Thursday 7th January 2021

The coldest night of the year, and there is a hole six square inches in our back door where there used to be a cat flap.

It was cold outside, a hoar frost, and not much warmer in the kitchen.

Jools gets up and puts the heating and kettle on.

I get up, get dressed, put on socks and a jumper. It is that cold.

I check mails and Amazon confirms that the new cat flap will be delivered that day, but can't say when.

Jools is a blur of action as she gets ready for work, and is out of the door at half six, leaving me to do the bins.

I take my camera with me to record a shot fo the car port with the steam rising from the heating vent as it struggles to keep Chaz Jelltex warm.

Back inside and get ready for the morning meeting where there is no news. But during the meeting I fnally manage to connect the new phone to my e mail server, so I can now work on the move once again.

At least I achieved something that day.

And after three days of meetings and angry e mails, I finally win the argument for a minor point at work.

Yay me.

But biggest news is that at half eight, the cat flap is delivered. I had already started to take the old one off, but two screws remained, so in the end I ripped the frame off the door, screws and all. I unpack the new flap, fit the outer frame, feed the four longest screws through the door, attach the inner frame and door, thread the nuts on, tighten.

And done all by nine.

I was watched by two curious kittens, as they had got used to the old flap, then no flap, but new one with a different smell. There was much noise until each one had worked out that it worked in the same one as the old one. And one by one they came in, went out, came in, went out. And so on.

I was still an engineer after all.

I e mail Jools to tell her the task was done.

Back to work.

More meetings.

But there is a disaster brewing: we had run out of milk. I had run out of milk.

So, on with the shoes and along our street to Station Rad and down to the bottom of the Dip where I see the owner of the "new" wooden framed house, first time I had seen to speak with him since they moved in 3 years ago. I told him the house was looking great and they had done a good job. Because they have.

I told me the story of the trouble they had with the council, and I listened. Even though I knew it.

But it is good, and has improved the area, and it was good and right to tell him that.

I left him to his gardening and walked up the hill into the village and to the shop. I was able to go straight in, so I buy milk, bread and crisps. I could have had warmed up hash, but I thought about my favourite: jam and crisp sandwiches. The jam should be strawberry, but any would do. But the crisps have to be salt and vinegar.

I know, sounds horrible, but its the sweet and savoury thing you used to get at parties when you had a jammy dodger followed by a "buffet" sausage roll. Anyway, when you're an adult, you can do this.

So, after spending four English pounds, I fill the carrier bag after paying, and walk down the hill, head filled with the anticipation of jam and crisp sandwiches.

Back home I boil the kettle and as the loaf was small, I thought i chould have not one but two sandwiches, putting crisps in double layers in each sandwich and pressing down to force them into tasty crumbs on the thich layer of apricot jam.

I get back to work. More meetings. More calls.

The day drags, so I put on the radio, listen to a pod cast and read a magazine.

I fnish "work" and pack away.

Time for dinner, so I egg and breadcrumb chicken, make curried rice and then fry garlic mushrooms.

It was good.

Better than good.

In fact.

And I open the wine I got from work for Christmas, dark and fruity just like me.

We have the radio on, its already dark, so we close the curtains on the outside world, keeping the warmth in.

And there was no football to watch. For a change.