Thursday 22nd February 2018

The last four posts were written with me coming down and suffering with flu. Yesterday was the worse day, but I still wrote in the evening, as I always do. So my point being, maybe they are short and to the point, but with reason.

I woke in the hotel at five, I bean to cough and was aching. So, the doubt in my mind as to whether it was flu of an allergy attack were clarified; flu it was.

I got up had a shower and after dressing went down for breakfast. Two hours had passed somehow

And then there was the short drive to the office, but all had changed; the old offices are gone, a new factory built, and everywhere huge turbine components lay everywhere. But these were much, much bigger than I was used to.

And with the factory and much more work being done, parking is at a premium, so I had to leave the car on the side of the road and walk to the main gate and then to the reception. Thing is this was as much a social visit, as meeting up with colleagues from previous projects, and me not having been here for 15 months. I am greeted with hugs and shrieks (yes) when they see me.

In the end the only real change is the turbines just get bigger. Asdo the problems.

I go to see the quality team, and nothing changed there either.

After a safety brief, I go on a tour of the site; 85m long blades, nacelles the size of two houses, and towers ready to be loaded. All on a grand scale.

But all the time the fl had me in its grip; I ached and sneezed and coughed. I felt shit.

I sit and cough my way until the second part of the day arrives, the tour round the new factory. Although not quite inspected, we are welcomed and shown round. Everything is huge. I am impressed. And at quarter to two, the day is done, and all I am fit for is heading back to the hotel waiting to take my aching bones to bed. Which is what I do, no radio on, the curtain drawn. And I sleep the afternoon through, waking up when it was dark. My head feels the size of a small planet. I realise now it was from a lack of fluids, but I could have gone back to bed. Instead I had made arrangements weeks ago to meet up with friends in the Dronning Louise for a beer.

Jesper calls me to say he is leaving the yard and will pick me up if I wanted. That sounded great.

So he whisked me the other side of the town, finding a free parking space, so we could walk to Dronning Louise, taking an empty table by the door, ordering drinks and burgers. I had a coke, and I have to say, more than the food, made me feel human again, the headache went at least.

Another colleague, Henrik Muller came in and sat with us. He is recovering from cancer, but we don't ask, just good to see him putting on weight and smiling again.

Jepser takes me back to the hotel, dropping me off at the door, but my plan for nine hour sleep is dashed when as soon as I lay down, I begin to cough, barking like a dog. The hours pass, midnight comes and goes, but sometime after one I do drop off, getting close to three hours sleep. I need rest, peeps.