Friday 25th February 2022

Friday. And due to reasons beyond my control, jut a half day at work as Jen and Sylv wanted to take us out for lunch, and then we had another pension meeting.

And if that isn't enough good news, Spring apparently started, with unbroken sunshine, light winds and emperatures int he mid-teens.

It was too good to be at work.

I say "work". I do it from home, with a commute from one chair to another at the dining room table, no boss to look over my shoulder, or one who doesn't take notes in meetings so forgets what we agreed, and has faith in our time off tracking system, which, sadly for him, is not implemented in UK. I only take off what I'm due, honest, Guv.

We lay in until six, giving me 55 minutes before the weekly social meeting. Where everyone was in high spirits, with COVID on the run, apparently, and life now pretty much back to normal in Chennai. In Denmark too, the Government has given up and everything is open there too.

And I don't have a hangover either.

Which is nice.

I have to say, I didn't have a hangover, really, just didn't feel very sharp on Thursday.

Better on Friday, as batteries recharged for a full weekend.

I work through the morning, foiled by IT failurs in some taks, so, at midday I pack up.

And outside, ten minutes later, Jen arrives with Sylv and John in the car to take us to Hythe to meet Jools for lunch in the sit down chippy.

Jen had the heating on full, and in the bright sunshine was soon uncomfortable. She did turn it down a gnat's tadger halfway there, but I can tell you there was a lot of relief on my part when we arrived at Hythe, parked the car and I could escape.

I need to buy some wool, Jen says.

Is there a wool shop in Hythe, I ask.

I expect so, says she.

So I get the phone out and Google for one: 112 High Street.

She was already, by luck, walking in the right direction.

She buys her wool, then leaves me behind, waiting outside as she walks over to John who is in the queue for the chippy. Once I realise and join them, he tells us there is an hours wait. It was already one and Jools and I had to be home by three for a meeting on our retirement finances.

We decide to go to a place on the beach, the old Hythe Bay Restaurant, now called "The Waterfront".

I go with Jools as the heating in our car is set at much lower levels.

We met the others inside, and Jen had secured a table with views, for half of the party, over the lower tables to the prom an, beach and sea.

I was happy.

I was going to order burger, but I switched to fish and chips meaning I was going to have that for two out of three meals. And, apparently, was happy with that.

We had half an hour wait, so I people watched and cracked jokes that everyone ignored.

Quite right too.

We had to leave before the bill was paid, but we left our share.

I drove us home via the A2 back to Dover and home.

It was Friday afternoon, and outside it was glorious, we really should do something, but both of us were shattered, so we go inside for the Zoom meeting, in which we were told we could retire now if we wanted, but things would be fine if we waited three and a half years.

So there it is.

At six there is the music quiz, now only conducted via picture clues, and each person just gets one guess, so you have to be sure.

Usually it taks three or four clus to be fairly sure.

First up was a picture of the late TV chief, Kieth Floyd. So I typed in "Stranglers". As did many others in the quiz.

After each picture, there is a brief pause while those with the correct guess are noted. This time the pause lasted two minutes.

Anyway, over ten of us got it on the first clue, and I was third.

Happy with that.

All I needed was Norwich to win the televised game against Southampton.

It was men against boys, it ended 2-0, but could have been ten.

I have no words.