Monday 17th January 2022

Back to work.

At least with this role, there is no actual dread when I wake up on Monday morning. Which is nice. I have a day of reviewing documentation and a meeting linked to that where I get to tell two guys what I thought of their process and how it does not comply with the ISO standards.

Let's just say that did not go down well.

A career in the Diplomatic Service does not await.

Anyway.

Jools has a day before her mini-me starts on Tuesday, so she has to try to get ahead to give her time to train her assistant starting tomorrow. So, she is off to work at quarter past six, and I am alone, sitting in the dark, sipping coffee, watching cats going to their various beds around the house.

I make more coffee and start work, setting up the office and not at all surprised or disappointed when there is a major Windows update to install.

I drink my coffee as the updates chug through.

Half an hour later it is done and the computer allows me to log in, check mails and messages sent over the weekend. Nothing urgent.

Which is nice.

I have breakfast, while listening to some of the weekend radio on the i player player.

I have the meeting.

And then have the remainder of the bread I made last week, I should have put jam or cheese on it, but nutella is too nutty and chocolatty to resist.

Come three, I pack up and go for a walk. I didn't feel like it, my back made sure I knew that. All through the short walk.

I went up Station Road, past the war memroal to the end of the paddock, and due to the path still very muddy, a turn for home.

I did know it was full moon that evening, so once home I Google the moonrise time and bearing, so am at the bathroom window, waiting.

In fact it rose at half four or so, so it was still daylight, and so was dim when just above the horizon, but as dusk fell, the moon brightened and hung in the sky, looking massive.

This was the Wolf Moon, apparently, and through the evening didn't rise above 15 degrees, but was so bright, it seemed to charge the solar lights on the shelter in the back garden.

I cook chorizo hash for dinner, and as always it is wonderful. Jools was pooped needless to say, doing the work of two people still, but this should have been the last day.

We had the very last slice of Christmas Cake with a coffee at seven, and are in bed at eight, as I had a meeting at six the next morning.