Sunday 15th December 2019

Not quite a day of rest, as we shall see.

And I woke up with a thick cold, a runny nose and not feeling too sharp. At all.

It is a fine Sunday morning, with the sun about to rise, as I had managed to go back to sleep for an hour or so.

We get up, and after making coffee, feeding the cats, I settle down to watch MOTD, for a change watching it later than what was being shown on BBC.

Halfway through I stop to make bacon butties, as Jools had done a session on the cross trainer. I would not be doing one, as I sneezed time and time again, but these being a sneeze from a cold, being associated with a runny nose rather than an allergy-based blocked nose.

These details are important.

I have a shower, get dressed and tidy more of the stuff from Mum's place, putting it all back in half-sorted piles to be put back in the attic until it is time to sort through and put in albums.

Jools goes to visit her sister, I stay home to pack and get stuff done, until it was nearly midday and time to cook lunch, chorizo hash for those of you taking notes on such things.

Then there is football to watch, not because it was any good, but because it was there. Citeh drill the Arse a new hole, in the first half, but by then with the game won, I have to be on my way to meet a colleague at London City, as he would be joining me on another audit-filled trip to the New Forest.

I planned the trip, pretty well I thought, giving myself 90 minutes to get to the airport, by which time, if I was right, he should have landed and got through immigration.

Up the A2 in the inky darkness, in a steady drizzle, making driving testing.

Up to Dartford and down into the tunnel, then into Essex and along the A13 into the East End and Docklands. It wasn't too bad, but there is the stress my colleague might have been waiting for ages for me.

But I needn't have worried. I find my way to the airport, and the pick up zone whcih charges the mindblowing amount of £3.50 for each 20 minutes you wait.

I call Askil and he was outside, a minute later we met up, walk back to the car, no more than three minutes had passed, and yet it still cost £3.50.

We load the car, I set the sat nav, and we drive back to the Dartford Crossing, over the bridge and back into Kent. But this time, taking the motorway west, round the south east suburbs.

Driving wasn't too bad, I take my time as we have time, I say we have 14 hours until we have to be on site. Only half joking.

Half an hour later we turn south down the M3, and into the teeth of an electric storm raging in our path. Soon the rain began to fall heavy. And heavier.

We stop off at Fleet Services for supper, it was eight in the evening. I have a sandwich and some crisps. Askil has fish and chips, which looks good, and smells just like fish and chips should.

Back outside and into the rain, heading further south, and it was then i saw signs saying the motorway would be closed for two junctions, around Winchester, I guess.

And am right.

Soon we are at the back on a line of cars several miles long that filter into a single lane, then go round the city's one way system.

The rain fell like a monsoon as we inched to the turn off, then again as the lights turned green for a few seconds allowing three or four cars to turn. We take out turn, the take the wrong turn off the next roundabout, and are heading into the city.

But the sat nav guides us, round the one way system, as the road turned to a river, and the rain fell in torrents like a fog.

Back onto the motorway for a single junction before we turn off for the city centre of Southampton.

We find the Premier Inn, which is cheap and cheerful, and turns out I found the right one this time, and we get our keys and retire for the night.

I walk in the room at half ten, just in time to see the highlights of the footy.

What are the chances?