Friday 28th February 2020

Friday.

For Jools it is already the weekend. But for me, it is another working day. "working" day, that is.

Look, I get to work from the dining room table, with a commute of several inches from one chair to another, and in the evening, I pack the screen and keyboard away and pour a glass of wine, happy in a job well done.

Jools' alarm goes off at five fifteen. Even for me it is too early, so go back to sleep until six, by which time she is dressed, having drunk her cuppa and was in the process of making my first coffee.

So, after she leaves for her yoga class, I finish my coffee and, although it was easier not to do it, I go up to do the phys on the cross trainer, and although my legs ached, I do the whole session, singing loudly as some of my favourite songs come up on the i pod.

I finish, cool down then go for a shower, get dressed and have breakfast. And once logged into work, log my working hours, book travel to Aberdeen and North Hoyle in the upcoming weeks, and I am in control.

I have a meeting with my boss where I say, I am in control. It is good you are in control. Then we spend 20 minutes talking about cats.

And for the rest of the morning I clean up the new process I have been working on, taking off all the reviews and comments.

It is midday, Jools is usually home by then, but of Jools there is no sign. I am also hungry.

I say to myself, toy will not die, all is good.

Half an hour passes. No news.

Another half hour passes, and I have to be out of the house in an hour for another eye test.

I text Jools: are you OK?

Yes.

When will you be home?

20 minutes.

So, I pack work away, and am putting the power lead away for the laptop when Jools is reversing down the drive, car laden with various lunch possibilities for lunch.

Just as well as I was bloody hungry.

Jools brings in the shopping, dodging the raindrops. I make brews, make ham rolls for lunch, so within ten minutes we were sitting down to eat. Which was nice.

And with the weather outside, grim, I have to go out to go to into town for my actual eye test.

I park as close to the shop as possible, behind the back of the Maison Dieu, walk through to Biggin Street and along to Specsavers.

I am booked in, have the same tests as two weeks ago, then the actual eye test, reading the letters on the screen. My eyesight is worse, but not that bad, but I now need vari-focals, which will be expensive. Bloody expensive.

I pick the first frames I see, and after paying I can leave for home. Going via Greggs where I buy to jammy shortbreads, which I think will go very well with afternoon coffee, which I plan to make once home.

I go home along Reach Road, which the rain had turned into a river, water all brown with mud, pouring off fields and down past the NT place. Along Reach Road, the road is almost covered by water, so I take my time, and arrive in St Maggies, then past the shop and down the hill to home.

I make coffee, put a shortbread each on a plate, and soon we are sitting enjoying a fine treat, as outside the wind howls and the rain still pours in sheets.

We listen to the radio, then I make king prawn stir fry and crispy noodles for dinner. I celebrate the weekend by opening a new box of vintage red wine. The box dates from December 2019. It was a good year.

And once the Steve Lamaqc show was done, it was all eyes on the TV for the game, Norwich v Leicester.

A must win game for Norwich, against a team that was going through a rough time.

And Norwich dominate the first half, but ends goalless. In the 2nd, Leicester start to take control, and score 5 minutes in, but that is ruled out due to handball.

Just when it seems that all was last, Lewis hammers the ball home from outside the box, and the silence inside Carrow Road was broken. Leicester dominate, and come close to scoring, but don't.

Norwich win, 1-0. Don't matter how, just that they did.

21 points instead of 18.

The Great Escape might be on.....