Thursday 12th November 2020

It is hard being motivated at the moment. I mean, if there's not enough uncertainty in the world as it is, we now have the takeover to deal with. We have tasks that are pretty moot for now, as we don't know what the new year will bring. We might not even have a job, but then we might. We just don't know. I looked at some of my old posts, and nine years ago we were going through something similar, as our employer nearly went bust.

That lasted three years, pretty much. Going from day to day, weeke to week, month to month not knowing if we would be needed next week. For a year, the Quality Department was my boss and I, and that was it. HSE was just one manager. He managed himself, apparently. Now Quality numbers over 120 and my old boss has retired.

Rumours kill an organisation, and ours are doing their best with at least three meetings a week to keep us informed that, for now, there is no news. I would rather I kept my job, so we can keep saving to be able to go on holiday next year, decorate the house and save. But if things don't pan out, we will cope. Just without the frill and luxuries we thought we would see out our autumn years rolling in.

Oh well.

We have each other.

And cats.

And kittens.

And we have our health, sorta.

It was Thursday. I had the regular morning meeting, and I had to squeeze in a session on the cross trainer, which I do.

Outside, it is a glorious day, I said to Jools when she said she had little to do, that why didn't she go for a walk?

Why not?

So after a shower and breakfast she puts on her boots and coat and sets off for Deal. She would ring if she wanted picking up.

OK.

I get into work, and tackle the task I had been putting off all week. The sun rises, the day warms up nicely.

She called for me to collect her, which I did. We saw the chippy was open, did I fancy a battered sausage?

Fnar.

We ate sitting on a bench by the main road, watching the world go by, then she says, shouls I drop you off so you can walk back?

Work was slow, the boss said if things were slow, logs needed chopping go and chop some logs. This wasn't log chopping, but the weather was wonderful.

I said yes.

She dropped me off at Kingsdown Beach, so I climbed the steep steps to the top of the cliffs, took a shot looking back, and walked up the grassy leas.

The light was fantastic, but I only had my compact camera, but it got some shots.

Oh yes.

It was muddy in places, but that is to be expected, but it was a bit of a slog up the Leas, and into a freshening head wind, I took my time.

It was low tide, and away offshore, waves broke on the Goodwin Sands, these protect the coast from the worse the sea has to throw at us.

I see no butterflies, and only a few flowering plants, I cross into St Margaret's, and turn inland to follow the narrow path across the fields so avoiding the worse of the hill leading to the Monument.

My back was giving me real grief, but I press on. Not quickly, but I go through the tunnel of sloe bushes to where the main path went to the top of the down, then onto Otty Bottom Road for a hundred yards, then down Norway Drove to the Dip.

Shadows were lengthening, and the light warm and golden. It was perfect to be out.

I walk down, wade through the mud at the bottom and then up the slope to Fleet House and back across the fields to home. It was half three, getting dark already as the sun set in the west.

Jools made me a coffee and I checked my mails, made a couple of calls and it was like I hadn't been away.

And, relax.

It is Thursday night, and a choice of at least three international games to watch, just have to decide which.

I plump for Scotland, which just my luck, goes to extra time and penalties. But Scotland win, at twenty past ten.

I go to bed.