Tuesday 31st May 2022

And to work. Again.

And outside the rain did fall.

Mainly on the garden. And meadow.

I have to admit, I am in a rut working from home, even after just one day back after a week off. I am to travel once we are back from Wales, if only for a few days, but that should make life interesting for a while.

I dream of Cleo sleeping in the bed, but wake up with Cleo on the bed, but difficult to tell dream from reality, and with one thing and another, I slept poorly. Which explained the migraine soon after lunch and my hour on the sofa surrounded by flashing lights.

Jools hung the washing out to dry, but I would have to get it in less than three hours later due to a downpour.

Other than that, life is as it always is: cats eat, meow and sleep, work makes me frustrated and there is coffee to drink.

Into the afternoon, it clouds over more and gets cold enough to close the windows and put the heating on, damning the cost. Until a cat wants to go out of the window instead of the cat flap. Cleo jumps up to where the window should be open, but isn't, and then gravity brings her back to earth. Quickly.

The rain is heavier in the afternoon, so there is no walking for me, just some shots in the garden in the bright spells between showers.

Dinner is fritters, and is a case of using the courgettes, sweet peppers and the rest of the stuff so there is nothing to throw out come Thursday.

A quiet evening, and early to bed too, as my lack of sleep forces my eyes to close.

Still clueless after six years

Yesterday, JRM published the top ideas to "make the most of Brexit"

1. Encourage fracking, shortcut rules on planning, consultation, etc, via an emergency act.

2. In at number 2! Abolish EU rules limiting vacuum clearners to 1400w. Watt?

3. Remove precautionary principle restrictions on things like experimental medicines and GM crops.

4. Abolish rules on size of vans that need an operator's licence.

5. Abolish EU limits on electrical power levels on electrically assisted cycles.

6. Allow certain medical professionals, pharmacists, paramedics, to qualify in three years.

7. Remove the requirement for agency workers to have the attributes of permanent workers.

8. Simplify the calculation of holiday pay.

9. Reduce requirements for fixed wire testing for businesses.

And that is it after six years on from the referendum, Almost every single one is about removing consumer, worker or environmental protections. And to think that the UK sacrificed 12% of trade and 4% of GDP for this!

Monday 30th May 2022

Back to work. If only for three days.

Still counts.

At least living in Europe, but who knows what lies in the future for Brexit Britain, there is no restrictions on when I take my annual vacation, so I am able to take 5 days, work three, two days public holiday and another 5 days off, and no one compains. Although I do assure my boss no more time off before the autumn now.

But for now, time enough to catch up on mails, complete the insanely complex travel expenses, and then squeeze in actual work.

Windows update.

Of course.

We were up at five fifteen. It was light well before. Poor Cleo had been sick during the night, I can kinda remember the event, but when I looked at the duvet, with was covered with dried vomit. Cleo seemed well enough to be fair.

I would keep an eye on her through the day.

Jools left for the pool at ten to six, and I put on a podcast.

First task was to scan the receipts from my trip, then put them in a mail from my home PC to my work one, then try to get the SAP app working.

Don't ask.

That's two hours of my life I won't get back, but I think I have it done, until someone looks at what I have done and rejects it.

It was after nine, and time to tackle the inbox, which is surprisingly full, and not of good cheer wither. Demands for me to do something. Demands, I kid ye not.

I have breakfast and another coffee, and then I have a 1:1 with my soon-to-be ex-boss, and the only news really was that I was back from my holibobs and would be going out in three days. But I am cheerful and in control.

Probably.

The cats are asleep, and I am working hard. I try not to think of the million and one things I could be doing rather than this. I tell myself I make a difference, then have another meeting with my boss, dealing with yet another unprofessional incident. As if this is normal.

At eleven, or just past, the Red Arrows were due to fly along the Kent coast on the way from north France to their base in Lincolnshire. I had camera and big lens ready, but saw nothing.

I had lunch. More coffee.

And back to work.

Nothing much else to report. Too cold and cloudy for a walk, or I felt. In fact my legs told me they had done enough steps last week and could do with a rest.

I agreed and so stayed in.

I made some garlic corn bread for dinner to go with the caprese. Don't shoot me. I can tell yu it was better than the sweet version I did last year. But corn bread and caprese goes to well very well. I opened some wine too.

Cheers.

No football to watch, as the season is nearly over. Nearly. I was tired by eight, so go to bed to read, and close my eyes at half eight.

Phew, rock and roll.

The end is nigh. Maybe

I am asked by my boss and colleagues, from Denmark, most weeks when we will ditch the Prime Minister.

I would love to tell them of the revolution and heads on pikes, but its not that simple.

Only the Parliamentary Conservative Party can remove the PM. First by 54 letters of no confidence having been sent to the chairman of the 1922 backbencher's committee, and then a full vote of all MPs.

This week has seen an increase in those MPs willing to say publically that they have submitted a letter, that number seems to be around 44. But the 1922 Committee seems to have indicated that revealing the numbers will wait until after the Jubilee weekend and when Parliament sits again next week.

Then there is the question of if Johnson is removed, who will take over?

With all data on the country and economy heading southwards, if someone were to take over, it would be just to the next election when Labour or a coailition probably would win.

Problems are legion, with most stemming from Government policy, no matter how hard Johnson and co try to blame the EU, COVID, or wherever.

Interesting times. Perhaps.

Sunday 29th May 2022

And so we come to the final day of my week off, and to be honest, I was even more pooped than before.

Although helped by the late ending of the Champion's League Final, I slept through until half seven. I woke up to find the sun on its chariot, charging across the sky.

We had nothing planned for the day. Nothing except cooking lunch for when Jen came over once the tennis in Paris finished it's afternoon session.

I got up, and after coffee, made bacon butties and fresh brews before getting the lamb seasoned for the evening meal.

I was going to make lamb tagine, but with a twist of my own, with lots of fruit and some honey. It was all about the preparation, as always.

That done, Jools went to the tip to drop some cardboard off, and I hopped out to check on the Bee Orchids nearby. More than a dozen spikes, but none in flower.

I wait for Jools to come back out and pick me up, the excitement over for the day.

Once back home we have a brew sitting in the garden before I prepare the next meal: breaded aubergine.

It was one high octaine event after another here at Chez Jelltex.

Then to prepare the tagine: I browned the spiced meat, sauteed the onions, made some stock, added more spices, tinned tomatoes, pured it into a large pan, and placed in a low oven for at least three hours.

Soon it began to smell divne.

There was also the Championship play-off final to watch, Huddersfield v Forest. A tense game, won by Forest just before haf time, but after, the Terriers had two good claims for a penalty turned down.

So it goes, so it goes.

At half time, Jen arrived, so I cooked the rice, and so we ate through the second half, and very delicious it was too. And enough left over for two lunches for Jools at work and me at home.

How clever I am.

And that was the weekend and a week off. But, due to bank holidays. Holidays. Only a three day week this week, and then another day off and we're actually going away.

Party on

I have not commented on the publication of the Sue Grey report, because I have not had time.

But it now seems that the report was altered before being published.

Johnson met with Grey before publication to try to get it pulled, as "the facts were already out there", or someting.

Now it appears that many gatherings were not investigated at all, and some, with photos have since been leaked. Because, when you blame the underlings, its just possible they'll leak the evidence they have.

So it happened too.

Not onl that, it seems that Johnson and other senior figures had stong legal advice on how to fill in the questionaires, or were advised not to fill them in at all, so received no FPNs at all.

Which rather has upset those who did, clearly.

In the end, Grey reported to Johnson, so the idea the report was independant was stupid, and it now appears there is an unedited version, that many want published. And there is rumours of charges of misconduct in public office, with appeals for more pictures to be supplied to the Good Law Project.

Corruption is rife, and this episode proves that, its what we, as a country can or will do about it.

Johnson changed the ministerial code this week, just as the Parliamentary Standards Committee is to look into whether he, as Prime Minister, mislead Parliament.

Saturday 29th May 2022

Another day without work, but filled with orchids instead.

I had been contacted by another farmer asking if I would like to visit his farm and look at the Southern Marsh Orchids he had growing.

I said I would, so I arranged to be there at ten, my friend, Ian and his wife and extended family were also coming.

Of course we had to go shopping first, though just five days provisions needed as we are off on our holibobs before next weekend, but enough to make it a two person forage.

We went round, getting the important stff, like coffee and milk, before paying and driving home. But there was just enough time to put the shopping away before we had to go out again, as Jools had a hair cut. I would drop her off and go to the farm, but there was enough time for me to stop off in town for breakfast.

I parked behind the church, and what used to be the town's Co-Op is now gone, just an expanse of concrete, though clearer views of the Castle behind.

I walk to Chaplins, there's only one other table taken. I could have had a small breakfast or just a sausage butty, but my mouth asked for a large breakfast with extra hash browns, which was a lot, but I can tell you did hit the spot, and as it turned out, kept me going until nearly three in the afternoon when I got home.

I paid and left, driving to the A20, then up towards Folkestone. On the other carriageway, traffic was sold from Ayclife all the way back onto the motorway where the road was closed at Junction 13, and all traffic was being sent through Folkestone. Liverpool fans in their red shirts sat in their cars, going nowhere for a while.

I hope they reached Paris by kick off time.

I cruised towards Hythe, turning off and finding myself half an hour early, parked up to wait and watch the world go by, which for the most part was a flock of newly shorn sheep in a field of buttercups.

At least they're cooler I thought.

I drove to the farm, or where the sat nav said the farm should be. It had no sign outside of it, so I settled down to wait, hoping that Alastair would come down at then as promised. Ian and hs family were stuck in traffic the otherside of Maidstone, so would be a while.

Alastair came out, so I got out to shake his hand, and after deciding not to wait for Ian, his dauhter would, we wandered off as he explained the regime at the farm, and how the orchids arriving was a by-product. I was expecting some orchids, but how many is that? What I saw were orchids everywhere, except in the fields were crops had been shown, but also round the margins.

As soil type changed, orchids thinned out, but only to return in greater numbers the other side of the wood we walked through.

Ian and family had arrived, and joined us where I was inspecting what were clearly hybrids of CSO and SMO, but some had spotted leaves, most hadn't. Sometimes its best just to say they're fine looking orchids and enjoy the sight rather than put each spike into a tight definition box.

The orchids were mostly in fields and meadows with buttercups, making a truly wonderful sight, the yellow complementing the purple of the orchids perfectly. I took lots of pictures.

A fresh Small Tortoiseshell flittered across the meadow, so the farmer's daughter and I chased with our cameras. I get a nice shot, even if the open wings are not flat on to the camera.

Alastair also has two ponds, for fish, but are a haven for dragonflies, and no one has surveyed it before. I take shots of what I think is a Four-spotted chaser and a Common blue damselfly, other species perhaps were not so cooperative.

We walked on, back to the farm, where it was suggested we go to the pub.

A fine idea.

A short drive away was The Black Horse, where Jools and I have dined out at before, but we were just here for drinks. I had a fine bottle of porter sitting out on the sundeck with the others.

Time was getting away, so I took my leave after saying many thank-yous, programmed the sat nav for home, and that's when every route came up with traffic delay warnings. There was a choice, to head across country to Stone Street, through Bridge, then to Barfrestone, Waldershare and the Langdons to home. It would take time, but quicker than sitting in traffic.

Anyway, it was a nice day for a drive in the country, and there wasn't much traffic, Norwich had finished their season, so none of that to worry about.

I drove on, getting nearer and nearer to home.

And once I was home, I checked the traffic radar and the queues the car warned me off were not there.

So it goes, so it goes.

I make carbonara quickly, it comes together in half an hour or so. I have a couple of glasses of decent red with it, and am all done for the start of the League 2 play off final. Which was pretty good. Port Vale wining 2-0.

That gave me what should have been two hours before the Champion's League Final to write, edit photos and make supper before kick off, but there were issues outside the ground and the start delayed.

It kicked off after half eight, the ground still not full, and was compelling viewing. Real won 1-0, depsite Liverpool dominating, without doing enough. It all ended at half ten, by which time Jools had gone to bed and I was on the sloe port.

Cheers.