It starts with a blank page

PY went to the office. I think he’s moving from a three-day office week to a four-day one. I don’t think it’s settled, but he’s not telling me the final changes. He likes being at the office, and I think he’ll quite enjoy it, and it will make the travel pass he buys better value.

I am unsure if I will get on with four days at home alone. I must have written here before, but when I started working at home (around 2011), I didn’t really enjoy it; I found it very lonely. I used to walk to Caffè Nero (from our old house) or Starbucks (from this one) to speak to somebody daily. The habit got worse as the Starbucks was much nearer to this house than the Nero was to the old, and I had less guilt being away from my computer. Not that there was anybody to question me. When the pandemic broke, I was quite adamant that I would be the first back in the office, but as that year rolled on, I found I was just as productive at home, and I didn’t need to take the awful commute.

One of the things that made it easier was that we both had a room to use as an office space, and we treated each other as though we were at the office when the door was closed. But we’d have lunch together and occasionally make a morning or afternoon coffee. It was just enough company to stop me from feeling the estrangement I’d felt last time. I’ve done OK while he’s been out for three days each week (and I am in the office for one of those days anyway), but I wonder how four will feel?

Because he was in the office today, we met at The Alexandra for the quiz. He arrived first and bought the drinks. We ordered some food (fish and chips for me and a burger for PY), which we had just about finished when Jo and Mark arrived. It appeared that the pub had squashed another two tables into the place tonight. It’s very popular.

We got our papers ready for the opening round. The first round usually gives us a feel for how we will do, but we were good this week (9/10). One of the later rounds was really tough for us, and we got worried. But it turned out that it was tough for everybody. In the end, we didn’t quite get the coveted ninth place. Nonetheless, mid-table seems to be our position.