Thursday 3rd June 2021

For the last two mornings, we wake up and ask each other if we had seen Poppy during the night. THe answer was no. I assumed that after nearly two days, she was gone for good. I am pretty sure Jools thought the same thing.

Jools was up and about, making coffee and feeding the three other cats. I cam down and there was coffee, Jools came to talk to me, and there was this black flash come in the open front door.

Yes, it was Poppy, and she just stood there and meowed for her breakfast like this was an ordinary thing after two days.

So, one bowl of food was provided, and she went upstairs licking her lips to sleep it off, coming down at about ten for a second breakfast and a head rub. In between, I had gone up and she was all curled up, and she rolled over, still in a ball, so I supported her between my arms as I scrated her ears, she looked like a furry slice of toast in a rack. She purred quietly.

Jools had gone to work happy, and fighting back the tears. The other cats ddn't mind, except Scully who watched through squinted eyes wheneever Poppy came down to eat. I wag a finger at her and she thinks better of it, but you can see that given half a chance, she would launch herslef like an overweight feline sofa to feline guided missile.

Not not this time, or at any point during the day.

And for the day, I have a packed schedule with not one, but two audits; one in Germany and the other in China, all without leaving my didning room table. Quite amazing, really.

I kick off the first one at seven in the morning, two in the afternoon in Tianjin, which I have visited in the mists of time. Communication was an issue. Indeed, only one of the auditees spoke much English, but was certainly better than my Chinese.

The morning went well

We finish the audit, I find myself bowing to my computer as we end the meeting. How polite I am. The camera wasn't switched on, though. I had two hours before the next audit, time to have lunch, wander in the garden to stretch my legs, and catch up on work stuff.

The factory in Germany I know too, having been there maybe nearly ten times in the past, but my friend, Harald, has left and set up on his won, the his replacement is fine, and he remembers me from my visits.

We carry on to four, then wrap up, at which point it is time to finish for the day, listen to some music and think about dinner. Dinner is to be tacos. And side salad.

I made the sauce during the day, added the chicken, then cooked it up so was ready for when Jools came home. We ate well, and soon were splattered with tomato sauce, but it was good.

And that was that. What with having to be up early for the audit, fighting cats and worrying about Poppy, we hadn't slept, and it took all our strength to stay up to nine before tossing in the towel.

Poppy had had dinner, but was back sleeping, and looked so happy.

As were we.