Monday 11th December 2023

Monday. And sunshine.

Sunshine all day.

Sunshine of St Maggies.

It would be a cause for celebration, only I have two difficult and technical audits to do Monday and Tuesday mornings, both kicking off at 07:00 UK time, meaning I actually set my alarm for the first at home for months and months. Maybe years.

Jools is up, so we talk then she gets ready to leave, and leave early to make sure that she does not disturb the audit when she does leave.

The audit took all morning, and for once I had a subject matter expert to assist, and without him I would have drowned.

That done, and after lunch of reheated home-made crispy coated spicy chicken. In a bun, I would have started to type up my notes for the report.

But the forces of evil were hard at work, calling me in for two meetings both lasting an hour, then more calls. And by three I had typed seven words.

I went out for a walk, just up and down the four roads of the estate, though I only do three, as I needed to do more tippy tapping at the keyboard.

At twenty past four, nine and a half hours after starting work, I am done.

I wrap up, though I'll have to do it all again on Tuesday.

I had walked up to the top road, along and back, then down Hardy, cutting through at the far end to check on the colony of Winter heliotropes, where one spike was just about in flower.

It'll do, and so is the first flower open for the 2024 season.

Only nature had other ideas, as on the way down I noticed a yellow flower on a verge, and there was a rosette of primroses with a single flower open.

I amble back home, with Scully waiting for me halfway down the street. She meowed her recognition and ran ahead in the hope of it being dinner time when I got in.

Monday is Jools's aquafit night, so she returns home to have a brew, then is off again, so I do some chores, have a bacon butty for my dinner, then wait for her return so I can cook hers.

She gets back at twenty past eight, and I'm watching the Pompy v Bolton game, a top of the table clash, but I can't get into it, so go to best at nine at half time.