Tuesday 13th October 2015

Monday

And welcome to the working week. Again.

Alas, it is now dark at six in the morning, and despite feeling like the middle of the night, Vanessa upbeat burblings insist it is time to get up. Anything to get away from you dear!

And once away from Vanessa, I realise that I have at least a week at home, not an airport in sight. Maybe two. Oh you lucky boy.

I listen to the sports news on the radio, Jools goes downstairs and makes coffee, feeds the cats and stuff. At even she leaves, leaving me with a fresh coffee and the cats, all sleeping for now. I put on the radio and get busy, making breakfast and ready for my long commute from one dining room chair to the next one. That done, I see if there's any fresh coffee, man, that commute was a killer.

I check my mails, and pretty soon the days is planned out and I work through my tasks.

Lunchtime comes and goes, and so into the afternoon with more writing, reviewing and the suchlike.

Soon after nine, the quiet of the village morning was shattered by the sound of drill on render. A gu a few doors down had been questioning us about who did the work on our place, but with it being well into October, I thought it too late this year. However, as I looked up the street, I see Martin and Steve unloading more stuff from their van. I joked with them that I should have a cut of the job as I pimped the work for them. Half serious, like.

All this time I could feel the allergies building. Not much I could do other than have the back door open and hope that in itself would help in keeping the sniffling and sneezing under control. In the end, it was just go outside for a walk for an hour, wrap up warm as the days are no longer that warm, especially up on the cliffs where the wind does blow. Just before four, I finish for the day, and decide that I should mow the lawn, collecting any thatch I missed the day before.

I felt better for some exercise and fresh air, and the lawn looked splendid. Good job.

I cooked jacket spuds for dinner, three and a half hours so they were crispier than a crispy thing. Perfect, and so simple and little washing up.

Finally, should I watch England's last qualifying game on TV? Not much else to do, and so I settle down to watch England go through the motions. They win 3-0, which means they have won all ten of their qualifying games, the first time they have done this. They may have had an easy group, but they did the job. Now, comes the big test, can they get past the group stages? I think they will, as 16 of the 24 qualifying teams will. But beyond that? We shall see.

And as I slipped into bed, my allergies clearly thought there had not been enough excitement through the day, and exploded in a flurry of sneezing and sniffs. I took to the spare bed with a supply of drugs, and I suppose after an hour, I dropped off.

Oh well.