Wednesday 17th March 2021

St Patrick's Day (Ireland and Boston, Ma)

Although, there is no trip to the pub this year, and indeed, if you lived in Ireland, the bars were already closes because of COVID.

As it is, no pubs or bars are open, selling regular or green Guinness.

And certainly, the Rover Dour didn't run green, then it never does.

This was the first day of many, perhaps dozens of audits this year, and like before, this one to be done via Teams. And we have a meeting, or I have a meeting, with a colleague at seven in the morning, meaning I would be stuck to the dining room chair for maybe nine hours.

Jools, decided to work in the garden for half an hour in the morning, rather than walking round the estate, meaning she had showered and was out by half six. I was also dressed and ready for work at five to seven.

We have the meeting. Turns out my spider auditing senses were right, the task that had been given to me, had been given to someone else, and so all the preparation I did the first two days of the week were wasted, unless I join the audit next week? Yes.

That's sorted.

Giving me half an hour to make second coffee, a tea for Jools and breakfast before it was time for the audit.

And so began seven hours of auditing on a dry but important subject, with breaks about once every 90 minutes, as we ploughed through dry detail.

Lunch at twelve of ham sandwiches, and a quick double brew, before back at the table at half half past.

We wrap up at three, a final endless round of thanking everyone for being helpful, and quickly grab my coat and a camera or two and time for a quick walk.

Jools reported that she had seen a small group of Coltsfoot in Collingwood, so as soon as I was out of my seven hour meeting, I put on my shoes and went out.

Seems that Coltsfoot needs not just sunshine but warmer weather than we have at the moment, as the group of about six flowering stems were pretty much closed, even in quite bright weather. It had been sunny for some time when I left home.

Anyway, I will try again over the weekend when on Saturday at least, the sun will shine again.

I walk back over the fields to home, time for a coffee and a sit down before cooking dinner of shop bought ribs, fried potatoes and garlic mushrooms and due to be agreeing not to drink at least two days a week, Wedneday was a "dry" day.

I had squash.

But dinner was great, if not as good as Bones, the Memphis Smokehouse, or indeed Buba's in Cody.

A good friend once said that there's always a disappointing football game. Well, once upon a time that was true, or when Norwich are in the Prem, but for now we are setting the Championship on fire, and England are one of the top seeded teams in EUFA. Last time out, City had equalled our second best ever run of wins with eight on the bounce, now it was an away trip to Nottingham Forest where we would bump into a fomrer manager and centre forward.

We should have won, but in football.....

It was a fine eary spring evening, Norwich almost full strength, and Forest, well, not doing so well. And htey kicked off.

Back in 2001, I remember travelling to the City Ground and us getting our arses kicked, lost 4-0, and we got off lightly. It must have been how it felt for Forest, as Norwich played with them like a cat plays with a injured mouse. We were two nil up in ten minutes, created 20 more chances, had a pass accuracy rate of over 90%.

All too easy, but at the time, I was nervous.

But we did it, nine wins in a row and off back to Carrow Road on Saturday and Blackburn.