Monday 9th December 2024

And so to the last full week of my last full working year.

I am still feeling tired, but looking forward to Christmas and nearly two weeks off, and no thoughts of work will enter the vast empty spaces of my brain.

It is still blowy outside, and rain is falling steadily as Jools left in darkness to go to work. She had her waterproofs on as she planned to do some walking before work, but the driving rain when she got to Hythe meant she didn't go and went straight to the office to get ahead of things.

I drink my coffee, and I have no audit to lead, I can start a few minutes late.

First task it to write my official letter informing the company through HR of my intention to retire early next year.

My boss's boss is online, so I call her and fulfil my promise to let her know by the end of Monday.

She knew it was coming and accepts it, wishes me well.

So the deed is done.

There is work to do, and yet I am oddly distracted, and struggle to concentrate, but get some done.

I call Rune and Henrik to let them know face to face that I submitted the letter, and they are sad and yet pleased for us.

Its a bittersweet moment for sure.

Outside the rain continues to fall, so I nip out to put bird food out, and a few minutes later rewarded when a pair of Choughs fly over, though don't land this time.

I get my camera ready with the big lens just in case.

But it is the time of the shortest days, so when its cloudy, or like this, rainy, ten it doesn't get fully light, so the table lamp burns bright beside my monitor as I work.

Jools is splashing in the evening, and I have said I would try the gym in the leisure centre, I even bought a new pair of trainers for the task last week.

But as time to go approached, I felt less inclined to go, Jools called to make sure I didn't need an induction and could pay on the door.

I could.

No escape.

I put on the new sneakers, then drive us to Whitfield and to the centre, park out the back in the large car park. We scamper across the car park, into the teeth of a north easterly.

Damn cold.

I pay to go in, and so up the stairs to the first floor, into the large gym room, all brightly lit and a large array of instruments of torture.

I pick a recumbent bike, program it for a quick start, steady resistance, put a podcast onto play, and away I go.

Listening to something interesting is the key, so the podcast plays and time drags.

Plan was to do half an hour, in the end I do 25 minutes as my right knee was aching, so stop.

Jools is still in the pool, so I went out to the car to wait, put the radio on, and watching the rain sweel in from the darkness beyond the five-a-side pitches, all brightly lit.

Just after eight, Jools comes out, fighting against the driving rain, and then we drive back home.

A quick pizza in the oven for supper, and a large tripel for me and a cider for Jools.

As we broke out the peanuts, I pour a second Le Chouff from the magnum bottle as I watch the relegation six-pointer between West Ham and Wolves.

A fight to the death.