Wednesday 31stJuly

Well I am back in harness, back at work, back in London – and normal service has been resumed.  Almost.  Because despite the drizzly weather, there is the hope of sunshine this summer; it feels as if this warm summer rain is just a temporary hiatus until the sun comes back out.   Still it s a strange sight, people in obviously summer clothes; girls in the shortest of short shorts, tight tops, guys in just shirt and slacks or jeans and T-shirt, looking up and covering their heads with a copy of Metro, or maybe a small fold-able umbrella from the bottom of their handbags.

The tube was as crowded as ever.  One wonders if when Cross-rail ever opens (it has been years in the talking about, planning, and now tunneling) it will bring some relief, or act like a sponge and simply drag more people into London.  Just as I am planning to leave.

If anything this little trip, more than any other has convinced me that I must start my retirement planning in earnest.  This, by the way, is my first week of three day week working.  It was quite strange booting up the lap-top on Monday night, and seeing the flood of Monday morning e-mails, most for Murano, which I have dropped now, but quite a few for my remaining clients.

So, for two weeks normal service is resumed.  But not quite – the house is quiet, deathly quiet really; at least I can watch what I want on the telly.  Strange how soon in a relationship control of the remote is settled in one partners hands.  But actually even though I am working it will be only three days, then a long weekend of hopefully some decent writing, and then three days work and out to France again.

It isn’t such a bad life really.