Heathrow or Gatwick, then checking in and all that, and then in Pisa going through immigration, getting a hire car and then driving down to Roccastrada.

Was much, much cheaper too. And on the return we were able to bring back wine, cheese and the other stuff we bought in Tuscany and on the way back through France.

And then there was work.

Our department got a new manager. And she was the micromanager from hell. We tried to give her a chance, but morale slumped, and we all talked of leaving, either for another department or leaving the company.

She took against me pretty bad, and questioned every decision I made until I broke. I was going to resign when we got back from France, but it turns she was fired first.

Oh how we laughed, not at someone's misfortune, but the sheer joy of being released from mental anguish and pressure.

The rest of the year has been fine, lots to do, but with did it all and so can sit back and relax in knowledge of a job well done.

But it turns out I am all out of fight, the strain of a breakdown in 2019 and another mini one this year meant that retirement never looked so tempting.

We sked our advisor if we could retire earlier than planned, to which he said we could retire now if we wanted. So we are going through the process now and should be settled a few weeks into the new year.

Work also meant a return to France and Ireland for follow up activities from last year's visits, so that's not bad. Shame that Ireland was in October rather than May, but I met old friends and went to Northern Ireland too, and on the way back to the airport, had a night out with an old military buddy. We had not seen each other for 31 years.

Also, two trips to Denmark: one for a team event that was so badly organised, but we did get to meet our colleagues from India, and the second to help out in our external audit. Each evening I met friends from Arhus.

I go into the final few months of work in good spirits. Sad that I am letting my colleagues down, but they tell me they would do the same if they could. I have worked with Rune and Henrik for over 12 years. Was their boss for a while, but we now make a formidable team in the global audit department.

But we are over-worked, under-valued. We have fought for four years, fought against ignorance and sloth. And ignored.

So, I give up. I will walk away.

So it goes, so it goes.

I bought no records or CDs this year.

I went to the cinema once, to see Dune II. (it was Life of Brian in space).

We did not go to the theatre.

And I think that our only gig ticket ended up falling on the day I had to fly out to Denmark for the audit, so we could not go to see Bellowhead. And The Skids on my birthday has been postponed to February next year.

So, here we are, at the fag end of the year. All misty and gloomy, but with the promised of a golden and sunny tomorrow. To retire at 60, I feel I have won at life, and am very satisfied with that.

Happy New Year.