A New Resolve

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

Today was a much better day, work-wise. I started to feel like I was making an impact on all the issues, rather than having them avalanche onto me. 

And in other good news, the "informal chat" I had with Irish Lassie yesterday has now turned into a "formal interview" on Friday.

I resolved that I was being really stupid yesterday. Now that we are on the verge of leaving Level 3 and going to Level 2 covid alert, it occurs to me that my time of hanging out at home with Caro and the cats is likely coming to an end. I'll probably be back to the commute in less than three weeks. 

Don't get me wrong; I know it has to happen and I won't mind really. But I've really loved having all this time with my best friends. I love being able to just press STOP on the working day and roll around on the floor with Jasper, or play the bath game with Punky, or watch a house programme with Caro*.

So I told Caro out loud that I was resolving to enjoy these last couple of weeks together to the full. To truly step back and appreciate this time we have together. 

She looked alarmed; "Do I have to do anything?" she asked. I assured her that she did not.

Incidentally, I have not told Smock about my resolution. I'm not sure she would take it in the right spirit.

But you know what I mean, right? I mean. This time next year, I expect I'll look back on these weeks with affection. Don't get me wrong, I know covid is a terrible thing and the repercussions for all of us will be severe. But for today, for this month, I'm inside and safe with a wife and cats and Kevin McCloud and George Clarke and Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen. 

I just want to acknowledge it and commit it to memory. Moments that I can take out of my mind and re-examine the next time I'm on a crowded train at 6.30 in the morning.

S.

* I watched an old episode of "Changing Rooms" on YouTube the other day. That was a blast from the past. Do you remember when Carol Smillie was on EVERYTHING? 

She was so ubiquitous that a Scottish friend of ours named Pauline got quite worked up about it. "If I saw that (VERY BAD WORD) on the street, I'd (VERY BAD WORD) spit on her for being a (VERY BAD WORD) fake Scottish person." Said Pauline. It was such an emotional outburst that I have never forgotten it.

Fortunately for Carol Smillie, she never ran into Pauline. I hear she has now retired from tv altogether and that she became a humanist celebrant. If Pauline ever gets humanist-married, I might make a humorous suggestion.