Shit, is it September already? – In the name of Thiago – Day 153

I had to pinch myself at one point earlier today. In about the time it takes to boil a kettle, the weather had gone from sharp shower, to bright sunshine to a mini hailstorm. It must have been reassuring to my Dad, who has not long been back from the ultimate city of four seasons in a day: Melbourne.

The alarm in my tone from today’s blog title comes from the fact it will be September when I start my one month 300 mile walk from Eastbourne to Stoke-on-Trent. As I looked out the kitchen window this afternoon, it seemed like we had fast forwarded three months such was the strong breeze and general freshness of the elements.

There is a September theme running through today’s blog as I also found out this morning that I won’t be returning to my office until then at the very earliest. I’m not sure that I needed my employer to tell me this, as I was working on this assumption anyway, but it makes sense to end the uncertainty for all those who fret about such things. Not sure I really give a shit either way if I’m honest, as it hardly registers for me with everything else that’s been going on in my life. Moving on..

I have a slightly different routine now that Elisa has gone back to school, at least on the days when Angelica is on shift. Elisa’s school quite rightly has a policy in place where parents are required to drop off and collect the children from the school, regardless of age. So far so good with the social distancing, though I can see parents edging closing to each other already. I think it’s just the human psyche.

I scurried home before the hail and put in a pretty productive shift today at work I thought, which I didn’t wind up until shortly before 6. Who says we’re all lazy fucks in the public sector. Oh yes, it was me. I rest my case. Against myself!

I managed to just about dodge the worst of the variable weather at lunchtime to squeeze in a couple of chapters of my book and I really appreciated that time to myself. It does make such a difference, I think, to switch off completely and then come back recharged. I only read for 20 minutes but it was time well spent.

Earlier today, 7am to be precise, I had a 40 minute yoga session, which was carried over from last night. Again, this was a great way to start the day and to be honest, there’s absolutely no way I’d have done that if I had I needed to drive 40 minutes into work as well. I’m starting to view the positives of home working and not so gradually realising that there’s not really much point in me being in an office. And what’s more I don’t have any regrets about finding that to be the case.

As I was driving back from school with Elisa in the passenger seat this afternoon, I noticed what I thought was a slightly misshaped leaf or perhaps a semi-rotten piece of wood between the wipers. It turns out I was a bit wide of the mark. The thing that really confuses me is the question: when would the last time have been when either Angelica or myself needed to use a scraper?  Surely we’re talking late February?

Elisa, bless her ladyship, is becoming delirious at the prospect of a chippy tea tonight. Angelica has laid out the plans by saying they are doing take outs at The Dancing Octopus and that reminds me actually that they wanted to put a poster up to promote my fundraiser in their shop, so I shall take one down. I might even take a collection pot as well. They seem very trusting ladies in there and very keen to help. Good on ‘em I say.

You can do your bit too of course by donating. Let’s kick start the weekend by bunging a few quid in the pot eh? Good on you all.