Wednesday 27th November 2019

Pay Day!

I know I should expect such things, having been coming to Denmark for some seven years or so, but when I pulled open the curtains at six in the morning, I saw rain. Lots of rain.

Welcome to Denmark.

At least, staying in the compound, aka Scandic Vest, its a short drive to the office and most interactions with manic cyclists are avoided.

I shower, get dressed then go down for breakfast before scampering to the car trying not to get too wet.

I catch most of the lights on the ring road until I get to the water tower which marks when I have to turn north towards the office, beside the trams then the hotel before taking a left turn into the area which sits our head office. And it being not quite seven, there were lots of parking spaces.

I walk to the office, enter my code to get through the outer door, enter it again to get through the inner door, register my car for the day so not to get a £50 ticket, walk to find an empty desk and unpack and begin work.

Outside it is still dark, and the traffic on the main road into the city inches by.

The has meetings, phone calls, more meetings, coffee and more meetings.

I am thrilled.

I also go to visit my former colleagues on the project. Serious shit is going down, but then it always was. Anyway, I go to show my face, so the Godly Kate can look into my eyes and see a smile. And she is then happy. I thought she was going to hug me to death. There are worse ways to go. But it is wonderful to be cared about.

I go back to my hot desk, do some work until half two, at which point I take the afternoon off, to drive back to the hotel, have a shower, then drive to visit my friends, Anni and Bo at their house on the edge of the city.

Anni mentored me in my early days as a Quality Manager, and without her I would not be here. In her house. Drinking beer.

We both have a lot to thank each other for, so we do, in a restrained way.

We talk for hours, while outside the rain continues to fall.

Until it is seven, and I am hungry, so say my goodbyes and drive back to the hotel where I am told all tables are full so will have to wait for dinner.

I have a Christmas beer, call Jools, then am showed to a table, and order a burger and more Christmas beer without looking at the menu.

I am experienced.

Dinner is good, if predictable, and back to my room in time for the quarter to nine kick off in the CL.

I have no idea who I watched play. Was it Barca? Maybe. They won, 3-1.