Wednesday 19th July 2023

Halfway through the week, and the day on which we booked our next adventure, to south west Iceland to see the Northern Lights, we hope, next February.

Work continues, I have few folks to talk to as most of our European division is on holiday, on a beach or in a summer house in the country.

Another day in which we were supposed to get thunder, and there was none for over 200 miles.

I work through the day, reviewing documents, making notes, then attending a meeting at which I have to expain to someone much more senior than I why what she was doing was wrong. She didn't get it, but another director on the call did.

That was in the morning, so at midday I could take my work computer to the sofa and watch the final Alpine stage of Le Tour. And what a stage it was. 5km of vertical climbing, including a 29km mountain to end the stage on, and by the end, everyone was hurting.The racing and scenery was spectacular, and myself and Scully beside me, enjoyed it greatly. And I wondered if my friend in NZ was watching the same shots I was, though in the middle of the night.

Once that was done, I prepared the air fryer for its first use, cleaned it and tried to get the parts to fit. For the first half of cooking the fries, I could not get the basket to roate, fixed it midway though cooking, so while they browned, I griddled the steak, boiled the fresh corn and suateed the fresh mushrooms.

We were having steak and fizz so we could toast my Dad, whom I outlived on Tuesday. We don't have steak every week now, as we used to, just an occasional treat.

Dad would have loved our life, and the trips we take: the eclipse, Japan, Chicago to New Orleans by train, and now Svalbard.

The steak was wonderful, as were the corn and shrooms. The chips will take some working on, though.