Tuesday 19th December 2023

In six weeks, we are due to fly to Iceland on a trip to hopefully view the Northern Lights, four nights were due to be spent at the Northern Lights Hotel near the Blue Lagoon, which is somewhere to the left of this shot, showing the 4km long fissure that opened up last night after weeks of earthquakes and swelling of the ground.

For the time being, the airport is open but things and wind direction and composition of the fumes from the volcano might change things, greatly.

We shall see.

And so to the last day at work.

No managers in, and me just with the reports to write and present at the end of the day.

Everything under control as long as nothing distracted me.

He said.

We were late getting up again, so a rush for Jools to be ready, but for me, just drink my coffee and set up the office.

I gathered all information, wrote it up, and even with my concentration waning from time to time, I got the first one done by ten, and the second my midday, giving me an hour to relax and gird my loins before the meeting

Issuing reports with findings is rarely good, as it means more work for the guys attending, and questions and arguments. In the end it was one meeting ending the stopped the discussions, and I had to say it'll be issued as it is.

Second one much the same, but they were more open to criticism so accepted the report. I wished everyone a Merry Christmas, set my out of office message and switched off the computer for the last time this year.

Phew.

I was tempted to have a wee dram, but made a brew instead, packed the work stuff away, fed the cats and put some music on.

I would not be relaxing for two days, as in the morning I was to go on a road trip with Jen, up north to Bury, so that will be stressful, 450 miles on our crowded motorways. At Christmas.

Yay.

I made fritters for dinner, found some beers to have with them, and set about mixing and frying so all was done for when Jools came back home.

Despite very little travel, I feel shattered at the end of the working year, and grateful of the two week break.

We cracked open a tin of Celebration to go with our coffees, and, like that, it was Christmas.