Friday 26th November 2021

Or the day in which I discovered how much time it takes to do chores and work!

Jools was in Rickmansworth for the night as she had a cooking course on Friday, and I had to:

1. Do the shopping.

2. Put out and collect the bins and garden waste.

3. Work.

4. Drop the house key with Gary so he can feed the cats when we're away on Saturday.

5. Change the kitty litter.

6. Put the shopping away.

And did I mention work?

So, the alarm goes off at ten past five, I fight my way through a crowd of hungry cats, fill four bowls and scatter them around the kitchen and on the stairs, make a coffee and decide I had woken up enough, so that at six I could gather the shopping bags and go to Tesco, as we wouldn't be home until Sunday lunchtime and needed food.

So, I drive to the store, park up and find people in line waiting to go in.

Seems the sensor on the door failed, so wouldn't slide open for us. An old guy bangs on the window and we were let in.

I get hunting and gathering and manage to spend a lot of money. Just as well we were paid at midnight, then.

I go to pay, drive home as dawn was creeping over the land, get home just on seven. So I set up the office, check mails, and with nothing urgent, I could put the shopping away and make second coffee along with some toast.

The cats were all sleeping, I munch on toast as I speak to Henrik.

Let the chaos begin!

My boss is on holiday, so in the social department meeting where the rainy season in India still isn't over, and they are all now worried about the new COVID variant.

Eeek. At half ten, I drive to River to see Gary and hand over cat feeding instructions and the spare key. We chat, but it was just five days since we last spoke, but a bit more small talk was good.

I have to leave to get back home for work, although nothing had happened really, but I was on call to put out any fires if needed.

I get to two, and nothing much else was going on, so I log off, make a coffee and after eating the curried rice and banger dish I made the night before, I watch a two hour documentary on Paul Gauguin and his art. So talented, and yet a man out of place, not really at home anywhere, least of all in France.

I get a text from Jools saying she would be back in Dover at just gone six, so I make sure I'm there to pick her up. She was coming back with some of the stuff she cooked.

Indeed, when she got in the car the food smelt delicious, so when we got home she warmed up the jambalaya, I opened some fizz and we dined like Creole Royalty.

And that is it from me until Sunday.

Be good and stay safe.