Saturday 11th April

Well, it was meant to be ten days but thanks to some rather militant air-traffic controllers complaining about their working conditions and striking it has stretched to two weeks.  I was a bit irritated a week ago; well to be frank I was more than irritated, I was mightily pee’ed off because I had to deal with cash-flow issues in England via internet banking, but that has now subsided and I am more relaxed.  Of course missing two working days, though nice, is still a bind because as I have said repeatedly to the deaf ears of my bosses that if I don’t do my work I have to do it.  Not a single keystroke or data entry will be done in my absence – it will all be waiting my return.  And I ain’t exactly sitting there twiddling my thumbs during normal uninterrupted weeks.  The only saving grace is that I am about to retire, well almost.  I have had to extend this by one month anyway but at the end of April come what may I will be finishing.

And the last three days have been so nice here.  The sun has emerged at last and that slightly added stress of having visitors to entertain has passed.  Not that we disliked having them – a great time was had, but now just the two of us, my long-suffering wife and I have been able to relax and slip into a pleasant routine.  Tonight someone will be playing live in the Gambetta and we will go about nine in the evening to see them.  Then on Saturday (today for you) I am flying into Bristol and am facing a rather tedious journey back to London.  One week of almost solid work and back out again, strikes permitting next Saturday.  It’s a funny life….