Wednesday 5th September 2018

I hadn’t closed the curtains the night before, so woke up when dawn broke, and the quiet hum of the traffic nine floors below rose.

I had a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast, before setting out on the drive along the old harbour then up to the office. Easy route to follow, just follow the tram tacks and they will lead me to one block from the office.

And it was another fine, sunny and warm day. Warm enough to have all windows open and the radio on as I drove.

In the office, it was the usual thing. Mails, meetings, but first, a three hour training workshop I had arranged, death by Powerpoint!

And that made the time fly, as I tried to give other project members the insight into what I do on a day to day basis.

Lunch came and went, and I find there are more meetings. It was three by the time I am done, have a full days work to do, and two hours in which to do it. No chance.

But I try.

I get a message from me old mate, Shags, saying he’s on his way into town on te train and will be there at twenty past five and will wait in an old Danish Pub called the Peter Gift, so once the rush hour traffic subsides, I pack up my stuff and go to the car to drive back to the hotel. Dump my stuff in my room and am pon my way to the pub in 5 minutes, walking through the old railway workshops, now turned into artisan shops and restaurants, up the steps the other side and to the pub.

Pubben.

I walk in and Shags is at the bar, so he gets me one in, and we go to the beer gaden to catch up, where he tells me he’s been laid off at work, and pretty upbeat despite that.

From there we go to the burger joint up the road to have fried chicken sandwich and curly fries, before walking through the shopping streets, past gospel choirs to the Highlander where there was a presentation from a new Swedish brewery.

We were already merry, and soon were life and soul of the party, sampling the different pale ales, talking to the brewers and being generally loud.

Good to let your hair down once in a while.

By ten, Shags had to leave to catch his train home, so I walk back to the hotel, not in a straight line I think, but arrive back, bounce off the walls for a bit before I collapse on the bed and sleep long.