View from the train

Apart from starting with a 10 minute wait in the rain for the bus to Lincoln, a very smooth journey. And one made all the better by customer I've not been able to get hold of texting me to ask if I had any of the expensive Rioja he liked at Christmas... After texting back and forth (can't stand loud business conversations on a train!!) he bought the last 39 bottles at £45 each... which is wonderful... and suddenly I felt positive and energised!!! :D (only slight disappointment was that there were 47 left when I contacted him last week... which I'm sure he would have had, though I guess that would have been TOO freaky...!!). It's not so much the commission that cheered me up (though that's welcome of course), it's a little bit the boost to my confidence, and perhaps more so the message to the boss that I am (or can be) a "big player". Interestingly, this customer first bought from me a few years ago with Pieroth, but has been quite wary and cagey with me... I do feel that I am finally winning through by being honest, steady, not bugging him, etc - I'd have lost him if I'd been even a tiny bit pushy... 
With my renewed energy and confidence, I texted a few more people for visits... and now have 10 appointments next week - some for the first time with Shawbury and most far from certain sales for various reasons, but no question I'll have a more profitable AND enjoyable week than any so far this year...!!
I did also spend a lot of time looking out of the window... for obvious reasons in cities the view from a train window is usually fairly rum, passing urban wastelands with graffiti, tons of litter, derelict or semi-derelict industrial sites - though also some signs of regeneration - for example the huge HS2 project site to the East of New Street as you approach Birmingham... This pic was taken near the Bescot sidings, which always fascinated me as a kid... I was on the wrong side of the train to get a good view of the seemingly disused carriages on endless tracks... 
Picked the car up: only "little jobs" done - £600 so far... he needs it back for a week at least to finish the bigger jobs... need to try and work out how I manage that... 
After picking the car up, drove to Shawbury's to pick up my samples, dropped a bottle of Shiraz with Francis to give to his wealthy boss who loves Shiraz, then smooth drive home, now chilling on the sofa trying to summon the energy to get dinner (just reheating the 2nd part of last night's Hello Fresh, no preparation needed fortunately!!).
On a separate point: it is interesting what does and does not pique one's emotions - of all the recent horrors, it was the Russian student talking to John Simpson as she escaped into Poland which brought a tear, somehow - the heartfelt emotion she showed in condemning what Putin has done... sort of glad I can't find any reference to it online, if you know what I mean? - just heard it on Radio 4 whilst driving home...