Week 33

Annual leave this week, so no work updates.

• Ill again, secondary infection from last week’s virus I reckon. Meant a day in bed, voiceless.

• I found it impossible to concentrate on finishing my SDinGov talk. Partly the brain fog from the virus, partly having the girls full-time at home, partly procrastination. But also a reflection of the stage I’m at with it - this is the hard bit, taking all these ideas and overall narrative flow, choosing what to cut, and turning it into things I’d actually say. Looking through my notes and deciding which set of 8 bullets is 2 minutes of talking, and which is more like 10. Trying to rephrase things so they’ll roll off my tongue and stick in people’s heads. And convincing myself that what I have to share with you all is good enough.

• We had Steve’s birthday dinner. My youngest was wriggling like an octopus the whole time - I can’t help but wonder if she hasn’t burned off enough energy, or been stimulated enough this week. I also had dinner with a friend - it’s nice to have a local friend of my own, one who doesn’t know me through Steve or through the kids.

• We got the train to Ayr, to visit my parents. It rained constantly on the journey and while we were there. The youngest loved the beach - sideways rain, she “played” learning into the wind to see if it could take her weight (it could). She came back soaked and sandblasted. But that’s why blankets and cocoa exist, surely.

• We had a Sunday roast at my parents’ house. My sister and parents relished it - they don’t usually eat at the table, and typically only make roast dinners at Christmas time. It hadn’t occurred to having a roast lamb in the middle of the day, and spending the rest of the day digesting and playing boardgames is an absolutely legitimate way to spend a Sunday.